Aquarium Equipment

Aquariums are not just a tank and a stand, the aquarium has to be filled with certain equipment such as heaters and filters. Aquarium equipment is essential in the up keep of your fish. The tank needs to be clean and the fish need to be kept happy if they are going to survive in their new home. When imported to this country, fish are kept in small boxes so they have not had any experience of being in a large proper tank.

Heaters are an essential part of your aquarium because if you have any kind of tropical, they need hot water to survive, anything cooler than twenty degrees Celsius for a period of time will kill them. The temperature needs to be around twenty six or twenty seven degrees. Choosing a proper heater is essential when it comes to heating issues, if you buy a heater with too low voltage it will not substantiate a large tank, and a heater that has to high a voltage will only fry your fish! Always ask your fish shop staff what the best choice is for your tank.

Filters are a big part of aquarium equipment, without a filter all the bad bacteria in the tank will build up and make it hard for your fish to breath, this is known as new tank syndrome. When you haven’t left your tank long enough to cycle there isn’t enough bacteria to kill the ammonia and nitrates that the fish produce in their waste. Once the waste builds up it makes it hard for the fish to breath. If you have enough bacteria in your filter however then your fish waste will be broken down in the filter and the water that is put back out of the filter will be clean and pure.

Aquarium equipment is essential in maintaining your tank and its fish, if you leave the tank to keep it clean then it won’t work, if you leave the tank to heat itself it won’t work. You have to make sure that you supply the tools the tank needs to keep your fish happy and healthy; otherwise you are looking at a tank of dead fish!

Aquarium Cabinet

Aquarium cabinets often come with tanks when they are purchased from a fish shop. The size of the tank depends on the size of the cabinet. Most cabinets act as stands for the aquarium tank. The cabinets usually come with a cupboard under the place where the tank is located. This is a good place for you to store your equipment that you are not using for example, spare heaters, ornaments and filters, also the fish food if it is flakes otherwise the food needs to go in the freezer.

Aquarium cabinets range from all different sizes and colours, they can be custom built or you can have a generic one. Custom built cabinets are very expensive although you get exactly what you are looking for. Generic cabinets are available in all different sizes. They are built to withstand the different sizes of tanks so you can get generic aquarium cabinets usually up to about six feet long and they are usually sold in maple, black or pine and the style of design is usually a cupboard with shelves.

Aquarium cabinets are available in all fish and pet shops. Although if you are looking for a bigger cabinet then it is best to go to a specialised fish shop rather than your local pet store. The cabinet is usually used for adding a bit more decoration with your aquarium as placing them on tables and other types of units can look unsightly. The stand is there to add some more spice to your set up.

A custom made set up differs greatly from a generic one. They are often made to suit what kind of style that you want, whether that is drawers or open shelves. They are usually made in about four or five weeks, depending on the size and style of the aquarium that you are wanting to be built. No matter whether it is a custom or generic cabinet, the aquarium cabinet should accentuate the beauty of your tank! They are expensive but are worth the money that you pay for them!

Aquarium Accessory

Aquariums need to be filled with accessories, not just for decoration but for the fish’s or other animals own survival. If fish don’t have a filter and a heater they will die, it's the same with some amphibians. They need a lot of light and heat or they will die! You have to make your tank look as though it is part of their natural habitat, you have also got to make sure that it functions like it too.

When setting up an aquarium for fish you have to make sure there are lights, heat and filtration. The filter is extremely important as this keeps the water waste free, which is essential to keeping your fish alive. The filter sucks in water from the bottom and basically recycles it and it comes out the top fresh and clean. There are other methods of filtration, but that is the most common one, unless it is a saltwater tank then you have an external sump tank and that does all the filtration. Filters can be picked up in any pet or fish shop.

Heating is also another crucial element of setting up an aquarium. This aquarium accessory regulates the temperature of the tank, and yes it can be used in water. You can set the heater to a temperature that you want the water to stay at, most tropical fish like the water around twenty six or twenty seven degrees Celsius. Fish are pretty fussy about their temperature, they start to do funny things when it gets too cold and when it is too hot they will die. Heaters are available in every fish shop and you can choose the size and voltage of the heater, as bigger tanks will need bigger and powerful heaters.

Lights are another essential aquarium accessory, as they help certain fish live such as corals and anemones; yes they are living creature’s not just plants. They need intensive lighting conditions to ensure that they don’t size, the lights need to be at least a T-5 which means one of the most powerful lights that you can buy and of course they are very expensive and heavy. They are only available in specialised shops and not all fish shops stock them. They may need to be ordered in or you can purchase them second hand, which I would say is your best option.