Aquarium

General information

The Aquariophilie is a popular Loisir around the world, with approximately 60 million followers. Since the Years 1850, the number of aquarists amateurs or enlightened did not cease increasing and allowed important technical projections like the lighting systems and of filtration to maintain fish of aquarium healthy.

One calls also aquarium a establishment where exposed aquariums are , with a commercial aim or educational. The public aquariums reproduce the pastime of the aquarists at the house with more large scales -- the aquarium of Ōsaka, for example, holds a tank of 5 400 m ³ and a collection of approximately 580 species of the aquatic life.

History

The fish maintenance in artificial and confined environments goes back to several centuries. The Sumérien S were known to maintain fish wild in vats before preparing them for the meals. Under the ancient Rome, one preserved aquatic animals (fish, molluscs and shellfish) in basins called stagnum . Two of these basins were found on the Champ de Mars and in the Domus aurea of Néron. The Romans raised fish estimated for their flesh like the Murène or the Anguille. These fish were high for a culinary use and nondecorative but some Patricien S used murenes tamed like instruments of torture. With the the Middle Ages, the Moine Aquarius was known for its fish breedings which were used as food at the time of the Lent. Representations of crowned fish, the Oxyrhynque, maintained in captivity in rectangular basins in Egyptian temples were found in the Egyptian art.

In the Far East, particularly in China, one preserves fish of Ornement in Récipient S in Porcelaine since centuries. A treaty of Pisciculture is written in -475 by Chinese Fan Li. The mandarins raised the Carassin. It is towards 905 that the famous red Poisson is domesticated in the province of the Zhejiang. The vase-aquarium is invented in 1547 under the Dynastie Ming and is popularized very quickly. A treaty written by Zhang Qiande is dedicated to red fish in 1596. The Chinese people are in the beginning many selections of this animal and they created large aquicultural farms. The breeding and the selection of carps koï started there is more than two thousand years. In Southeast Asia, another species has been high for several centuries for its aggressiveness. It is about the combatant of Siam which is high for the combat during which the spectators make bets on gaining.

In Occident, the carassins are the first fish imported for maintenance out of vat. At the 18th century, the Cour of Versailles knows the fashion of known red fish under the name of cyprins gilded or sea-breams of China. There are then traces of local fish breeding with modern technologies as from the 19th century approximately. It is in 1908 that the first alive fish are imported of South America in Europe. The Guppy was the first largely imported species. It made the happiness of the aquarists by its qualities of reproducer and its many colors and forms.

Finality

The fish being very pledged animals in their medium, any aquarium will have to try to provide to its inhabitants a biotope adapted to their needs (nature for water, temperature, space available, parameters of water (pH, GH, NO2…), etc).

According to the sought-after goal, the aquarium could be decorative (abundantly planted, nicely finished, etc), scientist, of breeding, etc The fact of making reproduce fish in captivity makes it possible to reduce the pressure on the wild subjects. Currently, the majority of current fresh water fish can be reproduced in captivity (aquariums) or semi-captivity (cattle-breeding farm in particular Asian). The sea water species being able to reproduce in captivity remain unfortunately marginal (clown, cardinal…). But to date, no species is threatened of disappearance by passion aquarist.

Types of vats

One distinguishes the types of aquariums mainly according to the concentration in rock salt of water, but these categories are divided they-even into subcategories.

Fresh water

The Aquariums of fresh water (concentration saltworks lower than 1 g/l) reproduce a lake or river habitat. One distinguishes among them 4 types of vat:

vat Community where various fish species and of plants cohabit, independently of their place of origin, which implies that all these species adapt to the same quality of water, not inevitably identical to that of their natural environment of origin;
the regional vat habrite of the fish species and plants belonging to the same habitat, thus reproducing a Biotope met in a specific area (African Asia, Amazonia, lakes…), with more or less of precision.
the Dutch vat is a type of aquarium where the priority is given to the culture of the watery plants. They can then cover all the vat, containing very few fish since the plants are principal attraction.
the specific vat is an aquarium intended for the breeding of a single fish species, and thus reproduced the specific characteristics of the biotope of the species concerned;

Sea water

The marine aquariums (concentration saltworks ranging between 30 and 40 g/l) shelter fish living the seas and the oceans of the sphere. One distinguishes among them primarily two types of vat:

the " Fish only " shelter only fish and thus requires a system of less complex filtration and consequently cheaper;
the " récifal " shelter at the same time fish and invetébrés such as corals, which requires systems of filtration much more complex according to varied methods (Berliner method, Méthode Jaubert, Méthode of Dr. Adey…).

