1. Sucul Hayvan deneyleri
Aquariums/Tanks

2. Aquariums: What are they?
An aquarium (plural aquariums or aquaria)
Clear-sided container
Typically glass or high-strength plastic
Houses plants and animals, or both.
Private and public display
Aquatic experimental

3. Choose Your Aquarium Type
The specific aquarium setup will depend upon the requirements of the species you choose.

4. Choose Your Aquarium Type

5. Choose Your Aquarium Type

6. Choose Your Aquarium Type

7. Basic Needs
Appropriate enclosure/housing
Nutrition
Hygiene

8. Enclosure Components Tank Stand/Canopy Lights Temperature Control
Filtration
Location
Water Quality

9. Enclosure Components: Tank
Consider:
Size
Shape
Materials
Convenience
Aesthetics

10. Enclosure Components: Tank

11. Enclosure Components: Lighting
Why?
Plant Growth
Coral Growth
Visualizing the Fish
Fish health
Considerations:
Fixtures/ballast
Photoperiod: Use timers 12hours
Types of bulbs (size, wavelength): Mostly fluorescent full spectrum bulbs that simulate daylight at noon
Reflectors

12. Enclosure Components: Lighting
Considerations:
Fixtures
Ballast
Wavelength
Light Intensity
Reflectors
Photoperiod (12 hours)

13. Enclosure Components: Temperature Regulation
How?
Heaters
Chillers
Fans
Ventilation
Considerations:
Position of heater
Lighting

14. Enclosure Components: Environmental Enrichment
Why?
Evasion
Breeding
Quality of life
Express Personality

15. Filtration Systems Mechanical Biological Chemical Filtration: Types:
Wool, sponge
Ceramics, sponges, rocks
(SURFACE AREA!!)
Charcoal, zeolite
Purpose:
Remove large particulate waste
Removes fish waste products
Removes odors, discoloration, toxins, and some waste products

16. Filtration Systems Considerations Tank size Stocking capacity
Water flow
Breeding
Aeration
Don’t use filtration systems on toxicology experiment.

17. Filtration Systems

18. Filtration Systems

19. Filtration Systems
Protein Skimmer: Removes organic material from marine systems

20. Filtration Systems
Underground filter: biological and mechanical

21. Enclosure Components: Location
Avoid:
windows/direct sunlight
drafty doors or fireplaces
vibrations/sharp noises

22. Water Composition: Water Testing

23. Water Composition: Stock Water
Know what is in your stock water
Test periodically
Alternatives available
Test for:
Chlorines
Copper pH
Hardness

24. Water Composition: Testing
Fresh Water: pH
Ammonia
Nitrite
Nitrate
Salt Water:
Salinity
Other:
Phosphate
Calcium
Strontium

25. Auatic ecology

26. Water Quality: Nitrogen Cycle

27. Water Quality: Nitrogen Cycle

28. Water Changes Why? Dilutes waste products Corrects pH imbalances
Can reduce algae growth
Water Changes

29. Performing Water Changes
Regular water changes
2% every 2 days
4% every week
20% a month

30. Adding Fish: Acclimation
Temperature
Water composition
Environmental
factors
How:
15-30 min. for temperature
15 minutes for water composition

31. Nutrition Dry: Flakes Pellets Sticks Floating Sinking Wafers Seaweed
Live/Frozen:
Blood Worms
Daphnia
Brine Shrimp
Feeder fish
Plants

32. Picture from Jeremy Gay’s The Perfect Aquarium
Nutrition
Know your fish
Observe mouth
Use dry food as staple
Supplement with fresh/frozen foods
Do not overfeed
Picture from Jeremy Gay’s The Perfect Aquarium

33. Filters Primary method of cleaning tank Removes solids
-small solids called
“suspended solids”
-larger ones called “flocs”
Provides substrate for nitrifiers
Many types depending on needs

34. Gravel/Substrate Material for nesting Aesthetics Nitrification
“Live sand”
Filtration

35. Gravel/Substrate

36. Gravel/Substrate
PVC shavings!
Activated Carbon

37. Aeration Oxygen Speeds up decomposition
Circulates water (air lift pump)

38. Biofilters Help to establish nitrogen cycle.
Break down toxic fish wastes.

39. What really does the work??
Bacteria!!

40. Recipe for Nitrification Success!
Once you’ve achieved proper ph, hardness, and alkalinity for your target species; it’s time to add the bacteria before you stock out.
System start-up formulae:
a. Spike the system with ammonia.
-(NH4)SO4 3.3 ppm (mg/L)
-NH4Cl 3-6 ppm (mg/L)
b. Place several fish in the system and feed them.
Wait 4 weeks (if no starters present)…presto!

