A Love Story about Mankind and Nature that You Know Very Well

There is some kind of order on this planet that makes it turn around. Some people say it is love but some claim that money makes it go around. As far as I am concerned, we will never know. However, one thing that kept everything under control and kept the world in balance was the relationship between nature and men. Since the dawn of days, man was a servant to nature, and nature rewarded him for that service with its fruits. However, men started being obsessed with power. It was not enough for them to control only one another, but they also wanted to control nature as well. And so it began – we started making this planet sicker and sicker with each new day. Many oil companies were built, the atmosphere was polluted and nature started dying slowly. Oceans, seas and rivers suffered the most. Many species that we were not even aware of disappeared from the face of the earth just like dust in the wind. It is something that happened in a blink of an eye, and we were not aware of it at all. However, lately the awareness has raised, and many people started to think a bit differently. There are more and more campaigns that indicate how endangered the planet is, and that we are going to destroy ourselves if we do not do something immediately. You now ask yourself how can you help? Well, there are many things you can do. I am going to write about nature in your home in this article because bringing nature to your home is the first step towards a better future for our planet.

Can you put a river in your home? I think you can

The first thing that comes to my mind when it comes to „bringing“ nature to your home are indoor aquariums. People who have aquariums are said to be more relaxed and to enjoy life more than others. Just looking at the fish moving makes your brain and muscles relax and makes you feel better. There are also more benefits that fish ponds can bring you. For example, I enjoy cleaning and keeping my aquarium „in shape“. It fulfills me and makes me forget about other things in my life which make me stressed and depressed. There is a big number of different fish tanks to choose from in order to match them with the theme of your home. For example, there are those old cubical ones, that can fit almost everywhere, but if you are a person of style and taste, there are other shapes which will emphasize the importance of owning an aquarium and having nature in your home. On the other hand, aquariums can be a bit tricky to maintain, since you are dealing with something where life should be preserved. Fish are very sensitive creatures and even the slightest error in maintenance can lead to their death. Therefore, it is extremely important that you educate yourself before getting an aquarium. There is plenty of useful information on the internet, but the best thing you can do is to ask for advice from somebody who has had an aquarium for a very long time. It is even better to let them show you how things work and how you should „approach“ the whole situation. I can provide you with information about some basic equipment that aquariums require here. First of all, let me start with unnecessary ones – lights. The look of your aquarium is also important, because those which are clean but not decorated can be repelling to an eye as much as the dirty ones. Therefore, one of the best way to let your aquarium catch an eye of a visitor is to make it more visible, and that is achieved by lighting. You can place lights at the bottom of the aquarium and make light go upwards, which makes the atmosphere in the room relaxed. Or you can put lights on the sides and emphasize the fish themselves in the first place. There are different kinds of lights. The thing that will make your aquarium even more interesting are neon lights and not just neon but colorful ones. That will make a pretty small circus or concert inside your aquarium with your fish as clowns and rock stars. I even went further on and made the lights move. Do not do that without anyone who is good with electricity because there is a big possibility that it will come in touch with water. If that happens you can say goodbye to your fish, or you would not have to because you will be dead as well.

Eventually you are going to get tired of cleaning your aquarium. Although it is worth the work, sometimes cleaning can be very exhausting and time-consuming. But you can solve that problem by buying Aquarium Filters. These devices can save you a lot of time because they do all the filtering of water and make sure your fish do not die in filth. You can look for one on the internet, or you can check you local aquarium store for it. I am not sure about how much of these thing are there for sale. The last thing I want to tell you is something about Aquarium Heaters. As the name suggests, they will change the water temperature to a certain degree. This is extremely necessary if you take into account that fish that live in deeper water can survive only in cool water, whilst the ones that live near the surface prefer warmer water.

To sum up, I have just shown you one of the aspects of decorating your home. Of course, you need not be some kind of ecologist or environment lover in order to have an aquarium in your house, but it is always better to know that by owning one you are contributing to the movement that fights for saving nature and the planet earth from the destructive force of this new age.

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Silly Little Creatures, or Not?