Brackish water

The aquariums of brackish water (very variable concentration saltworks including in time, ranging between 1 and 30 g/l) reproduce the mediums such as Lagune S or Estuaire S. This type of aquarium is with rapporcher of the regional type of fresh water since it reproduces a particular biotope, often associated to a particular area.

Others

By taking account of the Temperature of water, we can distinguish two types of aquariums:

the aquarium of cool water whose temperature oscillates roughly between 18º and 22ºC. During the winter months, a Electrical resistance prevents that the temperature drops below 15ºC. It is employed mainly to maintain fish exotic resistant.
the tropical aquarium whose temperature varies between 23º and 30ºC, thanks to the use of an electrical resistance connected to a Thermostat.

This other distinction can be superimposed on the categories listed higher thus giving multitudes of possibilities.

Lastly, more precisely, the aquarist distinguishes several types of aquariums according to their use:

the aquarium of reproduction is used for the reproduction of fish species and allows a better control of the parameters (calm, often different lighting, absence of predatory for the larvae…).
the aquarium of breeding is intended for the breeding and the enlargement of young fish for trade names or ludic.

Manufacture

The aquariums have at least a transparent face, out of glass or plastic (polymethacrylate, etc).

Although there exist aquariums of which the structure is out of polyester, concrete, wood or another material, the most current aquariums are out of glass. Until the years 1970, the majority of the aquariums out of glass were built with mastiquées metal angles, but they are now out of glass stuck by means of adhesives in Silicone.

Accessories

If it is possible to preserve alive fish a certain time in a little water without technological assistance, the living conditions will be very bad, and any aquarium must be equipped correctly.

Filtration

It is vital that the water of the aquarium circulates, is removed from the impurities and biologically purified.

With this intention, one uses a water pump, feeding from the masses of filtration, ensuring mechanical filtration, and the biological detoxication, by action of Bactérie S or materials absorbents. The mixing of water comprises also a function oxygenating and makes it possible to recreate certain agitated mediums of life.

To note, the system of mixing is not appropriate for all the types of aquariums, to be clearer, certain kinds of plants for example, do not carry the current, in addition, the injection of dioxygene is indeed beneficial, but it makes more quickly evacuate CO2 of water, which will carry defect to the plants.

It will thus be appropriate perfectly for aquariums of the marine types (essential to tell the truth!) cichlidés American and African for example which is large consumers of oxygen and water moving.

Lighting

The lighting makes it possible to emphasize the animal species and vegetable of a vat, to ensure the Photosynthèse Plante S and to force the nychthemeral rate/rhythm. The simplest method apparently is to use the Lumière day, but that poses many disadvantages as the lack of control of the luminous intensity or dull colors of fish and corals.

For these reasons, the illumination is used in aquariophilie using Lampe S, usually controlled by a timer regulated on ten hours to a dozen hours per day. The lamps used are the fluorescent lamps horticultural of type Néon like the tubes neon T8 and T5 or of spots known as HQL and HQI.

Heating

The Température is the paramount element to maintain animal species or vegetable. It is thus necessary to respect the maintenance of species whose requirements for temperatures are identical. Each vat must be maintained at a specific temperature. The majority of the vats (tropical or marine) require rather hot temperatures. The systems most usually used are the heating systems, composed of a resistance (heater) and of a Thermostat (regulation). Simplest are the immersion heaters made up of a resistance in a tube of Verre. They exist in various powers going from 25 to 300 W according to the volume of the vat. Sometimes, this resistance is combined with the thermostat in a single tube, which simplifies the assembly but presents some disadvantages in thermal term of regulation.

There exist also heating cables, to put in the substrate, and which have several advantages like total discretion and heating of the ground which allows a better growth of the plants. But, these systems have a cost of higher purchase.

The total power of the heaters must be calculated according to the temperature wanted in the aquarium, the volume of this one and the temperature of the part where it is.

