Some people who live by themselves are quite content, but others are lonesome. If you are one of the lonesome people and you are allergic to the usual house pets, they are not good choices for you. Some people keep birds, but there is another alternative. If you live in a small apartment, you can set up a nano aquarium. You will not have to worry about a cat clawing your furniture or walking a dog when it’s cold and wet. You can avoid these problems by setting up a nano tank. Nano aquariums are small versions of regular-sized aquariums. They are usually saltwater tanks with a capacity of one to 10 gallons depending on the size of the tank. The water quality in a nano aquarium must be kept in balance in order to maintain good bacteria to aid the tank’s filtration system. Too many fish can upset the balance of the tank’s environment. Allow the tank cycle to build a natural filter and become active before introducing other fish or invertebrates.

Learn all you can about nano aquariums by thoroughly researching the subject. You need to know all about nano aquariums: how to set them up, what species of fish are suitable inhabitants, where to place a tank in your home and learn how to maintain to tank after setting up and populating your tank. Now wouldn’t a couple of fish be a little company?

Your Nano Tank Shopping List Should Include:

• Tank, size of your choice
• Cover for the tank with an attached light
• Appropriate capacity filter and pump
• Sea salt
• Standard aquarium heater
• Appropriate gravel and sand
• Food for your fish
• Nitrates and nitrites
• Ammonia test kit

1. Look around the room where you plan to locate your aquarium. Determine exactly where to place the tank and stand and decide on an appropriate sized tank for your room. You will probably want to locate the tank away from direct sunlight. The sun may heat the water to the detriment of your fish.

2. Measure the dimensions of the spot where you have decided to place the tank. Write down those measurements and take them with you when you shop for your tank. Living in an apartment, you probably have space for only a small tank. Look at the floor model display of aquariums to get an idea of how one will fit in your space. Measure the tanks to determine which one will be an appropriate fit.

3. Select your tank and appropriate filter and pump. Nano aquariums require pumps with a higher flow rate than larger aquariums. You need a pump capable of turning over the water in the tank seven to 10 times per hour. That means the pump of a 1 gallon tank should have a flow rate of seven to 10 gallons every hour.

4. Dissolve the salt in the water, and then pour saltwater into your tank. Read the instructions that came with the salt and the tank. Bring water to the recommended salinity level, for the creatures you plan to introduce to your aquarium. If you are using chlorinated water, you will need a de-chlorinator to remove the chlorine from the water.

5. Place the submersible heater on the side or bottom of the tank. Set the temperature to the recommended level for the creatures you plan to add to the tank. Carefully place the cover on the tank and give the heater a few hours to warm the water. Regulate the heater to attain the needed temperature and recheck again the following day. Now you are well on your way to setting up your nano tank.

6. Patience, patience, patience. Take your time and don’t rush to finish your project. It takes patience to get the temperature set at the correct level and to get all the equipment adjusted right.

7. Following your instructions, set up and attach the pump and filter. Hook up the hoses necessary to operate the pump and filter and turn them on. Verify the water temperature. Frequently pumps and other equipment can raise the temperature in the tank. It may be necessary to alter the temperature setting of the heater to counteract the increased heat.

8. Add gravel and living sand, which has organisms to aid in filtering, to the aquarium water. At this point, you have probably purchased live sand; if not, you can get a little bit live sand from an operating aquarium to add to your own tank. Add from about half inch to several inches of sand to your tank. If you decide to use several inches of sand, be sure to obtain a few of the small, varied species of worms that act as detritivores to aid in the natural filtering capacity of the live sand.

9. Let the tank run to cycle the water. For about two weeks, put just a few fish food in the tank every day. The live sand or the aquarium filter will break down the food as microorganisms in the tank flourish and multiply. Cut down on the quantity of food going into the tank if the water becomes cloudy. The cycling sequence encourages the biological filtration to sustain healthy environment for fish and invertebrates.

10. Periodically check the nitrogen cycle by using a commercially available test kit. Monitoring levels of ammonia and nitrogen is a must for a healthy balance for fish. Follow your instructions to verify that the tank’s natural filtration is correct, only then should you start adding fish and invertebrates. Inevitably some of the water in the tank will evaporate, and you will need to add de-chlorinated freshwater to top off the tank. Again, de-chlorinate your water if necessary. Keep check on the salinity of the water; you will occasionally need to add a little saltwater to maintain the nitrogen balance.

