The Benefits of an All-Glass Aquarium for Your Reef Tank

When it comes to creating a stunning aquatic ecosystem in your home or office, AQUA VIM stands head and shoulders above the competition. Our luxury fish tanks and aquariums are not just containers for aquatic life; they are a masterpiece of artistry, craftsmanship, and innovation. In this blog post, we'll dive into what makes AQUA VIM fish tanks and aquariums so unique, and why they are the ultimate choice for those seeking both functionality and beauty in their aquatic displays. Unparalleled Design: At AQUA VIM, we believe that an aquarium should be more than just a glass box; it should be a work of art that complements your space. Our team of skilled artisans and designers work tirelessly to create visually striking and unique designs for our luxury fish tanks and aquariums. Whether you're looking for a contemporary, classic, or custom design, AQUA VIM has the expertise to bring your vision to life. Superior Craftsmanship: Our commitment to quality is unwavering. Each AQUA VIM fish tank and aquarium is handcrafted with precision using the finest materials available. From the high-grade glass to the intricately designed stands and cabinetry, every detail is carefully considered to ensure durability and longevity. We take pride in creating products that will stand the test of time. Innovative Filtration and Technology: We understand that maintaining a healthy aquatic environment is crucial. That's why AQUA VIM incorporates cutting-edge filtration and technology into our aquariums. Our advanced filtration systems ensure crystal-clear water and a stable environment for your fish and aquatic plants. Additionally, we offer customizable lighting options, temperature control, and automation to simplify aquarium maintenance. Customization Options: No two aquatic enthusiasts are the same, and neither are their preferences. AQUA VIM offers a wide range of customization options, allowing you to tailor your aquarium to your specific needs and preferences. From the choice of aquatic species to the layout of your aquascape, you have the freedom to create a truly unique underwater world. Your satisfaction is our priority. AQUA VIM offers exceptional customer support, from the initial consultation to ongoing maintenance. Our team of experts is always ready to assist you with any questions, concerns, or maintenance needs, ensuring that your luxury fish tank or aquarium remains a source of joy and tranquility. In the world of luxury fish tanks and aquariums, AQUA VIM stands as a beacon of excellence, artistry, and innovation. Our commitment to superior design, craftsmanship, technology, customization, and environmental responsibility sets us apart from the rest. When you choose AQUA VIM, you're not just acquiring a fish tank; you're investing in a unique aquatic masterpiece that will bring beauty and serenity to your life for years to come. Discover the AQUA VIM difference and elevate your aquatic experience today.

Date 05.01.22 Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, maintaining the right environment in your fish tank can be quite a challenge. Sometimes the tiniest changes can disrupt the aquatic world you have built, and the culprit can be difficult to identify. We’ve identified the biggest challenges to a healthy tank and provided tips on how you can overcome these obstacles, prevent future occurrences, and restore harmony in your fish tank. Here are the top 5. 1. Stress Bobbing along in the water, not worrying about your next meal doesn’t seem like it would be stressful. However, stress is a major factor in fish health. Like humans, fish have a biological response to stress that can affect their health and make them more susceptible to parasites and infections. Stress can be caused by too few fish, too few places to hide, harassment from other fish, excessive netting, or rearranging the tank ornaments. Anything that causes an uncomfortable environment can create stress in your fish. HOW TO BEAT IT Stress in your fish can be hard to identify but keeping a stress free tank doesn’t have to be difficult. Research your fish, so you know if any are likely to be more aggressive fish who may cause issues. Make the tank environment as natural as possible and provide plenty of hiding places for your fish. When introducing new fish to the tank, do it slowly, and acclimate them properly. Reducing stress will leave you with healthier, happier fish. 2. Poor Water Quality Rookie mistakes in keeping fish are failing to check the water quality before adding fish to an aquarium or adding too many fish before the nitrogen cycle has been properly established. The nitrogen cycle allows good bacteria to build up in the tank to help maintain appropriate nitrogen, nitrate, and ammonia levels. Decorations and gravel that are not specifically designed for fish tanks, can also negatively impact water quality. Gravel or rocks containing limestone can increase the pH of the water and affect fish that require a more alkaline environment. HOW TO BEAT IT When you set up your aquarium, allow it to run for 24 hours without adding fish. Slowly add fish, starting with a sturdy species that can handle a range of conditions, this will help kick start the nitrogen cycle and begin introducing beneficial bacteria to the tank. Test the water quality, weekly, this means tracking the pH, nitrogen, nitrates, ammonia level, hardness, and chlorine. Water testing kits are readily available, and easy to use. Only add items to your tank that are approved for aquarium use, to avoid introducing contaminants. Live plants, if carefully sourced can help maintain the water quality in a tank by absorbing excess ammonia. 