Freshwater Aquariums For Dummies

Madelaine Francis Heleine has been involved with aquariums and fish-keeping for more than 40 years. She has been a contributing writer and columnist for various magazines dealing with the aquatic world and has written several books about aquarium fish. Madelaine even enjoys exploring the underwater world firsthand as a scuba diver.

• Introduction 1About This Book 1Foolish Assumptions 2Icons Used in This Book 3Where to Go from Here 4Part 1: Getting Started with Freshwater Aquarium Basics 5Chapter 1: Taking the Plunge: Just the Essentials 7Focusing on the Tank, Stand, Accessories, and Equipment 8Knowing where to put your tank 8Looking at the tank and stand options 9Figuring out what (besides fish) to put in your aquarium 9Considering aquarium equipment 9Determining what you really need 10Caring for Your New Aquatic Pets 10Eyeing differences in species 10Assessing which types of fish are best for you 10Buying fish — what you need to know 11Feeding your fish — what types of food to buy 11Taking care of sick fish 12Understanding Water, Chemicals, and Live Plants 12Grasping everything water 12Using chemicals to improve your aquarium conditions 12Testing your water 13Getting a system going 13Adding live plants 13Fixing common problems 13Expanding Your Aquarium Hobby 13Breeding your fish: Yes or no? 13Keeping track of your progress 14Broadening your hobby 14Contemplating other types of aquarium structures 14Chapter 2: The Practice of Aquarium Keeping 15Recognizing the Amazing Benefits of Owning an Aquarium 16Identifying Aquarium Water Systems 18Freshwater systems 19Saltwater systems 21Brackish systems 22Organization Is the Key to Success 23Chapter 3: Finding a Good Location 25Making Sure Your Floor Is Sound 26Taking Room Temperature and Its Effects into Consideration 26Wicked windows 27Deadly doors 28High Traffic Areas, Children, and Pets (Spell D-I-S-A-S-T-E-R) 28Contemplating Your Water Source When Placing Your Aquarium 30Thinking about Other Household Items 30Furniture and space 30Electrical outlets and TVs 31Overhead lighting 32Cleaning considerations 32Chapter 4: The Tank and Stand 33Buying a Tank: What You Need to Know 33Water is heavy 34Watching the tendency to overspend 35Checking out starter kits 35Size matters — gauging space requirements 36Taking people into consideration 37Deciding where to buy 38Examining the Different Types of Aquariums Available 39Glass aquariums 40Acrylic aquariums 41Plastic aquariums (bowls and small tanks) 42Rimless tanks 42Considering Different and Unusual Aquarium Styles 43Wall-mounted aquariums 43In-wall tanks 43Furniture aquariums 44Tower aquariums 44Indoor pond barrels 45All-in-one tanks 45Betta tanks and water gardens 45Special tanks from the pros 45Choosing the Right Tank 46Tank size 46Tank shape 47Carrying capacity 47Picking the Right Stand 47Wooden cabinet stands 48Angle and wrought iron stands 48Aluminum stands 49Do-it-yourself stands 49Material-based stands 49Bow-front stands 49Moving an Aquarium 50Chapter 5: Aquascaping Your Aquarium: What to Add and Not Add in Your Tank 51Taking Clues from Your Fish’s Natural Environment 52Getting the Lowdown on Substrates 53Starting with the basics: Gravel, aqua soil, and fluorite 54Thinking about pH with your substrates 54Knowing which substrates to avoid 55Being aware of gravel size and the perils of sand 56Adding new substrate to your system 56Using established substrate 57Considering Rocks, Wood, and Artificial Plants 57Rocks for freshwater tanks 58Wood for a freshwater tank 58Plastic plants 60Contemplating Other Aquarium Decorations 62Keeping safety first 62Eyeing plastic divers and other oddities 62Aquascaping Tips and Tricks 63Chapter 6: Selecting the Equipment and Other Stuff Your Aquarium Needs 67Taking the Mystery out of Filters 68Mechanical filtration 69Biological filtration 69Chemical filtration 70Sifting through Filtration Systems 70Undergravel filters 71Sponge filters 71Corner filters 72Power filters 72Canister filters 73Fluidized bed filters 74Diatom filters 74Wet/dry filters 75Natural filtration with plants 75An underground filter’s best friend — powerheads 76Gauging Heaters and Thermometers 77Submersible heaters 77Nonsubmersible heaters 77Digital heaters 77Heating your aquarium: Thermometers 78Making Bubbles with Airstones and Pumps 79Air pumps 79Airstones and other