Aquarium TipDo not keep the lights on too much and make sure to set up a timer.  Somewhere between 7-10 hours a day is fine.  Set it to be on when you are most likely to be able to enjoy the tank, in the evening perhaps.  If you are most active in the room when the lights are off, this may also stress the fish. TestimonialThe blue "nightlight" settings on the Marineland LED light fixture is stunning.  It gives off a deep blue light that shimmers.  A very efficient, cool to the touch fixture that completely changes the look of your tank at the flick of a switch.  An outstanding product that works well for those fish that are sensitive to bright light. Typical cost £0.80 UK Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) is a very pale blue liquid which appears colourless in a dilute solution, slightly more viscous than water. It is a weak acid. It has very strong oxidizing properties and is therefore a powerful bleaching agent that has found uses as a disinfectant. Even though it is a powerful and highly toxic chemical it can have a use in the aquarium if used in low dosages and with great care.

When added to water it rapidly breaks down into water and oxygen. The concentration this liquid is supplied by your chemist shop is usually around 2 to 9%.fish tank sand vacuum Though check with the instructions on your bottle. fish tank pump aa190You'll need to know the concentration!fish tank pump diaphragm You can purchase small white tablets which are a dilute solution of H2O2 and when the tablets dissolve they release oxygen to the water. fish tank for sale bendigoThis is intended to aid the transport of fish in bags of water.used fish tank table

Alternatively drip liquid H2O2 into the tank in very low concentrations. Typically 0.05 times your tank volume in litres assuming 3% solution. 4ft fish tank for sale qldSo a 60L tank would need 0.05 × 60L = 3ml per 12 hours. Concentrations of around 60ml of 3% H2O2 (30ml of 6%, 15ml of 9%) in a 250 Litres (66 US G.) tank directly applied (usually via a syringe) slowly over 5 minutes onto a clump of algae will kill it and then rapidly be diluted and converted into harmless oxygen and water. Observe the results and wait 48 hours before applying any more. Plants may be effected. Dilute concentrations added to the tank water can kill all bacteria in the water, including the nitrifying bacteria. It will also kill all micro-organisms, good and bad. Dilute concentrations of H2O2 applied to a tank can breakdown buildup of mulm. H2O2 in high levels (1 part H2O2 to 4 parts water) will perform the same job as bleach for cleaning equipment and empty aquariums.

Unlike bleach it does not stick to surfaces and only breaks down into water and oxygen. To achieve 15 mg/l you want to add 1500 mg of H2O2 which will require the addition of 49.28 ml of 3% H2O2.Once algae becomes a problem, treating the cause is required for a lasting and successful solution. Treating algae directly is not effective algae control. While chemicals may destroy the algae, in the long-term they worsen the conditions in the aquarium, making renewed outbreak more likely. Dead algae increase the accumulating organic waste in the aquarium, leading to an increase in nitrate. It is well established that nitrate is the primary cause for algae growth within the fish tank. Nitrate, resulting from the breakdown of organic waste, is the cause and therefore the real problem in the aquarium. Since this is a one-way downward spiral, once we understand the environment and accept that there will always be some algae in the system, we can approach algae control in a much more effective way.

Furthermore, algae are part of a healthy aquatic environment and are an important supplemental food source for many species. Algae are always present: either naturally (in the form of spores), or by catching a ride on newly purchased ornaments, fish, and plants. There, they patiently wait for favorable conditions that will lead to their explosive and destructive outbreak, causing numerous problems. Algae cannot be completely eliminated from the aquarium no matter how big the effort. However, outbreaks can and should be controlled to maintain tank health. Instead of trying to eliminate algae by treating the symptoms, it is far more effective to focus on the cause. Successful algae control requires controlling the aquatic environment; thus avoiding an outbreak and the subsequent algae treatment. Algae growth relies on water and light, as well as other contributing factors such as: nitrates, organic and inorganic pollutants, phosphates, silicates, and iron. Since eliminating water from the aquarium is not an option, light and contributing factors must be controlled and adjusted.

