The aquarium.pdf

S UMMARY

S TARTING OUT ........................................................................................3

T HE T ANK .............................................................................................4

W HERE TO PUT THE AQUARIUM ................................................................4

T HE SIZE AND SHAPE OF THE TANK ...........................................................5

A CCESSORIES .........................................................................................6

L IGHTING SYSTEM ..................................................................................6

H EATING ................................................................................................8

F ILTRATION ............................................................................................9

A ERATION ............................................................................................13

A UTOMATIC DEVICES ............................................................................14

O THER ACCESSORIES .............................................................................14

F URNISHING THE TANK ..........................................................................15

P LANNING OF DECOR ............................................................................16

W ATER ................................................................................................17

H ARDNESS ...........................................................................................18

T HE P H VALUE .....................................................................................19

C ARBON DIOXIDE .................................................................................19

A MMONIA , N ITRITES , N ITRATES ............................................................20

O THER CHEMICAL VALUES OF WATER ......................................................21

M EASURING CHEMICAL VALUES .............................................................21

I DEAL WATER .......................................................................................22

P LANTS ...............................................................................................23

F ISH AND OTHER AQUATIC ANIMALS .......................................................26

T HE CHOICE OF FISH .............................................................................27

F RESH WATER FISH ................................................................................28

M ARINE FISH .......................................................................................29

W HAT AND HOW DO FISH EAT ................................................................30

F ISH REPRODUCTION .............................................................................32

F ISH DISEASES ......................................................................................33

M AINTENANCE .....................................................................................34

Via P. Nicolini, 22 - 35013 Cittadella (PD)

Tel. +39/049/597.16.77 r.a. - Fax +39/049/597.11.13 - www.prodac.it - info@prodac.it

The aquarium is the only means that enables us to

bring “an element of living nature” into even a modern

home without causing any particular problems. In an

aquarium, the aquarist can breed marine or fresh water

ﬁsh and amphibians of either domestic or tropical origin,

grow plants and keep coral and other invertebrates from

tropical seas.

The inhabitants of an aquarium do not make any

noise, they do not dirty the house, they do not need to

be taken out and they are not taxed....they only require a

minimum amount of care and the kind of technical equip-

ment that even a child is able to operate.

There is no other hobby which like the aquarium

offers the possibility of living in daily contact with nature -

in oneʼs own home. Furthermore, this small aquatic world

is really “intact”, it does not mean that animals have to

suffer in a cage or in a living space that is too small for

them. In an aquarium that functions properly the hobbyist

will be able to see and enjoy the proliferation of both

tropical ﬁsh and plants.

Like any hobby, keeping an aquarium also requires

some basic knowledge. The following pages give some

initial information which is sufﬁcient to guarantee the

problem-free functioning of a beautiful aquarium. Hobby-

ists wishing to learn more and commit themselves to the

keeping of special aquariums should consult publications

and keep informed through the specialist magazine.

S TARTING OUT

Below: an aquarium

rich in plants and

stocked with a suita-

ble number of fish

not only guarantees

perfect functioning,

but, above all, adds

a magniﬁcent touch

of living nature to

your home.

T HE T ANK

An aquarium can be put anywhere. Thanks to

modern equipment, the tank is completely self-sufﬁcient

and only needs a socket for the electric current. We nev-

ertheless suggest that the following points be observed:

1. The aquarium is not only a container for ﬁsh

and plants but generally also serves as a type of house-

hold ornament, meaning that is should therefore be put

in the sitting-room or entrance hall.

2. The tank should be positioned in such a way

to allow for clear inside viewing. When situated near to

armchairs, the base on which it is placed should measure

at least 50/60 cm in height; if the tank is going to be

mainly observed from a standing position (in the case

of a large sitting room), the base can measure 70/80 cm

in height.

3. The aquarium must have a ﬁxed place right

from the beginning. Moving a full or even a half empty

aquarium is practically impossible not only because of

its weight but also because of the risk of cracking the

glass; a move requires total reconstruction of the aquar-

ium.

W HERE T O P UT

T HE A QUARIUM

4. The tank should be positioned in such a way to

allow for easy maintenance work .

5. The aquarium should be placed on a stable and

perfectly “level” support; neither the ﬂoor nor the sup-

port should wobble. It is necessary to remember that a

ﬁnal weight of about 1.2 - 1.5 kgs should be calculated

for every litre of tank capacity ; in other words, a 50 litre

tanks will weigh about 60-70 kgs depending on its type

of furnishing. Never place the bottom pane of the tank

directly on a rigid surface. It is advisable to interpose

On the right:

schematic illustra-

tion showing the

correction positio-

ning of the aqua-

rium on its base.

a layer of material capable of absorbing small blows or

defects of the supporting surface (foam rubber or a sheet

of polystyrene are particularly suitable).

6. The aquarium should be exposed as little as

possible to direct sunlight. The lighting units of modern

aquariums guarantee a perfect dosage of light according

to the different requirements of the plants and ﬁsh present

in the aquarium.

S IZE A ND S HAPE

O F T HE T ANK

One of the biggest mistakes, committed above all

by beginners, is wanting to start with a small tank in

order to “acquire experience”. Nothing could be more

mistaken: it is much easier to care for a larger rather than

a smaller aquarium and there are also fewer problems

with the chemical-physical balance of the water. This is

not only an advantage for us but also for the inhabitants

of the tank! For this reason it is advisable to choose a

tank with a capacity of at least 40 litres for freshwater

aquariums and a capacity of 100 litres for marine aquari-

ums . Naturally, even smaller aquariums, especially those

that have been completely furnished by a competent

manufacturer, can operate perfectly even though they are

likely to create more problems if certain feeding rules and

choice of ﬁsh are not rigorously respected.

Some people may ask themselves whether an aquar-

ium has to be rectangular. Although there is no deﬁnite

answer, experience has taught us that the ideal tank both

for a beginner and for normal use should be a paral-

lelepiped; all other shapes involve problems of a technical

and ... ﬁnancial nature. Nowadays, if possible, it is advis-

able to opt for a factory-made aquarium; this is due to the

fact that custom-made aquariums, whatever their shape,

are always expensive.

There are, however, some speciﬁc rules, dictated

by experience, that concern the proportions between the

individual sides and height of the tank. Except for par-

ticularly important reasons, the aquarium should never

be higher than its width, because only in this way can

a correct ratio between the surface of the water and the

volume of the tank exist thus allowing for the necessary

exchange of gas which is imperative to the well-being of

Below: chart

showing three

types of aqua-

riums. At the top,

the “ideal” propor-

tions for an aqua-

rium;

in the middle a

tank for “tall” ﬁsh;

at the bottom a

tank for rearing

frys.

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