You can enjoy watching your favorite fish swim around in their new aquarium. You have diligently completed the task of setting up a nano tank. All is peaceful and quiet, and the only sound to bother you is the sound of Charlie the Tuna bumping the side of the aquarium with his nose.

For more information about setting up your nano tank contact us here We are always happy to help: )

Perry's Aquatic Centre - 6 Market Rasen Road, Dunholme, Lincoln LN2 3QR

Call us on: +44(0)16738 60727
Nano Tank

A healthy fish needs a good aquatic set up and this includes aquarium lights. However, what kind of lighting should you use? You see, the purpose of lighting is to simulate the lighting conditions in the ocean. Just like humans and other animals, fish cannot live 24 hours a day under bright lights, if this need is not met, your fish is likely to be unhealthy. Good lighting conditions will increase reproduction and will help make your fish less stressed.

First, determine the set-up of your aquarium. If your aquarium has shaded regions, then you need to factor in this thing when lighting is in discussion. In some aquariums, 12 hours of daylight is not needed. Keep in mind that at night, aquariums should have a minimal amount of light to simulate the light in the ocean during full moon. There is no total darkness at sea so you should also not shut down the light in your aquarium. What you need to do is to use LED lights because these are the best kinds of nocturnal lights.

For reef aquariums, you may use acitinic lights. These are kinds of lights that have UV wavelengths. These UV lights penetrate the water and this makes it easy for corals and other invertebrates to absorb light.

Lastly, you need to study something about light temperature. This is measured in Kelvin and ideally, you should choose between 5500K-2000K. The Letter K is the unit measurement of Kelvin. It is strongly recommended that you consult experts before buying lights because you might be putting wrong ones that can result to algae growth, which is just as harmful to your aquarium.

for more advice about aquarium lighting, contact us here.

PERRY’S AQUATIC CENTRE

THE BUNGALOW 6 MARKET RASEN ROAD DUNHOLME LINCOLN LN2 3QR

TEL No. +44(0)1673 860727

How to Choose Aquarium Lights

We’ll be open for business at the following times over the Easter Holidays:

Good Friday 10am to 6pm
Saturday 10am to 6pm
Sunday 10am to 4pm
Easter Monday 10 to 4pm

Tuesday – usual hours apply.

We look forward to seeing you this weekend but if you don’t get chance to pop in, don’t eat to many Easter eggs and have a wonderful weekend!

It’s that time of year again,

Yes it’s Christmas. Time to ring in the changes, eat lots of turkey and then relax in front of your aquarium!

We have had another great year at Perry’s Aquatic Centre largely due to your continued support and loyalty. We really appreciate it!: )

We will continue to strive to provide an even better service to you in the New Year. You comments and feedback are most welcome.

If you are looking for some great last minute (fish net) stocking fillers visit our online superstore for aquarium books and accessories. Click here now!

We would like to take this opportunity to wish all our friends, customers and suppliers a Happy Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

See you all again soon in 2012,

Wayne ‘Humbug‘ Perry

Here are our opening times during the festive season through to the New Year.

Christmas Eve – Open from 10am – 4pm
Christmas Day – Closed
Boxing Day – Closed
Tuesday 27 December – Closed as usual
Wednesday 28 December- Open as usual until NYE
New Years Eve – Open 10am – 4pm
New Years Day – Closed
Monday 2 January – Closed as usual
Tuesday 3 January -Closed as usual

Wednesday 3 January – Open for Business as usual 2012

Lets be social – Follow us on Twitter and Like us on Facebook

Perry's Aquatic Centre - 6 Market Rasen Road, Dunholme Lincoln LN2 3QR Contact us here.

The Berlin Method of marine filtration was developed in the 1970’s by the Berlin Aquarium Club. The Berlin method of marine filtration is based on the natural system aquarium which was developed by Lee Chin Eng in 1961.

The Berlin method of marine filtration is the method used for keeping your saltwater aquarium clean and maintaining a stable environment. This usually applies to a coral reef set up, but not always it is just the most common.