I'm writing this with one idea in my mind, one idea only. Are fish stupid and unnecessary creatures? Many think they are. And why? Probably because they had them home in their pretty little aquariums or they saw them in someone else’s aquarium or they saw them in some sea world, I don’t know. After all of that, after seeing and watching them for some time, you can’t but start thinking how ridiculous they are.

All that they do is go around in circles in their little tanks opening their mouths at same intervals without even blinking. When you look into their eyes they have to remind you of some retarded look made by someone. The only thing that lacks is that they start drooling like retards. All fish remind me of Patrick star from Sponge Bob. Or even better, all those fish bystanders with their heads looking at the sky and all of them look so silly that I always laugh just by seeing them. You know what I mean? I thought that everyone has seen or at least heard of Sponge Bob. If not, I’m sure that you can see that retarded look on their faces once you've looked close enough and paid attention to it.

It’s so silly that you shouldn't even consider calling it a face. Who knows what it is. Who even cares!? It’s just an animal which can’t even hurt us or do anything bad to us, or do anything to us for that matter. The only good thing that can come out of it is making it our food, and even that isn't really satisfactory. Alright, it has at least one good substance, iodine, which is good for our brains, specifically our memory. They always say to students that they should eat fish before exams because they’ll be able to remember more, and it is true. So I guess this is one good thing about them. But it barely has anything else and you can’t even get full from eating just that – you always have to eat more besides the fish. Another funny thing that I have always wondered about is why it is like this – in Christianity, when they are fasting and are not allowed to eat anything that comes from an animal – they are allowed to eat fish! What’s up with that? It’s like the biggest religion in the world is telling us that we shouldn't even think of fish as animals. That’s one way to look at it, right?

Anyway, they seem to be not good enough for eating, but that’s not what the Japanese seem to think. They eat fish in huge quantities. Just like we all now the Chinese for the rice consumption, we know the Japanese for their sushi or other fish related products. And, besides that, they are leading manufacturers of fish. They have thousands of boats going out every day to catch fish. They catch it in such large quantities every day and yet the fish are still there, they are not extinct, or something like that. When the Americans started moving west and started hunting buffaloes, it didn't take long before the buffalo was almost completely gone, and these were the animals that used to rule the large plains in the center of the USA. So one can conclude through this that the fish are like vermin, you can’t even destroy them, not that we want, but if we did want, we probably would never be able to do it.

They reduced the number of whales you say, because of the hunting all over the planet? Well my friend, whales are not fish, they are mammals, so you can throw that theory through the window.

Besides this, everyone loves dolphins and consider them very intelligent and human-friendly. But they too are not fish, but mammals as well. I seem to be onto something maybe?

Or, maybe not. How many of us keep fish at home? Too many probably. They are one of the favorite animals to keep as pets, after cats and dogs obviously. No one can replace those furry, cute little animals and man’s best friends. So, how can they be stupid, unnecessary and all of that, when so many people keep them? There must be something amazing about them, since we actually do love them, even though they look retarded.

I think that not much is needed to be said to make it obvious why we love them. They make us relaxed with their grace in their movement. They may be going around in circles, but they do it with such grace, that it is amazing. Besides that, they may look retarded, but they are the sole rulers of the seas, and the seas cover most of our planet, and like I said, even if we wanted to exterminate them, we wouldn’t be able to do it. That does not make them vermin, but very strong creatures actually, since they can withstand the human tyranny.

Those mammals from the sea, which we consider so amazing, wouldn't even be there if it weren't for the fish. They depend on them, the same way each nature’s creature depends on some other. All of them are a part of one greater circle, a chain if you will, and a chain would break if you were to take only one ring out of it.

Besides that, it is so easy to keep them, since they are one of the animals that don’t ask for much, if at all. When you get an aquarium, you only need to get some filters and whatnot, just in order to keep the water clean and fresh, and you need some food, which you don’t need to give them too often. You can get a lot of decorative items for the aquarium, lights, heating, some scenery like castles, sand, etc, yet all of these things are optional, the fish don’t need them – it is more for our pleasure. Because we love how pretty, graceful and peaceful they look in their little tanks, we like to embellish their surroundings. They really do deserve our love.

