DALLAS AQUARIUM EXPERTS

Aquarium Maintenance Service, Aquarium Design and Installions, and Freshwater Aquarium Leasing

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Dallas Aquarium Experts – Frequently Asked Aquarium Maintenance Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions

 

How often should my aquarium be serviced?

Frequency of aquarium maintenance and service is determined by the size of your aquarium, how heavily stocked the aquarium is which species of fish or other animals you are keeping, and how you want your aquarium to look.

Dallas Aquarium Experts Service offers weekly, bi-weekly, and monthly service and maintenance customized to your needs.

What are the benefits of having my aquarium or pond professionally maintained?

Regular aquarium service helps to ensure the overall health of your fish, plants, and other aquatic animals. Regular water changes and health assessments help ward off disease and address small problems before they become major issues.

I’m thinking about buying an aquarium, can you help me make the best selection?

Dallas Aquarium Experts Service can help you select the best aquarium, stand, lighting, filtration, and any other equipment you may need. The best choices are based on the animals you would like to keep in your aquarium.

Is having an aquarium a lot of work?

It can be, but having a service and maintenance performed by a professional from Dallas Aquarium Experts Service makes owning a freshwater or saltwater aquarium easy and fun.

Are saltwater aquariums more difficult to care for than freshwater aquariums?

There is a common misconception that saltwater aquariums are more difficult to keep than freshwater aquariums. Although there is some more work associated with successfully keeping a saltwater aquarium, it is not that much more difficult than keeping a freshwater aquarium.

The key to a healthy and enjoyable saltwater aquarium is to set up the aquarium correctly in the first place with proper filtration, animals that are best suited to the environment you wish to create and that are healthy and quarantined before being introduced to the aquarium, and the feeding of a proper diet.

A saltwater tank can be fun, educational, and a beautiful centerpiece in your home or office.

I have one fish that keeps killing all of my other fish. What’s wrong?

This is a common aquarium problem with a simple answer… not all species of aquatic life are compatible in the same aquarium. Expert advice when selecting tank mates can help reduce or eliminate aggression.

How much does aquarium service and maintenance cost?

Schedule a free consultation with Dallas Aquarium Experts today and service professional will come to your home or business and access your current situation. Before you make your decision on an Aquarium Maintenance Company in Dallas, allow us the opportunity to provide you a free consultation regarding your current Aquarium or we can provide an estimate on a new aquarium set-up and aquarium maintenance. Your fish will reward you with their natural beauty and years of enjoyment.

 

• Call us at (469) 450-3900

 

Plastic Plants

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The appearance and variety of artificial plants have really improved in the last ten years.  You can easily find plastic plants in all different colors and sizes to suit your aquarium size and layout.  If you don’t want to crowd the appearance of your tank, buy small plants for the front of the tank and larger plants for the back. 

There are many advantages to artificial plants:

  • Easy to clean
  • Easy to care for
  • Live forever
  • Won’t be eaten
  • Easy to remove
  • Wide variety

There are also a few disadvantages to artificial plants

  • Can look fake
  • Expensive
  • Fish may not like them

During your regular scheduled aquarium maintenance, Dallas Aquarium Experts can rotate your old plants with clean algae free plants on a regular basis to help keep your freshwater aquarium looking it’s best.  Dallas Aquarium Experts offers many different plans available to help us help you keep your Aquarium in top shape, with clean, beautiful, and healthy fish. We can schedule your cleaning visits on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis, as needed to keep your Aquarium properly maintained. 

Whether your need is servicing an existing aquarium, or you are interested in a new aquarium setup, we will schedule a free consultation where an experienced professional will meet with you at your home or place of business. We will assess your current situation and devise a plan that will help you move closer to the aquarium you have always wanted.

 

Call us at (469) 450-3900

Email us at: sales@dallasaquariumexperts.com

    

Freshwater Aquariums

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The most popular type of aquarium is a freshwater system.  It’s the most practical system for a beginning aquarist for several reasons.

