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Fish Tank Thermometers | Aquarium Digital Thermometer

So exactly what are fish tank thermometers and what do they do? In simple terms they are designed to track the temperature of the water in your fish tank. With complex versions you can even be alerted (other than visually) should the temp go above or below your set parameters. Some if have a really big aquarium have multiple say digital aquarium thermometer so different areas in the fish tank can measured at one time. It is of course super important to be able to see the temperatures clearly if there are no other methods of alerts.

So next - why do you need one? Fish are sensitive to temperature and v different types of fish do best at different temperatures. With fish tank thermometers you can measure and record those temperatures then based on those recordings adjust the temperature back to the required range. Note some of the tap range heaters also come with thermometers. So for lots of reasons is is imperative to have the best aquarium thermometer you can afford that is appropriate to the fish tanks. Without one you will not be able to accurately know what is happening in the water you fish is in.

So a) you need to find what is the water temperature you fish is living in, ensure that the aquarium heater you have installed is working properly, make sure you know that you setup is or is not appropriate - you might for example need a more powerful or even second heater.

In general terms there are three common types of fish tank thermometers. Firstly there are digital aquarium thermometers Simply there is a digital thermometer attached to a probe which is in the water. There is naturally a readout in either centigrade or Fahrenheit dependent on the country you are in. There are some that come with alarms should the temperate get out of the range you have set it up to monitor it for. There are those that are plugged into a mains socket and other using a battery. Should you be looking for something of high quality like a General Tools AQ150 In and Out Aquarium Thermometer which is popular and well reviewed.

A floating or standing aquarium standing thermometer is submerged so make sure the face is big enough to read. Some have a safe and danger color area so you CAN see that easily. One thing to consider is what these thermometers are made out of - to be specific glass. relatively easily broken glass. If you can try to get made out of stainless steel or plastic. There are several types including those that float free, those that are help onto the side of the tank with a suction cup or those that are secured by magnets. These come at a great price but are without the features of say a digital one.

And finally there are stick on aquarium thermometers. The name is a give away - as you stick them to the outside of the tank and the measure the waters temperature thru the tanks glass. That of course means it is not directly measuring the aquariums water temperature the reading is not as exact as say the digital ones. Just imagine the effect on the temperature if is in say the direct sun.

Aquarium Water Test Kit

Having healthy fish requires an aquarium water test kit - or kits as there are lots of different types of them. In the average aquarium there are lots of different elements that need to be tested for - for example nitrates, ammonia, pH levels and lots more. Too much of specific elements can be deadly to your fish, too little can result in sick or even dead fish.

The water that is used for fish tanks is almost always from the tap - think about all the additives minerals etc that comes with that. So the test kits allow you to make educated approximations of what needs to be added or removed from the water. There are eleven main test kits (and occasionally kits that have all of them look at Tetra EasyStrips 6-in-1 Aquarium Test Strips which are popular and well reviewed).

These kits are pH Test Kit, Nitrate Test Kit, Nitrite Test Kit, Magnesium Test Kit, Iodine Test Kit, Copper Test Kit, Chlorine Test Kit, Chloramine Test Kit, Calcium Test Kit, Ammonia Test Kit and Alkalinity Test Kits.

Some basic information information on each or these are a) pH Test Kit which allows you to test for alkalinity levels. Different types of fish need different levels. b) Nitrite Test Kit means you can keep the deadly levels of nitrites away. If those levels are too high (created by bacteria) you will need to remove appropriate levels of water and top up until you get the correct levels. Nitrate Test Kit relates one again to nitrite levels as the nitrates convert into nitrites. Once again can only fix with swapping water.

A Magnesium Test Kit allows you to keep the correct level of magnesium in the tank. It is a salt that must be kept in the correct range for your type of fish. If you have a saltwater aquarium you need an Iodine Test Kit. Organisms in the aquarium need iodine as food but as always too much or little is a danger.

A copper test kit is to make sure you do not have any in the aquarium as it is deadly. The most common way an aquarium gets copper is if your tap water runs thru copper piping. Chlorine is very common in tap water so you need to test the levels with a Chlorine Test Kit. What you need to do is to remove the chlorine before it gets to your fish - deadly otherwise.

There are combined test kits like the Chloramine Test Kit which allows you to test for chlorine and ammonia at one go. Too high levels are dangerous to your fish. If you have say chorals growing in your tank to need some calcium hence the need for a Calcium Test Kit so you can have the correct levels and be a guide for when you add on a regular basic.

Fish have what I will politely call droppings which results in higher levels of ammonia hence the need for a Ammonia Test Kit. Too hig a level is one of the really big reasons for fish dying in aquariums. Alkalinity Test Kit relate too pH shift levels - this requires a steady level of between seven dkH and to twelve dkH.

