Author: admin

Aquarium backgrounds can help to make your aquarium a unique piece of furniture in your living room, dining room, or wherever you decide to place it. The types of backgrounds available are limited only by your imagination. But in addition to their aesthetic qualities, they also have a few functional uses. If your aquarium is in the direct path of the sun, the right aquarium background can cut down on the amount of light filtering through the water and disturbing the fish. Aquarium backgrounds also help to add depth to your aquarium, making it appear more 3 dimensional to the naked eye.

Backgrounds are fantastic for exhibiting and showing off your fish to friends and visitors. But, in addition, backgrounds are also great for showing how fish look in their native environments. In many cases, the attempt to populate an aquarium with a fish’s native plants runs into one of two main problems. Either the specific plant is too hard to find in the standard fish or pet stores. Or, the delicacy of the plant causes you to continually have to replace your aquarium plants. The right horticultural background helps to give the illusion of a fish swimming in it’s native environment.

But plant backgrounds are only one of the many background types that you can choose from. One of the better selling background choices are colored rocks which when placed next to the flat monotone gravel in the tank, actually makes the scenery come alive. Those not interested in re-creating ocean or sea life can choose from esoteric categories such as musical instruments to cartoon characters on popular shows. You can also find these backgrounds in an endless varieties of colors and sizes that will fit any fish tank that you own.

If you have a bit of artistic talent, you can actually create your own background paintings. As mentioned above, however, if you plan on putting your mural on the inside of your aquarium, ensure that it contains no toxic materials that can leach into the water.

You can find aquarium backgrounds made for both the outside of the tank and for the tank insides. If buying one for the inside of the tank you have to ensure that it’s made of materials that are non-toxic to the fish. The best method of monitoring for this is to only deal with reputable fish or animal stores when making your purchase.

Most tank backgrounds sold in stores are made of vinyl. These are usually waterproof as well which means that they can be used in either the outside or inside of the tank.

Those not wanting to buy aquarium backgrounds or who think that they are too flashy can always buy a tank with the back painted or simply paint the back themselves. Painted fish tanks do not bring much added excitement to the tank and can actually make the fish tank seem less interesting. Nevertheless, as many people prefer a painted back for these very reasons.

Some of the best commercial tank backgrounds are so realistic that they actually fool the casual viewer. The best thing about them, however, is that they simply serve to add a bit of spice to your hobby.

Freshwater aquarium algae are threats to aquatic life in a fish tank. Algae are remarkable when it comes to surviving and spreading through a tank and you will have to work diligintly to get rid of this problem. If unchecked the aquarium will become like a sewer system of toxic water and your fish will surely die. You can prevent this by knowing what you are seeing when there is a problem, and knowing exactly what to do about it. Your fish will seem more iritable when the problem starts but prevention is the best way to deal with this. You help prevent algae grownth in your tank to start, with a fresh water change every week. Algea cannot thrive when there is new water in the tank provided that you have done all of the other maintenance that you needed to.

Some algae species are edible like many of the seaweeds and they are sources of food in many parts of the world. There are hundreds of edible species and they are found to contain vitamins and minerals. They are also being processed as fertilizers and livestock feed. One branch of aquaculture is algaculture which is dedicated in the farming of algae. In freshwater aquariums, there are quite a number of algae and they survive through the nutrients in the water. In some cases freshwater aquarium algae serve as food for aquarium inhabitants like shrimps and snails but if their growth is not controlled, they could be a threat to other aquatic life.

Commonly found in new aquarium setups are the brown algae. They also flourish in low-light aquariums where phosphate level is high while the nitrogen is low. They are a slimy and soft algae that are found in the aquarium glass, in the substrate, and even in decorations. It has been observed that brown algae go away in the presence of strong lights but may still remain in shadowy areas of the tank. In contrast, the green spot algae thrive in aquariums with strong light. They appear as green spots on aquarium plants and the tank glass. This type of freshwater aquarium algae is hard and appears if phosphate and carbon dioxide levels are low.

