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As a beginner first learning the ins and outs of keeping an aquarium healthy, things can get a bit overwhelming. There is so much terminology and equipment, it is enough to make anyone’s head spin. Learning it all a piece at a time is recommended. Patience is key in many things relating to keeping aquariums. A fish often recommended to beginners is the goldfish. Commonly available, and quite pretty when healthy, the goldfish is one of the easier fish to keep healthy and happy. Be prepared to do some reading, however. There are terms and procedures to become familiar with.

The aquarium is absolutely critical to being able to keep healthy fish, no matter what kind of fish it is. Proper care and maintenance of your aquarium is necessary, and there are daily and weekly procedures that must be followed. The first step in keeping a goldfish is choosing the aquarium. While you may see goldfish in bowls and other small containers on television and even in real life, this is really a bad idea. While a goldfish can live for a while in a small bowl like that, they will never really thrive, and will be more susceptible to disease and death. A 10 gallon minimum aquarium with filtration should be the minimum you consider for keeping a goldfish. The filter running into the aquarium agitates the surface of the water and provides more oxygen to the water, which in turn means the fish has plenty of oxygen and is healthier. More room to swim, and even some currents from the filtration, make sure that the goldfish stays happy and in shape. Don’t forget to take the number of goldfish into account! More than one goldfish will require more space.

Ask the guys at your local pet store or aquarium shop (recommended) what they recommend. Don’t buy too much tank at first though. Try to keep it small and simple. Tell them how many fish you intend to keep, and whether you would like to add fish later. Always do some research before buying a product you are not familiar with. There are a ton of accessories and products associated with aquariums and fish. Doing some research beforehand can keep you from buying products you don’t need.

Unless you have access to well water, your tap water probably contains chlorine or ammonia. These substances are very harmful to your goldfish, and can even kill them if you have particularly chlorinated water. There are products available that you simply mix thoroughly into your tap water after filling the aquarium. They usually remove chlorine as well as adding things to the water to help your fish form its slime coat and fight off ick (a small parasite that is extremely common on fish that are stressed). If you would rather use distilled or reverse osmosis purified water, there are other additives that restore needed minerals into these too-pure waters.

Make sure you check the filters once a week, and rinse them out with dechlorinated water of some type. It is okay to use distilled water for this. It is common to get snails living on your filters. Try not to crush them, and remove them during your weekly cleaning. It is not recommended that you put these types of snails back into your aquarium, because they tend to over-breed and eat every bit of plant matter in your aquarium.

It is also necessary to keep the aquarium at a fairly constant temperature. An aquarium heater can be used to control the water temperature with some precision. You should also have an aquarium thermometer to verify the water temperature.

Did you recently purchase a fish tank? If so, did you purchase any additional fish tank supplies or accessories? If so, what supplies and accessories did you purchase? Is an aquarium chiller included in your list of purchased supplies and accessories? If is not, you may want to examine aquarium chillers, namely what they are and what they can do for you. After a close examination, you may see why it is advised that you own an aquarium chiller.

Just as the name sounds, an aquarium chiller is a piece of equipment that is used to help keep the water temperature of your aquarium at a cooled, chilled level. As with many other fish tank supplies and accessories, aquarium chillers come in a number of different makes and models. Despite a variation in appearance, most aquarium chillers accomplish the same goal; to keep your fish tank cooled. When it comes to cooling an aquarium, aquarium chillers work just like air conditioners. In fact, many even have similar controls, allowing you to control the amount of cooling that is going on in your fish tank.

In many cases, owning an aquarium chiller is completely optional, but in other cases it may be necessary. Whether your not you actually need to own an aquarium chiller will depend on where you live, the average temperature of your home, and the type of fish that you own. These small, but important factors should be closely examined before you automatically decide that you do not need to purchase an aquarium chiller for your fish tank.

As mentioned above, where you reside may have an impact on whether or not you need to own an aquarium chiller. If you live in the south or if you live in an area that regularly experiences heat waves or high temperatures, it may be a good idea to purchase an aquarium chiller. If you do not have an aquarium chiller, it is likely that the water inside your fish tank will slowly adjust to room temperature. If the overall temperature where you live is too high, your fish tank water may increase in temperature, even to an unsafe level. In this case, an aquarium chiller may have a significant impact on the survival of your fish.

In connection with where you reside, it is also important to examine the average temperature inside your home, namely the temperature in the room where you fish tank will be housed. If you like to have the temperature inside your home to be above room temperature, an aquarium chiller may also be needed. As it was mentioned above, the temperature of your fish tank and its water may have a significant impact on your fish and how long they are able to survive. In fact, that leads to another important factor that should also be examined, the type of fish that you own.

If this is your first time owning fish, you may not necessarily know that certain fish need certain accommodations to survive. If your fish tank water is too warm or is downright hot, your fish may not only be “uncomfortable,” but they also may not be able to survive. To determine what the best water temperature is for the type of fish that you have, it is best that you ask when purchasing them. If you have already made your purchase, you can easily find the same information online, often with just a standard internet search. The individual or company you are looking to buy an aquarium chiller from may also be able to give you their suggestions or professional advice.

The decision as to whether or not you want to own an aquarium chiller is yours to make; however, it is advised that you keep the above mentioned factors in mind. If you feel that you need to own an aquarium chiller or if you would like to purchase one, just in case, you are urged to examine FishTanksDirect.com. They have a relatively large selection of aquarium chillers available for sale. This includes aquarium chillers that are designed for small, large, and medium sized aquariums.

Most cockatiel health problems are the result of malnutrition or improper care.  Many of these conditions are life-threatening and can easily kill your bird before you can tell anything is wrong.  Some of these conditions include Polyoma, Psittacosis, Pacheco’s disease, and Candidiasis.  This article will discuss some of these common cockatiel health problems.

Polyoma

Polyoma is a condition caused by a viral infection that usually targets younger birds.  The virus can be transmitted via feather dust, droppings, and respiratory secretions.  It can also be transmitted via eggs.  It’s best to have your bird vaccinated against this disease when they reach 40 days old.

Psittacosis

Another common disease of cockatiels is Psittacosis.  It’s also known by various other names such as parrot fever and chlamydiosis.  This condition is caused by bacteria that can be transmitted via droppings, nasal secretions, and feather dust.  Infected birds show symptoms such as shortness of breath, runny nose, lethargy, eye discharge, dehydration, and loss of appetite.  Treatment involves administering antibiotics for 45 days and removing calcium from the diet.

Candidiasis

One of the next common cockatiel health problems is Candidiasis, a condition caused by yeast.  Like Polyoma, it usually affects younger birds because of their immature immune system.  However, older birds with a weak immune system can also develop the condition.  The most common reason for birds to develop it is because of long-term antibiotic use.  However, hand-fed chicks are also susceptible especially when the equipment isn’t properly sterilized.

Symptoms of Candidiasis include depression, vomiting, diarrhea, and weight loss.  If the yeast infect the mouth and beak, then your bird will likely have bad breath and white material in the mouth.  This disease has to be treated with antifungal medications.  Your bird will also need to avoid eating fruit and sugar while he still has the disease.

Pacheco’s Disease

Pacheco’s disease is caused by a very deadly virus.  Birds often die suddenly.  Signs of this condition include intermittent diarrhea, ruffled feathers, anorexia, and lethargy.  This disease can be prevented thanks to vaccination.  However, some birds have been known to have a reaction to the vaccine.