October 2017 – Aquarium POC

Bangkok Aquarium Get as Close as You Wish to Marine Life!

Posted on October 30, 2017 by admin

Siam Ocean World at the size of three Olympic swimming pools (around 110 000 sq feet) is one of the largest aquariums in South East Asia. It is also popularly known as the Bangkok Aquarium and is on the top of the list of sites to see for anyone visiting Thailand.

This underground water world is innovatively designed so as to take its visitors on an aquatic journey through seven different zones collectively known as the deep blue sea. Each of these seven zones is carefully and creatively housed with world-class exhibits and over 30,000 curious looking creatures from various depths and aquatic regions across the globe.

Guests to the deep blue sea begins the tour with a introduction at the -weird and wonderful zone- which show cases rare and queer looking ocean beings like the nautiluses, colonies of garden eels, striped frogfish that camouflage themselves and huge spider crabs that could grow up to 3m in diameter.

Next up is the ‘Deep Reef’ featuring some of the most fascinating reef dwellers in the world. Most of these fish flaunt beautiful designs and vibrant colours, among them one could see the attractive spade shaped laterally compressed bat fish, endangered species such as the humped head Maori Wrasse and blue tangs that are popular as the -dori- fish in the movie Finding Nemo.

At the next zone the -rocky shore- meet some of the best loved marine creatures. observe the penguins and other marine mammals learn to survive under constant change in the ever-changing and challenging environment. Kids will enjoy the Feeding Rocky Shore Talk and an opportunity to get close to the Penguins and even feed them.

The next attraction and perhaps the highlight for many is the 270-degree underwater tunnel named the ‘Open Ocean’, it is known to be the biggest oceanarium in Asia. The open ocean broadens your choices of viewing these magnificent sea creatures you could either sneak a peek at the sea creatures throught the boat’s glass- bottom fixed for observation. And finally at the -Sea Jellies’ zone watch the transaculant invertebrates float about in LED lit tanks to what seems like the rhythm of the background symphony.

Produced by four dimensional theatre seats the Sanyo 4d -xventure creates an virtual water world that is so real it will have you giggling and screaming as the sharks swim towards you or the friendly fish try to nibble at your feet.

If you wish to visit the Bangkok aquarium and explore the unique cultural identity and natural bounty of Thailand try out a Bangkok cruise tour. For an enthralling Bangkok cruises step aboard one of the Anantara cruises Thailand and be a part of a historical voyage as you cruise in a 100 year old rice barg with all the modern day comforts.

Gold Severum Cichlids And The Shy Cichlid

Posted on October 25, 2017 by admin

Gold severum cichlids are a native of South America. They are also known as Hero Cichlids or Banded Cichlids. They are of the larger types of cichlids and can grow up to 20cm in length.

Male and female gold severum cichlids basically have the same color although the females appear to be paler than the males. The only other difference in their color is that the females do not have the same pattern on their heads as the males.

Baby cichlids will have clearer patterns on their bodies. These patterns consist of 7 to 8 stripes on their bodies. By the time these baby cichlids mature, these patterns will not be as visible and may even reach a point where only some will be clearly visible.

To make these cichlids happy and lively, you will need to keep them in a big enough aquarium. To keep gold severum cichlids on a proper diet, make sure you feed them enough vegetables which means sticking to their natural diet as much as possible although this type of cichlid will eat almost anything.

These cichlids are generally mild-mannered and shy and will mix with active fishes of the same size and habits as itself. The water temperature that is right for the gold severum cichlid should be kept between 72F to 79F.

Although these cichlids are shy in nature, when it comes to breeding they are pretty aggressive and because of this nature, it is best to set up a separate tank especially for your breeding gold severum cichlids if you want to keep the rest of your cichlids safe. The initial breeding process will take some time though as these cichlids are known for being picky when it comes to choosing their breeding partners. Gold severum cichlid broods can be as large as containing 1000 eggs at each spawn.

Aquarium Fish Tank Requires Commitment

Posted on October 21, 2017 by admin

Setting up and properly maintaining an aquarium fish tank takes a commitment of time, effort and money as fish are living creatures, which will depend on you for their every need. Food, oxygen and a livable environment become your responsibility once you have placed fish in an aquarium fish tank in your home.

