Eani Mini Aquariums for Kids

The age-old goldfish bowl is getting competition from tiny aquariums in a variety of interesting shapes and sizes. Even the smallest apartment or college dorm room can now be graced with live fish. But are they a healthy habitat for the fish? If properly set up and well cared for, yes they can be. If haphazardly put together and marginally cared for, the fish will be doomed to a very short and unpleasant life.

The Good Side
The good side of mini aquariums is that anyone can have one. The monetary investment is small, and the space requirements so minimal that virtually everyone can find a place for one. College students in dorms, nursing home patients, apartment dwellers, even the most crowded of school classrooms all have space for a mini aquarium. Often apartment building ‘no pet’ rules don’t apply to fish. Fish are very relaxing to watch, and can provide an opportunity for children to care for a pet in situations where larger pets are not allowed.

The Bad Side
Mini aquariums do require maintenance, and should not be purchased with the notion they can be ignored for long periods of time. However, the biggest down side of small aquariums is that problems can occur swiftly, and are often fatal before they can be rectified. This is due to the small volume of water in which the fish live. Changes in water chemistry and temperature can happen in a matter of a few hours – or even minutes. Therefore it is critical to monitor the water conditions closely, and perform water changes faithfully.

First time fish owners should be particularly careful during the initial break-in stage of the mini fish tank. Toxins in the water will rise sharply as the biological system is first being established. If water changes are not performed, the levels will become lethal very quickly. Testing is a must, so have water-testing kits on hand or make arrangements with a local pet shop to do the tests for you.

You’re an Addict when…

– Your daughter can identify more species of fish than most pet store employees.

– You buy a $200 water purification system for your fish tank while you’re still drinking out of the tap.

– The first thing that moves when you move are your tanks.

– You go into a pet store and the employees ask you what kind of plants or fish they have.

– Your idea of a vacation is going to look for cool new things for your aquarium at pet stores.

– Your idea of going to the lake means looking for new and interesting plants and fish for your tanks.

– You buy fish as an excuse to buy another tank.

– You use the excuse “Ahh come on honey the next tank will be yours I promise” to get another tank.

– You take better care of your tanks than you do your vehicle.

– The refrigerator is bare except for the frozen fish food.

– You make weekly trips to the lumber yard to make more tank stands.

– Your tanks get their own room.

– Touring houses for sale, you look at the garage and automatically start figuring out how many tanks will fit in there.

– Your spouse gives you the option of your tanks going into the garage or you going into the garage, and you decide to put your bed out there instead of your tanks.

See your score below:

0-5 points – You have a problem.

6-10 points – Need to check yourself

11-14 points – You’re officially addicted!

 

For more information about kids aquariums, log in to KidsAquariums.com

 

A Jawfish and Cat Tale

by: Bill Winterholer

One story I would like to share is that of my cat Oreo and his Yellow Headed Jawfish friend.

I have had several fish since I started my marine interest, Damsels, Seahorses, Shrimps, etc., but of all the fish I have had, and unfortunately have lost, the one that always sparks Oreo’s interest is the Yellow Headed Jawfish. Any other fish in the tank gains only a passing interest for Oreo, but put a jawfish in the tank and that darn cat suddenly is absorbed in it. He would hang off the hood of the tank peering for a glimpse of the creature. I finally ended up putting a chair in front of the tank just for him, and I am not joking when I say that he would sit there for hours watching this fish.

Sadly the first Jawfish we had jumped to his death from the tank one night and Oreo whined for days, as if grieving for the loss of his fish friend. We obtained a second jawfish months later and once again Oreo was mesmerized. Oreo was in joy to have the fish back, and again the chair was placed in front of the tank.

Unfortunately, this fish followed the same fate as the first, and again Oreo was at a loss. I haven’t bothered to buy another Jawfish until I can figure a way to prevent the fish from jumping out of the tank, but I can imagine Oreo will love it when we do.

Bill Winterholer
1998

 

If you like your kids to have a fish tank on their own, you can take a look at some designs that best suits them at KidsAquariums.com

Weird Cute Aquariums

Consider them weird but accept it, they’re cute!

Rocket Aquarium

 

A Blender Aquarium?

 

An old television aquarium

 

A truck aquarium

 

A coffee table aquarium

A distorted glass aquarium

Making fish feel at home aquarium

 

A round shaped wall aquarium

 

A bar desk aquarium

 

A fish tank with a bird cage inside

 

A bulb aquarium?

 

For real, toilet fish tanks!

 

Ceiling aquarium in a hotel room!

 

Grand aquarium in a hotel receiving area!

Infinity aquarium

An ipod fish tank!

A robot aquarium

A sink aquarium

A sofa aquarium

 

A telephone booth aquarium!

 

 

If you are interested in kids aquariums log in to this site: http://www.kidsaquariums.com

Cleaning an Aquarium: Making it a habit

Keeping your fish tank tidy is one of the most significant aspects of owning an aquarium. In the event that the water is grubby, not simply your fish tank look awful, but your fish are more likely to be unhealthy.

Every day Clean-up Habit

To keep you fish tank tidy, there can be a number of activities you need to do every day. To begin with, look into the temperature of your tank every single day. When you’re keeping tropical freshwater fish the temperature should be around 77 degrees. If the temperature is way too high, your aquarium will flourish plankton. You also have to examine the fish tank on a daily basis for unwell or dead fish. When they are not taken away from the tank they will affect the other mates. Lastly, make certain the tank’s air pump is functioning correctly.

Each week Clean-up Habit

Every week you have to get rid of waste from the top of gravel employing a siphon tube, which works just like a vacuum cleaner. Change the water that you just remove within this course of action. Make sure you condition the water to remove any chlorine. In addition, look into the ammonia and nitrate rates, as well as the pH to your tank’s water. If you’re nurturing live plants, tend to them each week. Slash them back if they’re becoming too large, and take away virtually any dead or ill leaves. Re-anchor new seedlings into your gravel. In addition, look at your tank for snails. You could get rid of snails by floating a chunk of lettuce leaf inside the tank. The snails will likely be attracted to the lettuce, and you can take them off with a net.

Every month Clean-up Habit

Lastly, there are certainly monthly things you can do to make sure you’ve got a clean aquarium. Each month carry out a partial water replacement. Take out about a quarter of your water by making use of your siphon hose. The following eliminates waste and water simultaneously. Make sure you condition the water before filling new water towards the aquarium, as chlorine and also other water chemical can kill your pet.

Every month it is advisable to clean your filter. In case your filter contains a filter cartridge, change this every month. You do not want to clean the filter too vigorously, since the filter collects helpful bacteria that help with biological filtration. You do not want to wash it so much and take away these bacteria. Lastly, each month you really need to clean the algae out of the top of the tank employing an especially made algae scraper. You may observe a serious accumulation of algae each month; consider purchasing algae eater, and look at your heater. If none of these options help, consider on always keeping the light off inside your tank till the situation solves. If proven not successful, replace your thermometer. Most likely the temperature is not appropriate.

Maintaining your tank clean on a daily, weekly, and monthly basis will ensure your fish to be contented and in good shape. You can guarantee that you develop an aquarium that you will be proud of showing and bragging it to your close friends and associates. Ignoring on clean out your tank will result on fish getting sick and die hopelessly.

If you are interested to get your child his own fish tank, aquariums for kids are out already in the market. See sample at KidsAquariums.com