1. The general rule with aquarium heaters is to have five watts of heater power per gallon of water. For optimum heat circulation and safety, we recommend splitting the required wattage between two different heaters and keeping a spare aquarium heater to protect your fish in case of heater failure.
2. When buying aquarium lights for a fish-only freshwater tank, follow a ratio of one or two watts per gallon. However, plants, anemones, and corals require stronger aquarium light for photosynthesis. Provide two to five watts per gallon in planted freshwater aquariums and four to eight watts per gallon in reef aquariums.
3. Fish can be carnivores (meat), herbivores (plants and vegetables), or omnivores (all of the above). Providing your fishes with a variety of fish food - including flakes, pellets, live food, and frozen food - that's appropriate to their diets will help to keep them active and healthy.
4. Fish are cold blooded, and even moderate temperature changes can cause them stress or illness. With larger tanks, particularly saltwater aquariums, using two aquarium thermometers is an excellent way to monitor the thermal stability of the environment.
5. A "protein skimmer" might sound like an aquarist on a no-carb diet, but it's actually a very useful device for keeping saltwater fish tanks clean. Protein skimmers remove organic compounds from aquariums before they break down into toxic nitrogenous waste.
6. It's alive! It's alive! No, we're talking about the live sand in reef aquariums, not the Frankenstein monster. Live sand and substrates contain bacteria and small organisms that provide biological filtration and even serve as food for some aquarium residents.
7. Are your fish breathing like they just swam a marathon? Long-term rapid breathing could mean that your tank has a low oxygen level. Aquarium air pumps can improve the circulation of oxygen in your aquarium.
8. A high-quality aquarium filter can mean the difference between success and failure as an aquarist. It's been estimated by Aquarium Fish Magazine that improper or inadequate filtration is the cause of more than 80% of fish health problems in aquariums.
9. Along with major items such as aquarium filters, our selection of aquarium supplies includes aquarium nets, automatic fish feeders, and themed aquarium starter kits that are perfect for kids setting up their first fish tank aquarium.
10. If you're new to the world of freshwater and saltwater aquariums, check out our Aquarium Care section for helpful articles on everything from algae to aquarium lighting.