As you probably learned in early education, all creatures emit waste materials, which produce nitrogen and eventually turn into ammonia. This chemical is deadly to most animals and aquatic animals living in an aquarium fish tank are no exception. Over feeding your fish is the usual cause of high ammonia levels.

The more they eat, the more waste is created and the higher the amounts of nitrate and ammonia is introduced into your aquarium fish tank. This not only makes for a dirty looking tank, but also stresses the fish and makes them more susceptible to disease. Whether you feed your fish moderate amounts twice a day or a normal amount once a day, they should seem excited to see the food come in and have it one in about five minutes.

Food that settles on the bottom or accumulates in the water is a sign of putting in too much food at one time and the amount needs to be reduced. The fish in an aquarium fish tank will also seem to be less than enthusiastic about eating if you feed them too much.

Keeping Water Clear By Changing

The best way to keep your aquarium fish tank clear is to change the water frequently. That is not to say all the water needs to be replaced at one time, rather about 20 percent every week should be a big help. A simple method to remove and replace about one fifth of the water is to have the amount needed in a container sitting in the same room as the aquarium fish tank for about 24 hours to reach room temperature. Then remove that amount and add the replacement water.

Temperature concerns should not be an issue, even if a 10 or 15 degree difference is noted between your room and your aquarium fish tank as you are only replacing 20 percent. In their natural habitat, aquatic animals see water temperature fluctuations of three or four degrees throughout a single day. If the temperature difference is a major concern to you, a heater placed in the container with the new water can help alleviate those concerns.

Closed Loop Water Circulation And The Reef Aquarium

Posted on October 19, 2017 by admin

Water circulation within a reef aquarium is important for many reasons. It allows for food to be provided to corals, waste to be removed from corals, oxygenation of the water at the air interface, delivery of water to live rock as well as making the aquarium a more natural habitat for the aquarium inhabitants.

The easiest way to describe closed loop is using an external filter as an example. With an external filter there is in inlet pipe which delivers water to the filter. The filter pump then pushes the water through the filter and it is delivered back to the aquarium via a single outlet.

Closed loop circulation is exactly the same as this with the exceptions that there is no filtration involved and the water velocity is greater.

Sounds very simple and in reality it is. With a closed loop the water inlet to the pump is located underwater as is the outlet so effectively you have a ‘closed loop’ of pipe work which is connected to an external pump.

The inlet, pump and outlet when connected together are known as a loop

In this type of system normally one pump is used per loop however one loop can contain numerous outlets. For example the inlet is under water in the aquarium. Water is provided to the pump which, when turned on pushed water back up into the aquarium. As the pumps output is connected to pipe work this is run up to the aquarium and then inside the aquarium.

Once in the aquarium there is a run of pipe which can be located anywhere in the aquarium as long as the outlet(s) are under water. It is normally recommended that a loop has no more than 3 outlets however it does need to be noted that the more outlets the loop has the more the power of the water force will reduce.

Therefore from one loop you could have three outlets which can be located in different areas of the aquarium, therefore providing more areas of flow from one pump.

One consideration is the physical size of the aquarium. The bigger the aquarium the more water there is and therefore more water to move around.

The first thing you need to consider is the physical power of the pump. The pumps are rated at zero head height with only one outlet. If you only plan on using this outlet then this will be the output you can expect from the pump. There are no head height restrictions in a closed loop system but I will go over that shortly.

The second thing to plan for is the amount of outlets per loop. It is recommended that you do not go above three outlets per loop as the reduction in flow may be too much. Pumps are rated in accordance with the size of the outlet coming out of the pump and with a pump there is only one outlet. If you put three outlets onto a closed loop then effectively the output from the pump per outlet will reduce. Normally in a loop this reduction is staged with the last outlet having the weakest route.

The physical plumbing is also an area which requires consideration. With a closed loop system you will have one pipe for the inlet and another for the outlet. With this plumbing running down to where the pump is located there may be a fair few pipe, especially if you install more than one loop! The run of these pipes will need to be roughly planned for and it is wise to ensure that they are located in an area where they are accessible. If a leak was to occur then you want to be able to get to the pipe work to rectify the issue.

