Aquarium Plants

Under the influence of sunlight, plants and only plants have the ability to manufacture their own food. These green plants combine water and carbon dioxide to form sugars in a process known as “photosynthesis.”

During this process, free oxygen is released in excess of that used by the plant for respiration. This occurs only under the influence of bright light. At other times, the plant breathes normally, consuming oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide. Photosynthesis occurs only when the plant in light is healthy and growing.

Light, then, is essential to your aquarium so that the plants will grow properly and give off oxygen and consume carbon dioxide. The “wonder material” that regulates the food manufacturing process is chlorophyll - the material that gives plants their green color.

There is a good deal of controversy concerning the amount of oxygen that the aquarium plants actually supply for fishes to use.

It should be remembered that water can dissolve only a certain amount of oxygen; any excess oxygen is therefore released at the surface. It is not stored in the water for later use as the fishes require it. Carbon dioxide is released and oxygen is taken into the water. The process can be hastened by bubbling stream of air through the water. This tends to agitate the water and increase the area exposed to the surface in proportion to the amount of circulation engendered. Manual stirring of the water serves the same purpose, but it is not so convenient a method as the mechanical one.

The greater the area of the exposed-to-air water surface, the faster oxygen will be taken in and carbon dioxide released. The greater the air surface, the more fishes can be kept in a given volume of water. You do not really increase the capacity of the fish tank to hold fishes simply by raising the height of the water in the tank. You must also increase the other dimensions in proportion.

Probably the same number of fishes could be maintained in a bare aquarium as in one with plants. Then, you may ask, why bother with aquarium plants? Well, plants serve many functions besides the disputed one of oxygenating. The principal function is an esthetic one: there would not be much beauty to a tank without plants. They provide an excellent background against which your colorful fishes will display themselves to best advantage.

What is a water hardness testing kit?

A water hardness testing kit is a kit containing ingredients for measuring the amount or number of grains per gallon of the dissolved salts of magnesium or calcium present in the water.

There are two types of kits available. The first involves the use of three chemicals which are added in succession to a sample of water to be tested. The number of drops of the last solution required to change the color is a measure of grains of hardness per gallon. The second type of kit makes use of the fact that soap will not lather readily in hard water. Drops of a standard soap solution are added to a sample of water. The number of drops required to produce lather equals its hardness in grains per gallon.

A rough idea of the hardness can be gained by washing your hands in some of it. Soft water lathers readily.

Like pH, there is a good deal of controversy as to the practical importance of water hardness. Most fishes can certainly stand extremely hard water if they are gradually accustomed to it. Many fishes will breed much more readily in soft, slightly acid water. There are chemical water softeners which will remove the calcium and magnesium salts from water. There are also water demineralizers available. These remove all the dissolved minerals from the water, leaving it almost as pure as distilled water.

Neither of these should be used on water while the fishes are present. Fishes cannot live in distilled water. To avoid overdoing it, when your water is too hard, make changes carefully. Soften some water separately. Dilute your aquarium water by adding this water to it and testing frequently. The amount to add depends on the degree of hardness you start with and the degree of hardness required. A hardness of 3 to 9 grains of hardness is the most satisfactory, although as stated before most fishes can stand water much harder than this, if the change to it is gradual.

Hardness is frequently measured as parts per million, abbreviated as p.p.m. Divide the number of parts per million by 17.1 to find the grains per gallon.

Aquarium Gravel

In practice it is entirely possible to keep fishes indefinitely in a bare aquarium. They do not require gravel, plants, rocks, or ornaments. But how many people would keep such an aquarium in a living room? An aquarium to be properly enjoyed should be a thing of beauty, a miniature underwater garden.

Gravel is used primarily as a rooting medium for the plants. A depth of 1 to 2 inches is usually sufficient. The greater the depth of the gravel, the greater the likelihood the water in the aquarium will be polluted. To avoid pollution, many aquarists put their plants in small pots which are set on the bare floor of the aquarium, even though this does not look as attractive as other plantings. When using this method, it is best to keep a thin layer of gravel, about 1- inch deep, over the aquarium bottom. This will “hold” settlings. It should be siphoned up and replaced with fresh gravel when cleaning the aquarium.

Crushed rock, preferably containing no lime, is best. To test for lime, drip some hydrochloric acid on the grave if it fizzes, lime is present. Medium grade #2 or #3 gravel is most satisfactory. The size of the granules should be about twice the size of a pin head.

Plants do not grow so well in fine gravel as in coarse; but if the gravel is too coarse, bits of food will drop into the spaces between the particles, where the fishes will not be able to get at them. So gravel size is important. Note: never use sand. Sand is so fine that there is very little circulation throughout. Putrefaction takes place very readily under such circumstances.

Do not try to wash too much at once: 3 to 6 pounds at a washing is enough. Place this amount in a large pot or bucket. While running faucet water on it, stir the gravel well; then pour off the dirty water. Repeat until no more dirt can be stirred up. Using a sieve or colander for washing gravel is often unsatisfactory. There is then no way of telling whether all the dirt has been washed out.

Some aquarists report good results from the use of layer of well-washed river mud below the gravel. The dangers of such a procedure far outweigh the possible benefits. Should organic matter be introduced in the mud, its decomposition will pollute the aquarium. The pH of the aquarium is frequently disturbed by the use of mud. Uprooting a plant by the aquarist or natural rooting by a Catfish can disturb the mud and result in a cloudy, messy tank.

Black Neon Tetra (Calypso Tetra)

Sometimes called the Calypso Tetra, the Black Neon Tetra is commonly found in Brazil particularly in the Mato Grosso area part of the said country. More often than not, the Black Neon Tetra lives in a water with a temperature between 24 up to 27 degree Celsius. Although it can live in almost all types of water, the Black Neon Tetra prefers to say in slightly acidic water. This fish that eats on dried foods, small crustaceans, worms, and plants are often seen that the upper part of the aquarium.

Even though the Black Neon Tetra is called so, you cannot find so much similarity between the Black Neon Tetra and the typical Neon Tetra. More often than not, the shape of a Black Neon Tetra’s body can be compared to another fish called Flag Tetra.

The Calypso Tetra or the Black Neon Tetra has scales that have dark frames. Aside from that, the back is often colored in brown at the same time. The dark edges give the Black Neon Tetra a braided appearance. The abdomen of this fish is also in a different color which is silver.

But there is a distinctive feature that sets the Black Neon Tetra apart from the rest of the fishes in your aquarium or even at the sea. Its parallel line is made up of white (located at the top) and a black line at the bottom. Other than these parallel lines, the Black Neon Tetra also has lines that can be found just at the top of its eyes. This includes red and yellow.

Just like the other fishes that belong to the family of Tetra, the male specie is thinner or slimmer compared to the female specie of Black Neon Tetra. More often than not, it is the female Black Neon Tetra that has a bigger body than the male. And in case you feel like putting some Black Neon Tetras in your aquarium, see to it that you buy at least 5 or more. This is the kind of fish that always likes to be in small groups.

When it comes to breeding, the Black Neon Tetra does this in captivity. More often than not, the spawning of the young Black Neon Tetras happens in the open water. If this occurs in your aquarium, you must see to it that you immediately remove Black Neon Tetra parents away from the newly spawned fishes. Both male and female species of the Black Neon Tetra eat their eggs and even their little fishes.

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