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March 19, 2013 in DIY Tips

Clean, Don’t Scratch Your Aquarium Walls

by Aletha Lang

One surefire way to scratch your saltwater or freshwater aquarium’s glass or acrylic panels is to leave your magnetic cleaner in the tank.

Sure, the various models on the market can be effective at removing unwanted algae from the interior surfaces of your aquarium, (and they can even be fun to swish back and forth as the dry side on the outside moves the wet side almost like magic through the tank walls!) but it is very important to remove them from the aquarium after each use.

This little step will prevent tiny critters such as barnacles (shown in the photo above), limpets, calcareous tube worms and other naturally-occurring saltwater reef aquarium organisms from taking up residence among the soft bristles of the wet side of the cleaner. Even in freshwater, tiny snails may do the same. If the cleaner is left in the water, these animals will surely move in as if you rolled out a red carpet and posted a “Free Rent” sign. When they do, they will attach to the cleaner with the strength of super glue and every time you move it (and them!) across your glass or acrylic, their hard shells will gouge into your aquarium walls.

Taking an extra 15 seconds after using your magnetic cleaner to remove both wet and dry sides from the tank and placing them separately in a dry spot until they are needed again will prolong the beauty of your aquarium and greatly minimize the scratching that inevitably occurs when cleaning algae. But be careful, some magnets are so powerful they can pinch your fingers and are even more prone to do so outside of water.

Keeping your aquarium walls clean is one of the many services we offer at Aquarius Aquarium, Inc. – be sure to contact us and we’ll be there to help!

 

February 21, 2013 in Blog, DIY Tips

Summer to Winter in Fresno

by Aletha Lang

An aquarium heater should be considered a critical piece of equipment for your aquarium, just like a filter that is essential to the lives of your tank inhabitants.

As we who live in Fresno and in the San Joaquin Valley well know, our seasonal temperatures vary from summers at 105 degrees Fahrenheit or more to winter temperatures as low as 32 degrees. So winter is a great time to check your heater to be sure it is operating as you expect it to. Heaters do go bad and rather than assuming yours is working because the light’s on or because its dial is set at the right temperature, be sure to verify that it’s working properly by checking the actual temperature of your aquarium water with a trusted thermometer. Tropical fish (both freshwater and saltwater) require water temperatures to remain very stable in order to survive. A narrow range from 77 to 82 degrees is ideal for most.

Perhaps you’re already aware of the stresses extreme temperature swings can cause your fish: parasitic outbreaks, lethargy, uneaten fish food sitting on the bottom of the tank. The latter is not a direct, but rather an indirect result of the fish not feeding normally in cold water, and we all know that rotting food leads to degrading water quality.

So before you lose any fish, check your heater today. And please contact us if you need a replacement!

November 28, 2012 in Our Installations

Valley Children’s Hospital

by Tom Lang

This beautiful 240 gallon cylindrical aquarium Aquarius Aquarium, Inc. helped design and install in the Childlife playroom at Valley Children’s Hospital back in 1998 still brings joy to many young patients and their families today.

It is our hope that the aquarium, waterplay streambed (with dinosaurs!) and terrarium we maintain at the hospital relieve some of the stress children endure on their road to recovery and support the wonderful healing work of the people that are the heart of this important Valley organization.

June 5, 2012 in Our Installations

Freshwater Asian Planted Tank

The beauty of a freshwater aquarium with living aquatic plants can be stunning. This 54 gallon glass corner bowfront tank is stocked with many different varieties of plants primarily native to Asia such as Cryptocorne and Rotala species. The special flourite substrate is rich in iron, thus eliminating the need for mineral supplementation.

The fish population was carefully chosen to protect the plants from being eaten and features a large school of 36 harlequin rasboras and 12 dwarf gouramis. There are also 12 Otocinclus affinis (small suckermouthed catfish from South America) and 12 Caridina multidentata shrimp for algae control and 3 clown loaches for snail control.

Of course, such an aquarium cannot be maintained without the proper equipment. This one includes a 150 watt metal halide pendant light, an automatic CO2 dosing system, a U.V. sterilizer and a canister filter which are maintained by Aquarius Aquarium, Inc. staff on a every-other-week basis.