3. Worms/Parasites Worms are a common occurrence in fish tanks and aren’t necessarily a sign of anything bad. Non-parasitic worms, such as Detritus worms have no effect on fish, and can in small populations be beneficial.  When worm populations get out of control, however, this can disrupt the balance of the tank environment. Overfeeding, improper cleaning, and failure to properly quarantine new fish and plants can all lead to the rapid spread of worms through the tank. Parasitic worms in fish can be aggravated by stress, poor nutrition, and poor tank conditions. Hookworms, roundworms, flukes, and tapeworms are common parasitic worms found in fish. They can infect the skin, digestive systems, gills, and eyes among other things. HOW TO BEAT IT Any experienced fish keeper will tell you, that you can not completely eradicate worms from your fish tank, but you can keep them at manageable levels. Do not overfeed your fish, the excess food can lead to the rapid reproduction of Detritus worms, clean the tank regularly, and carefully clean gravel before transferring it from tank to tank. Always quarantine new fish or live plants before adding them to your tank. You will want to keep them separated for 4 to 6 weeks to make sure they are free of parasites and disease. If you suspect your fish may have an infection due to parasitic worms do not attempt to treat them yourself. Take your fish to a veterinarian experienced in the care of aquatics to confirm the cause of the problem. Attempting to add chemicals that claim to kill worms in our tank, can negatively affect your fish as well. A veterinarian can help you find the correct treatment to keep your fish safe and parasite free. 4. Dropsy All fish diseases are problematic. Dropsy is common, but what makes it particularly troublesome is that it only attacks immunocompromised fish, and the symptoms can vary wildly. Dropsy is caused by the bacteria Aeromonas. Aeromonas is a common bacteria in fish tanks, but a fish that is suffering from any stress-inducing factor has a weakened immune system and this allows the bacteria a chance to infect the fish. Fish suffering from Dropsy can display a bristly appearance with scales standing out, bulging eyes, swollen anus, a curved spine, loss of appetite, lethargy, pale gills, pale stringy feces, clamped fins, and the classic symptom of a bulging swelling belly. They may display all of these symptoms, or very few, making diagnosis difficult. Further complicating diagnosis is that infected fish may display atypical symptoms such as skin lesions. As the disease progresses it causes the abdomen to fill with fluid as the liver and kidneys fail. Diagnosing and treating at the early stages is necessary for successfully treating this disease. HOW TO BEAT IT Noting any abnormal behavior in your fish plays an important role in stopping the spread of any disease. Normal tank maintenance will typically keep stress in your fish low by keeping chemicals properly balanced and reducing the stress of an unbalanced tank. Fish may be suffering from other stressors such as harassment by more aggressive fish, and observation will help you notice if any fish may be at risk of a lowered immune system. Any fish that appear to be behaving oddly should be removed immediately, and placed in a quarantine tank. This will help prevent the disease from spreading to other fish.  The quarantine tank should be treated with one teaspoon of salt per gallon of water in the tank. Combined with a healthy diet this should be enough to treat the Dropsy afflicted fish. Fish further in the disease process should be treated with an antibiotic.  5. Aggressive Fish It’s natural for fish to establish a pecking order, particularly when new fish are introduced into an aquarium. Aggressive behavior is also typical of certain species, however, aggression can go on long after a hierarchy has been established and species that are generally passive may suddenly turn into fin nippers. Establishing the cause of the aggressive behavior is important in maintaining the health of the entire tank. As we have mentioned, stress is a common factor in many health problems affecting fish, and bullies and aggressive behavior will increase the stress levels of the fish in the tank lowering their immune systems and making them more susceptible to opportunistic infections such as Dropsy. HOW TO BEAT IT Determining the root cause and getting control of the aggressive behavior is the only way to solve this problem before it becomes detrimental to all fish in the tank. If you are aware that the fish causing the problems are not typically aggressive there are several factors to consider. Are they protecting territory? Over time fish may become territorial over certain areas in the tank. Are they a shoaling species? If shoaling fish start turning aggressive it may be a sign that there aren’t enough of them in the tank, and they may be showing aggression in attempts to “socialize”. Is it time to increase your tank size? Even slight overcrowding will cause some fish to start behaving aggressively. Rearranging the tank to prevent territorial disputes can stop some spats. Providing shoaling fish with enough members of their species that they do not become aggressive, 3-4 generally, but not so many that the tank becomes overcrowded.  