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Return To Aquariums Article Archive   Search the Article Archives Starting An Aquarium - Tips For Beginners By Michael Russell Like any new venture, if you want your fish keeping efforts to thrive and bring you fulfilment, it is very important that you take the time to learn the basics of aquarium maintenance and fish keeping before jumping into that venture. You will find some of the basic information about aquarium maintenance and other tips in this article. To start with, most beginners believe that it is better and easier to start with a small aquarium than a larger size aquarium. Interestingly, the opposite is the case here. In most cases, those medium sized or large size aquariums are better and easier to maintain for several reasons. Your small aquarium contains a limited amount of water, unlike the fishs natural habitat. It should be realized that the closer your aquarium is to the natural habitat of the fish you want to keep, the better their chances of survival and thus your success. For instance, any form of pollution, say the death of a fish, is likely to cause more damage faster in a small aquarium, than in a large aquarium with a greater volume of water. The volume of water which a medium sized or large aquarium can contain is a major advantage and it will work for your good, minimizing the effects of some sorts of mistakes you are bound to make, as a beginner and creating a better environment for your fish. Another mistake beginners to aquariums and fish keeping make is the speed with which they fill their aquariums with water and introduce the fish into the water, after all, theyve been told the water and aquarium can contain that amount of fish. But you should realize herethat what you are creating in your aquarium is a similitude of the aquatic ecosystem i.e the natural habitat of the fish you are going to keep. It is a nice idea to ask yourself, therefore, if the fish you are introducing into your aquarium live alone in their natural habitat? The obvious answer is NO! These fish live amidst many bacteria, fungi and other micro-organisms, not to mention the plant life and other water creatures. Therefore, it is advisable to allow your water to grow some of these beneficial co-habitants of water life before you start introducing your fish into the water. There are several bacteria that are beneficial to fish and other aquatic life. Your fish produce a lot of fish waste especially fish poop. This waste pollutes the water and makes it unhealthy for your fish. The chief constituent of fish waste is ammonia, which is also excreted through fish gills. But if you allow the normal ecosystem to build up in your aquarium, you will have fewer problems with this waste. Bacteria exists in water that can convert the ammonia from fish waste into a less harmful compound called nitrite. Nitrite isnt completely harmless, but there is another group of bacteria that can convert nitrite too, to nitrate, which is far less harmful compared with ammonia and nitrite. As a beginner, you must also learn to change the water in your aquarium regularly. On average, changing 25% of the water weekly is regarded as normal. But if you are just starting your aquarium or the quality of water is not satisfactory, a more frequent but smaller water changing procedure could be followed. About the Author: Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Aquariums keywords: Aquariums | Fish Tank | Aquarium Fish Aquarium Filter System

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