bubble makers 80Connecting Tubing, Valves, and Tees 81Air-line tubing 81Gang valves and tees 82Creating the Best Lighting 83Looking at bulb types 84Making a hood choice 85Part 2: Taking a Closer Look at Fish and How to Care for Them 87Chapter 7: Fish Anatomy 101 89Understanding What Makes a Fish Go 90The dorsal fin 90The caudal fin 91The anal fin 91The pectoral fins 92The pelvic fins 92The adipose fin 92Swimming movement 92Breathing In and Out — Respiration 93The gill method 93The labyrinth organ method 94Getting Acquainted with the Senses 95Sight 95Hearing 97Smelling 97Tasting 97Feeling 98Comprehending Osmosis and the Salt-to-Water Ratio 98Fish that don’t drink water 99Fish that need to drink water 99Recognizing Traits to Identify Fish 99Body shape 100Taxonomy 100The swim bladder 102Color and its purpose 102Chapter 8: Figuring Out What Kind of Fish to Buy 105Looking Closer at Freshwater Fish 106Anabantids 106Cyprinodonts and livebearers 108Catfish (plecos, cories, and one special Cypriniforme) 112Characins 114Unusual characins 117Loaches 119African cichlids 120American cichlids 121Cyprinids 125Freshwater tropical invertebrates 127Contemplating Coldwater Fish and Invertebrates 129Koi (Cyprinus carpio) 129Goldfish (Carassius auratus) 129White cloud mountain minnows (Tanichthys albonubes) 132Coldwater invertebrates 132Thinking about Captive-Bred Species 134Buying Fish Online 135Chapter 9: Working with a Fish Dealer to Purchase Your Fish 137Choosing a Quality Fish Dealer 138Searching for a fish store 138The importance of great service 140The store’s appearance 140Dealer Practices: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly 142Do Bee dealers 143Don’t Bee dealers 143Wanna Bee dealers 144Developing a Good Relationship with Your Fish Dealer 145Selecting Healthy Fish 145Start simply and do your homework 145Look for signs of good health 146Know your fish’s behavior 146Understand how big the fish will grow 147Avoid the first fish off the boat 148Don’t be Doctor Doolittle 148Getting the Right Fish without Going Overboard 149Chapter 10: Feeding Your Wet Pets — Diet and Nutrition 151Understanding Basic Nutrition 151Recognizing what your fish need 152Being aware of overfeeding 153Underfeeding is just as bad 153Feeding just what your fish need 153Knowing What Type of Eater You Have 155Taking action when they stop eating 155Meeting your carnivores’ desires 156Going leafy and feeding vegetarians 156Feeding fish that eat anything that falls into the tank 157Identifying the Different Types of Food 157Prepackaged foods 157Frozen foods 158Freeze-dried foods 158Spirulina 159Live food — the stuff they really love and want 159Brine shrimp 160Infusoria 161Rotifers 161Tubifex, bloodworms, mosquito larvae, and earthworms (yuck!) 161Feeding Fry 162Microworms 162Liquid, powdered, and growth foods 162Chapter 11: Recognizing Diseases and Treatments 163An Ounce of Prevention 163Your daily review 164Your weekly to-do list 165Monthly checklist 168Identifying Common Ailments and Cures 168Common bacterial infection 169Constipation 169Dropsy 169Fin rot 169Fish louse 170Freshwater velvet 170Freshwater ich 170Fungus 171Gill parasites 171Hole in the head 171Intestinal parasites 172Large skin parasites 172Mouth fungus 172Pop-eye 172Septicemia 173Skin flukes 173Slimy skin disease 173Swim bladder disease 174Tuberculosis (TB) 174Keeping an Eye Open for Frequent Causes of Disease 174Carbon dioxide poisoning 175Poor water quality 175Metal poisoning 175Chemical poisoning 175Improper diet 176Overfeeding 176Frightened fish 176Relying on a Tried-and-True Home Remedy: Giving a Salt Bath 177Playing Detective: The Sherlock Holmes Method 177Using Quarantine Tanks 178Grasping the purpose and advantages of quarantining 178Knowing how much time to quarantine 179Keeping good records: Writing it all down 179Focusing on the tank 179Setting Up a Hospital Tank 180Understanding Medications 180Part 3: The Background Players: Water, Chemicals, and Plants 183Chapter 12: All Water Isn’t Created Equal 185Comparing Different Water Types 186Tap water 186Rainwater 188The advantages of bottled water (not Perrier) 189Well water (don’t count on it) 189Collecting Water from Bodies of Water (Why You Want to Forget This Bad Idea) 190Adding Water to Your Aquarium 190Using a garden hose 190Using a Python 191Moving water the old-fashioned way 191Chapter 