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How to Keep a Fish Tank

Extra fish in your aquarium can cause a lot of problems. More fish demand more oxygen and additional production of ammonia. If you own a filter that deals with a higher level of ammonia you are, let’s say, in the clear, but, with a high ammonia level, you’ll end up with increased nitrate production and you will have to change the water more often to keep it low. Some more solid waste might also appear out of nowhere.

Some people, who are experts in this field, think that a tank with too much fish can lead to the stop of fish growth, or, as this phenomenon is more commonly called, to stunning. If the fish are kept and left to breed in the same aquarium where the adult fish are, you will notice that future generations will be smaller than their ancestors.

To sort this out, get another aquarium to raise the fry in – especially one that is big enough to serve a spawning pair, or for pregnant females.

On the other hand, many would find a quarantine tank the best among all the others. To be a successful keeper of fish, this kind of a tank can be very helpful, and is often recommended by any retailer.  Many people forget to use a microscope when purchasing fish, and that’s why they usually aren't aware of whether the fish are suffering from any kind of illness. If you buy new fish and bring it to your home, regardless of its healthy look that may mislead you, it can infect your existing livestock. The solution to this problem is to set up a separate aquarium for the new ones and keep them there for a few weeks so you can be sure they’re not infectious.

These tanks can also be used to keep and treat fish that have been bullied or ill in the main tank. It’s more effective to treat them in an unfurnished, clean tank. A medium sized tank is cheaper to treat than a heavily stocked one. You’ll also avoid a risk of killing any inverts or knocking out beneficial bacteria in the main tank, which are pretty essential.

Not all fish are compatible. When you’re a fish-keeper, there’s so little time and too many fish. This hobby can get a little complicated. The water conditions, the size of the fish and their temperament is a key thing to take into consideration.

To solve this, set up some more tanks to help you out, and sort them into hard-water and soft-water set-ups. When it comes to the radical differences, you can set one up as a rocky Rift Lake, and another one as a flora oriented one, for example. New tanks always look nicer. As time passes by, fish aquariums seem to be getting much nicer and better designed. Check out BiOrb Life 60L or Fluval Edge 46L - Water Cube, for example. There was never a choice of so many sizes and shapes, as there is now. For many people, showing off their tank is a big part of keeping fish. Like every work of art needs a good frame, having a good tank for your fish is also of big importance.

Furnishing fashion for homes changes all the time and you have a choice to have a brand new tank and not an old one made of mahogany. For many people, keeping fish is kind of a new challenge. Keeping fish attract many different people and there’s just the right kind of fish for everyone. You should try coral propagation or take the challenge of breeding. It takes some determination, skill and time to breed fish so that you provide them with everything they need and want. And don’t forget to feed the fry. When a fish-keeper is a real fanatic, he or she must come to this point: to want to make a fish room. If you’re one of them, consider that a fish room can be any room in your house - a spare room, for instance.

To sum up, keeping fish seems to be a hard and demanding job. But, it has many advantages. It’s there to bring in new colors to your living space and keep you occupied. It’s also good for relaxation and, if you have kids, it would be a lot of fun for them to have their own private part of the sea. Whatever the reasons are, make sure you don’t forget about the fact - fish can’t play with you, but still are living beings.

 

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Lighting in an Aquarium

The basic role of the aquarium lightning is to allow the fish-keepers to watch their fish. But, what’s more important, it provides the energy to the plants and animals that are photosynthetic. It’s usually the primary and the only source of lightning and it’s of big essence to any system that has plants, coral or anemones that are photosynthetic. The behavior of your fish is also influenced by the source of lightning and their psychology and health and the well-being of the whole tank depends on lightning.

Different set-ups demand different kinds of light fixtures and light bulbs. There are various different lightning options for fish-keepers and their fish, of course. The diversity of types of lightning makes it possible for the aquarists to provide the proper source of lightning for their fish. Tank lightning is grouped into three general types: there’s the common fluorescent lightning, metal halide lightning of high intensity and compact fluorescent lightning. Common output fluorescent lightning or standard fluorescent lightning are the easiest to provide the illumination for an aquarium. Choosing this sort of lightning is best for saltwater-fish-only tanks and fresh tanks, too. There’s a large selection of bulbs made for this sort of lightning and everything seems to allow the fish-keeper to customize tank lightning. You can use different bulbs in order to provide the right kind of lightning for you fish.