As always research is needed as to what aquarium water test kit you need for your aquarium and fish type.

Fish Tank Hydrometer

Should you have an marine aquarium (sometimes called a salt water aquarium) it is almost certain you will need a fish tank hydrometer. A little background first so what is a salt water fish tank? Well basically it is an aquarium that you can keep marine plants and animals (such as fish). As we are talking about the fish side here, naturally they species you see here in this type of aquarium originally came from the sea. Now what is the big difference between marine aquarium and freshwater aquarium (bar the fish species) - salt.

Now this is where an aquarium hydrometer comes into play. It is an instrument that an aquarium owner uses to measure salinity (salt levels). The salt levels in the tank must be kept withing certain levels otherwise it will effect the health of the fish. Now the hydrometer is also sometimes used by freshwater fish keepers who sometimes use salt for medication on fish and also sometimes for stress reduction and therefore need to make sure the salt levels do not get too high or low.

It should be mentioned that keeping a marine aquarium is harder that a freshwater one as the fish etc that live there tend to be more intricate and difficult to keep up. It certainly needs a bit more knowledge to keep in good health. having said that you will fish that fish and other life in a salt water aquarium tends to be more beautiful full or color and generally fascinating than the fresh water type.

You can have live coral, fish of course, jellyfish, crustaceans anemones and more inside the aquarium. The reef fish have stunning colors and when you have a variety of the them the colors are wow. For an idea of the sort of fish you can have, look at damsel fish, clown fish and trigger fish - they are popular.

Now to keep all there inhabitants healthy you need to keep the salt level correct and steady. Using a hydrometer or a salinity refractometer
which is very similar comes into play. As a natural process water evaporates away leaving a higher percentage of salt in the tank. So using a hydrometer or a refractometer allows you to adjust the water level if needed based on the results.

Should you be setting up your tank from scratch a good initial move is to test for leaks. Then you need to cleanse the tank - we tend to go with for every 5 gallons of water add 1 teaspoon of bleach. The scour the fake plants, the tank itself, decorations and rocks. Most importantly you now rice everything in water that is clean.

After reading the instruction put in the system of aquarium filtration you have picked. Add washed substrate with the plants. Now the bit where the hydrometer comes into play - start to add sale and measure its levels. Keep going until you hit the level you want and leave about an inch of space at the top of the aquarium. At this stage add heater and thermometer aiming at 70 to 80 degrees.

as a rule of thumb it will probably take about seventy two hours before the temperature and salt levels settle down. For marine fish a power head it highly recommended. Also recommended is a protein skimmer.

Anyway those are the basics - naturally lots of research is the key.

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Fish Tank Hoods

So what are fish tank hoods and what are they used for? What will adding an aquarium canopy to your tank do for you and your fish? Well they actually do a lot. Firstly they include making sure that your pet fish do not leap out of the aquarium.Also they stop things accidentally falling into the tank that could harm the fish. After that (and this is not is order of importance) a hood reduces evaporation and helps keep the tanks heat level to stay constant. Providing the base for attaching lights is also important.

Many believe that having a canopy is an essential part of the aquarium setup and makes running the aquarium easier and giving your fish a healthier and generally better environment. Also your tank will look better - showing your fish and the other contents of the tanks to better advantage. Note that one of the most popular and best reviewed hood is the Perfecto Manufacturing Recessed Full Fluorescent Light Hood, well worth checking out.

There are animals about the place that like to eat fish (such as cats) that aquarium canopies can be used to stop. A giant cat looking down at them is not likely to reduce the stress level of your fish. Think about small children wanting to feed the fish (anything!) or grabbing one out for a closer look - not ideal.

There are quite a few breeds of fish that jumps out of aquariums - ok if they miss and go back into the water but not if they land outside of the water. A hood would solve that problem. Naturally an un-hooded tank allows heat escape from the tank much faster than a hooded one - costing you more in power varying tank temperatures are not good for your fishes. Not surprisingly that is especially true for tropical fish as the seasonal temperatures (as well as daytime night-time temperatures) go up and down quite a bit and quite quickly.

Hugely reducing the rate of evaporation means having to top up the water level anywhere near as much. Lastly you have the lighting aspect. You can use the hood (of course many come fitted for lights) and use the lights to enhance the viewing of the aquarium both the fish and any plants. The live plants will be helped to grow with the correct lighting tubes as well.

Adding up all the aquarium costs to set up a hood is not a large proportion. Then you look at the benefits they are cheap at the price. The benefits they bring to your fish, you enjoyment of the tank and the other content of the tank, the advantages are significant. Happier pet fish, happy pet owners!