Questions & Answers

A blue glow can be seen from the end caps of a UV filter, is this dangerous?
No. It is designed in this way to assure the owner that the unit is on. The plastic cups filter out any harmful rays.
Where should the unit be placed?
In a dry position with good air circulation- beneath the tank

How does the aquarius calculate the correct amount of ozone for a given tank?
Apart from observing the physical effects on livestock, the only way to make sure that ozone is improving water quality is to use a redox potential meter. All other means are unreliable.
What redox level should the aquarist aim for?
Many fish-only tanks will

Can coral sand be used as a biological medium?
No, it will quickly compact down hard, preventing proper water flow.
What is the correct canister packing to operate an undergravel filter?
If a reverse-flow undergravel filter is in use, extra biological filtration is unnecessary within the canister and only mechanical media should be used.
How can canister maintenance be

Must all marine aquariam be fitted with a protein skimmer?
Yes, it is an essential piece of equipment, removing pollutants that other filtration methods fail to eliminate.

What should be done if the waste liquid is colourless and copious in quantity?
The skimmer requires further careful adjustment to air and water flow. This situation is not uncommon with

Are trickle filters just for large tanks?
No, any size of tank would benefit where high quality water is essential.
Can more fish be stocked if a trickle filter is fitted?
No. Trickle filters should be seen as a means to improve water quality and not as an excuse to increase livestock beyond a reasonable level.
Do trickle filters

Is it essential to glue the filter plates to the base glass?
No, the weight of the filter bed tends to seal the plates from any leakage.
Can air be used to operate the uplifts?
Yes, but powerheads perform the task much more efficiently and just as cheaply.
Can i put a layer of floss over

There are many different ways in which fish can act and many things which can effect their behavior.
The most popular things to look out for are:
If your fish are spending a lot of time at the surface, this could be due to there being a lack of oxygen in the water therefore they are gasping

There are many long term plans you can put into place but we find most of the time we are never prepared for the worst.
The immediate things to do would be to cover your tank in an insulated material, blanket etc (not anything with lose fibres like loft insulation)
Make sure the room your tank is

Some heaters come with a plastic protection shield which surrounds the heater like the iQuatics Aquarad. They are easy to fit and help to prevent the fish from burning themselves on the heater. If the heater doesn't come with a plastic shield then you can use a suitable plastic mesh but this may restrict the

In general dust can build up from the gravel rubbing against each other. It's best to rinse all gravel and any other items like figures, wood etc you may wish to put into your tank to reduce the amount of dust. Never use any chemicals for doing this. Just normal tap water will be fine.