Actinic white bulbs create a mild blue or white light that, actually, recreates the marine light. It is a mix of a blue and white actinic light. This light may be pleasing to your eyes and, also help the photosynthetic growth of corals. Color-enhancing bulbs emit warmer and richer colors and really increase the spectrum of colors. They are made to display the colors of your tank’s inhabitants. It’s good for saltwater and fresh-fish-only tanks. Daylight bulbs provide something close to natural sunlight because they emit the wavelengths of already visible light.  The whole color spectrum is also emitted. These bulbs are made for general purposes and ideal for any type of saltwater and fresh tanks. Actinic bulbs provide all kinds of blue of the color spectrum. They imitate the light conditions of deep water and help creating the needed energy for growth of photosynthetic corals. They are appropriate for marine aquariums and coral reef tanks. Plant bulbs provide the light needed for the plants’ growth. Because they emit both blue and red regions of the spectrum of colors, they maximize the photosynthetic activity of plants. High-intensity bulbs emit a crisp white light and are usually combined with actinic bulbs in marine tanks. They imitate a brilliant light that’s found in deep water and they emit a white-blue light. This light appears pretty cool. Compact fluorescents are a higher version of normal output fluorescent lightning. This lightning doesn't have single tube bulbs, but incorporates quad or dual tube bulbs so that greater light is emitted. It can easily replace two normal fluorescent fixtures, and provide as many light as the common fluorescent fixture does. 

They also save a lot of space and are a good choice if you want to upgrade your fish tank and your light system in it. They are nothing more difficult to handle than normal fluorescent light systems, but they still have all the advantages of the normal ones. Compact fluorescents are ideal for marine and freshwater tanks. Metals halide lightning systems have a good reputation among advanced fish-keepers. Unlike other HID system, this one provides a wide range of colors of the color spectrum and the rendition of colors produced by them is well suited for tanks. They are great for aquariums, especially reef tanks, because their inhabitants need high lightning conditions. Metal halide lightning is most commonly used for very large tanks or the ones that are deeper than 25 inches. That’s because of the inability of other systems to provide that much light.

Conclusion

When choosing the right system of lightning for your tank and your fish depend on your taste, the size of your aquarium and the fish’s needs. But, make sure not to experiment with lightning systems that are not made for fish tanks. The health of your fish and the beauty of your aquarium depend on the source of lightning a lot. So, be well informed, and choose carefully.

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Home Design Tips – Aquariums

It is only natural that, when you are working on improving the design of your living environment, you will take into consideration various aspects. Some people spend a lot of time in choosing the right colour for wall tiles in every room, while others worry about which furniture they like or don’t like. In essence, you should make your home design be your own personal statement. When someone walks in it for the first time, he or she should be able to establish a valid opinion about your personality (and this is something that most people do). So, you should try and personalize your home environment, because you want people to have something nice to say about you, and, above all, you should make sure that you find your home to be pleasurable and relaxing place, since, that way, you improve your overall quality of living. When you do this, you will come to realize that coping with everyday obligations is becoming much easier.

I have been working on my interior design for a long time. I have added loads of ornaments, and I have hung many interesting pictures on my walls. I have painted my rooms the way I like, and I have bought all the necessary furniture and electrical equipment. But, there was still something missing.

I noticed that my apartment was lacking missing a very crucial component. Since, in the 21^st century, everything is oriented around an urban environment, with big apartment buildings and loads of corporate edifices, people have lost one of the most important aspects of human life, which is one’s contact with nature. So, I got myself some interesting plants and I put them all over the house. This helped, but not to an extent that I was hoping for.