The Berlin method of marine filtration relies heavily on using a lot of live rock in your aquarium.

The theory behind the Berlin method of filtration is that the aerobic bacterium which covers the exterior of the porous live rock and the deep sand bed will convert the very toxic ammonia into nitrites. Although nitrites are less harmful to your aquarium then ammonia is they are still toxins. The next step in the Berlin method of marine filtration is the nitrates will travel deep into the live rock in your aquarium. Here the nitrites are changed by the anaerobic bacteria into nitrogen gas.

The Berlin method of marine filtration still requires you to do weekly water changes as this will get rid of the rest of the toxins that get left over as the Berlin Method of filtration cannot possibly get rid of all toxins.

A protein skimmer is also still a good idea even when the Berlin Method of marine filtration is in place. This will help to remove some of the left over organic compounds that have dissolved. This then does not give them the chance to breakdown and turn into ammonia.

For the Berlin method of marine filtration to work your tank needs to adhere to certain rules. You could try your own way but why gamble ? A tried and tested method will give you the best results. You should typically use 1 to 2 pounds of live rock to every 4 litres of water in your aquarium. This does depend slightly on the density of the live rock which you are using. If you can’t use so much live rock then you could consider just filling your tank two thirds of the way. This will help the Berlin method of marine filtration to work.

There are four benefits of using live rock alongside the Berlin method of filtration. These are:

1.     The live rock will act as a biological filter inside your aquarium, thus adding beneficial bacteria.

2.     It will introduce a large quantity of marine life into your aquarium. This marine life will be used for food by many fish, corals and invertebrates.

3.     It gives your tank a natural reef look and has lots of places where you can put your corals.

4.     Live rock will naturally help to balance the PH in your aquarium making the PH a lot more stable.

The Berlin method of marine filtration requires very strong lighting. So make sure you research this when purchasing a light, as a weak light will make sure that the Berlin method of filtration will fail in your aquarium.

Calcium supplements are need with the Berlin method of marine filtration. This is done through the use of kalkwasser (limewater). The added bonus of using kalkwasser is that it will lower the amount of phosphates in your aquarium water as well. You must take care when using kalkwasser as it has a very high PH of 12. When using it in the Berlin method of marine filtration you should put it into your tank using a drip at night. This will avoid the PH of your aquarium rising suddenly. It is important not to mix too much at once.

Other calcium supplements can be used in the Berlin method of marine filtration, for example, the two parts balanced solutions.

The Berlin method of filtration also requires trace element supplements, specifically strontium and iodide. Some people also choose to supplement magnesium but this is not a necessity.

Good water movement is also critical in the Berlin method of marine filtration. The life that is kept in salt water aquariums come from the sea. So they are used to very powerful currents, which we are unable to replicate exactly. However we can get close and should try to get it as close as possible for the survival of our aquariums. In the Berlin method of marine filtration the most important reason for good water movement is to move the nitrogenous waste so that the nitrifying and de-nitrifying bacteria can get to it.

Using the Berlin method of marine filtration within an aquarium is fairly easy to set up and to maintain. Especially when using good quality live rock. Your aquarium could be set up within a day. Once you have set up your tank however patience is required, so your tank can take shape and the cycles in your tank can start to take place.

When using the Berlin method of marine filtration you should have your live rock in a loose arrangement so that it allows for good water flow. This helps to prevent wastes settling on your deep sand bed.

Mechanical filtration is considered a major don’t with the Berlin method of marine filtration. It will take out food from your aquarium and is not as effective as a skimmer is.

You need to make sure you still do water changes. These can be done either weekly or monthly. If you do them weekly you should do around 10 percent at a time. If you choose to do them monthly you should do around a 25 percent change. This will keep you water condition like it should be. If when you test your water you notice the toxin levels are more than they should be you should increase the water changes. You will need to do them every 3 to 4 days and around 20 percent each time until the water has returned to normal.

If you would like your water testing for free please visit Perry’s Aquatic Centre. We offer this service along with our professional knowledge. We are ready to give advice and answer any questions you might have.

Perry's Aquatic Centre 6 Market Rasen Road, Dunholme, Lincoln LN2 3QR Tel: 016738 60727