41. Aquarium room safety Electrical Safety
Do not handle power cords with wet hands.
Create drip loops on cords to prevent water from travelling to plug.
Use outlets with GFCI’s that will “trip” to prevent electrocution.
Do not overload outlets.

42. General Aquarium Safety
Aquarium room safety
General Aquarium Safety
Spilt water is a slipping hazard.
Never lift / carry aquariums by the rim or sides.
Wash your hands after contact with your tank.   

43. Cleaning
Do not use chemicals (soap, Windex) to clean the inside or outside of a tank. Residues can remain in scratches.
Dedicate cleaning supplies (bucket, sponges, etc.) for aquarium use only.
Rinse anything added to the tank (gravel, decorations).
Only Use NHO3 for cleaning
After cleaning the aquarium is filled full.

44. Maintaining Cleanliness
Don’t overfeed your fish! (Food should be consumed and not sinking to the gravel.)
Make a 50% water change once a week
Vacuum gravel periodically.

45. Tank Set-up
Situate tank where it will stay before adding anything! Make sure the stand can support the enormous weight of the water.
Add in gravel, water, decor, then fish. Add water to within 1” of the top.
ALWAYS add water conditioner to remove chlorine & chloramine from tap water.

46. Tank Set-up Always use gravel / décor designed for aquarium use!
Rocks or wood from outside can be contaminated with pesticides, chemicals or microorganisms.
Decorations not specifically for aquarium use can have paints / chemicals toxic to fish.

47. Light Natural lighting is best for fish.
Florescent/UV/LED lights are also acceptable.
Black lights can be harmful.
Lights should not be left on 24 hours; it will encourage algae growth.

48. Hood/Cover Aquariums must be covered so that
fish don’t leap out
water doesn’t evaporate as quickly
objects/other pets don’t fall in!
A hood can also house the lighting. Be careful not to get the light in the water or water in the light…electrocution!!!

49. Air Aquatic organisms breathe dissolved oxygen.
Air must be pumped in with a compressor or can be put in with a powered filter.
Air stones increase surface area of bubbles & O2 content.

50. Temperature Most fish can live at a range of 72-80 °F (22-27 °C).
An aquarium heater can be placed in tanks that need higher temperatures (tropicals).

51. Biological Filtration
Created by bacteria in gravel, on fish & on bio wheel/bio scrubber
Beneficial bacteria breaks down waste products in the nitrogen cycle
Fish food (protein N) Ammonia from fish waste (NH3)Nitrite (NO2)Nitrate (NO3)H20 change
Use an under gravel filter to facilitate bacterial growth

52. Mechanical Filtration
Removes accumulated solids from aquarium
Usually accomplished with mesh in an power filter
Can also be manually removed with a gravel vacuum

53. Chemical Filtration
Purifies water using activated carbon-dissolved impurities are absorbed by holes in carbon Activated carbon must be replaced Minimize use of chemical/medicines to rid tank of problems

54. Water tests - pH pH Measures acidity or alkalinity of water Range
Freshwater
Saltwater
A buffer can be added in to maintain pH or make a 25% water change
If pH is too high (basic) – lower pH using
Peat moss
pH decreasing chemical
If pH is too low (acidic) – increase pH
Baking soda

55. Water tests - Ammonia Ammonia Toxic; should be 0 ppm!
Released from gills of fish and decaying wastes
Toxic; should be 0 ppm!
Change 25% of water or replace carbon to lower level
Ammonia is converted to nitrite then nitrate by bacteria.
Excess nitrate is removed by 25% water change

56. Conditioning period
A conditioning (waiting) period of 1 week should be allowed for new tank to run until a natural bacteria population is established.
If possible, seed the tank with gravel from an established aquarium.
Add new fish slowly and monitor ammonia levels!

