Aquarium Timers

This post is going to talk about timers and finding the right one for your aquarium setup since there are quite a few different types.

The timer you may be most tempted to buy is possibly a digital timer because you're probably like me and thinking "how high tech would that be?!". Actually this would probably be the worst option to buy for your aquarium setup. If your power ever goes out though (like at my house it happens about once a week) then you may find that a digital timer will reset itself completely when power is lost or when the unit is unplugged. Ultimately, I find a digital timer to become the most annoying, difficult, and least desirable for use on aquariums... unless of course your digital timer happens to come with a battery backup inside of it (is there such a thing?).

Now you've probably came across some aquarium timers that are available at your local pet store. Often times these can be overpriced timers and generally come on a big power strip... although you more than likely don't want all your aquarium setup connected to some timer strips unless they have outlets that stay on continuously (which is typically what you would want to run your filter off of). These range from around $15 to $44 at PETCO, but you could opt to buy regular non-digital timers for less at Walmart or even your local drugstore. Also make sure if it has a power strip (or you use a power strip for that matter) that it has surge protection so it doesn't ruin your equipment that's plugged into the unit, and I personally recommend having one that you can change the settings for the various plug outlets on the grid because you may not want your lights and air diffuser, etc all working at the same intervals. Also, you may find these do not have enough outlets on the power strip for your setup/s and you'd end up having to buy yet another unit or have another basic power strip on hand.

The cheaper house timers which are non-digital timers I find to be the best option. If your power cuts off for a short time it doesn't mess up your timer settings too drastically and it can be easily fixed with a simple twist and re-alignment of the timer. This timer device may only give you 1 outlet but, if you buy a duo/trio/etc plug attachment to connect more than 1 plug into the timer or even attach it to a power strip then you'll add to your outlet issue. There are also a few different non-digital timers, I personally prefer one that lets you adjust it by 15 or 30 minute intervals on the device... where as some may only come with one set of on/off clips for the entire day (which is like the timer below on the right side of the image).

My current setup I am working on.

Here's a link to the type of non-digital timer I use now (see the timer on the left in my above image) which is from CVS and the 3-outlet attachment I put on it from the same store (the timer on the left in the image has the 3-outlet plug on it). IKEA has some KOPPLA 6-outlet power strips if you're looking for more outlets on a budget (they're $5.99 for 2). I hope this post helped you and gave you some incite on timers for your aquarium, leave a comment if you have any advice, comments, or questions.

Aquarium Updates

Lately I find myself being more focused on the outer setup of my aquarium... wanting to change up some of my wiring setup and so forth. I've been debating 'timers' and I think I will actually do a quick post on them to help anyone else looking to use timers for their aquarium setup. I'm still wanting to purchase a canister filter at some point and I'm also looking for another light fixture. I'm also becoming disappointed with one of my Zilla Digital Thermometers so I'll either exchange it or perhaps find something better (any suggestions?). I'm also working on creating my own DIY aquarium lid (if I can figure out what parts I'm in need of) which I think will be very cool so, for those of you out their that may not be fans of bulky aquarium hoods that want something a bit more invisible then you may also be interested in that as well.

As for new things I recently purchased one of Petco's "zebra stones" which I believe is just a chunk of granite, and I'm hoping to find some additional pieces of the stone in the future but each piece is different so it's only a matter of finding ones that appeal to my wants. Also big news, I finally caved and bought another Betta fish yesterday and he's a halfmoon double tail whom I have named Ebo. So, if you want to see pics of Ebo and know more about him then you'll have to come check him out in future posts to come as well... although I may actually be returning him because I noticed he has fin rot and I haven't yet found a decent fin rot remedy thus far.

I've also recently donated an old 10gal aquarium and Top Fin heater to a co-worker of mine who has got on the 'fish boat' with me, YEAH! haha. So now I have my new Aqueon heater in my female guppy tank and they are super happy with that, I even added an undergravel bubbler from Walmart to their tank. Also I think I may have posted before about my homes water system being changed out and my water went from 'Very Hard' to 'Soft', and has now turned 'Very Soft"... I'm not sure how this will affect my fish but I really wish the pH would go down on our tap water, eep. For now I believe that's it for my recent aquarium updates and if you have any questions or comments please feel free to ask :)

Aquarium Lighting

After a visit to my cousins house recently and hearing my Mother exclaim "Wow, you can really see the fish in his tank!" it made me think how my aquarium lights were lacking in brightness. Then again, I had been going for a faux blackwater style setup awhile back and have become a bit bored with that at the moment. So, I came across an interesting little post while surfing the net about some great cheap aquarium light bulbs at... Walmart of all places. I couldn't help but check out these bulbs at my local Walmart, and well... I'll let you be the bulb judge here (you may be just as shocked as I was!).

Current Aquarium Lighting.
Two of IKEA's G4 12V LED's (these bulbs do not last long!), possibly comparable to these...

Started off with this Aquarium Lighting.
Two, 25W Blue Incandescent Aquarium Bulbs...

Second choice to lighting my Aquarium in the past.
A Single Fluorescent Tube (light bulb came with that unit)...