  • A freshwater system is not as expensive to set up as a saltwater aquarium
  • Freshwater fish are generally less expensive than marine fish.  It’s much better to work with less expensive fish when you are just starting out, and still learning the ins and outs of the hobby
  • Freshwater fish are readily available at most aquarium shops and come in a wide variety of colorful species.  Marine fish are much more sensitive to water conditions and don’t tolerate mistakes as easily
  • You can have more fish.  You can keep significantly more freshwater fish than marine fish in the same amount of space.

Dallas Aquarium Experts… Our passion, is your peace of mind!

Water Change Frequency

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The more frequent the changes, the less water that needs to be replaced. However, the longer between changes, the more stressful each change potentially becomes, because a larger portion of the water gets replaced. Replacing roughly 25% of your tank’s water bi-weekly is a good minimal starting point, but this may not be enough. The proper frequency really depends on such factors as the fish load in your tank, how much you feed at each feeding and what types of filtration you have. Nonetheless, you should do water changes often enough so that nitrate levels stay at or below 50ppm in fish only systems, and preferably MUCH lower (less than 10ppm is an optimal value) while reef tanks should have a nitrate level below 2 ppm; the change in water chemistry resulting from a change is small. In particular, the before and after pH of your tank shouldn’t differ by more than .2 units. Use a ph test kit or meter the first few times to get a feel for what’s right. If your pH changes too much as a result of a water change, perform changes more frequently, but replace less water at each change. Make sure the water temperature does not fluctuate more than 2 degrees when you perform a water change.

DALLAS AQUARIUM EXPERTS

  • Aquarium Maintenance & Service, Custom Design, and Aquarium Sales in Dallas and the surrounding communities
  • Whether your need is servicing an existing aquarium, or you are interested in a new aquarium setup, we will schedule a free consultation where an experienced professional will meet with you at your home or place of business. We will assess your current situation and devise a plan that will help you move closer to the aquarium you have always wanted.

Benefits and Role of Dallas Aquarium Experts as your Dallas Aquarium Maintenance Company

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Aquariums are found in locations other than a home. Many doctor offices, restaurants, schools, hotel lobbies, stores and hospitals include a tank in their décor. The greenery of the plants and the graceful swimming of the fish can produce a calming effect in a room.

Staff in offices and institutions should not be expected to take care of the aquarium, except for feeding the fish, so this is where an aquarium maintenance company could benefit these locations.

Role of an Dallas Aquarium Experts as your Aquarium Maintenance Company

Dallas Aquarium Experts will do the following for our clients

• Counsel the client on all the options for an aquarium system. There are decisions to be made on a saltwater or freshwater tank, size and shape of tank plus how much money the client is willing to spend.

• Set up the aquarium equipment and then supply the fish, plants and decorations.

• Advise client on daily care of the fish and identifying any problems with the equipment, water or fish.

• Service the aquarium on a regular basis and usually once a month at a minimum. The servicing will include testing the water and observing the health of the fish. It also includes regular water changes and cleaning of the tank and equipment.

• Replace fish and plants when required.

• Provide emergency services if equipment fails or if fish show signs of disease.

Benefits of Hiring an Dallas Aquarium Experts as your Aquarium Maintenance Service Company

• Relying on experts to take care of the aquarium can enable people with no knowledge of aquariums to have a tank in their place of business.

• The aquarium and fish will be healthy due to constant monitoring and routine maintenance.

• Even if a client knows how to maintain a tank, there is a matter of finding time to take care of the tank while trying to conduct business.

• If the aquarium system is on a rental contract, everything can be returned to Dallas Aquarium Experts if the client does not wish to renew the contract.

Even homeowners can benefit from hiring an aquarium maintenance company. There are people who need to have the guidance of an expert especially if the aquarium system is expensive. In addition, homeowners can save time by having someone else take care of their tank.

Marine Aquarium Refugium – What and Why….

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A refugium is essentially part of a sump, where one purposely grows algae! Macro algae species, such as caulerpa or chaetomorpha are grown in the refugium because they will absorb dissolved nitrates and phosphates from the water and store it internally at a much higher concentration than the natural seawater around them. They effectively remove these harmful substances which in turn keeps the fish and invertebrates healthier. It also helps reduce the growth of algae in the display aquarium since nitrates and phosphates are eaten by the macro algae before the detrimental algae in the display tank has the opportunity to feed upon them.