Then I started thinking about pets. Now, I am a person that doesn't like a mess, and I want all my things to be at their place. So, if I were to buy a dog, for example, I would not be satisfied. While I was aimlessly walking down the street I saw a store that sells fish and equipment forfish-keeping. I was amazed with what kinds of aquarium designs are present nowadays. They make traditional looking marine aquariums and fish tanks that are in the shape of bowls or cuboids, but they also have rather interesting and modern designs. I have come to realize that, by purchasing an aquarium, you do not only get yourself a piece of the animal kingdom in your home, but you also get a very stylish home decoration. 

I thought that fish-keeping is very difficult, because I thought that you have to do all sorts of maintenance errands, but modern aquariums take care of themselves, more or less. Naturally, you have to do things like changing the water from time to time, and adjusting the water temperature as well as the water chemistry to make sure that your fish feel like they are in their natural environment. This is done to insure that the fish have a normal life span.

So, I purchased a big aquarium that has very impressive looking artificial lighting, and has a number of plants and pebbles inside. I also got numerous types of beautiful-looking fish of various colors and sizes. When I placed the aquarium in my living room, I knew that that the design of my home was complete.

After work, the next day, I got home late. It was a very hard day and I was very tired. When I got in, my new aquarium was lighting up the whole room, and while I was lying down on the sofa to relax a bit, I got the feeling that I was in the bottom of the ocean, enjoying perfect peace and quiet. The feeling was extraordinary.

After some time, I came to realize that people that keep fish are considered to be both sensitive and successful, which is, in my opinion, a good combination. An aquarium contributes to “making a statement” (mentioned in the beginning of this article) in this way.

To sum up, I hope that my experience has helped you in some way. Nevertheless, after reading everything stated above, you can conclude that an aquarium is a good investment. In some cases, it is the final touch that has to be done, in order to make your home look perfect (just like in my experience). So, feel free to ask around, or search the internet, for additional information. I promise you that you will be amazed with some aquarium designs, and you will start planning your budget so that you can get one for your home. By getting in touch with nature, I promise, you will get in touch with yourself. So, get going, and good luck. 

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Keeping Fish for Beginners

If you’re a total beginner when it comes to petting fish, but you've decided to pet some, I’m here to give you some advice about the main things you’ll need. First of all, you have to think over the reasons that made you keep fish. If you think of it as a “job” that doesn't require time and responsibility, then you’re not the one to do the job. Keeping fish surely can be considered the least demanding activity, but still, it requires some attention and commitment. I don’t want to underestimate you by making statements like the one in the previous sentence, but it somehow happens that people forget to do all the petting, although it’s not much, and end up with dead fish floating in their aquariums. I’m sure you wouldn't want that to happen. 

On the other hand, if you’re a person that enjoys colorful images for instance, then you’re the one to keep fish, with just a little effort you’ll have to put in. You may have a chance to possess a living picture that constantly moves and brings relaxation into your life. It really is relaxing and extremely interesting to observe life that goes on right in front of you. It can send you back to the days when you were a kid and evoke some emotions that you had probably forgotten about. In the text that is about to be written, I’ll try to concentrate on how often you’ll have to change the water and feed the fish, choose them, also the choice of light and aquariums, and of course the right temperature of the water and the decoration of the fish’s environment. So, if you’re willing, continue on reading this article, because I’ll be precise and concise in giving advice to you who are beginners.

Aquarium size depends on the number of fish you have, but also on their sensitivity to change of nitrogenous waste and their temperament. It is a lot easier to keep a big aquarium clean, than a small one. The big aquarium is also more flexible when it comes to rapid changes in temperature and water chemistry. Since you’re a beginner, the best option for you when it comes to buying an aquarium is the medium sized one. If you have budget problems, and you’re thinking over a small one with expensive fish, and a medium one with not so fancy fish, you should go for the second option, definitely. As a beginner, you can’t handle these pricy fish because of the lack of experience. 

Changing the water is something you’ll have to do despite all the strong mechanical, chemical and biological filtration existing. Since we constantly bring in a lot of new nutrients by feeding our fish, it’s hard for an aquarium to become a perfectly balanced ecosystem. As a beginner, it’s good for you to choose sturdy beginner species that require changing 30% to 50% of the water once in a week. It might be a little messy at first, but by repeating this action, you’ll learn to do it without making any mess and with a minimal amount of spilled water. If you keep on changing that 50% of the water once in a week, you’ll solve the usual beginner’s problem such as over-feeding the fish. If tap water is the only one you have, you’ll need to first keep it in a bucket for a little while until the chlorine is gone, or use a dechlorinator to do it faster.

