Aquarium Equipment: Part Two

Fish need light in order to be able to see. If it is dark all of the time, they may starve or become listless and just lie around on the bottom of the aquarium, easy prey for the chosen scavengers. Should you choose to plant your tank with LIVE plants, they naturally will need light as well.

Light effects ovulation in certain fish. It has been documented that under constant light, guppies will have a brood every 3 weeks instead of every month (Temperature also affects this).

It is also important that you are able to see your fish clearly to determine disease and accurately view behavior.

Fish need about 12 hours of light in 24 hours. It is important to experiment and see how long your overhead hood may be left on before it affects the temperature of the water.

~Heating~

The suitable temperature range for tropical fish is between 74-80 degrees F. With higher temperatures there is less oxygen in the water for the fish, as their need for oxygen increases with the rise.

When purchasing an aquarium heater there are mechanical factors that should be reviewed. Outside adjustment of temp control, replaceable parts (I have yet to come across a heater with such), and correct wattage. In order to determine correct wattage, multiply the amount of water in aquarium by 5. Example: my 20 gallon aquarium requires a 100-watt heater. You will also need a thermometer that should be placed in the furthest corner from the heater, while the heater should be directly beside an air stone to promote even distribution of heat.

~Gravel~

If you are going to have live plants in your aquarium, you will need to line the bottom of the tank with sand. However, if you are going to use plastic or cloth plants, you will need to buy gravel.

There are several different alternatives to an all gravel tank. Both of my 10 gallon tanks contain "Dragons Tears" (small round glass of all colors) in the front of the tank, then rocks collected from my backyard and the back full of gravel for plant placement. The Tears add a pleasing array of colors, and add wonderful hiding places of newborn fry.

Another alternative is to buy cloth plants with a rock like base, and leave the bottom of the aquarium bare (for brooding/baby tanks). It is suggested that uneaten food is syphoned daily from tanks containing fry, but if you have the appropriate scavengers this will not be needed and you can decorate your tank as you see fit.

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