Hi guys,
During my work at JBL I have been confronted time and again in various forums, posts or social media with theories in aquaristics which are often considered to be correct - but in reality do not correspond to the truth at all. Added to this, there are often statements where opinions diverge completely and everyone’s lost sight of what’s true and what’s not.
I, too, have done things wrong in aquaristics without knowing it.
For this reason we thought we’d start a short series called: JBL Aqua-Myths.
The aim is to collect as many myths as possible from the world of aquaristics and then find out what’s right. So we need your help too! Tell us your myths in the comments and we’ll include them in the next part of the series and go into more detail.
We’re starting the series with the following three myths:
1. Fish adapt to the size of the aquarium
Unfortunately you read this again and again. The fact that fish do not reach their maximum size is not due to them adapting to the size of the tank, but to poor keeping conditions. If the aquarium is too small, stress arises for your fish and a so-called stunted growth can develop. Unsuitable water values or poor quality food can also contribute to such growth disorders.
2. Aquaristics is a time-consuming hobby
The time required to care for an aquarium is definitely manageable and significantly less than for many other pets. However, this can vary somewhat depending on the type of aquarium.
There are daily tasks, such as feeding your fish, and weekly tasks, such as fertilising your plants using a basic liquid fertiliser (such as JBL PROFLORA Ferropol ) . You need a partial water change every fortnight. Here, 1/3 of the aquarium water needs to be siphoned off with a hose and fresh water added again using a water conditioner (such as JBL Biotopol ) . When siphoning, it’s best to use a gravel cleaner (such as JBL PROCLEAN AQUA EX 20-45 ) to remove dirt from the bottom of your tank at the same time. Depending on the amount of dirt, an external filter needs to be cleaned every 4 weeks and an internal filter every 2 weeks and then re-inoculated with filter bacteria (e.g. JBL Denitrol ) . You can read everything else you need to know about the time required for an aquarium here: Cura quotidiana
3. The myth of liquid CO2
It is probably clear to everyone that carbon dioxide is the most important nutrient for all plants in the aquarium (Read more here: CO₂ ) . A CO2 system is indispensable for supplying the plants with CO2.
Yet you hear again and again that liquid CO2 can replace a conventional CO2 system. However, the main component of liquid CO2 is not CO2 but glutaraldehyde, which is normally used as a disinfectant. Glutaraldehyde acts as an algaecide and kills algae, making the plants look cleaner. However, it slows down, or completely stops growth. Possible consequence: the plants die! It is advisable to avoid such agents, as they are also harmful to our health! You can find a detailed explanation about liquid CO2 in the following series of articles: The story of liquid CO2 fertilisation
What are your thoughts on these or other myths? Tell us in the comments!