If you are interested in having a planted aquarium like this in your home or office, Aquarius Aquarium, Inc. can either put it all together for you or give you all the specific information and equipment recommendations to do-it-yourself. Contact us today for all the details!

June 3, 2012 in Our Installations

Fast Food Cylindrical Aquariums

Often, our clients ask us to create aquatic environments that are out-of-the-ordinary. Of course, we install and maintain aquariums of all shapes and sizes, but sometimes people just want tanks that really make a statement.

We designed these twin freshwater seamless cylindrical tanks so they could be viewed from all sides without any visible equipment such as heaters, plumbing or life-support systems. All of those components are neatly hidden in the cabinets under the tanks, which give the appearance of a slice of nature in the middle of this busy food court.

When such extra thought is put into an aquarium installation, we think the results are so much more attractive for the viewer. We are always very pleased when a client agrees!

December 11, 2011 in Our Installations

Terry’s House

We were so pleased that Terry’s House accepted our donation of an acrylic freshwater hexagon aquarium to bring a little slice of nature into their family reading room (see before and after photos above). The tank is stocked with peaceful community fish, which is appropriate since Terry’s House is part of Community Hospital in downtown Fresno.

Terry’s House is a home-away-from-home for families of critically ill patients. Built in 2011 and funded solely on donations, Terry’s House is a place where families can eat, sleep and recharge while waiting to bring their loved one home.

Please join us in supporting Terry’s House today!

November 15, 2010 in Our Installations

Large Beautiful Aquarium

Aquarius Aquarium, Inc. created this 300 gallon saltwater aquarium for our client, Jim, who had a very specific request: “Help me impress my friends with a large tank that also looks like it belongs in my new living room.”

The black lacquer cabinetry was the perfect complement to his many high-tech home decor elements and we knew he would be pleased with the minimal (once-monthly) maintenance required by our utilization of premium Fiji live rock topped with colorful artificial coral replicas requiring much lower lighting levels than living coral. Jim’s aquarium reminds him of his many trips to the Hawaiian Islands and he really enjoys the freedom that our vacation feeding service provides when he is actually vacationing in our 50th state!

July 26, 2010 in Our Installations

Aquarium in Brick

Here is one of our Fresno custom residential installations where we were called upon to built a 100 gallon saltwater aquarium into an unused indoor barbecue!

This job posed some challenges as we were restricted by the small space under the tank, but we were able to design a custom filtration system that squeezed perfectly into the space available. The resulting life support system is more than adequate to handle the bio-load of about a dozen spectacularly-colored coral reef fishes who now call the former barbecue home!

Existing uneven brick construction and ventilation issues were all managed to a beautiful end in a coordinated effort with the client’s contractor and custom cabinetmaker.

We had a lot of fun with this one and enjoy caring for it every month! Contact us today with your aquarium challenge.

July 17, 2010 in Our Installations

Ray Appleton’s Aquarium Feeding Video

KMJ radio talk show host, Ray Appleton, had Aquarius Aquarium, Inc. install a beautiful 100 gallon saltwater aquarium in his Shaver Lake mountain home. We moved two tomato clownfish from a former smaller aquarium we had been maintaining for him in Fresno and added a baby blue spot tang and a pufferfish.

Here is a video of Ray’s new fish eating ravenously just after we acclimated them to aquarium life over the course of three weeks in our Fresno quarantine system. This service is available to clients located in our service area. Contact us today for more information!

July 15, 2010 in Our Installations

Elegant Built-in Aquarium

This breathtaking 300 gallon saltwater aquarium was built into an existing wall in this beautiful Fresno residence. Aquarius Aquarium, Inc. worked with the homeowner’s remodeling contractor and interior design team throughout the project – even making sure the aquarium lights didn’t distract from the nearby plasma television at night. When the room lights are dimmed for movie viewing, the aquarium lights automatically dim as well! All filtration and other equipment are completely hidden from view in a dedicated filter room directly behind the aquarium and accessible through a door from the outside of the house.