Wall fish tanks impart a dramatic and beautiful look to any room. They can be mounted on a partition wall so they can be seen from each room. Even though wall aquariums can be pricier than regular fish tanks and take more expertise to mount you will be very pleased that you made the effort and investment when you see how good your aquarium looks and how much it is appreciated by your visitors. They can, however, be harder to look after than a stand alone aquarium as they are installed in a small area which makes it a bit harder to access the tank for cleaning, feeding and any other maintenance. Many wall fish tanks come with cabinets above or below the tank which should help make access easier.
Many of the newer wall aquariums can be bought as kits with all the accessories and hardware for mounting necessary, so that the pumps, filters etc. are concealed. These kits are simple to mount so you might not need a professional to mount the fish tank for you. On the other hand if you are unsure of your skills in do it yourself, it is probably better to pay a workman to do the mounting instead so that all you have to do is to fill the aquarium and add the fish.
An important thing you should do prior to hanging the tank is to see if there is any electrical wiring or pipes in the wall at the location you are going to place it. You also need to find a load bearing wall and find the wall studs. Aquariums are heavy when you have filled them with water so you need to be confident that the wall will take the weight.You also need to make a decision on whether you are going to hang the tank or build it into the wall.
The next task to do is to measure the area where you are going to place the fish tank and make sure you allow some room for other things such as pumps, filters and lights. You can place the pump some distance away from the tank, and water can flow through pipes to the tank. Admittedly this may be extra work on initially installing it does have the advantage that you will be able move larger amounts of water through the aquarium, which will let you accommodate more fish, and in addition locates the noise of the pump away from the room. One of the problems with wall tanks is that they tend to be narrow so that the surface area is smaller than other types aquariums. This can mean that if you don’t aerate the water very well you will not be able to keep many fish in the aquarium.
If you are going to use the services of a builder to mount your wall aquarium have a chat with him before you go out and buy your fish tank to make sure that he knows what you need to be done. Once your tank is mounted it will need to be set up exactly like any other tank by initially cycling the tank before you should add the fish. The best method is fishless cycling that is quite easy to do and doesn’t cause harm to any fish. When the tank is cycled you can start to buy the fish and plants if you will be using them.
An especially exotic effect can be achieved by making a reef fish tank with brightly coloured reef corals and fish, but this would be, perhaps a plan for an expert fish keeper. A wall fish tank, as previously stated, gives a dramatic center of attention to any room and is sure to be appreciated by all your visitors.
For more information and good deals on fish tank aquariums please visit us at Best Fish Tank Aquariums or Cheap Fish Tanks for Sale
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on Dec 16th, 2009. Comment.
Everyone has different reasons for building a new pond in their garden or patio. Some simply want a garden water feature with or without a fountain effect, others want to keep fish from simple goldfish to beautiful koi carp.
Pond pumps do what they say on the box. It pumps the pond water which circulates or turns it. The pump you choose will depend on the pond effects you want, the purpose of the pond and its size. A pond pump may not be necessary for example if you are creating a wildlife pond you can use specific plants to help keep the water clear. However a Koi pond requries that the water is turned every 1-2 hours and other ponds should be turned every 3-4 hours
One thing to consider when choosing a pond pump is that it must be capable of pumping the volume of water in the pond. Here is a rough guide:
Work out how many litres of water you have in your pond:Width (m) x Depth (m) x Length (m) = x Litres. E.g:
- 2m wide x 1m deep x 1m long = 2000 litres
- 3m wide x 1m deep x 2m long = 6000 litres
Now you have your pond volume you can work out the required pond pump output litres per hour) bearing in mind the purpose (fish/no fish) as mentioned earlier
- A 2000 litre pond requires a pump with at least 1000 LPH output to circulate the water every 2 hours
- A 6000 litre pond requires a pump with at least 3000 LPH output to circulate the water every 2 hours
Got it?
Pond pumps aren’t cheap and you don’t want to make a costly mistake as the bigger the pond the more expensive the pump will be! So you should ask at the pond pumps store for advice just to be on the safe side.
It is always better to get a larger pump than you need, this is simply because once you have reached the limit of a smaller pump it can’t be turned up, but larger pumps can be turned down. If you have a pond holding 2000 litres of water, opt for a pump that can operate at a higher output than 1000 LPH.
You might want a lovely fountain or waterfall effect or need a filter to keep the pond clear of blanket weed or small debris such as leaves. Both of these will require a bigger pump because you are asking them to work harder. However there are many fountain and filter pump combination pumps on the market today.
Finally, Most pumps have the actual output in the name such as the Hozelock Titan Filter Pond Pumps or Bermuda Atom Fountain Pond Pumps. You don’t require two sets of calculations for combination pumps such as these. If you bought them separately you would first need to calculate the output required based on the volume PLUS the output required to also power the fountain, waterfall or filter.
Filed under Fish and Aquarium Care by on Jun 23rd, 2009. Comment.
A unique blend of all-natural Zeolite and Arcillite. Does not contain peat moss or compost. Securely anchors plants into the pot. Will not float or cloud the pond water when plants are moved, fertilized, or disturbed by fish. Will not clog filters and pumps, change pH or discolor the pond water.
Filed under Pond Supplies by on May 13th, 2009. Comment.
Little Giant P-AAA-WG, 1/160 HP, 120 GPH – Submersible Pond Pump, 15′ Power Cord (523375) These pumps utilize plastic or aluminum housings and contain non-toxic dielectric oil, which provides continous lubrication for maximum motor life. Little Giant P-AAA-WG, 1/160 HP, 120 GPH – Submersible Pond Pump, 15′ Power Cord (523375) Features: • 120 GPH @ 1ft. • Operates submersed • 15′ cord • Corrosion-resistant housing • Impedance protected. • Screened inlet • 1/4″ MNPT outlet, with 90? elbow accessory, accepts 1/2″ I.D. tubing. Little Giant P-AAA-WG, 1/160 HP, 120 GPH – Submersible Pond Pump, 15′ Power Cord (523375) Specifications: • Horsepower 1/160 • Flow 120 GPH @ 1′ of Head • Cord Length 15′ • Shut Off 4.6 • Voltage 115 • Hertz 60 • Amps 0.5 • Watts 30 • Weight 3.5 • Height 3.88 • Width 3 • Length 3.88
Filed under Pumps by on Mar 5th, 2009. Comment.