13: Considering Those Crazy Chemicals 193Understanding Chemical Use 194Knowing when to use (and not use) chemicals 194Following instructions to the letter 194Knowing Which Chemicals You Need to Start Your Aquarium 195Glass cleaner 195Dechlorinator 195Water conditioner 196Cycling chemicals 196Bacteria in a bottle 197Bacteria on a medium 197Maintaining Your Aquarium: Chemicals to Use 197Using the Right Chemicals for Your Plants 198Create your own rainforest 198Plant growth 199Root tabs 199Algae control 199Naming Chemicals Your Fish Need for Medication 200Chapter 14: The Nitrogen Cycle and Water Testing 201Eliminating Fish Waste 201Conditioning Your Tank 202Starting the Nitrogen Cycle 203Encouraging nitrosamonas (good bacteria number one) 203Promoting nitrobacter (good bacteria number two) 205Monitoring through the conditioning period 205Speeding things up a bit 206Preventing new tank syndrome 207Testing Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, and pH 207Changing the water regularly 207Maintaining proper pH levels 208Testing Hardness (dH) 210Chapter 15: Putting It All Together 211Setting Up Your Tropical Freshwater System 212Setting Up a Small Plant Tank 214Setting Up Your Coldwater System 215Setting Up Your Simple Indoor Goldfish Pond 216Chapter 16: What You Need to Know: Live Plants for Aquariums 217Understanding What Live Plants Do for Your Aquarium 218Identifying Different Plant Types 220Ferns and mosses 221Floating plants 221Stem plants 221Rooted plants 221Cuttings 222Maintaining Plant-Friendly Aquarium Conditions 222Temperature requirements 222Substrate for rooting 223Filtration 223Feeding 223Lighting 224Other supplements 224Purchasing and Transporting Your Plants 224Taking from the wild 224Buying from a dealer 225Buying online 225Getting plants home in one piece 226Achieving acclimation 226Noticing Potential Plant Problems 227Recognizing signs of poor plant health and what to do about them 227Algae 228Medications 228Planting Techniques and Aquascaping 229Chapter 17: Choosing Plant Species for Your Tank 231Considering Foreground Plants 232Baby tears (Micranthemum umbrosum) 232Brazilian micro sword (Lilaeopsis brasiliensis) 233Cryptocoryne (Cryptocoryne wendetti) 233Dwarf anubias (Anubias nana) 234Dwarf four-leaf clover (Marsilia hirsute) 234Java moss (Taxiphyllum barbieri) 235Madagascar lace (Aponogeton fenestralis) 235Pearl grass (Hemianthus micranthemoides) 236Looking at Midwater Plants 237Aquatic banana plant (Nymphoides aquatica) 237Coffeefolia (Anusbis barteri) 237Dwarf sagittaria (Sagittaria subulata) 237Water wisteria (Hygrophila difformis) 238Contemplating Background Plants 238Amazon sword (Echinodorus amazonicus) 238Carolina fanwort (Cambomba caroliniana) 239Corkscrew val (Vallisneria spiralis) 239Elodea (Egeria densa) 240Giant anubias (Anubias barteri) 241Hornwort (Ceratophyllum demersum) 241Oriental sword (Echinodorus oriental) 242Red ludwigia (Ludwigia mullertii) 243Red-stem milfoil (Myriophyllum matogrossensis) 244Stargrass (Heteranthera zosterifolia) 244Going with Floating Plants 244Amazon frogbit (Limnobium laevigatum) 245Duckweed (Lemna minor) 245Envisioning Pond Plants 245Water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) 246Water lettuce (Pistia stratiotes) 246Starting with Some Easy Plants 247Part 4: Breeding and Other Fun Stuff 249Chapter 18: Being Prepared When Trouble Strikes 251Tackling Physical Fish Problems 252Separating fighting fish 252Solving the aggression problem 252Looking at the injured 253Dealing with a stuck fish 253Correcting Feeding Problems 253Getting your fish to eat 253Addressing a food hog 253Dislodging items eaten by your fish 254Cleaning up the aftermath 254Addressing Equipment Problems 254Handling uneven stands and tanks 254Fixing a clogged filter 254Analyzing heater problems 254Lighting falling into the tank 255Exploding light bulbs 255Flickering lighting 255Facing Tank and Decoration Problems 256Checking for leaks 256Getting your fish to safety 256Repairing a small crack 256When an entire side of your aquarium breaks 257Uprooted plants and decorations 257What to do when you lose power 257Confronting Water Problems 257Solving green algae problems 258Controlling chemical problems 258Cooling a tank that’s too hot 258Warming a tank that’s too cold 259Chapter 19: Setting Up the Breeding Tank 261Deciding to Breed Your Aquarium Fish 262Breaking new barriers 262Gaining new knowledge and enjoyment 263Conserving the environment 263Choosing Your Equipment for Breeding 263The aquarium 264Putting a lid on the whole thing 264Decorations 264Substrate 265Spawning grates 265Turning up the heat 266Filtration 266Plants for safety, spawning, and inspiration 267Getting the Water Right 269pH and dH control 269Water temperature 269Cleanliness 269Chapter 20: Ready, Set, Spawn 271Introducing the Bride and Groom 272Dealing with aggressive males 274Setting up the second date 274Yay, my fish really like each other! 