Made from naturally occurring material, BioSand® Beads are a natural product made up mostly of silica dioxide ìsandî manufactured into tiny porous spheres. BioSand® Liquid is mineral enriched water that also provides the aquarium with new families of bacteria with every partial water change.
Tap water usually has chemical purifiers added to it so that it's safe for humans, but, in most cases, your tap water is not safe for aquariums use. Bottled Spring water is a better choice. However, the best way to know if your water is aquarium safe is to use an inexpensive test kit (sold at your local pet store).
Red or Greenhedge, Red Crinkle, Brazillian Sword, Banana Plant, Java Fern
Algae are very tiny plant-like organisms that thrive on light. They are the earliest traces of life on Earth and are known to have existed about 35 billion years ago. They come in a variety of colors - usually brown or green. They can also be blue-green, yellow-green, golden-brown and even red.
Algae growth happens in all aquariums and is not harmful to your fish. It doesn't look good, though, and sometimes covers the entire sides of an aquarium so that you can hardly see your fish at all. It can grow on the leaves of the aquatic plant and make it look brown and unsightly. Remember, algae needs light. Reduce the light and you'll reduce the algae.
Here's what to do if algae begins to get out of control:
If the above suggestions don't work fast enough, pour out the beads and water into a clean bowl, transfer your fish to a temporary bowl and wipe off the inside of the container with a paper towel or algae pad. Thoroughly rinse the container with hot water and fill it with the beads and water from the temporary bowl. Do this gently so as not to traumatize your fish. When doing this, you can pour the water through a paper towel or coffee filter to get out some of the gunk that's accumulated on the botton. Once back together again, the aquarium will settle in a few hours and you and your fish will be happy with the results.
HINT: Some people use a household turkey baster about once a month to suck out the gunk on the bottom of the aquarium. You'll be sucking up some beads, too, so be sure to squirt out the water, gunk and beads into a strainer or net.
While BioSand® Beads are colorful and decorative, you can still put in decorations like castles and caves. Ask at your local pet store to be sure they're safe for aquarium use.
BioSand's Do-Little Aquariums are available, nationwide, in gift, pet, and nature stores. They're also in museum shops, toy and educational stores, and are even in some food stores. Here are some retail stores that have multiple locations. Maybe there's one near you!
Nationwide: The Learning Express Stores
In the Southeast: Wonder Works and Ingles
Retail Stores by zip code - Under Construction :-)
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