Fish Tank Supplies

Curing sick fish is a difficult subject because of the factors involved. There are many harmful elements in a fish tank as well as beneficial and if your cure also affects the beneficial elements you could easily do more harm than good. Sick fish are in a state that makes them far more susceptible to their environment and fish tank supplies that result in a sterile environment won’t help your fish. This results in the need for a product that will not attack the Biological filtration but still actively restore good health to your fish.

Melafix is a natural organic compound from plants, an almost antibacterial medication that wipes out mycobacterium and others. It also helps promote the healing of minor injuries for fish. Fish tank supplies like Melafix do not harm the beneficial bacteria in your fish tank because the only kill very specific types.

Melafix is the fish tank supplies “cure all” for minor problems with fish, all though it does fight off some bacterial infections its not a anti-bacteria. Meaning that because it does not kill all the bacteria in your fish tank the particular bacteria that is harming your fish might not always be eliminated. So you can’t believe that Melafix will save you from any and all fish disease but Melafix is an appropriate first measure to take if you fish has open wounds, mouth fungus, damaged fins, tail rot, or when introducing new fish.

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FILTER:Bigger is beter when it comes to filters. Your going to need a filter that can process the water in your tank every hour (gallons per hour rating). This is a list of the top 3 filters for your convience in order starting from apperent “best”. Refugium or wet/dry trickle filter. Canister (Fluval, Ehiem), Biowheel (Marineland) and (Aquaclear) standard hang-on-tank.

POWERHEAD: Circulate dissoved oxeygen though-out your tank. Providing more oxeygen in hard to get to places. Recommendation- Hagen Aquaclear.

HEATERS: I would recommend something that is completely submersible, and has a temperature that you can set. For a saltwater tank 30 gallons or larger, 2 heaters are recommended placing one on each end. This provides heating more evenenly, also your tank will have a back-up making it so the failure of 1 heater doesn’t have a impact on your fish. As a rule of thumb you want at least 5 watts per gallon and half that if using 2 heaters. When heating the water 10 degrees or more above the room temperature, double the watts per gallon. Recommendation- THEO UL Heater 300W.

LIGHTING: If you want corals of plants you want to upgrade your lamps to a 10,000K tube or a 50/50 actinic. Use a compact fluorescent or metal halide. These will provide more intense light for photosynthesis. Recommendation- Metal Halide and T5 Combination Light for Reef Tank

SUBSTRATE : Something made of aragonite will minimize the changes in pH and keep it from falling below 7.8. Most commenly used is crushed coral. Oolitic aragonite and aragonite sand is a very fine grained material. Prefrence depends on the size of the grain of the material.

SALT MIX: Synthetic sea salt is recommended for keeping only fish, Instant Ocean is available almost everywhere. Shrimp and yes snails, crabs, corals all require a higher quality mix.

HYDROMETER: This measures the salt that’s dissolved in water. There are two available hydrometers, one made of glass that floats on the surface more accurate and a plastic container that has a needle that rises and falls as the amount of salt changes. In a fish only fish tank 1.020 - 1.026 would be the ideal gravity reading. When inverts are concerned the reading would ideal at 1.024 - 1.026.

WATER TESTING KIT: minimum of pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate. The API saltwater master kit, which has all these tests.

CLEANING SUPPLIES: elbow length gloves, gravel vacuum, 5 gallon bucket, large plastic container and powerhead for mixing the salt (to be done well ahead of water changes), algae scraper, razor blades for coraline algae and diatoms that like to attach to the glass.

WATER CONDITIONER: for removing chlorine or chloramine from your tap water.

PROTEIN SKIMMER: This removes dissolved and small organic materials that would normally contribute to the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in your tank.

GLASS COVER: Reduces evaporation and closes in the top of your tank that protects your fish for a number of reasons.

LIVE ROCK: This not only makes for a more natural appearance, it also provides hiding places for you fish and increases the biological filtration. The chances are pretty good that the live rock will bring some company with it that will benefit your tank as well.

CHILLER: Your only really going to consider a chiller if the following is affecting your tank. Metal halide lighting is increasing the temperature of your tank, or the water temperature regularly gets above 85. The water temperature should run 76-80.