Feeding the fish requires a little research done to find out which food a certain specie needs. For common beginner’s species, flake food is a good solution. You can even use your own fruit files. If you keep bottom species, it’s not a good idea to use flake food because it probably won’t even reach the bottom. But, if you get sinking pallets or similar, you’ll cope with the needs of the bottom species. The algae-eaters won’t be pleased only by eating algae, but would like to be provided with some vegetable based foods. It’s better to feed your fish a few times a day rather than only once a day. But make sure to give them only as much as they can consume within 5 minutes. If you’re not around for few days, you won’t have to sip extra food, because there are always some leftovers for your fish. If you give them some extra food, you’ll only end up with fouled water, and that’s something you really don’t need.

The temperature depends on species and their needs. Do a little research about your species, and you’ll find out just the right temperature. Generally, it’s important for the temperature to be stable. Fish love to hide, so make sure you provide them some aquatic plants. Since you’re a beginner, choose adaptable and sturdy fish species, because you’ll handle it easier. Later on, if you improve in fish-keeping  you can have more delicate fish species.

Conclusion

To finish this article, I’ll add that keeping fish is actually really interesting and creative because it’s different from any other pet. If you choose to improve and get skills in fish-keeping  you’ll have a lot of fun and colorful time!

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Red Sea Max Marine Aquarium - Perfect Simplicity

There are quite a lot of people out there who are more than willing to pay for all the bells and whistles and get themselves a very good quality marine aquarium, but even then they are faced with a big problem: it takes a lot of work just to set up a tank and maintaining it properly can be a nightmare. It is sort of one of those old video games where you can’t save your progress, one little mistake and it’s game over, you have to start all over again. At least with video games you only pay for the game once and you just lose some time and your nerves, but with marine aquariums you have to buy new fish every time. There is in fact an easier way for beginners and the busy, hard workers amongst us hobbyists and that is a tank that is set up and ready to use straight out of the box, just add salt water and live rock, wait a while and you are ready to go. You don’t have to be particularly handy with tools and good at assembling things and hooking up electronics, almost all of the work is already done for you with the Red Sea Max aquarium.

This marine aquarium is glass with rounded edges and has a volume of 130 liters, more than enough for a stunning display that will fit perfectly in any room of the house, provided you find a solid base to support the substantial weight. The hood has three separate access panels:

Filter panel – located in the back and allows easy access to the protein skimmer.

Front panel – full width panel, opening one third of the total length of aquarium and folds back revealing a working surface that can hold all the different accessories for feeding and monitoring.

Full access panel – raises the entire hood, securing it at an angle which gives the user full access and full visibility of the entire tank when aquascaping and during regular maintenance

When the Red Sea Max is turned on, the water in the aquarium circulates 10 times an hour. All of the equipment, that you would usually need to install and arrange in some sort of compartment below the tank itself, is housed behind a smoked glass divide that keeps it’s mechanical components hidden from sight so as not to detriment the overall aesthetics of the corral and fish on display. The components that are integrated into the system include:

Reef lighting – dual 55 watt T5 power compact lights and moon glow LED nightlights with a built-in 24 hour programmable lighting timer, located in the hood

Removable inlet filter comb – with adjustable shutter, used for surface skimming
Two-stage mechanical filter

Professional high capacity protein skimmer – with a 1200 liters per hour pump and heater with a thermostat

Biological and chemical filtration compartment – fully equipped

Twin circulation pumps – with adjustable dual outlet jets for optimizing water currents

Water chiller – optional

All of the above components are connected to a built-in power center that is splash proof, allowing only a single cord to portrude from the tank and making it very easy to hook up to a power outlet. There is an external control panel, accessed by opening the small door on the side of the tank, and it contains buttons that allow each separate component to be turned on or off. The door has nice little white symbols of the various components that are affected by the corresponding buttons, thus allowing even a small child to efficiently manipulate the marine aquarium. The Max also comes with a detailed guide on reef keeping and for just a little bit extra money you can get the Max starter kit which contains all the necessary feeding and monitoring accessories you will need.

