Create a Bathtub Aquarium

There is nothing I like more than marine environments. I can spend all day just staring at a pond or stream, searching for movement of aquatic critters. I love walking along the shore, looking for insects falling in and falling prey to fish, or frogs swimming away from the bank in fright.

My love for the water probably began when I was 5 years old, when my dad taught me how to fish. He rigged up a hook, line, and sinker with a worm on a little Zebco reel, and my sister and I caught little sunfish of a dock. I was hooked instantly. Ever since that day, I can not pass by a stream or pond or lake without looking for swirls on the water, giving away the movements of fish beneath. I enjoy other water sports as well- canoeing, kayaking, swimming, sailing- but nothing captures my attention or imagination quite like fishing does.

This obsession with natural marine environments and the fish in them eventually extended beyond nature. I wanted to bring fish into my own home. I wanted to be able to check in when bored and watch fish lazily gliding through the water or darting after food. At the time, however, I was in college, and did not have the funds to buy a fishtank and the necessary accouterments. What I did have, though, was a bathtub. Neither I, nor the five friends I lived with had yet to set foot in the bathtub, so we decided it was a prime candidate for a fishtank. Holding about 50 gallons of water, the tub made for a very large fishtank. We would have spent close to $200 to get an equivalent size glass aquarium.

After the bathtub decision was made, everything else fell into place pretty easily. $10 bought an assortment of small fish at Walmart. We followed this with some basic aquarium gravel, one fake seaweed tree, fish food, and some weekend feeders to keep the fish alive when we were away on break.

We brought the goods home, filled the tub, the spread the gravel and set up the tree. The minnows were finally released to dart around and explore there new surroundings. We quickly released, however, that the tub environment was a bit bland. Our fish needed something more. Looking around, we quickly settled on the perfect structures to add to our new ecosystem- empty beer and wine bottles. These glass sculptures provided new territory for the fish to explore. They even managed to swim in and out of the small bottle openings. The aquarium was set.

To maintain the health of the fish and system, we took care to plan properly. A fish feeding calendar was posted next to the tub. Over-feeding is an easy way to kill your new pets, so all feedings were marked on the board. Suffocation from lack of oxygen is another easy way to mass-murder your ichthyoids. Therefore, once a week we also made sure to replace the fish tank water with new, oxygenated water.

With our care and love, the fish survived to the end of the semester, and when we graduated, a kind lady came to pick up the 9 minnows and give them a new home. Although highly unlikely, they may even still be living to this day.

Practical Fish Tanks

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Tips on How to Create Habitable Aquarium Life Environments

ByHugh Maurice

The aquarium life is faced with threats of adverse environmental effects, which are caused by natural and man-made effects. The aquarium can be affected by many factors such as soaring marine, reef and freshwater temperatures. They can also be affected by nitrogenous waste besides pathogens that may cause diseases. Various equipments and devices have been developed to help create ideal environments for the aquarium life. These are such as the UV Sterilizers and Aquarium Chillers. The aquarium biodiversity including fish, coral and other invertebrates need to have their environment tested to ensure that they are in the right chemistry. The water properties should be checked occasionally to ensure that there are no wide variations from the normal.

The Aquarium Test Kits are used in checking various properties and elements in the water. For instance, they are used in determining the level of concentration of elements such as phosphates, nitrates and pH. The parameters are used in testing the alkalinity and iodine concentration. The hydrometer is used to measure specific gravity of water. It's mainly used in measuring the salt concentration in water such as the brackish water. Other devices available are such as Aquarium Maintenance equipments. These include gravel cleaners, aquarium scrapers and cleaning pads. These are available at competitive prices.

The Protein Skimmers are very important in creating habitable environments for the aquarium life. These skimmers produce bubbles, which forms foam that absorbs and entraps protein and amino acids before they are broken down into nitrogenous substances, which may be toxic to the aquarium life. The skimmers, coupled with the UV Sterilizers, help in eradicating pathogens, mould and virus, which may be harmful to the aquarium life. The Protein Skimmers can use ozone instead of air to produce bubbles, which create the foam that entraps the protein materials.

The Aquarium Chillers are useful in regulating the temperatures of the reef, marine and freshwaters. This is because; the aquarium life is adversely affected by the fluctuations in temperatures. For instance, with extreme low temperatures, they may not breed as desired. Moreover, some of the aquarium life, such as the corals, are quite delicate and will be affected by extreme high temperatures causing death. Therefore, the Aquarium Chillers are used to cool the waters to remain on temperature ranges that support the life of the aquarium life.

There are also Aquarium Heaters which are useful in warming the waters. It should be noted that the tropical freshwater as well as the marine aquarium life will be supported by temperatures ranging from 22-30