Fluorescent light bulbs are the most commonly used light sources, but they need to be replaced every six to nine months due to a loss of lighting power over time and a change in the light spectrum. As the bulb ages, the light spectrum becomes increasingly more favorable for algae growth. Light becomes more easily absorbed and helps the algae produce energy through photosynthesis. A late replacement of the bulb will not eliminate the risk of an algae outbreak. On the contrary, replacing the bulb after a prolonged period of use (1.5 – 2 years) will dramatically increase the energy input in the aquarium. This is especially true in planted tanks or aquariums with an already progressed algae population; the increase of energy will further the growth rate. Since plants and algae are both photosynthetic, the result of the newly replaced bulb may cause an increase in oxygen levels above a healthy level. Dramatically increasing oxygen levels will deplete trace elements and shorten the availability of essential minerals and vitamins.

An intense growth factor will reduce CO2 in the aquarium, which will in turn lead to an increase in pH. Some plants, such as cryptocoryne (crypts), limnophilia (Foxtails), and rotala, store ammonium as a nutrient in their leaves. Ammonium is relatively harmless at a pH below 7.0, but once the pH rises above that, ammonium is transformed into highly toxic ammonia. Allowing the pH to rise will literally poison these plants from the inside out. Decaying plants will contribute to algae growth by increasing organic waste in the tank. Furthermore, algae benefit from decaying plants as the competition for nutrients decreases. Low CO2 levels encourage algae growth; algae can utilize carbon derived from carbonates. Carbonate availability increases as the CO2 drops and the pH rises. Since plants do not have this ability, algae benefit again. Waste resulting from overfeeding must never be greater than the tanks’ own ability to break down this waste. If it exceeds the breakdown capacity of the aquarium, the water column is thrown out of balance, contributing to the decisive factors for fast and sudden algae outbreaks.

Overstocking an aquarium has the same effects as overfeeding. If the stocking rate exceeds the tanks’ limitations the results are equal to the effects of overfeeding. The effects of overfeeding and overstocking are not immediate. Because it takes time, the hobbyist does not always easily recognize the cause of an algae outbreak. Uneaten food particles picked up by the aquarium filter will have the same effect as particles settled on the substrate unless the filter is regularly rinsed or replaced and the waste is removed from the system. The amount of nitrates created by fish food can roughly be calculated by multiplying the protein content (PC) by 0.16 and then dividing the result by the number of days (D) the container will last: (PC x 0.16) x (W/100) / D = nitrates per day PC = Protein Content of the fish food (see label) W = Weight of the can of food (see label) D = Days in which the can is used up. Example: A 50 gram can of fish food containing 45% protein that lasts for 2 months (60 days):

(45 x 0.16) x (50/100) / 60 = 0.06. Nitrates per day are measured in grams. To convert the grams into ppm multiply the result by 1000: 0.06 x 1000 = 60 ppm per day. Healthy stocking rates are at about one inch of fish per fifteen square inches of water surface. A good feeding guideline is to feed what fish can eat in approximately one minute once a day. Regular aquarium maintenance should include partial water changes of 10-20% every other week in addition to vacuuming the gravel and rinsing the filters. Combined with timely replacement of the lighting, algae can be reasonably controlled. Algae-eating fish and critters prefer fresh and soft algae which are often not the ones that are a visible problem and a nuisance. Algae eaters are therefore part of the preventative measure, but not part of the solution once the algae are out of control. Adding new fish to an already algae-infested aquarium will likely worsen the problem as more waste will be produced, and the aquariums’ bio-filter will need to adjust for the change in bio-load.

Despite following all of the above, avoiding algae outbreaks can still be very challenging. An aquarium is a delicate environment which needs regular attention. Often our busy lifestyles make consistent maintenance a challenge. So from time to time “it just happens”! When an outbreak does occur, don’t fall for the quick fix! There are some products, such as algaecides, which appear to offer a fast solution to the problem. Common ones are simazine, copper, and surfactants. Common ones are simazine, copper, and surfactants. Copper is a toxic metal and affects bacteria as well as crustaceans. The bad effects of copper have resulted in the decline of use of all forms of copper (i.e. copper sulfate) in algaecides. The main manufacturer of simazine has withdrawn the chemical from use in aquariums and commercial fish breeders intended for human consumption, due to the negative impacts and effects of long term use. Warning labels indicate not to release the compound into lakes and streams.