A refugium is essentially part of a sump, where one purposely grows algae! Macro algae species, such as caulerpa or chaetomorpha are grown in the refugium because they will absorb dissolved nitrates and phosphates from the water and store it internally at a much higher concentration than the natural seawater around them. They effectively remove these harmful substances which in turn keeps the fish and invertebrates healthier. It also helps reduce the growth of algae in the display aquarium since nitrates and phosphates are eaten by the macro algae before the detrimental algae in the display tank has the opportunity to feed upon them.

In addition a refugium also houses invertebrates such as copepods and amphipods which are food for many reef fishes. Because there are no predators in the refugium these beneficial crustaceans will reproduce and thrive. They will make their way back up to the display aquarium through the water column where they will serve as another food source for the fish and coral.

Dallas Aquarium Maintenance Consultations – Dallas Aquarium Experts

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Consultations

We have extensive knowledge and experience and can offer advice, recommendations, and assistance in a variety of circumstances and situations. We can be of assistance if you’re considering upgrading to a bigger tank, downgrading to a smaller one, switching from freshwater to saltwater, etc. Or, if you would simply like a sit-down with an expert for some pointers and help with your current tank, we can certainly help with that as well.

DALLAS AQUARIUM EXPERTS

Aquarium Maintenance & Service, Custom Design, and Aquarium Leasing in Dallas and the surrounding communities

Contact us today to schedule your free consultation

Whether your need is servicing an existing aquarium, or you are interested in a new aquarium setup, we will schedule a free consultation where an experienced professional will meet with you at your home or place of business. We will assess your current situation and devise a plan that will help you move closer to the aquarium you have always wanted.

 

Call us at (469) 450-3900

Stocking a Reef Tank – Dallas Aquarium Maintenance

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In order to set up a saltwater reef aquarium the first thing you need to do is make sure it is ecologically balanced. This will help to retain the natural beauty of the ocean because that’s what you are recreating in your home or office. If you overstock the aquarium by putting too many fish in it or add too much variety, it will undermine the eco system you are trying to create. Keep reading to find out all you need to know about stocking the aquarium correctly.

There is no exact science that dictates exactly how to stock the saltwater reef aquarium, but there are general principles that can be followed to make sure it all works out properly. The first factor to be considered is the size of the fish, large fish will occupy more space, eat more and make more waste matter.

With this in mind, the general rule of thumb is 2 inches of fish to every ten gallons of water if the fish are small to medium in size. For the larger fish, go with 1 inch of fish to every 10 gallons of water. For example, you can stock an 80 gallon tank with 16 inches of small fish or 8 inches of large fish.

Dallas Aquarium Maintenace Service Company – Dallas Aquarium Experts

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Dallas Aquarium Experts offers many different plans available to help us help you keep your Aquarium in top shape, with clean, beautiful, and healthy fish.  We can schedule your cleaning visits on a weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly basis, as needed to keep your Aquarium properly maintained.

Initial Setup and Installation

Dallas Aquarium Experts offers fast, friendly, and professional setup and installation of your brand new Aquarium!  We will take care of placing the aquarium where you desire, advising on placement of the aquarium, installing the filtration system, lighting system, gravel and decorations, and starting the water cycling process, so that your aquarium will be ready for tropical fish in no time

Special Filtration Needs / Design

Dallas Aquarium Experts can help you decide which type of filtration is needed for your aquarium, and also install and maintain it for you!  There are many different types of filtration, from sponge to power filters to wet/dry sump setups, so let us choose the right filter for your aquarium to help keep your fish healthy and happy!

Aquatic Life Maintenance

Dallas Aquarium Experts specializes in Aquarium Maintenance in Dallas.  Have you always wanted a beautiful aquarium in your home or office, but you don’t seem to have the time or patience to keep up with the necessary aquarium maintenance?   We specialize in keeping your aquatic environment clean!  We have professional services to clean your glass or acrylic, clean and siphon your gravel bed, clean and replace filter cartridges or media, clean your glass tops, and perform the correct amount of water transfers to ensure that your fish will be healthy and their home clean.  We also test your water on a regular basis to help prevent any problems in the aquarium!

