Do you have a tropical fish tank? Are you sick and tired of all the algae build up? Are you just about ready to throw in the towel? Don’t give up yet, the following tips will help you keep algae from your tropical fish tank so before you throw in the towel keep these tips in mind.

1· Remove as much of the algae as possible from your tropical fish tank. In order to help you clear your tank of the algae you can stir up the water in the tank with a straw, long toothpick or cocktail stick. This will help to break up the algae in the tank. In order to get the algae off the walls of the tank you can use a magnet that repels algae, you can pick them up in most fish stores. You can also use an old credit card or toothbrush to remove stubborn algae from the walls. You should also clear the algae from any plants or decorations, if you cannot get the algae off you will need to discard them, as the algae will continue to grow.

2· After you have cleaned as much algae as possible from your tropical fish tank using the above method you will need to replace at least 40% of the water with new water otherwise the algae will return in no time flat. You should also reduce the nutrients in the water. This can be accomplished by replacing at least 40% of the existing water with new water. When adding new water to the tank its best to filter the water to eliminate any excess nutrients and allow it to sit for about 48 hours before you add it to the tank. In order to keep algae from building up you should regularly replace the water in your tropical fish tank.

3· Another great way to reduce the algae build up in your tropical fish tank is by adding a filtration system that adds CO2 and better lighting. Adding CO2 to the water and better lighting, you encourage plant growth. The more the plants grow the less the algae will grow.

When it comes to caring for your saltwater aquarium, you want to make sure that you are doing everything correctly. However, it can seem a bit overwhelming at times. Rather than make the task more difficult that it has to be we can break down aquarium care into several smaller tasks to help them to be more manageable.

Daily Tasks

1· Make sure your fish are receiving the proper amount of food, fish should consume the food within 5 minutes of you putting them into the tank and you should not see any fish food on the bottom of the tank, otherwise you are feeding them too much food

2· Use a thermometer to check that the water temperature is within normal range

3· Inspect all equipment such as filtration systems, pumps, heaters, chillers, and lighting systems to ensure they are properly functioning

Weekly Tasks

1· Change any filter pads

2· Clean the tank with a magnetic glass cleaner to help keep algae at bay

3· Clean the outside of the tank

Monthly Tasks

1· Replace at least 25% of the tanks saltwater with new saltwater

2· Clean all equipment such as filtration systems, pumps, heaters, chillers, and lighting systems to ensure they are properly functioning

3· Test for nitrates and phosphates to ensure that they are in proper range.

Now that you have all the tasks broken down into smaller more manageable pieces aquarium care does seem so complicated anymore. Just take it one-step at a time and you will have a healthy saltwater aquarium your fish will enjoy for years to come.

Do you want to add visual interest to your home or office? Do you want to bring the outdoors into your home or office? Than an aquarium design may be the perfect solution for your needs. Aquariums of course consist of fish, plant life, other livestock, and decorations. These tanks come in quite a number of shapes, sizes and styles offering many different options for any room in your home or office. Not to mention the numerous fish and plant life selections you can make. You can also choose from saltwater or freshwater aquariums, even reef aquariums, which quite a beautiful focal point in any room.

When brainstorming for the perfect aquarium design you will want to keep a few key factors in mind. First, you need to research the different types of fish and plant life that you plan to have in your aquarium. Certain fish and plants can only survive in saltwater while others can only survive in freshwater. In addition, you will want to be sure that the fish and plant life you plan on putting together in the same aquarium actually get along, meaning, make sure that they won’t eat each other or cause harm to one another. The last thing you want to do is spend fifty or so dollars on a fish to have it eaten the next day by another fish.

When planning your aquarium design you will also want to research which equipment you will need in order for your aquarium to thrive. Some of the equipment you may need to consider is filtration systems, lighting systems, pumps, heaters and chillers. Each type of fish and plant life will have different requirements so be sure to check with a qualified aquarist before setting up your aquarium design. Other than that have fun with it, the only real limits are your imagination.