Important Tips for Taking Care of Your Tropical Fish If you are one of the millions of Americans with a tropical fish aquarium or pond then chances are you are looking for ways to make sure your fish enjoy a long, healthy life. For the most part, tropical fish are easy to take care of and require very little additional care outside the basics. However, there are a few things you should know that can dramatically extend the lifespan of your tropical fish, no matter if they enjoy a small 3-gallon fishbowl or a 1,000-gallon aquarium.
The most important thing for freshwater fish is that you keep their habitat clean. Under normal circumstances, a filter will do the job just well. However, there are times when it can seem as though the tank or pond gets filled with algae or waste faster than you can keep it clean. This is often caused by a filtration device that is not sized correctly for the capacity of the tank. In most situations, you want your filter to completely clean the water every 4-6 hours.
This represents the equivalent of up to 4 complete cycles of the water in a 24-hour period. While you are checking out filters at your local store, be sure to also look into slugs and other creatures that can co-exist with your tropical fish and help clear out the algae. This is especially important in outdoor ponds or tanks where algae tend to grow faster due to direct exposure to sunlight. They are relatively cheap and do a great job that otherwise would be a manual task for you to complete! * Next, let's talk about food.
Now, you and I, well we tend to eat a lot - we are a society that loves our food! However, the same isn't the same for most tropical fish. In fact, in normal circumstances most varieties of tropical fish only need to be fed once or twice a week. The most common cause of death in household fish is over-feeding. Keep in mind that if you keep your fish in an outdoor pond that you may need to adjust the feeding schedule as the fish will also obtain food from nature - bugs and other flying insects that may make their way into the pond.
Finally, keep in mind that most fish enjoy a warm environment. If you live in a cold climate you should make sure that your tank or pond is equipped with a heating device so that during colder weather you can keep it at a steady temperature. The ideal temperature will vary for your particular variety of fish, but rarely should you let the temperature of the water dip below 75 degrees in most circumstances.
About the Author
The Author, Graham Wardle, offers tips and advice about the hobby of keeping fish both indoors and outside at http://beta-tropical-and-pond-fish-news.blogspot.com and also at http://tropicalpondandfreshwaterfishnews.blogspot.com
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Buying A Pond Heater: Vital Considerations
Buying a pond heater might not necessarily be the most glamorous of topics, yet it is crucial to make sure you buy the right pond heater for your koi pond in order to ensure a healthy and safe environment for the fish and other life forms that live in your pond. Knowing what to opt for in buying a pond heater is vital to the success of your pond eco-system, and in this article we’ll look at exactly what must be taken into consideration. Whilst it may be important to speak to an expert in the area for a better idea of what’s best for your pond and the fish contained within it, there is still a great deal that can be done with a few steps in the right direction.
De-icer or heater?
One of the first questions you should consider when trying to buy a heater for your koi pond is whether or not you are looking to actually heat the pond, or rather just to prevent it from freezing over in the course of the winter months. The outcome of this will determine exactly which type of heater you need, and the implications thereafter for maintenance costs and the impact on the survival of your fish. Heating a pond is more difficult than de-icing, and will probably require some further reading and research to make sure you achieve both efficiency and optimum heat across the pond.
Cost of purchase?
The cost of a heater will determine whether or not it is the unit for you, but you shouldn’t let this overly cloud your view. Remember to take into consideration all the relevant factors before making your decision, including ongoing costs aside from the initial cost of purchase. Likewise some units may be cheaper than others, but this could be reflected in terms of the quality of the heater, and the need for ongoing care and repairs.
Heating costs?
Seldom seriously considered is the ongoing cost of heating a pond with your pond heater. As far as making your decision goes, you should take into account the fact that some heaters require far more electricity and energy than others, which can be reflected in increased operating costs. Additionally certain heaters will inevitably require more in the way of maintenance costs, which can also affect your choice of model.
About the Author
Kirk rogers: a thermodynamics engineer with 25 years experience, designing and developing heating systems. Heating Your Pond , Pond Calculators and Pond Heaters
De-icer or heater?
One of the first questions you should consider when trying to buy a heater for your koi pond is whether or not you are looking to actually heat the pond, or rather just to prevent it from freezing over in the course of the winter months. The outcome of this will determine exactly which type of heater you need, and the implications thereafter for maintenance costs and the impact on the survival of your fish. Heating a pond is more difficult than de-icing, and will probably require some further reading and research to make sure you achieve both efficiency and optimum heat across the pond.
