Understanding how aquarium filters actually work will help you make the right purchase the first time and also help you fully appreciate the need to properly maintain an aquarium.

It’s important to remember that proper aquarium maintenance is a crucial part of your aquatic pets’ health, and will help save you money over time by reducing the number of animals you will purchase.

Just like cats and dogs need to be bathed and kept after, all aquariums require regular maintenance. This fact eludes most people who have never had an aquarium before. It’s called maintenance, and not simply cleaning, because you are not just making it look nice, you are actually removing potential harmful compounds! For some hobbyists this aquarium maintenance process is an enjoyable, stress-relieving aspect of the hobby. For those who would rather not take on the chore, yet still want to have an aquarium, DiamondAquatics provides maintenance services to fit the needs of your custom aquarium.

A good filtration system is an important part of aquarium service. Many people purchase inadequate filters for their first aquarium and eventually have to purchase a more advanced filter later. Avoid this expense by researching before you buy. Understanding how aquarium filters actually work will help you make the right purchase the first time and also help you fully appreciate the need to properly maintain an aquarium. There are three main functions to most common filters:

• Mechanical filtration
• Chemical filtration
• Biological filtration

This article explains the mechanical filtration function.

Mechanical filtration usually appears in the form of a piece of foam or polyester floss. The sole function of this medium is to physically “catch” large particles of waste that are pulled into the filter. Rinse or replace the foam or polyester floss regularly, as this will remove a substantial amount of solid waste from the aquarium. Rinsing should generally be done every 2 to 4 weeks but, in some aquariums, may require more frequent attention.

In our next blog post, we’ll outline chemical filtration.

For more tips and advice, Diamond Aquatics can answer your questions or guide you towards the right aquarium maintenance solution. Give us a call at 973-356-4434 today!

Posted by Diamond Aquatics on February 16, 2012 at 5:47 am in Aquarium Filtration | Aquarium Maintenance | Custom Aquarium Design - (Comments Off)

Lighting is a very important part of any custom aquarium system. However, each type of aquarium setup has specific lighting requirements. There are 3 common groups of setups to be considered: fish only (freshwater or marine), live-plants (freshwater only), and reef (marine only).

Regardless of the type of setup you have, it is important aquarium maintenance to replace ALL of your light bulbs every 9-12 months. As a bulb is used over long periods of time, its output spectrum deteriorates. After approximately 9-12 months, the remaining spectrum will promote unwanted and excessive algae growth. Another important lighting fact is the need to have them on an appropriate time cycle. Every aquarium needs to have a “day” and a “night” cycle. Fish do not have eyelids so, in order to rest, they require a period of darkness in the aquarium. This cycle can be manipulated to suit your schedule but it needs to be relatively consistent.

Plants and some corals use light for energy but, make no mistake, corals are NOT plants. Corals are invertebrate animals, some of which have algae living in their outer tissue. This is called a commensal relationship. The coral protects the algae by allowing it to live inside its skin and the algae uses light to produce sugars through photosynthesis. The coral then uses those sugars for energy. Plants and alga perform different functions in light then they do in darkness and these functions are important to their health, therefore it is important to provide plants and corals with an appropriate light cycle.

Most reef and live-plant hobbyists know the inhabitants of their aquariums require light as a source of energy. Most of these hobbyists are also aware that they are recommended to use 2-4 watts per gallon for a live-plant setup and 3-5 watts per gallon for a reef setup. What some of these hobbyists do NOT know is what type of lighting to use or what spectrum will be most beneficial for their specific setup.

In a reef aquarium, a high-intensity bulb, such as a metal halide bulb, will give the best coral growth rates and deepest light penetration to the lower parts of the aquarium (water filters out light intensity very quickly). The downside to these high-intensity bulbs is cost. They are expensive to purchase and draw a tremendous amount of electricity so they are expensive to operate as well. They will also generate excessive amounts of heat and may necessitate the use of a chiller to keep the aquarium at the right temperature. Chillers are also expensive to purchase and operate.

Some alternatives to metal-halide bulbs include a range of florescent bulbs:

• Very-High-Output (VHO)
• T5-VHO
• Power-Compact (PC)

Yet another alternative is the use of LED bulbs although these are expensive to purchase. Most hobbyists choose the fluorescent bulbs since they are the least expensive to purchase and operate yet still yield acceptable results.