The hair algae and thread algae appear as strings in the water. They grow in aquarium tanks if there are excess amounts of iron. They can easily be removed by twirling a toothbrush around them. Thread algae grows on leaves of plants and normally found on leaf edges and can reach lengths of 30 cm. Hair algae usually grow at the base of plants and all over substrate and sometimes on decoration. They have green-gray color and grow to about 4 cm. Most aquarists welcome hair algae because fish like Angels and Barbs consume them as supplements to their food. Freshwater aquarium shrimps like the caridina japonica consume the algae in the likes of the thread algae.

A kind of algae that enhance the look of a tank is the beard algae. Algea of this kind creates a carpet appearence of algea across the decor and plants in your aquarium like a carpet. Closer to light sources, they are created. They are soft and slippery and rapidly grow to a maximum of 3 cm. Beard algae need a stable constant light source and an lack of nutrient balance in your aquarium to get the perfect conditions they like. They are common in aquariums without plants and can be very difficult to remove manually. By putting fish in your tank that eat algea, you are instantly reducing the effect that algea can have on your tank which is a popular methed of control. Fish like the Rosy barbs, Siamese algae eaters, and Plecos would be a great help in reducing them. Before introducing them to the existing species in tank, make sure that they are compatible tank mates for the inhabitants presently in your tank. If they can not adapt to the present aquarium setup, they have little use in controlling the beard algae.

Freshwater aquarium algae in tiny patches add color and life to the aquatic ecosystem. Aside from serving as food for some aquatic life, they provide a sort of hiding place for fish fry. They are also good indicator that there is an imbalance in the system. They can show that there may be an excess of nutrients in the water. Excess nutrients may indicate that there is an overfeeding of fish and that an unhealthy plant is excreting some nutrients. Harm to certain plants and your fish are often indicated by the presence of algae and is often a sign to beware of danger in your tank.

The growth of freshwater aquarium algae depends on the existing conditions inside the tank. Three ways that algae can thrive in an enclosed ecosystem within your aqaurium. These necessities are water, light, and nutrients that are basic in all aquariums. Controlling these sources of life for algae is the major step in preventing them to grow and cause some damage. Light can be controlled by placing the aquarium far from the sunlight and artificial light must not be used more than eight hours per day. The light must also not be too bright and an automatic switch with a timer should be installed.

Aquarium fish eating habits are different in every species. In controlling phosphate levels that serve as food for algae, it is more practical to feed them with less than to overfeed. If fish have eaten and there are excess foods in the water, remove them immediately. Aside from removing floating wastes and excess foods in the water, changing part of the water will reduce the chances of phosphate and nitrate build up. Change at least 10 to 15% of the water once a week and scrape off any algae sticking on the glass at the same time. Testing the water from time to time is a good monitoring practice. You must stop algae grownth and you do this by destroying the perfect conditions that support their grownth in your tank

There is no doubt that aquariums can beautify your house but since fish are living organisms the aquarium is bound to get dirty. If you are wondering what products should I use to keep my aquarium clean then I recommended you make a note of the following products that can help you keep your aquarium crystal clear.

The first product that can help you keep your aquarium clean is an aquarium python. This product is very beneficial during water changes. It can help you clean the water of your aquarium without any hassle.

Aquarium pythons allow you to clean the gravel in the aquarium while doing a water change without disturbing the fish. The aquarium python is a long pipe that allows you to directly fill water from the tap and also let the water out the aquarium directly into the sink. Most aquarium pythons allow you to adjust the water flow and some of these devices come with extra fittings such as a splash proof outlets to prevent water splashing when you are letting the water out of the aquarium.

It is also possible to get battery operated siphons that can help you clean the gravel and water of an aquarium. Battery operated siphons are beneficial if you have aquariums that hold less than 15 gallons water.

The second product that can help you keep your aquarium clean is a magnetic glass cleaner. Magnetic glass cleaners allow you to clean algae from the insides of the glass without putting your hand inside the aquarium. It is important to note that special magnetic cleaners are available for acrylic aquariums and regular magnetic cleaners should not be used on acrylic aquariums since they can cause permanent scratches. It is also possible to get aquarium cloth mops or other algae cleaning accessories that are suspended on a stick and help you clean those hard to reach spots.