Cost of purchase?
The cost of a heater will determine whether or not it is the unit for you, but you shouldn’t let this overly cloud your view. Remember to take into consideration all the relevant factors before making your decision, including ongoing costs aside from the initial cost of purchase. Likewise some units may be cheaper than others, but this could be reflected in terms of the quality of the heater, and the need for ongoing care and repairs.
Heating costs?
Seldom seriously considered is the ongoing cost of heating a pond with your pond heater. As far as making your decision goes, you should take into account the fact that some heaters require far more electricity and energy than others, which can be reflected in increased operating costs. Additionally certain heaters will inevitably require more in the way of maintenance costs, which can also affect your choice of model.
About the Author
Kirk rogers: a thermodynamics engineer with 25 years experience, designing and developing heating systems. Heating Your Pond , Pond Calculators and Pond Heaters
Energy Efficient Pond Heaters: For Your Fish, The Environment And Your Wallet
Energy efficiency is something of a buzz word at the moment, particularly with the growing concern in scientific and academic circles around global warming and the irreversible changes occurring to the world in which we live. For many people, global warming might seem like something that is too distant, and something that one single person can have very little impact upon in their daily lives. However, few people realise that if we all adopt the attitude of making some minor changes in our lives, we can all save the planet, whilst saving ourselves money.
Pond heaters are no exception to this rule. Whatever the size and nature of your pond, it is often important to ensure you have adequate heating in place to protect your pond life and prevent your pond from freezing through in the winter and early spring, but many people feel upset about the potential cost implications of this necessary part of pond ownership. Let's face it, if you've got a pond heater you're going to increase your energy costs on a monthly basis. Yet it need not be as clear cut as that - there are ways in which you can make sure you save money on your heater without sacrificing the wellbeing of your pond.
If your pond needs to be heated for the benefit of your pond life, make sure you have a contingency source of heat in the event of a mechanical failure with your main unit. Too many people neglect to think about the potential for problems with their pond heater, particularly during the colder winter months, and investing now in an energy efficient unit as a backup may be a wise move for anyone who cares about the health and wellbeing of his pond.
More and more pond owners nationwide are falling for the benefits of energy efficient pond heaters, as their main source of heat or alternatively as a back up source in the event of an emergency situation. One of the best things about energy efficient heating is that it proactively saves you money, leaving you better off at the end of each billing cycle. As compared to standard heating units, and the energy they consume, the greater the efficiency, the less energy your backup unit will require. Ultimately that means that you could be saving a significant amount on your energy bill on an ongoing basis, whilst also doing your bit for the environment.
On a grander scale, energy efficient pond heaters as the name would imply require less energy to power them along, which means less electricity to be produced by polluting power stations, which is generally a good thing for the environment. At the same time, you'll directly feel the benefits on a reduced energy bill every month, creating an effective win/win situation. On that basis, it seems crazy not make the investment in energy efficient pond heating units sooner rather than later, with a view to helping your fish, the environment and your wallet.
About the Author
Kirk rogers: a thermodynamics engineer with 25 years experience, designing and developing heating systems. Heating Your Pond , Pond Calculators and Pond Heaters
Pond heaters are no exception to this rule. Whatever the size and nature of your pond, it is often important to ensure you have adequate heating in place to protect your pond life and prevent your pond from freezing through in the winter and early spring, but many people feel upset about the potential cost implications of this necessary part of pond ownership. Let's face it, if you've got a pond heater you're going to increase your energy costs on a monthly basis. Yet it need not be as clear cut as that - there are ways in which you can make sure you save money on your heater without sacrificing the wellbeing of your pond.
If your pond needs to be heated for the benefit of your pond life, make sure you have a contingency source of heat in the event of a mechanical failure with your main unit. Too many people neglect to think about the potential for problems with their pond heater, particularly during the colder winter months, and investing now in an energy efficient unit as a backup may be a wise move for anyone who cares about the health and wellbeing of his pond.
More and more pond owners nationwide are falling for the benefits of energy efficient pond heaters, as their main source of heat or alternatively as a back up source in the event of an emergency situation. One of the best things about energy efficient heating is that it proactively saves you money, leaving you better off at the end of each billing cycle. As compared to standard heating units, and the energy they consume, the greater the efficiency, the less energy your backup unit will require. Ultimately that means that you could be saving a significant amount on your energy bill on an ongoing basis, whilst also doing your bit for the environment.