For more information on aquarium lighting, contact Diamond Aquatics and we will be happy to answer any questions you have.

Posted by Diamond Aquatics on October 4, 2010 at 8:06 pm in Custom Aquarium Design - (1 Comments)

Over the last 30 years it has become evident that keeping an aquarium may actually be good for your health. Most hobbyists will tell you their custom aquarium is an “escape” from the monotony of their daily routines. What these hobbyists are telling you is, their aquariums help to reduce their stress levels. Research shows that watching an aquarium is proven to lower blood pressure. It is believed that the random movements of fish have a similar affect as hypnosis on the human brain.

Not only does fish-keeping reduce stress, but it may also save your life! Or, at least, prolong it. Since the hobby is proven to reduce blood pressure, another study was done using people who have suffered heart attacks. This study showed a reduced risk of future attacks for those people who kept aquariums in comparison to those who did not. For some hobbyists, the aquarium maintenance process is an enjoyable, stress-relieving aspect of the hobby.

Yet another study observed Alzheimer’s patients in assisted living environments. Patients exposed to an aquarium on a routine basis showed improvements in attention span, a greater desire to eat and a decrease in aggressive outbursts. Patients who were normally lethargic and antisocial became more active and began engaging with others more frequently. The increased attention span is believed to have aided in improved eating habits. Patients would stay in dining rooms with aquariums longer and therefore eat more food. This has a cost savings effect for the facilities as well. Patients who eat more food require less nutritional supplements. Nutritional supplements are more costly than real food so by reducing the requirement of the supplements, the facility will reduce the cost of feeding its patients. Real food is also more nutritionally valuable so the patients will benefit from this as well.

The aquarium hobby is one that fills its participants with joy. Most hobbyists are not even aware of the underlying benefits they are receiving from their aquatic companions. For more information about the benefits of owning an aquarium, contact Diamond Aquatics for a free consultation.

Posted by Diamond Aquatics on September 20, 2010 at 4:37 pm in Aquarium Tips - (2 Comments)

Some of the most common expenses custom aquarium hobbyists face can be avoided with some simple research before picking out and purchasing an aquarium and its accessories. Establishing your specific needs or wants and then researching the requirements for your ideal aquarium, before you make a purchase will help you avoid unforeseen catastrophes and unneeded expenses. Picking the proper aquarium size and choosing the right filter equipment are integral parts of any new hobbyist’s decision to start an aquarium. Proper aquarium maintenance is also a crucial part of your aquatic pets’ health and will help save you money over time by reducing the number of animals you will purchase. Visit us at Diamond Aquatics and use the “Opt-in” box at the bottom, right-hand side of the home page to download our full report containing money-saving tips for setting up your first aquarium.

Posted by Diamond Aquatics on September 13, 2010 at 11:24 pm in Aquarium Tips - (0 Comments)

In many aquarists lives there comes a time when they have to get rid of an animal that has outgrown its custom aquarium or has become too aggressive for its tank-mates. Most often the animal is a fish, but it is not uncommon to hear of people who need to get rid of a plant or algae as well.

It is important to understand that the plants and animals in your aquarium probably did not come from the ecosystem you live in or near. If released or discarded in your local lakes, rivers or oceans, a foreign plant or animal species can become extremely destructive. Aquarium plants can compete with and overgrow indigenous plants and eliminate the indigenous population, which may have been a staple food source for a local animal. This can also lead to a change in water chemistry, which may affect fish or other animals that live in that body of water. Foreign plants can also completely clog bodies of water and eliminate habitats for animals to live in.

Introducing a non-native fish to a body of water can be devastating as well. If it is a predatory species, it may be large enough to eat an indigenous fish that may have previously been at the top of the food chain in that particular habitat. It also may be too large to be eaten by any other indigenous predators. With no natural predators in its new home, the foreign fish may eat most or all of the native species.

If you need to remove a living organism from your aquarium, please do so responsibly. Try contacting your local fish store. They may be interested in taking in unwanted plants and animals. If they cannot, try posting your plant or animal on public forums, such as aquarium related forums or “Craig’s list”. If you need further advice or assistance with this type of aquarium service, feel free to call Diamond Aquatics at 973-356-4434.

