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From: halo@cognos.uucp (Hal O'Connell)
Newsgroups: alt.aquaria
Subject: Re: Fishtank Moved
Message-ID: <1859@cognos.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 25-Nov-87 13:06:33 EST
Article-I.D.: cognos.1859
Posted: Wed Nov 25 13:06:33 1987
Date-Received: Sun, 29-Nov-87 07:37:35 EST
References: <1753@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU>
Reply-To: halo@sirius.UUCP (Hal)
Organization: Cognos Inc., Ottawa, Canada
Lines: 62

In article <1753@mit-amt.MEDIA.MIT.EDU> bc@mit-amt.UUCP writes:
>
>I read up on aquaria, and got the impression that it would be a
>challenge to maintain one. All this stuff about pH, ammonia,
>temperature, etc.
>
>Well, I set up the tank (fresh with plants), got it all going, dumped
>in about 20 fish, and it went great.
>
>Then the weird part: things didn't hardly matter.
>
>Sure, it was important to make sure that the chlorine was gone, and
>the hardness was low, and the pH was right -- when I set it up.

For a freshwater tank they tend to be less critical. However, for a salt
water system pH, ammonia and temperature flucuations can spell disaster
overnight. 

>
>So what I guess is this:
>	Big tanks are just as easy as small tanks, day to day.

I've always found them easier. Over the 15 years I have kept aquaria,
the smaller systems always showed greater flucuations day to day.
The main area I've seen is water level and turbidity. If you are
using a regular chemical treatment on the water, or salt, then changes
in water level (evaporation) result in rapid changes in concentrations
of dissolved chemicals and gases in small systems. If you suffer from
high algae levels, then a small system can become clouded ("green
water") very quickly. Larger water volumes generally mean slower changes
and are therefore usually easier to maintain.

Of course, a really healthy aquarium can almost look after itself...

>	My total tank setup weighs about 750 - 1000 pounds. The fish
>could weigh as much as 2. So that's a 500:1 ratio of support systems.
>Almost as bad as an Apollo rocket!
>

The number of fish which can be safely kept in a "community" style
tank is generally a function of the average length of the fish kept and
the surface area of the tank. In general, aeration does not CAUSE
oxygen to dissolve. The majority of gas exhange occurs at the surface.
Aeration DOES promote this air exchange by causing circulation (and the
ripples do marginally increase surface area).

This is why aquaria tend to be shorter than wide (there are exceptions)
and also why tanks which have sloping sides should be filled to the level
which maximizes surface area. The classic example here is the old-fashioned
goldfish bowl.

By the way, good luck with the breeding. You may be entering one of
the most challenging areas of the hobby.

Disclaimer: The opinions expressed here should not be attributed
            to any sentient being, nor do they represent those of
	    my corporate affiliate...;-}
-- 
Hal O'Connell		decvax!utzoo!dciem!nrcaer!cognos!halo
Cognos Incorporated	P.O. Box 9707
(613) 738-1440          3755 Riverside Dr. 
			Ottawa, Ontario, CANADA, K1G 3Z4