On a grander scale, energy efficient pond heaters as the name would imply require less energy to power them along, which means less electricity to be produced by polluting power stations, which is generally a good thing for the environment. At the same time, you'll directly feel the benefits on a reduced energy bill every month, creating an effective win/win situation. On that basis, it seems crazy not make the investment in energy efficient pond heating units sooner rather than later, with a view to helping your fish, the environment and your wallet.
About the Author
Kirk rogers: a thermodynamics engineer with 25 years experience, designing and developing heating systems. Heating Your Pond , Pond Calculators and Pond Heaters
The Advantages of Energy Efficient Pond Heaters
Save Money Pond heaters can be expensive to run. Depending on the type of heater you own, the size of your pond and the length of time you have to run it on a yearly basis, your pond can end up costing a small fortune on top of your regular energy bill. Particularly with energy prices set to continue to rise over the next few years, it makes sense to make the switch now and to opt for energy efficient heating units which require less energy to produce the same effect and consequently allow the pond owner to save money on a recurring basis.
Save The Planet After a couple of centuries of pollution and exploitation, we've finally started to twig that our environment is suffering. One of the ways in which you can make a real difference is by buying and installing an energy efficient pond heater in place of your current model. Not only will it save you money in terms of the energy cost savings that will naturally occur through using less power, but you'll also help out the overall conservation effort by using less energy, which has the knock on effect of meaning more efficient production at power stations, which are a major source of pollution and consequently global warming.
Backup Source of Heat Heating your pond isn't usually optional - if you've got fish, chances are they'll need some heat to survive throughout the year. Most pond owners make the critical mistake of buying just one pond heater in the hope that that will be sufficient to tide them over. Rarely do they consider the need for heat in the event that their pond heater breaks down, or in some emergency circumstance. For that reason, it can often be a wise decision to opt for a backup heater - a job energy efficient pond heaters tend to do quite well. Think about it - you wouldn't risk your family with just one smoke alarm, would you?
Low Maintenance Modern, energy efficient pond heaters tend to be of a new generation of design. As well as encompassing beneficial optimum energy features, they also tend to require less in the way of maintenance, and seldom break down off their own accord, as compared to more traditional units which seem to fail far more regularly as a result of inherent design flaws, or simply age in some cases.
As if you need any more convincing, energy efficient pond heaters tend also, now, to verge on the cheaper side of the table, with other bulkier units actually more pricey. If you're considering buying a pond heater any time soon, make sure you weigh up your options regarding energy efficient models and the benefits they can bring to your pond and the environment, as well as the cost savings they can bring.
About the Author
Kirk rogers: a thermodynamics engineer with 25 years experience, designing and developing heating systems. koi pond , submersible pond heaters and Pond Heaters
Save The Planet After a couple of centuries of pollution and exploitation, we've finally started to twig that our environment is suffering. One of the ways in which you can make a real difference is by buying and installing an energy efficient pond heater in place of your current model. Not only will it save you money in terms of the energy cost savings that will naturally occur through using less power, but you'll also help out the overall conservation effort by using less energy, which has the knock on effect of meaning more efficient production at power stations, which are a major source of pollution and consequently global warming.
Backup Source of Heat Heating your pond isn't usually optional - if you've got fish, chances are they'll need some heat to survive throughout the year. Most pond owners make the critical mistake of buying just one pond heater in the hope that that will be sufficient to tide them over. Rarely do they consider the need for heat in the event that their pond heater breaks down, or in some emergency circumstance. For that reason, it can often be a wise decision to opt for a backup heater - a job energy efficient pond heaters tend to do quite well. Think about it - you wouldn't risk your family with just one smoke alarm, would you?
Low Maintenance Modern, energy efficient pond heaters tend to be of a new generation of design. As well as encompassing beneficial optimum energy features, they also tend to require less in the way of maintenance, and seldom break down off their own accord, as compared to more traditional units which seem to fail far more regularly as a result of inherent design flaws, or simply age in some cases.
As if you need any more convincing, energy efficient pond heaters tend also, now, to verge on the cheaper side of the table, with other bulkier units actually more pricey. If you're considering buying a pond heater any time soon, make sure you weigh up your options regarding energy efficient models and the benefits they can bring to your pond and the environment, as well as the cost savings they can bring.
About the Author
Kirk rogers: a thermodynamics engineer with 25 years experience, designing and developing heating systems. koi pond , submersible pond heaters and Pond Heaters
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
