back to index ofchapters1. What is an aquarium ?
Ans. An aquarium is a place where freshwater and salt-water animals andplants are kept, away from their natural habitat.
2. What are two things that animals produce that can affect water quality?
Ans. Animals produce solid wastes, excess food supports other microscopicorganisms that compete for oxygen, and that fish produce poisonous ammonia.
3. Why must town water be checked before using it in an aquarium?
Ans. Aquariums cannot be filled with water straight out of the tap. Checktown water before you fill your aquarium. It will contain chlorine and possibly,during winter, a long-term active chlorine compound called chloramine. Boththese compounds may be removed simply by letting the water stand in a containerfor 24 hours, or by bubbling air through it.
4. What happens to the dissolved oxygen as water is boiled?
Ans. Boiling the water will remove all gas, including oxygen, so if youget rid of the chlorine by boiling, bubble some air back through the waterbefore putting the water in your aquarium .
5. What does the term water conditioning refer to and for how many weeksshould water be conditioned?
Ans. The process where water is left in the dark for two weeks to allowanaerobic and aerobic bacteria to reach this equilibrium. At least two weeksis recommended to condition your water. The holding area should be dust-freeand clean (as shown in Figure 150.3) where you can provide oxygen from apump. While you are waiting for your water to condition, you may like tolearn how to set up a small freshwater aquarium..
6. What is an under-gravel filter and what should it contain?
Ans. An under-gravel filter is a tray of gravel or shell grit at thebottom of the aquarium linked to an uplift water system which sucks waterfrom the tray.
7. How does and air uplift tube work?
Ans. The air introduced into the uplift tube creates a vacuum which sucksaquarium water through the plates and along the channels (Figure 152.1).The under-gravel filter works on the principle of displacement by upliftingair as shown in the detail of Figure 152.2
8. What are some common micro-organisms found in the under-gravel filterof a marine aquarium?
Ans. Worms, bacteria and algae
9. What is a trickle filter and how is different from an under-gravelfilter?
Ans. An alternative to the under-gravel filter is the trickle filtera filter containing biological filtration organisms outside the aquarium.Water is pumped up into the filter above the tank and allowed to gravityfeed back into the aquarium (Figure 153.4). The box of the filter can containexpensive bioballs or inexpensive materials such as the plastic tops offdrink bottles.
10. What is biological filtration and how does it work to remove harmfulsubstances from your aquarium?
Ans. Biological filtration organisms are usually the algae, crustacea,worms and bacteria that grow in the under-gravel filter. As water passesover them, they take out the soluble animal wastes for food. The bacteria,algae and worms can be grown on plastic, gravel, glass beads anything thatwill not release into the water substances that will poison your animals.
11. Why is glass the most common material used to make aquariums?
Ans. Glass is most often used because it is cheap, easy to work withand lets lots of light into the water to increase photosynthesis (see Chapters8 , 9 and 17).
12. Why are metals avoided in aquarium construction?
Ans. To avoid corrosion.
13. Why are sea urchins a reliable indicator to the health of your aquarium?
Ans. Echinoderms, sea urchins and even brittle stars can be kept buttake care because they seem to die unpredictably and will readily foul atank after they die. Sea urchins are a reliable indicator of the healthof a marine aquarium. If they do poorly (drop spines) something is wrong,even when other organisms appear to be doing well.
14. What should you check daily in your aquarium?
Ans. You need to check the temperature daily with a thermometer and atthe same time make sure the air stones are working and the water is liftingwell out of the airlifts. This will ensure good water circulation and aeration.If algae grow on the glass, clean it off with a plastic washing up brush(which you do not use for anything else!).
15. How can chlorine be removed?
Ans. Leave the aquarium out in the Sun.
16. What type of glue is recommended to join glass sheets for aquariums?
Ans. Silicon
17. Why are the channels necessary under the gravel bed filter?
Ans. To allow the water a passage towards the air lift tube.
18. Why are nitrates important to plants?
Ans. They help them grow.
1. Use the library to research the aquatic or marine community foundin your area. Identify the producers and consumers and make a list of theorganisms from each community, you could use in an aquarium.
Suggestions.
See your Teacher Librarian or local aquarium shop.
2. Fish produce different wastes to birds and mammals.
Use the library to research the difference in nitrogen-containing wastesproduced by fish and how the wastes and the method the fish use to get ridof them differs from that of birds and mammals.
Suggestions.
See your Teacher Librarian or local aquarium shop.
3. Read some of the valuable books on looking after aquariums, fish careand fish diseases. Get them from the library, and from your State FisheriesDepartment.
Suggestions.
See your Teacher Librarian or State Fisheries Department.
1. aquarium
2. habitat
3. fresh water
4. uncomfortable
5. water quality
6. under-gravel filter
7. uplift water system
8. vacuum
9. plates
10. channels
11. displacement
12. trickle filter
13. aquarium
14. gravity
15. Shell grit
16. micro-organisms
17. buffer
18. tested
19. tagged
20. earthed