In the case of water fraiche fish like red fish, it will be necessary to use a system of refrigeration.

Diffuser and air pump

The diffuser is a part carried out in porous materials (ceramics for most expensive) making it possible to generate a column of bubbles of air thanks to the air in light overpressure produces by the air pump. According to the types of aquarium this accessory will be more or less useful or harmful.

With each one to make its opinion on an accessory which even if it presents disadvantages can nevertheless prove to be useful. In conclusion, always to have at its disposal an air pump in its wall cupboard.

Disadvantages

In a planted vat, the air pump is not necessary even present serious disadvantages. In particular, it degasses CO2 of water, gas necessary to the good growth of the plants. This reduction in the CO2 concentration makes assemble pH whereas the majority of fish affectionnent a neutral pH with slightly acid. Obviously, if one keeps fish then preferring a more alkaline pH (as fish of the East-African big lakes) this degasification is beneficial.

The fact of diffusing air bled in the part where the aquarium is can become harmful if this one contains pollutants (tobacco smoke, products domestic, odors of kitchen and vapors associated…).

The noise generated by the bubbles of air is not necessarily pleasant even if the gene relates to primarily only the " spectateurs" and not inhabitants of the aquarium…

Advantages

The mixing of the water which it gets, makes it possible to harmonize the temperature within the aquarium (absence of thermal layers or badly heated zones).

In an aquarium of reproduction, the mixing of water and forced oxygenation will have a beneficial effect on certain types of layings (when the eggs are stuck on a support for example).

At the time of the strong outside temperatures, the air pump allows a relative fall of the temperature (and an additional oxygenation) what will be beneficial with fish. Oxygenation will cause to fight the rise of nitrites by degrading them out of nitrates supported better by fish.

Ground

The ground of the aquarium is usually covered with fine gravels on a few centimetres, making it possible to anchor the plants.

In the case of fresh water, one prohibits the substances limestones (except for certain fish species), whereas the sea water aquarium is advantageously furnished with a coral sand, allowing to stabilize water quality.

It is advisable to avoid artificial sands, like the painted gravels.

Water

Water can be that of the tap, provided that one modifies it according to the needs.

the very soft water fish (basin of Amazonia) generally need a softening, being able to be carried out by a Osmose ur. This water demineralized will have imperatively to be crossed according to the proportions wished with another in order to avoiding any brutal change of pH.
the earthy water fish (lake Malawi) require a special salt contribution. The addition of rocks limestones can prove to be a solution.
the fish of Sea water require a salt addition, preferably added to a correctly purified water, for example by osmosis.

In the case of a chlorinated tap water or containing heavy metals, there exist neutralizing products which can improve its quality. It is also possible to evacuate chlorine while letting put back water in an open container a few days before use.

Decoration

All kinds of decorations are possible. It is advisable to privilege natural materials or of natural appearance: Liege (material), roots of Peaty S, etc Concerning the roots of peat bogs, it can prove to be judicious to scald them before placing them out of water to get rid of Tanin S which can disturb water.

Certain species appreciate capacity to hide (like the Loach-Clown) or use their medium to lay and protect their eggs. It is then often necessary to carry out hiding-places with stones. The half Coconut or the pots of flowers perforated and as a preliminary cleaned as it is appropriate, is good shelters.

Lastly, the rear window can be masked by a resin-sanded polyester decoration, or let see a poster representing a photograph of aquarium, in order to increase the effect of depth.

Settlement

According to the selected Biotope, the settlement of an aquarium is very different. The animal species and vegetable cannot always cohabit between them especially if they do not belong to the same biotope. For the tropical aquariums, there exist different Biotope, like the Asia, the Amazonia, the African lakes (Malawi and Tanganyika) and Dutch.

Plants

See also: watery Plant, List of the fresh water plants

It is possible to place natural plants or artificial plants in an aquarium. Made esthetic and the constraints of cleaning are different. The artificial plants make the aquarium less alive but get a maintainability even if these last tend to become the support many Algue S. In aquariophilie, the natural plants are largely used in the vats because they offer one made visual more natural and offer shelters to fish. Many species of plants are usually marketed in the specialized stores. Sometimes, certain nonwatery plants are wrongly sold like such. They are generally nonwatery plants which were drowned for their esthetic side (often of very pretty plants with white or red stripes).