The third and most important product that can help you keep your aquarium is an aquarium filter. Sponge filters are beneficial for aquariums that are can hold less than 10 gallons water and internal filters or hang on back filters are beneficial for aquariums that can hold up to 40 gallons water. External canister filters are recommended for larger aquariums since these filters are apt for cleaning larger aquariums with more fish. An under gravel filter is not recommended for large aquariums since large aquariums generally have a bigger fish load which can cause the plates of the under gravel filter to clog. Under gravel filters require regular maintenance and siphoning the gravel is an important part of maintaining an under gravel filter.

Glass cleaners are required to clean the external glass of the aquarium and care should be taken that the glass cleaning liquid does not mix with the aquarium water while cleaning since this can prove toxic to the fish.

Fibromyalgia pain and fatigue are the most common and intense symptoms that occur to people who suffer from the condition. Statistics indicate that an overwhelming number of 3.7 million Americans are confronted with fibromyalgia pain and other specific symptoms. Fibromyalgia is a neurological chronic condition that causes recidivating, intense pain in the muscles and interconnected soft tissues such as tendons and ligaments. Many people disregard fibromyalgia pain and fatigue, considering that they are self-induced symptoms, the product of people’s imagination. These conceptions, however, are far from the actual truth. Medical research results reveal that although there are psychological aspects involved in the development of fibromyalgia, the condition occurs due to neurological dysfunctions, and undoubtedly, fibromyalgia pain is real!

Fibromyalgia pain is described by patients in a multitude of ways: aching, burning, sour, radiating, stabbing or pressure. Although people with the disorder perceive fibromyalgia pain in a different way, they claim to always feel a certain degree of pain and discomfort in the muscles. Fibromyalgia pain is accompanied by a sensation of fatigue, discomfort, numbness or tingling.

The cause for recidivating fibromyalgia pain is considered to be abnormal brain activity. Medical scientists sustain that the presence of certain brain dysfunctions determine a pronounced increase of nervous excitability in the entire body. Unlike healthy people, patients with fibromyalgia perceive external stimuli in a very intense way. For instance, many people who suffer from fibromyalgia develop a sensibility to light and temperature as a consequence of nervous dysfunctions. Scientific experiments have revealed the fact that in the case of people with the disorder, fibromyalgia pain is emphasized by abnormal brain activity. When exposed to a stimulus of the same intensity, people with fibromyalgia might perceive a sensation of intense pain, while the majority of healthy people have no reactions to that particular stimulus.

An interesting aspect of fibromyalgia is that all people with the disorder feel pain in the same body regions. Fibromyalgia pain is mainly located in specific spots on the body, called trigger points. There are nine pairs of trigger points on the body, and they are located in the following regions: the lower region of the skull, the back of the neck, the upper back, the mid-back, the lower back, the shoulders, the region of the buttocks, the elbows and knees and the region of the hips. The areas that surround the points where the fibromyalgia pain is perceived at maximum intensity are called tender points.

These trigger points and tender points have a major role in revealing the presence of fibromyalgia. Due to the fact that most physical examinations and routine laboratory analysis aren’t able to trace any signs of the disorder, by checking if the patient feels intense pain in these specific fibromyalgia pain regions, an appropriate diagnose can be established.

Although people with fibromyalgia mostly complain about muscular pain and a generalized state of exhaustion through the entire body, the fact is that the disorder can generate a lot more symptoms, some considered to be very serious. For instance, people that have been suffering from fibromyalgia for long periods of time may suffer from short-term memory loss, decreased ability of sustaining physical and mental effort, poor concentration, migraines, high blood pressure and accelerated heart activity.

Fibromyalgia is a serious condition and speed is vital in detecting its presence. Although at the time being there is no specific cure for fibromyalgia, most symptoms can be overcome and the patients’ general health condition can be substantially improved by following certain therapies and treatments. Fibromyalgia pain, fatigue, cognitive dysfunctions and poor mental abilities can be corrected through the means of an appropriate treatment, a good therapeutic program, healthy lifestyle and diet.