My most recent light venture.
Two of Walmart's, 10W Aquarium Bulbs (these may be comparable to Aqueon's Colormax)...

Yes, I do realize that these photo's may look like I had went from a dirty looking aquarium to a clean aquarium but it's honestly just the difference that lighting can make.

Calcium Buildup Removal

Toss those razor blades and soapy scrubbers out the window because I found a calcium buildup remedy that involves a lot less work... you won't even have to remove your fish from the aquarium!

This method I find is easiest to do when you're doing a water change so, grab a big bucket and syphon your water level down to about 2 inches from where your calcium buildup is (probably at the top of your aquarium in most cases). If you need to remove the buildup from an old aquarium setup then you'll probably have to empty out your entire tank if it isn't already. Now that your water level is down lets begin...

You'll Need...
-A Washcloth
-Apple Cider Vinegar (or any vinegar will probably work great, I even did this with Rice Vinegar)

Pour a small amount of vinegar onto the end of your washcloth. Gently start rubbing the calcium buildup areas with the vinegar end of your washcloth and you should start to see it rub right off (be sure to avoid putting vinegar on any siliconed areas). Once the calcium is removed use the dry end of your washcloth to wipe off the cleaned area. Let the aquarium glass dry for a minute or two before refilling your aquarium with clean water.

This took me about 3 minutes just to clean off about 2 inches of calcium buildup at the top front of my 10 gallon aquarium, works like magic! Keep in mind that this is just a temporary solution to clean off the calcium buildup, it's not a permanent fix so you will have to periodically remove the calcium buildup as it appears again in the future.

Did you know...
Apple Cider Vinegar is edible so it will not harm your fish like many other products. Also, if your aquarium pH is high than keep in mind that vinegar is very acidic and can lower your pH so don't go overboard if you decide to add it into your aquarium water to lower your pH levels (the effects are only temporary as your pH will start to go back up over time, just as with almost any pH reducing product) as you don't want to stress your fish.

Aquarium Photography

Upon trying to master my fish photographing skills and being a bit unsuccessful at it I decided to do a bit of research on the subject of aquarium photography. Below you'll find the list I put together with the credited sites listed below so, feel free to leave any other helpful tips you may have on this subject, and hopefully we all can start taking awesome aquarium photographs together.

1. Avoid using a flash or use a flash that can be moved above the image you are trying to photograph (keep in mind a flash can stress animals, cause a glare off the aquarium, and may not be permitted). Using a lens hood can also help reduce glare from the glass of an aquarium. If there is too much natural or outside light this can also cause a lot of unwanted aquarium glare, a dark room with the aquarium light alone can often be more ideal.

2. A fast lens with a big aperture, preferably an f/2.8 or faster (the lower the f number the faster the lens, and a big aperture will allow for more light if you can't use an adjustable flash).

3. A fast Shutter speed (to avoid blurry images of moving fish) and an of ISO of 800 up to 1600 because a fast shutter speed will cut down on more of the light you need so it's important to crank up your ISO to balance this out.

4. If you can later edit your processed images using noise reduction this will also help to create a clearer final image (using a circular polarizer lens cover may also help cut down on noise) . Also editing your images later on can create more vibrant images (as often times a lot of color can get lost through aquarium glass).

5. Keep your camera stable (tripods may be restricted inside the aquarium). Pressing the camera lens against the aquarium can help stable the camera against the glass (use a UV filter to avoid debris or scratching the lens). Try to keep the camera perpendicular to the glass in order to avoid distorted images of your subject.

6. Avoid using an Automatic Focus (AF). Use a Manual Focus (MF) with a short depth of field as your object is constantly moving and using the AF will focus too soon before you'll be able to get a clear shot at the moving subject (doing this will help reduce blurry images). Be sure you get the correct White Balance set on your camera, you may even find using a Fluorescent setting on your camera can help in photographing your subject matter (it may help reduce blue tint). Also try using the Fast Action mode on your camera if available. Also if your camera has a Macro function this can also help photographing your subject at close range).

7. Have Patience. Take many photos. Photograph at different distances. Don't just photograph fish but also their habitats which can be very beautiful as well. Carry spare batteries and memory cards.

8. Using a DSLR camera should be more beneficial in low lighted conditions than other cameras.

9. Try to wipe off the area of glass you're photographing at, if it's dirty your camera will probably end up photographing that into your image. When the aquarium water is as clear as possible it will also allow for better looking photos.

Credited Sites
Photopoly
Shutterbug
Pufferlist
OneSlidePhotography

What is That?

Click Image to Enlarge

As I was using the rapid-shoot on my digital camera to try and get some better photo's of my guppies (I didn't exactly succeed in getting any non-blurry images BTW) I did came across an interesting find which I hadn't noticed until I was later viewing over the images on my computer. As you can see from the above image here there is some type of creature which dwells in my aquarium... I am not 100% certain as to what this is (perhaps planaria?). Thus far I haven't been able to see these creatures with my own eyes although I have been able to spot planaria before. Interestingly enough certain cameras are capable of capturing things of which we can't see with the naked eye, and the guppy is capable of seeing them.. and even eats them as you can see from the slide of photo's I took below (you may have to look closely!).