Those of us who don’t have too much time to spend on our hobbies and want the precious few hours we have to ourselves to be fun and relaxing, not boring and tedious, where it feels like it’s just more work. The best thing about the Red Sea Max aquarium is that we don’t have to worry about buying and setting up all of the equipment, so all of our free time can be spent doing what we love – finding the best fish and reef-scaping. All in all it is a brilliant product that will save you a lot of time and energy, and that even the uninitiated can be trusted with in your absence.

If you want to find out more about other types of aquariums, check out our fish tanks selection.

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Yasha Nano Reef Tank

For most people the word aquarium simply means an overgrown fish bowl. They think of it as simply pouring some tap water into a glass container and filling it with a bunch of cool-looking fish. However, there are people out there who can appreciate the finer things in life, and know how to relax and enjoy the colorful nature of the world around them. If you are one of those people, I can tell you that there is nothing you can set up in your home that will bring a sense of serenity and put a smile on your face quite like a nicely decorated marine aquarium. The most beautiful and awe inspiring of these are reef aquariums, with their plethora of colorful corals and various exotic sea creatures.

If you have seen pictures of huge, wall mounted aquariums and lamented over the fact that you could never afford such beauty, than the Yasha Nano Reef Tank is perhaps just the right thing for you. It is, as its name suggests, a smaller, budget friendly version of its big reef aquarium brothers, and is one of the best and most popular models on the market. It can hold a few sea creatures and fish, but the main focus of a tank, with the size of 36 liters, are the actual live corals themselves. It is designed to best showcase these magnificent corals, without consuming too much space in your house, or in your office.

The Yasha Nano Reef Tank has a maximum capacity of 36 liters, it weighs 15 kg (empty) and it measures 40cm by 30cm by 30cm, so as you can see it really doesn’t take up a lot of space. It can be easily installed in your living room, even if you don’t have a great amount free space – simply put it on a small table, a counter or even in a corner. You could put it in your office to brighten it up with some colour, and it goes well with other room decorations and furniture. It fits both the modern and more traditional interior decorating styles. There are of course larger models if space isn’t an issue, but they do cost more.

In terms of equipment, the Yasha Nano Reef Tank has a rear filter compartment with two components. First there is the Turboflotor Blue 500 protein skimmer, a very important part of the aquarium – it removes decomposing organic compounds before turning into nitrogenous waste. The protein skimmers main task is basically keeping everything inside the aquarium alive and happy. The second component in the filter compartment is the NanoProp 5000 stream pump with an adjustable output ranging from 2000 to 5000 l/h. This reef tank is of a solid construction and compact size, and will remain in perfect working condition  for years, even decades if proper care is taken. It can, as it is often the case with beautiful reef aquariums, remain a treasured household item for the generations to come.

In order to better showcase the beauty of the live corals, the Yasha Nano Reef Tank includes three Aquasunspot LEDs, each giving 9 watts of light at a 14.000 Kelvin colour temperature. This keeps the water at an optimal temperature for the organisms living inside, but also helps illuminate the whole reef tank with intense light providing you with an astonishing display that everyone will admire. One must experience the sight of this aquarium sitting atop a table in a dark room to fully appreciate the breathtaking beauty of the intricate shapes and vivid colours of the corals and tropical fish. It is quite something to gaze at as ones mind drifts of, a sort of zen moment you can have a few times during the day as you relax, and put your worries on hold.

All in all, if you are looking for something that will liven up your room and bring some colour and style into your life, but you don’t have the space, time and money to invest in a large fish tank, then you should definitely start your home decorating journey by looking into the Yasha Nano Reef Tank 36L model. It is sturdy and compact, user friendly, aesthetically pleasing and it will only cost you $595, which is quite good as nano reef tank prices go.