Contact Dallas Aquarium Experts today to schedule your free consultation

Whether your need is servicing an existing aquarium, or you are interested in a new aquarium setup, we will schedule a free consultation where an experienced professional will meet with you at your home or place of business. We will assess your current situation and devise a plan that will help you move closer to the aquarium you have always wanted.

 

Call us at (469) 450-3900

Email us at: sales@dallasaquariumexperts.com

Red Slime Algae… Dallas Aquarium Experts can help!

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Red Slime Algae

The reddish pink algae you are seeing may be either bad (cyanobacteria) or good (coraline algae) depending on its texture. Coraline algae often forms in areas of high light and is very hard to remove without the use of a razor blade. It can be pink, purple or red in color and grows in circular patches with the patches expanding as it forms, and is a good algae to have growing. Although sometimes it will grow in spots that is undesirable and needs to be scraped off every once in a while.

 If the algae is more slimy in texture and comes off in sheets or strands when you scrape it then you may just have some cyanobacteria or red slime algae forming. This is common to see towards the bottom of the tank and grows especially well in areas of low water movement. Having this grow around the edge of your gravel is normal and simply needs to be cleaned off when it starts to get noticeable. The only time that red slime algae is bad is when it grows out of control and starts smothering other inhabitants of the tank.

Red slime algae grows in water with a high nutrient load. Most of the waste products produced by the inhabitants of your tank are more dense then the water and form along the bottom increasing the chance for this algae to grow in these areas. There is also less of a water flow towards the bottom and sometimes simply placing a powerhead down near the bottom can keep this algae from growing in a system.

The brown you are seeing is also a form of algae. All forms of algae are a water quality issue. Most people do not want to hear that they are having a water quality issue but if you have any undesirable algae blooming in your tank and especially if it seems like a cause for concern then there is a water quality issue going on. All algae have certain nutrients that they need to thrive. Most of these nutrients are wastes products of the natural processes going on with the inhabitants of the tank. Simply testing your water does not give any indication of what may or may not be wrong. Algae utilize ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, phosphate and various other components typically found in a tank. When you measure these variables in your water you may get a reading of zero and think there is nothing wrong with your water. But the fact remains that if algae are growing then there is a high enough concentration of these nutrients in the water to promote their growth and the water you are testing is not showing evidence of this due to the fact that the algae are taking up these nutrients to use for their own growth. Essentially you are testing your water after the algae have taken the compounds out of the water column and they are what is keeping your levels in a healthy zone.

The simplest way to rid a tank of any undesirable algae is to reduce the dissolved nutrients in the water. This can be done by doing more frequent partial water changes, utilizing or refreshing activated carbon in your filter, not overstocking or overfeeding, cutting back on feeding, raising the pH and the alkalinity, cutting back on light(if possible)and limiting the amount of any trace minerals you are adding to the water. Saltwater tanks grow algae and in small amounts are perfectly normal and no cause for alarm. Having no algae at all is not impossible but very difficult for the average person with the average equipment to achieve.

Aquarium Maintenance, Fish Tank Cleaning, or simply call it Cleaning your Aquarium…Nothing is more important in aquarium keeping than water quality management. There are many excellent products available out there to assist in water quality management, but in our opinion, there is still no replacement for water changes, good filtration, and good feeding habits…. The best way to make sure your aquarium is consistently maintained is by using Dallas Aquarium Experts the best in Dallas Aquarium Maintenance.

 

CONTACT US TODAY FOR A BETTER AQUARIUM TOMORROW

Schedule a free consultation with Dallas Aquarium Experts today and service professional will come to your home or business and access your current situation. Before you make your decision on an Aquarium Maintenance Company in Dallas, allow us the opportunity to provide you a free consultation regarding your current Aquarium or we can provide an estimate on a new aquarium set-up and aquarium maintenance. Your fish will reward you with their natural beauty and years of enjoyment.

 

Contact us at (469) 450-3900