274Darn, my fish hate each other! 274Understanding Breeding Types 277Livebearers 277The egglayers 277Saving Everyone from Everyone Else 279Saving Mom and Dad from Mom and Dad 279Saving the kids from Mom and Dad 280Saving the kids from each other 281Raising the Fry 281Stepping up to brine shrimp 282Giving them a real home 282Picking new stock 282Understanding Genetics 282Choosing the best 283Obtaining variation the good way 283Obtaining variation through mutation 283Creating strains through inbreeding 283Choosing the Right Species for You 284Breeding livebearers 284Other fun fish to breed 285Chapter 21: Recording Data and Photographing Fish 289Keeping a Logbook 289Making Your Fish the Stars They Were Meant to Be 290Knowing Where to Take Pictures 291Photographing Your Fish with Digital Photography 292Recording fish 293Printing your work 293Sharing your work online 294Photographing Your Fish the Old-Fashioned Way 294Film cameras 294The film 295Lenses 296Considering Lighting 297Relying on lighting 297Making your fish shine 299Focusing Your Camera 300Understanding Composition Techniques 300Using the rule of thirds 301Panning the scene 301Setting up for close-ups 302Shooting the Tank 302Building your own photography tank 303Using different backgrounds 304Chapter 22: Expanding Your Hobby in Fun Ways 305Entering a Fish Show 305Getting to Know the Types of Shows 307Participating in exhibitions 307Understanding competition classes 307Preparing Your Fish for the Show 308The holding tank 308Water conditions 309Tank considerations 309Knowing what the judges are looking for 310Transporting Fish to and from a Show 312Remembering to Have Fun 313Joining an Aquarium Club 314Volunteering at an Aquarium or Zoo 314Writing an Article 315Setting Up a Tank for a Worthy Cause 316Sharing Your Love of Aquariums and Science with Others 317Chapter 23: Advancing Your Hobby: Other Types of Aquarium Systems 319Trying a Brackish Aquarium Setup 319Considering a Marine Aquarium System 320Identifying the types of marine systems 321Setting up a simple marine aquarium 322Setting up a coldwater fish-only marine system 323Comparing Freshwater and Saltwater Systems 324Adaptability 324Availability 325Cost 325Beauty and friendliness 325Equipment 326Part 5: The Part of Tens 327Chapter 24: Ten Cool Aquarium Gadgets 329Aquarium Claws (Those Handy Picker-Upper Doodads) to Move Decor 329Algae Cleaners to Keep Dry 330Extendable Fish Nets, the Long and Short of It 331A Tool Box for Storing Stuff 331Light Timers for the Win 332Aquarium Sealer (Flood Insurance) 332Aquascaping Tools to Make You a Star 332Digital Water Testing Makes It Easy 333Automatic Gravel Cleaners Do the Job 333Aquarium Smart Controllers (Spy on Your Fish) 334Chapter 25: Ten Ways to Kill Your Fish without Even Trying 335Go Away on Vacation and Forget Them 335Play Doctor without a License 336Give Your Cat a Sushi Bar 336Stuff Your Fish with Seven-Course Meals 337Mix Apples and Oranges 337Add Too Many Fish (the Shoehorn Syndrome) 338Don’t Do Your Homework 338Let the Neighbor’s Unruly Kid Play with Your Fish 338Become a Hypochondriac Hobbyist 339Buy Used or Cheap Equipment 339Chapter 26: Ten Scientific Fish Laws 341The Fish Law of Thermodynamics 341The Fish Law of Metamorphosis 342The Fish Law of Motion 342The Fish Law of Anti-Matter 343The Fish Law of Nutrition 343The Fish Law of Company 344The Fish Law of Potential Energy 344The Fish Law of Psychic Felines 344The Fish Law of Aggression 345The Fish Law of Time 345Chapter 27: Ten Aquatic New Year’s Resolutions 347Feed the Fish the Good Stuff 347Clean the Tank Frequently 348Reduce Celibacy 348Remove Algae 348Monitor Filter Mediums 348Turn on the Lights 349Use My Test Kits 349Pay Attention to My Fish 349Redecorate the Tank 349Share with Others 350Index 351