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Fish Tanks: How Do I Choose the Right Size

If you have never owned a fish tank before you may think that a smaller tank will be easier to handle than a larger one. While this may seem like good logic, the opposite is actually true - larger fish tanks typically require less maintenance than smaller tanks. There are several reasons why this is true and it is wise to familiarize yourself with the benefits of large versus small tanks before you decide which tank size is right for you. If you know the advantages and disadvantages associated with different size fish tanks you will be better equipped to make an educated decision regarding your own tank.

Large VS Small Tanks

Though it may seem strange to think that larger tanks are easier to maintain than smaller tanks, it all has to do with the water volume in the tank. Small fish tanks like BiOrb Life 30L, Fluval Edge 23L or Fluval Edge 46L, contain less water than large tanks and small water volumes are more easily affected by outside influences. For example, if the aquarium heater in a five gallon tank were to give out it would not take long for the water in the aquarium to become cold. A larger tank, for example Red Sea MAX 250 Marine Aquarium or Juwel Vision 450 Aquarium, however, holds more water and, thus, would not cool quite so quickly. The water volume in a fish tank also plays a role in maintaining stable water chemistry. As your fish excrete waste and as uneaten fish food builds up on the bottom of your tank, harmful toxins like ammonia and nitrites are produced. While in small tanks the presence of these chemicals can quickly affect water quality, large tanks have a greater water volume to dilute these toxins. This is especially important for new aquarium hobbyists to realize – the greater water volume in larger tanks is more forgiving of the mistakes novice aquarists are likely to make than smaller tanks. 

Necessary Considerations 

Aside from the basic advantages and disadvantages associated with small versus large fish tanks, you also need to consider the space you have available in your home as well as the type of fish you plan on raising. Before you bring home a fish tank you need to know where you are going to put it. The ideal location for an aquarium is somewhere visible but not in the direct line of traffic. You should also be sure to keep your fish tank out of direct sunlight or you could experience problems with excessive algae growth. When deciding where to put your tank it is also wise to select an easily-accessible location, not an out-of-the-way nook where tank maintenance might be difficult. 

One of the most important factors in deciding what size fish tank you need is the type of fish you intend to keep. If you plan to keep small species like danios and guppies, a twenty- or thirty-gallon tank will provide plenty of space. Larger species like gouramis and cichlids, however, may require more space. Before you purchase a tank, research the various species of fish you intend to keep in order to determine their tank requirements. You need to not only consider the type of fish you plan to keep, but also the number of fish. When you are first starting out in the aquarium hobby it is wise to limit yourself to one inch of fish (taking into account the adult size of the fish) per gallon of tank capacity. Following this rule will help you to avoid overstocking your tank.

Other Things to Think About 

On the more practical side of things, cost may be a large factor in determining what size fish tank you get. The larger the tank, the greater the cost will be for not just the tank itself but also for the necessary equipment. If you are looking for a way to save money while also purchasing a decent-sized tank, look for aquarium kits that include the tank and all the basic necessities. These kits are affordably priced and may cost significantly less than purchasing the tank and all the start-up equipment separately. In addition to the amount of money you are willing to spend, you also need to think about how much time you have to devote to tank maintenance. The main tasks you will need to perform are weekly water tests and water changes. The amount of time needed for a water test remains the same for tanks of all sizes but the time it takes to perform a water change varies. Though it may take longer to replace 25% of the water in a 40-gallon tank than a 10-gallon tank, the decreased capacity for a 10-gallon tank to dilute toxins makes it necessary to perform water changes more frequently than in a 40-gallon tank. 

If you are able to devote an hour or two each week to tank maintenance tasks, there is only one good reason for you to select a small aquarium over a larger one. If you are a marine enthusiast, you may find it difficult to indulge your favorite past time, especially if you live far away from the beach or may simply be too busy to visit as often as you would like.

Why not consider bringing a small part of this ecosystem into your home? 

There might be a corner of the house crying out for something to fill it; and you may already have enough pictures, flowers as well as other common decorative additions. Consider a nano fish tank; it can just be the inclusion you need, as most will allow you to get creative and use similar theme colours that already exist within your home. Fish come in different shades, and provide a variety as far as matching goes.

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