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Archive for the ‘Tropical’ category

Tetra AquaArt Aquarium Complete Set Discover Line 60L

January 10th, 2012

Tetra AquaArt Aquarium Complete Set Discover Line 60L.

Welcome to my review of the new Tetra AquaArt aquarium this is the first part of the review as I follow it through to maturity.

First impressions are of a pleasant aesthetically looking tank very clean lines good viewing area and a streamlined lid, all in a silvery grey plastic.

What’s in the box? Tetra provide everything with this tank to get you up and running it comes with a T5 light fitted in the lid, a housing which contains the filter and heater. 3 x 100ml bottles containing Safe Start, Aqua Safe and Easy Balance, they also give you a tub of Tetra mini flakes and a few booklets .You also receive 2 of the Tetra Easy Crystal filters.

Straight out of the box.

(See Paddock Farm Facebook Page For Picture)

The Lid

This is a pleasing and user friendly lid comprising of the housing for the T5 light which is nice and illuminating on a tank of this size. You also get 3 opening hatches there is one at the front which is the full length of the hood and two at the back enabling access to the housing for the filter and the heater depending on which side you wish to place the housing. This enables you to adjust the temperature and change the filter without getting wet. I found it was easier to place the housing on the right as this is the side where you also have a number of cut outs to feed the wires through.

The Lid

(See Paddock Farm Facebook Page For Picture)

The Filter & Heater Housing

So the tank as I said comes with a heater and filter this is all contained in a black plastic housing and on the back of the tank there is options to fit it to the left or right below the openings in the lid. There is mounting brackets which the housing clips into. The heater a Tetratec HT50 just slides neatly into its aperture next to the filter which is the Tetratec Easy Crystal Filter box 300. The filter it should be pointed out is of the overflow type so it does not provide a powerful circulation of the water.

Initial Set up

The initial set up could not be easier the tank comes complete so decide which side your going to house the filter on, insert a filter cartridge set the temperature on the heater. Then all you need to add is the substrate that you require add the plants and water connect the three plugs to the mains and that’s it basically.

Initial Set Up Day 1

(See Paddock Farm Facebook Page For Picture)

Overall Impression

I would say this is a very nice tank well put together and easy to set up. For a novice fish keeper this is an ideal 60L aquarium with everything you require to get you up and running It is also a good choice for anybody who is looking to change their current tank to a newer model.

In comparison to the aquariums I started out with many years ago it is head and shoulders above those, when comparing it to other aquariums on the market now of the same size it is vary favourable It may come down to your budget to decide if this Tetra AquaArt is the right one for you.

For some Aquarium keepers they may not like the fact that the filter is of the overflow type personally I think I will upgrade the filter depending on my choice of stock at present it is home to a shoal of Leopard Danio’s and the filter type is fine for them and other community fish.

So at this moment in time I would say It’s a very good aquarium for the RRP of £120.00 (the stand is extra) and I would rate it 9/10.

I will update the review over the coming months.

Jennine

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Posted in Product Reviews, Tropical

Tags: Aqua Art Review Tetra

Setting up a new tank – how to get started

November 12th, 2011

Sally is one of our long term customers, but a recent joiner to the blogging team. Here she kicks things off with a step-by-step guide to setting up a brand new aquarium.

I’m a regular customer of Paddock Farm and have just set up a new tropical tank. Although I’m by no means a fish expert, I thought it would be useful for anyone thinking of setting up an aquarium for the first time to see how I went about it.

My tank (a 65-litre Juwel aquarium) is themed around a tropical, freshwater stream with mainly brightly coloured tetras, plecs and shrimps. You don’t need a big tank for this kind of set-up, as these fish are small and have few requirements – making it a perfect choice for beginners.

First I placed about an inch of white sand in the bottom and spread it fairly evenly but leaving a few natural looking contours. (If the sand is too thick, it is hard to clean and becomes dirty quickly.). Then I filled it to just below the brim with tepid water treated with water conditioner, which removes the chlorine from tap-water making it safe for the fish. If you are using bogwood then it is a good idea to have had this soaking beforehand in a bucket for around two weeks. This gets it totally saturated so it does not float to the top of the tank. I then arranged a mixture of natural looking plants in and around the wood. These create essential hiding places for fish, help establish a healthy ecosystem and – all importantly – makes the tank look good.

Next, I placed the heater and filter in one of the back corners, disguised as much as possible by the plants. It is necessary to have a powerful enough filter to get a good current going in order to keep the fish strong and well exercised, while at the same time adequately cleansing the water. The temperature for a tropical freshwater tank should be around 25-26°C. For advice on filters and other accessories, ask the staff at Paddock Farm, I have always found them really helpful and knowledgeable.

Now comes the hard part, you have to leave the tank for two weeks before introducing your first fish, as this allows enough time for the bacteria in the water to reach the correct levels and the eco system to establish itself. Don’t be tempted to introduce all your fish at once. Bring them in in groups of three or four with two-weekly breaks in between. Any shrimps should go in last, as they are the most sensitive and benefit from an established environment. My tank will hold about 25 small fish. (shrimps and snails don’t count in your final quota because they don’t use the same oxygen as the fish). The whole process can take up to 4-5 months until you are at full capacity but it is worth the patience.