That Fish Blog That Fish Blog is the source for aquarium advice, information and interaction with the experts at That Fish Place

Over the last few years the aquarium hobby has seen a major shift in aquarium lighting, LED lighting is in, and traditional lighting is being replaced. This change has been most noticed in high output lighting sources, like Metal Halide and High Output Fluorescent lighting, where the cost of operation, frequent bulb replacement and high heat emission made consumers eager for an alternative.  As a result, the hobby has been flooded with high output, feature rich, LED lighting fixtures for marine aquariums mostly focusing on the demands of reef aquariums and corals. These fixtures are much more affordable than the first generation. 

Until recently, the freshwater side of the hobby has seen little attention from most lighting manufacturers, with what little was offered having few features and poor performance, but this is all starting to change. With advancements in LED technology and performance, some of the bigger aquarium lighting manufacturers are shifting their focus to LED over traditional lighting sources. Freshwater aquarium hobbyists are starting to see some cool new lights for their aquariums, with advanced features, high performance and affordability. Read More »

Backyard pond projects can be rewarding if you give plenty of consideration to design and equipment from the start. To build your dream pond or water feature, one of the biggest and most important investments will be the pump, which will bring your display to life. It is important to invest in the right pond pump for your pond or water feature to ensure that the flow rate is appropriate for your design. If you’re planning on including any type of vertical feature like a waterfall in your plan, be sure you are prepared to add a pump powerful enough to make strong flow for the best impact.

Types of Pumps

Submersible Pumps are designed to operate completely submerged in your pond, and need a constant flow of water while running to keep them from overheating. Many submersible pond pumps include integrated pre-filters or filtration systems, and possibly pond fountain systems.  Submersible pond pumps are very easy to install, however they must be retrieved from the pond to perform maintenance. These pumps are easily concealed on the bottom of the pond, and they won’t disrupt your outdoor activities with unwanted noise or look visually unappealing against your natural display.  Debris handling waterfall pumps are designed for large ponds and for supplying water to vertical features including streams and waterfalls. Unique designs allow these pumps pump at high flow rates and to allow small debris to pass through without damaging internal parts. Read More »

What fun is a pond with pea-green water or masses of stringy gunk growing from every submerged surface? You work so hard to keep your pond clean, clear and looking good, but even with the best efforts, algae can appear in a flash, a stringy, slimy eyesore, mucking up the view. Most algae outbreaks can be quelled by addressing water chemistry (nutrient) issues or finding a way to control the amount of light that penetrates the water’s surface. Getting to the proverbial root of the problem is the best solution, but there are also numerous algae control products on today’s market to help you rid your pond of that unsightly green invader, at least temporarily. While we generally recommend algaecides as a last resort, when you reach that point it’s important to use them correctly to ensure the safety of fish, plants and other inhabitants of your pond.

Getting to the Root of the Problem

Algae blooms are generally the result of either too much sun exposure or too many nutrients available in the water for the algae to feed on. If your pond is exposed to full sun for the majority of the day or when it is strongest, alga take advantage. You can provide shade using floating and marginal plants which provide cover for fish and other pond inhabitants, as well as aiding in nutrient control. Desirable flora like floating lettuce, hyacinth and duckweed will compete for dissolved nutrients and provide the shade you need while also serving as a food source and shelter for fry that may be produced by koi and goldfish. Read More »

How can something be so beautiful and yet so dangerous and destructive? Invasive lionfish are making headlines again, continuing their viral spread in the Atlantic and decimating native species as they explode in population. Lionfish are quickly becoming the poster species for the horrible things that can happen when a non-native species is introduced to a new region or habitat, left without predators to keep populations in check.

This isn’t a new story, just a continuing saga conveying the sad consequences of accidental or intentional introduction of non-native species. The story is believed to have begun sometime in the 80′s with lionfish being sighted between Florida and the Caribbean. Within 15-20 years the population exploded and at this point any hope of stopping the invasion has all but fizzled.  No one will ever know how they were introduced or where to place the blame. Some believe careless aquarists are at fault, releasing the fish into waterways if they became to large or otherwise unable to be kept. One popular theory is that the fish made their way into the Atlantic after a coastal hurricane destroyed a home or homes with aquariums that contained the Indo-Pacific natives, which miraculously found their way safely into east coast waters. Others believe it’s possible that juvenile or larval lions hitched a ride in ship ballast waters as other species have before, finding themselves in a new world when the waters were pumped out. Regardless, lions are here and here to stay, with only we humans as their predators. Read More »

The choices for lighting your aquarium have never been so vast. Whether you are setting up a new aquarium, replacing an old light fixture, or adding to your existing light, there are many decisions to be made.  New technology, and improvements on older lighting methods, provide today’s aquarium hobbyist with a dizzying array of lighting choices for any aquarium. So, how do you choose? What is the best light for your aquarium?

Here are a few questions to ask yourself, to help you with the decision:

Is the light that you are looking for only going to be used on your current aquarium habitat, or are you planning on a more advanced aquarium in the future that may require a higher output light source? You may want to consider a stronger light than you need for your current livestock, as basic lighting may limit what you can keep in the tank down the line.   Read More »