The plants can be planted abundantly in the fresh water aquariums because they allow the nitrogenized waste recycling .

Out of sea water, several species of Algue S can be in the trade ( Caulerpa ).

Animals

Ecological balance

The ideal maintenance of an aquarium consists in reproducing the balance found in the Nature in the closed system of a vat. In practice, it is impossible to maintain a balance perfect. For example, the report/ratio balanced of the Predatory - Proie is almost impossible to maintain even in largest of the aquariums. An aquarist must take measures to maintain balance in small the ecosystem which its aquarium contains. This precarious balance is facilitated by great volumes of water. Any event which disturbs the system pushes an aquarium far from its balance. Also more the water vat is large, plus imbalance is easy to absorb and reduce. For example, the death of some fish in a vat of 11 L causes a dramatic change of the system, while the death of same fish in a vat of 400 L with much of other fish represents only one minor change of the balance of the vat. For this reason, the amateurs often support greatest possible volumes, because they are more stable systems requiring less intensive attention for the maintenance of balance.

The cycle of nitrogen

The Cycle of the nitrogen is the principal concern of the aquarist in order to manage the biological losses produced by the inhabitants of an aquarium. The fish, the invertebrates, the mycètes and some bacteria excrete of waste in the form of Ammoniaque (which can be converted into Ammonium, according to the chemistry of the water) which must then change during the cycle of nitrogen.

The Ammoniac is also produced by the Décomposition of the organic matter of the plants and the animals, including the fecal matter and very other Détritus. Nitrogenized waste becomes toxic with concentrations raised for the inhabitants of the aquarium. A well balanced vat contains a natural cycle which can metabolize waste of the residents of the aquarium.

The nitrogenized waste produced in a vat is metabolized by a type of Bactérie S known under the name of bacteria dénitrificantes (kind Nitrosomonas). While nitrifying, the bacteria capture the ammonia of water and Nitrite S. the nitrites metabolize it to produce are also strongly toxic in concentrations raised with fish. Another type of bacteria, like the Nitrospira, converts nitrites into Nitrate S, a less toxic substance with the inhabitants of the aquarium.

Bacteria of the type Nitrobacter can also fulfill this role and are on sale in the trade under the name of kits to jump the beginning of the cycle of nitrogen in an aquarium. Biologically, they could theoretically fulfill the same role that Nitrospira, but it was recently noted that Nitrobacter are not present in discernible levels in the established aquariums, whereas Nitrospira are abundant. This process is known in Aquariophilie as the cycle of nitrogen.

In addition to the bacteria, the watery plants eliminate nitrogen by metabolizing ammonia and nitrate. When the plants metabolize the compounds of nitrogen, they use nitrogen dissolved in water by employing it to build biomass thanks to the Photosynthèse. However, it is only provisional, because the plants release from nitrogen in water when they worsen.

Although semi-officially called cycle of nitrogen by the amateurs, it is, in fact, only part of the cycle complet : the nitrogen must be added to the system (usually by the food provided to the inhabitants of the vat) and nitrates accumulate in water at the end of the process (or contribute to a growth of biomass via metabolism of the plants). This accumulation of nitrates in the aquariums obliges the aquarist to make water changes and to remove the dead sheets in order to decrease the quantity of nitrogen in water.

It is generally difficult to create a balanced system in which the fish eat the plants. The aquariums often do not have the necessary populations of bacteria to detoxify nitrogen contained in their vat. This problem is generally regulated by two solutions of filtration: the activated carbon filters absorb the compounds of nitrogen and other toxins of water, whereas the biological filters provide a medium designed particularly well for colonization by the bacteria dénitrificantes.

Maintenance

For the reasons explained previously, it appears that the maintenance of an aquarium is essential to hold a ecosystem closed and stable. Some essential operations are then necessary to reduce the volume of waste in the vat in order not to disturb the cycle of nitrogen but also to ensure the esthetics of the aquarium.

Instructions to be followed

An aquarium correctly installed and populated requires little maintenance.