Once everything is in place the next step is to get water into the pipes and all the air removed. If you have drilled holes in the aquarium for the inlet/outlet(s)s then water will already be in the pipe and as soon as the pump is activated any remaining air should be pushed out. To check if there is any remaining in the pump simply rock the pump gently to remove any trapped air bubbles.

A benefit of closed loops is that a very un-natural looking device is removed from the aquarium. Power heads etc are very good devices at moving water around however they are, in my opinion, quite intrusive. With a closed loop system the physical device is removed from the aquarium, out of view with only the outlets being visible.

With the pumps being external to the aquarium a heat source is removed from the aquarium. Whilst this heat source may be valuable during the colder months it is certainly an issue during the warmer months. With the heat creating source being physically removed it can, at times be easier to provide stability in relation to temperature.

A very valuable benefit of a closed loop system is that there are no head height restrictions. The rating of the pump is what you should get – even if the pump is three feet lower than the display aquarium. Head height is effectively due to gravity where the water when rising up a tube has to fight against this natural force. The pump can only pump the water so high and then simply runs out of power.

If a pump has a four foot head height then at four foot above the pump the water flow will stop, at two foot above the pump the flow will be halved etc. With a closed loop aquarium head height does not exist. The reason for this is that the water does not have to fight against gravity as no air is allowed into the pipe work. The inlet pipe is continuously full of water as is the outlet therefore with no gravity to fight against you get full use of the power of the pump!

The first consideration is that of water flow and friction. Water will always find the easiest route and follow it which is one of the reasons you need to plan your plumbing. If you implement a tee piece for example the water in the pipe will travel down the easiest route and therefore water flow down the secondary path may be severely impacted. Friction is also the same – although the inside of the pipe feels smooth to the touch it will create friction when in contact with the pipe.

When in a straight line this friction is not a problem however bends are another kettle of fish altogether. If you need to go around a bend it is easy to install a 90 degree bend however this is quite a bend for the water to go around and the flow will be severely impacted as well as creating back pressure within the pipe which over time may damage the pump itself. If you need to go around a corner then it is better to use two 45 degree bends instead of a single 90 degree bend.

How To Prepare You Marine Aquarium

Posted on October 14, 2017 by admin

A marine aquarium or salt water tank can be a rewarding experience and despite what you have heard they are not extremely hard to maintain. You just have to take care of a few basic needs and your tank will thrive. When setting up salt water fish tanks you can have a fish only tank, a reef only tank or a tank with fish, reef and live rock. The difficulty is a bit harder with reef and live rock tanks than with a fish only tank but it is still possible for the beginner.

When setting up a marine aquarium the first thing you will need is the tank. For a salt water aquarium you really should not use anything smaller than a 40 gallon tank. Most salt water fish grow larger than freshwater fish and you will need more tank space to allow free movement and growth among your fish. You will also need to find a good location for your tank. You will need to place your tank in a position where it will not be affected by direct sunlight, preferably away from windows and heating and air vents.

The next step is to add your water. For salt water fish tanks you will need to buy the aquarium salt and it is easiest if you pre-mix the salt and water before adding into your tank; doing the mixing in the tank can be messy. Follow the instructions on your salt for mixing and preparing your water. After you have prepared your water in your tank you need to let it circulate in the tank anywhere from a week to six weeks in a process called aquarium cycling when you get the readings are for ammonia: 0 ppm., for nitrite:0 ppm., and for nitrate: going up, before you add fish to the environment.

You need to make sure your marine aquarium is ready for fish before you start adding them , so you need to cycle your tank, you will do this by testing the levels in your aquarium. Aquarium testing will include: Salinity, PH, ammonia, nitrate, phosphate and alkalinity. It sounds like a lot but you can get a kit that will have all these aquarium test kits for you in one package. After your levels in your tank are secure you can begin to add fish. It is important to only add a couple fish at time to allow your tank to adjust to the changes that the new fish will put on its ecosystem.

Salt water fish tanks are beautiful tanks to have if you spend the time to take care of them. With regular maintenance and water changes your tank will thrive and your fish will be a delight for you as well as for your visitors.