6 tips to setting up a beautiful aquarium at home - The Star Online

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6 tips to setting up a beautiful aquarium at home - The Star Online Posted: 09 Aug 2020 12:00 AM PDT While the health benefits of owning a dog or cat are fairly well recognised, you may be surprised to learn that caring for exotic fish can offer similar benefits! If you've ever thought about starting an aquarium, now is an excellent time to sit down and plan out the exotic fish tank of your dreams. Start with a plan Many new aquarists jump into the hobby with little planning and simply fill their tank with anything that catches their eye. There's nothing wrong with this approach but, if you want to create a spectacular tank, it's better to build your aquatic community around a planned theme or point of focus. Once you've chosen a focus for your tank, it will guide you towards the right species and set-up for creating your ideal aquatic community. Freshwater vs saltwater tanks Before you settle on your theme, it's helpful to decide if you'd like to start a freshwater or saltwater aquarium. While saltwater tanks have a reputation for being expensive and difficult to maintain, it just depends on the specifics. An intricately aquascaped freshwater tank can be just as challenging to maintain as a reef tank. You may want to research the different tank styles and maintenance requirements to see which best suits you based on your experience, budget and desired appearance. Keep in mind that freshwater tanks can look as amazing as marine set-ups, so you don't have to go with saltwater to get a beautiful or tranquil aquarium. In order of difficulty and expense, these are the typical styles of aquarium: 1) Fish-only freshwater community tanks 2) Lightly planted freshwater community tanks 3) Densely planted freshwater community tanks or Fish-only saltwater tanks 4) Aquascaped freshwater tanks Skillfully landscaped fish tank with angelfish. Photo: depositphotos.com Pick a theme There are two ways to go about selecting a theme for your tank. You can focus on your favourite species of fish or invertebrate and design your tank to highlight their appearance and bring out their most interesting behaviours. Alternatively, you might prefer to recreate a natural habitat such as the Amazon River, a Hawaiian Reef or an African Lake bottom. You might even opt to focus on aquascaping your tank and make fish or aquatic animals a secondary consideration over your plants and hardscape. When you're designing a tank around the needs of a particular species, you'll want to research their natural behaviour and preferences. To recreate a habitat, it's usually easiest to start with a photograph that has the appearance you're aiming for and use it as a guide for selecting your live organisms, substrate and decorations. Select your tank's capacity One factor in choosing your tank's theme is what size aquarium you'd like to have in terms of the water capacity. I would recommend getting the biggest tank you can because large tanks are easier to maintain than small ones. When things go wrong in nano-tanks, they happen quickly, and your fish, plants or corals may not survive. I'd start with at least a 10-gallon set-up for your first tank; 30-gallon tanks are ideal for novices and allow a lot of leeway in your hardscaping and choice of tank mates. If you want a big group of goldfish or a rare Arowana, on the other hand, you'll need to look at larger tanks from 100 to 400 gallons. You will need a large tank to keep an Arowana. Photo: 123rf.com Don't neglect to factor in the space taken up by your decorations, live plants and internal equipment like filters and bubble features. They reduce your tank's capacity, so the more hardscape you add, the less room you'll have for your fish. Keep that in mind as you draw up your plan. Consider the type and number of tank mates You'll probably want to add other fish or invertebrates such as snails, shrimp, live rocks or corals to your tank to round out the picture. You'll need to research the ideal tank mates for your focus-fish or the animals most commonly seen in your environment of choice. Some fish and invertebrates are considered community species and often get along in mixed groups with other peaceful or compatible species. Semi-aggressive fish like Barbs and aggressive fish like African Cichlids, on the other hand, require tank mates with similar pugnacious attitudes. Make a list of likely candidates for your tank. Put the plan together and start shopping With your tank size and theme chosen, you can start mapping out your layout on paper. Draw a picture from the top and side views to help you visualise what your tank should look like and where the hardscape features, plants/corals and equipment should be placed. This is where all your research really comes together. Do you need to leave open areas by your filter outflow for your fast-current swimmers like Tiger Barbs or Oscars? If you're going to keep a Yellow Watchman Goby or a school of shy Glass Catfish, you'll need plenty of hiding places to maintain their comfort. Once you have your plan ready, it's time to start shopping and set up your tank! On a final note, I would recommend buying captive-bred fish from reputable local breeders to avoid supporting the illegal animal trade, and be sure to secure any permits that may be required to keep exotic fish in your location. Jen Clifford is Tankarium.com's contributor with over 30 years' experience as a biologist, aquarist and fishkeeper. She started her first aquarium in childhood when she snuck a fishbowl into her bedroom and filled it with African dwarf frogs and 10-cent feeder goldfish.

Aquarium to offer free online classes July 27-August 21 - EVENT NEWS Posted: 30 Jul 2020 02:47 PM PDT Two one-week sessions featuring live online classes with educators and take-home activities will be offered for kids and teens in different age groups, from kindergartners to twelfth graders. From July 27 to August 21, the Aquarium of the Pacific will offer its Summer Kids Club as part of its Online Academy programming. This will include the existing Online Academy classes bundled with take-home activities, like scavenger hunts, crafts, coloring sheets, and guided explorations of the Aquarium's exhibit webcams. The Aquarium will offer two sessions, each lasting one week, for various grade levels (the week's content repeats, so students can participate in both sessions). Half-hour online classes led by an Aquarium educator for each grade level will be offered every weekday at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. Classes are available for the following grade levels: pre-K to kindergarten, kindergarten to second grade, third to fifth grade, and sixth to twelfth grade. No sign-ups are required, and participation is free. The Summer Kids Club is part of the Aquarium of the Pacific's Online Academy, which offers free live and on-demand educational resources for both kids and adults. In addition to its virtual programming, the Aquarium is also welcoming visitors to explore its outdoor exhibits with advance reservations and safety protocols in place. For more information, you can visit the Aquarium's website at aquariumofpacific.org. Session 1: July 27-31 and repeats August 10-14, 2020 / Session 2: August 3-7 and repeats August 17-21, 2020. 30-minutes classes will be held at 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 11 a.m., and 1 p.m. each weekday during the session. Where? Aquarium of the Pacific's website: aquariumofpacific.org. COST: Anyone can tune in for FREE (no RSVPs required. For more information, call 590-3100 or aquariumofpacific.org With many kids and adults staying at home, the Aquarium is offering them free online resources with daily live and on-demand content through its Online Academy. In addition to daily live classes, exhibit webcams, and other fun and educational content, the Aquarium is offering its Guest Speaker Series. You can visit the Aquarium's website or follow its social media channels for live feeds and updates. A schedule and links to these resources can be found on the Aquarium's Online Academy webpage. The nonprofit Aquarium of the Pacific is a community gathering place where diverse cultures and the arts are celebrated and where important challenges facing our planet are explored by scientists, policymakers, and stakeholders in search of sustainable solutions. The Aquarium is dedicated to conserving and building nature and nature's services by building the interactions between and among peoples. Home to more than 12,000 animals, Aquarium outdoor exhibits include Shark Lagoon, Lorikeet Forest, June Keyes Penguin Habitat, the Molina Animal Care Center, moon jelly touch tank, and the Seal and Sea Lion Habitat. Beyond its animal exhibits, the Aquarium offers educational programs for people of all ages, including lectures by leading scientists. The Aquarium offers memberships with unlimited FREE admission for 12 months, VIP Entrance, and other special benefits. NOTE: CURRENTLY ONLY OUTDOOR AREAS ARE OPEN. Visit the Aquarium's website for the latest information during that time and after at aquariumofpacific.org or call (562) 590-3100.

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