57. Aquarium Salt Freshwater- add 1 tsp / 5 gallons for health
Saltwater can be obtained from the ocean or from a salt mix
Concentration:
32 ppt
Specific gravity =
½ cup marine salt / gallon

58. Saltwater vs. Freshwater
Freshwater Saltwater
Cost $ $$$
(saltwater tanks need special lights & fish are more expensive)
Work   
(during water changes, saltwater must be mixed before adding)
Color     
(Saltwater has a wider array of colorful fish/corals)
Equipment    
(Saltwater requires more equipment to maintain)

59. How many? General rule- 1 gr of fish/ litern
Ex: a 30 liter tank can have:
10- 3 gr fish
15- 2 igr fish
20- 0,5 gr fish
Remember!
Fish may grow!

60. What to get? Do I need friends? (schooling)
Do I prefer warmer temperatures?
community
How big will I get?
Do I play well with others or am I aggressive?

61. What to get? (Freshwater)
Select fish that live in different parts of the tank.
Bottom feeders (scavengers)
Cory cat Loach
Mid-water to upper level swimmers
Platties Mollies
Barbs Guppies
Schooling
Danios Neon tetras

62. What not to get…
Semi-aggressive should not be mixed with community fish
Cichlids, Gouramis and Angelfish (often because of size)
Plecostamus (pleco, sucker fish)
will get huge regardless of tank size! Don’t believe it?
Bettas are best solitary (alone)!

63. What to get? (Saltwater)
Damsels
Tangs
Wrasse
Puffers (brackish-low salt)
Snow Flake Eels
Crab
Shrimp
Helpful Websites  

64. How do you add new fish?
Dumping fish directly in your tank from a bag can shock them.
Float the bag for minutes to gradually adjust the temperature.
Then, pour out half of the water in the bag and add in water from your tank.
After more minutes the fish should be acclimated to your tank.
Also, feed the resident organisms in the tank as you are releasing new fish from a bag, to keep them preoccupied.
This allows the new fish to enter gently, without being harassed by current resident “bullies.”

65. How much to feed?
Feed fish only what they will consume in 5 minutes, twice a day (once for us)-cover food!
Remove excess food, so as not to pollute the tank
One day of fasting is recommended (feed 6 out of 7 days)

66. Sickness
Signs
Clamped fins, fins held close to the body
Frayed fins
Bloating
Enlargement of the eyes
Erratic swimming and shimmying
Drifting close to the bottom or gasping for air at surface
Loss of appetite
White spots on fins or body
Parasites on body
Cottonlike patches on fins or body
Fish that are normally active remaining still
If an organism appears sick, it should be removed from the tank so as not to contaminate the rest of the organisms
A separate “hospital” tank can be set up to help or medicate a fish

67. Plants
Just like land plants, aquatic plant need natural light to survive, as well as minerals from a substrate
Aquatic plants are often hard to maintain without adequate lighting and can deteriorate in your tank
My advice……. Go plastic!

68. Substrates Fill tank ¼ inch Coral gravel Crushed coral; porous
Easy to clean
Inexpensive
Bacteria growth
Flourite
Enhanced with nutrients to sustain plants
Sand

69. Set Up Day 1
*Safety!!!!*
Pull out all décor clean/rinse, and put on table
Wash and rinse out the empty aquarium. Do not allow any gravel to go down the drain!
Wipe off the lid. Plug it in and make sure the light works.
Wash the filter. Remove as much algae as possible.
Wash any gravel you want to use thoroughly before you put it in your aquarium. Do not allow any gravel to go down the drain!
Put the gravel in the aquarium.
Fill the aquarium with water.
Attach the filter to the side of the aquarium. Prime it (put water in it). Plug it in to see if it works.
Wash and rinse any and all toys you plan on putting in your aquarium.
Place them in the aquarium. Remember, fish like “structure” so that they can hide and play!
Get an air compressor, hose and air stone from me. Use only hose to allow you to put the air stone on the bottom where you want it. Plug in the air compressor.
Put the lid on your aquarium and allow to set up.
If you have a marine aquarium, add 2 boxes of salt and check the level daily. Use a hydrometer to measure the salt levels. The recommended specific gravity is to

70. Day 2
Drain 50%
Refill
Add water conditioner