Should you use a grounding probe in your aquarium?

We get asked that from time to time and our advice is that you should use both a GFCI and a grounding probe. 

With all the equipment we use in our aquariums there is always the possibility that some type of short or ground fault will occur. A "ground fault" is a conducting connection between any electric conductor and any conducting material that is grounded or that may become grounded. Electricity always wants to find a path to ground. In a ground fault, electricity has found a path to ground, but it is a path the electricity was never intended to be on, such as through a person's body.

How to maintain your UV Sterilizer

Keeping your UltraViolet Sterilizer in good working condition is a fairly simple matter. You should ensure that the bulb is replaced on a regular basis and also clean both the quartz sleeve (if possible) and the powerhead or water pump that you use to move water through the UV Sterilizer. If you over sized your UV Sterilizer, your bulb should be good for approximately 10 months under continual use. If you didn't oversize your Sterilizer and it is only rated for the volume of water that you have, you should consider changing it more often since the quality of the UV light being emitting declines during the lifetime of the bulb. In these circumstances some manufacturers recommend replacing the bulb every six months. The bulb will usually light well past these time frames but the quality of the UV being produced is of little use.

Why test for Ammonia?

As mentioned in our blog post on What is the Nitrogen Cycle? ammonia is a toxic waste that is excreted by fish or caused by decomposing plant matter and uneaten fish food.  At low levels, ammonia is stressful for most fish and other inhabitants -- at higher levels, it is deadly. Fortunately, naturally occurring bacteria are present in most established systems that converts this ammonia to nitrite and in turn, to the less toxic nitrate.

What is the Nitrogen Cycle?

The Nitrogen Cycle is a fairly basic concept that everyone who maintains an aquarium should understand. It is the biological process that converts toxic substances (ammonia) in our aquariums to something (nitrates) that is less harmful to the inhabitants. This process involves the establishment of beneficial bacterial which break down fish and other wastes into less harmful compounds.

Why should you use test kits?

Why should you test your aquarium water?  The answer is simple.  Being an aquarist means that fish, and perhaps invertebrates, are in your care.  They depend on you to feed them and otherwise provide them with the best possible environment to ensure they are both happy and healthy.

Aquarium Fish Foods

Choosing the right aquarium fish food is a key element in maintaining happy and healthy tropical fish. With the variety of aquarium fish foods available this is often a daunting and complicated task. Here are some factors to keep in mind when deciding on what types of tropical fish foods to purchase.

Ultraviolet Sterilizers

Ultraviolet [UV] Sterilizers are useful in helping to control bacteria, algae, and parasites in both aquariums and ponds. They use a special fluorescent lamp that emits light in the UV wavelength and as aquarium or pond water is pumped through the UV housing it is exposed to this UV light. The DNA of any free-floating micro-organisms (bacteria, algae, and parasites) that are passed by the UV light is altered by the light and they are no longer able to multiply.