Maintaining a fish tank can seem overwhelming and full of challenges. As with anything, basic, preventative care will cut down on the challenges you may encounter. Following these tips to stop problems before they start will make it seem less like an insurmountable task, and more like a labor of love.     Sources: https://www.petmd.com/fish/conditions/infectious-parasitic/worms-fish-tanks-are-they-dangerous-fish https://www.thomaslabs.com/product/treating-worms-in-fish-aquariums/articles https://www.thesprucepets.com/dropsy-in-aquarium-fish-1381806 https://www.theaquariumguide.com/articles/dropsy-fish-disease https://www.thesprucepets.com/what-are-these-tiny-white-worms-1378753 https://fishkeepingadvice.com/dropsy/ https://aquariumtidings.com/danger-signs-fish-tanks/ https://petcentral.chewy.com/aquarium-fish-aggression/ https://www.themandaringarden.com/fish-bullying.html

If you’re here, we can assume you’re currently shopping for a fish aquarium. In your shopping travels, you’ve likely noticed that fish takes are typically made of two materials, acrylic or glass. While both materials have benefits, it’s hard to beat the quality and beauty of luxury glass fish tanks. The Differences Between Glass and Acrylic Aquariums Glass and acrylic fish tanks have many similarities, but we can state (with confidence) that they’re not the same. Each tank-make has differing price points, weights, properties, and materials. Acrylic, for example, is manufactured using acid or acrylate polymers which are essentially plastic. At the same time, glass is composed of soda, sand, and lime. The varying properties of acrylic and glass provide them with their own list of perks. Still, it’s hard for the competition to stack up when it comes to handmade glass aquariums. The Pros and Cons of Glass Aquariums Glass aquariums hold a place in the hearts of many fish and Sealife owners. Not only are they scratch-resistant and less expensive, but they provide greater clarity in your tank than acrylic aquariums. Of course, some would say that glass aquariums are more prone to breaking. At AQUA VIM, we challenge this by manufacturing our tanks with unparalleled glass strength, coming in at two times the recommended industry standard safety score! Indeed, glass aquariums are often heavier than acrylic tanks, but this is due to the durability and longevity that glass fish tanks offer.   The Pros and Cons of Acrylic Aquariums Acrylic aquariums tend to be impact-resistant but not unbreakable, and they’re lighter in weight than glass tanks. However, they become very heavy quickly when filled with water, depending on the size of your aquarium. Hence, it only makes sense to move them when empty. Acrylic tanks are prone to accumulating scratches on the inside and outside, which can mess with the overall clarity of the tank. They also tend to become discolored over time. This off-putting tint makes it hard for fish owners to determine if there’s something wrong with the water in the tank or if it’s just the natural and unavoidable color change of the acrylic tank. The aquarium that fish owners will ultimately choose has to fit their personal needs. Some people prefer a fun-shaped, lightweight tank over durability. Without question, glass tanks stand the test of time when properly handled and maintained. Understanding How to Distinguish Between Glass and Acrylic Tanks Distinguishing between glass and acrylic can be impossible, primarily if you’re shopping online and you don’t have access to a full product description. Product specifications are the only way to tell the difference when shopping virtually. If you go out shopping, it becomes easier to tell the difference between glass and acrylic fish tanks. Shoppers can easily differentiate an acrylic fish tank from a glass tank by tapping the tank surface with a metal object, such as a change piece or a ring. Glass emits a high-pitched sound when tapped, while acrylic sounds dull. Generally, glass is cooler to the touch, and acrylic tanks often have a solid top. Suppose you’re looking for a glass tank and unsure how to tell the difference. In that case, the clarity of the glass is a good indication. We encourage you to ask a sales associate or, better yet, skip the store and shop for the highest quality luxury glass fish tanks with Aqua Vim. Our fish tanks are original, beautiful, and designed to last. We refuse to use acrylic in our manufacturing process, successfully steering clear of the dull, aging tank problem that often accompanies acrylic fish tanks. We believe that our clients deserve better. Choosing AQUA VIM Glass Fish Tanks There are many reasons that AQUA VIM glass fish tanks are the best option available on the market today. Our tanks are beautiful, fitting easily into any home’s decor, and they’re made of 100% glass. From unparalleled glass strength to beautiful wood cabinetry, we’re completely unlike the standard fish tank manufacturers. We offer a lifetime limited warranty on our tanks. We’re completely obsessed with keeping your home safe while emphasizing the well-being of your animals. AQUA VIM works hard to create the ideal environment for aquamarine and underwater life and the people who enjoy keeping them as companions. Contact our team of aquarium specialists at AQUA VIM today if you’re interested in learning more about our AQUA VIM luxury glass fish tanks. We remain dedicated to providing top-notch customer service with high-quality products that always aim to please, handcrafted by us, and made for you.