Renewals of water: a normal replacement of part of water (for example 1/3 every two weeks) makes it possible to evacuate organic waste. One usually proceeds by siphon stroke, by aspiring water close it ground, in order to evacuate operation consequently solid waste.
Cleaning of the panes: a scraper makes it possible to return their transparency to the panes.
Cleaning of the plants: the plants dirtied by algae must be cleaned with the hand.
Cleaning of the ground: by trapping the ground by means of a transparent bell, one can extract waste which is there and allow the water circulation it.
Manure with plants (primarily containing organic iron)
Food of fish, containing dry foods, frozen or alive (Daphnid S, Artémie S, towards, etc)

To renew water

It is necessary to carry out regular water changes in an aquarium. Indeed, if the Bactérie S are given the responsability to degrade the Ammoniac and the Nitrite S in Nitrate S, the latter accumulate gradually in the aquarium, being likely to reach important rates which could become toxic for fish. The nitrate rate must indeed remain lower than 50 mg/l. The nitrates are consumed by the watery plants (subject to other correct conditions) and by the algae. However, the consumption of the plants is not enough to eliminate all the nitrates : in general, only of the regular water changes allow to preserve acceptable rates.

In addition, the water changes make it possible to bring trace elements necessary for fish and the plants, which, if not, become exhausted gradually in the closed circle which is the aquarium. The rate/rhythm and the quantity of the water changes are variable according to the population of the aquarium and the conditions of maintenance. One advises, in general, to change 10% of water every week, or 20% every 15 days. This is, of course, to increase if the nitrate rates were too high. However all water never should be changed at the same time (cf Cycle of the nitrogen).

One can to note that, in the marine aquariums reproducing the typical ecosystem of a reef (known as recifaux vats), the cycle of nitrogen is buckled, which returns the water changes optional, all at least concerning nitrates.

To clean the panes

One cleans the panes for esthetics but also the life in the aquarium. The plants cannot survive without light. Glass being a material on which the algae are fixed easily, it is appropriate to clean them regularly to prevent that they do not become durable stocks of algae.

To nourish the animals and the plants

To maintain a vat planted well and alive, it is necessary obligatorily and correctly to nourish its animals (fish, invertebrates, snails…) like its plantations.

Food of the animals

Each species of fish has its own requirements, although the majority is nourished with alive preys, supplemented with inert products such as the spangles, of the dried and dehydrated animals or the plants. The excess of food is increasingly more unfavourable for fish than bad water quality. Too much fed, the fish accumulate grease in their fabrics which will cause a shortening of their Espérance of life. In addition, if the ration is excessive, the Déchet S are more numerous, reason for which water is dirtied immediately and compromises the Santé aquarium.

The ration of food of a fish must be elaborate compared to its tastes and requirements, although usually it is composed:

fresh foods: meat of fish, raw meat, eggs of fish, vegetables;
alive food: worms watery, larvae of the insects, small crustacean;
artificial food: granulated industrialists. Its use must be limited to the days when fresh food is not distributed.

Food of the plants

The plants need Eau, of Lumière, CO₂ and Engrais to develop. Water is inevitably omnipresent in an aquarium and the light is brought by lighting as one saw previously. Only carbon dioxide and manure must be introduced into a vat to support the development of the plants.

Manure

In aquariophilie, the contribution of manure is reduced to the secondary elements like the Calcium (Ca), the Soufre (S) and the Magnésium (Mg) as well as Oligo-élément S such as the Fer (Fe), the Manganèse (mn), the Molybdène (Mo), the Cuivre (Cu), etc, iron being the most important element for the growth of the plants.

The principal elements, Nitrogen (NR), Phosphate (P) and Potassium (K) are never introduced into a vat because they are the result of the waste produced by the animals and the plants. The cycle of nitrogen brings the principal elements. In adding, would do nothing but all the more pollute the vat.

Carbon dioxide

The Carbon dioxide is naturally present in the water of a vat. More, pH is weak, more carbon dioxide will be present in a vat. However, the natural concentration is never sufficient enough for the maintenance of demanding plants. Sometimes it is necessary to make a contribution of CO₂ in gas form in water.

To diffuse CO₂, one uses a ladder or a diffuser in spiral which makes it possible to maintain the carbon dioxide bubbles longest in water in order to increase its chances of diffusion. Indeed, the diffusion is not instantaneous.

References

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