Posted by Diamond Aquatics on August 30, 2010 at 8:03 pm in Aquarium Preservation - (0 Comments)

Many aquarium hobbyists are unaware of how their aquatic pets get to their favorite retail stores. Aquatic animals have to endure a tremendous amount of stress before they reach your custom aquarium and, because of this, must be introduced to your aquarium very carefully in order to ensure survival.

It obviously begins when the fish is caught; but there are a few stops the animals must make before they get to your local fish store (LFS). The catching process, although done as professionally as possible, will cause stress on an animal because it is being removed from its natural environment and probably assumes it is going to be eaten. I’m sure this thought would upset even the toughest of animals. It is then bagged and brought to a collection station. A collection station is a facility owned and operated by a company that exports aquatic animals from where they are collected to places all over the world. At this point the animals may be acclimated into a holding system, which will keep them alive until they are sold.

Next, a wholesale operation will purchase the animals from the collection station. Once a wholesaler has placed an order, the collection station will place all of the animals to be shipped in bags with water and oxygen. These bags will then be placed in a styrofoam box with ice or heat packs (depending on the weather) and brought to the airport for shipping. The cargo flight is usually a long one since the fish are usually moving from one continent to another. This means the animals can be in bags for over 12 hours before they reach their destination.

While in the bags, the water is unfiltered and becomes low in oxygen and high in ammonia. Once the wholesaler has received the animals, they must be acclimated into another holding system. A wholesaler’s job is then to sell the animals to retail stores, such as your favorite LFS. For marine animals, the majority of which enter the US through California, this may involve another 12hr. flight to reach the east coast of the US. Finally, the LFS will acclimate the animals into their display takes for sale to the general public.

To summarize the process, an animal is:

1. collected – Stressful!

2. bagged – Stressful!

3. acclimated to a holding system

4. bagged and shipped to a wholesaler (which may take 12hrs or more) – Stressful!

5. acclimated to another holding system

6. bagged (AGAIN) and shipped to a retail sore (which, also, may take over 12 hrs.) – Stressful!

7. acclimated (AGAIN!!) to the retail sales tanks

8. and, finally bagged one last time to be brought home by a hobbyist – Stressful!

Hopefully, this information will encourage the hobbyists to take the time to properly acclimate the animal slowly and gently into their aquarium. If you have any questions regarding proper aquarium acclimation procedures please call Diamond Aquatics at 973-356-4434. We will be happy to show you how to ensure your animal has the best chance of survival in it’s new home, and can provide an affordable aquarium maintenance package to ensure your tank is always healthy.

Posted by Diamond Aquatics on August 29, 2010 at 1:10 am in Aquarium Preservation - (5 Comments)

The aquarium design industry occasionally comes under fire from environmentalists who think that the aquarium hobby is destructive to aquatic ecosystems. Aquarium hobbyists will strongly argue that it is their goal to help preserve the species they keep, in the interest of preserving the ecosystem and the species that exist in it. However, a large portion of responsibility falls on the people who catch the animals (know as collectors) in their natural environments and export them to retail stores for sale to the general public. A collector must follow rules set forth by the governments of the countries where the animals are collected. CITES (pronounced ‘sightees’) permits are issued for most ornamental marine animals. These permits limit the amount of each species to be collected from each region. If collectors use these permits properly, then the regulated species should have time to rebuild its population before the next round of permits are issued.

Aquarium hobbyists need to be responsible as well. It is important to realize that animals don’t come from an infinite source. If one dies in an aquarium and is replaced, it represents another animal removed from its natural environment. If hobbyists educate themselves about each animal they own, and engage in a proper aquarium maintenance routine, they can do a better job of keeping those animals healthy and alive. This will reduce the need to replace the animals in the home or office aquarium and, in turn, reduce the amount of animals removed from their natural habitats.

Building the proper aquarium, and consistent aquarium service is crucial in keeping aquatic animals alive. The animals come from such diverse environments that it would be impossible to set up one aquarium that would be suitable for all fish. The system must be tailored to the needs of the species to be kept within.

We are here to help. Contact Diamond Aquatics today at 973-356-4434, for more information or to schedule an aquarium maintenance appointment.

Posted by Diamond Aquatics on August 23, 2010 at 8:10 pm in Aquarium Maintenance | Aquarium Preservation - (0 Comments)