Common Aquarium Keeping Myths
Updated 10/5/24
FORWARD:
A little thought for readers, since not all myths are addressed here; Besides Social Media and Aquarium forums which drives these myths, often what I have found via many emails and conversations over the years is simply laziness to read good information or simply allow for mentoring which was very prevalent in my formative years in the hobby/industry but often seems to be a lost art of late.
I am not trying to be insulting to readers, as often the myths and misinformation are in simple and easy to read blog, web site, & forum posts. While good scientific based information usually takes much more time to read, often due to the fact it takes multiple readings to understand the information as well.
It is also noteworthy that in my opinion, much of the misinformation spread is not intentional, maybe just lazy fact checking at worst.
However those who truly are interested in helping our hobby move forward will always update and fact check. I cannot tell you how many of my article updates are based on others correcting even just small errors or confusing wording (my Nitrogen Cycle article had a major error that I had to update).
Often those posting myths also employ methods of attacking the authors of science based information via Ad Hominem attacks rather than the indisputable subject matter.
Examples such as rather than accepting that an inferior LED light wastes more energy as heat, which is a scientific fact, they go after the author or make comments such as this one from Reef Central: "TMC is an obscure brand" (which is not true anyway, since this brand has been well established in professional circles for decades).
Aquarium Chemistry is another subject ripe with myths.
So please read these myths with an open mind and follow the references for a better understanding.
INDEX
*The Myth that a Multi-Stage RO System WITH a DI Chamber is Required for Most all Freshwater and Saltwater Aquariums
*The Myth that that Catastrophic Heater Failure is the Number One Cause Of Aquarium Crashes
*The Myths of Biotope Aquarium/Fish Keeping (Exact Water Parameters)
*The Myth of Aquarium Test Strip Lack Of Accuracy
*The Myth of Stress/Boredom Induced Betta Tail Biting
*The Myth of an Acrylic Aquarium versus Glass Aquarium
*The Myth of UV Sterilization being only for Aquarium/Pond Clarification
*The Myth of PAR as a definitive measurement of LED Light energy for planted or reef aquariums
*The Myth of Feeding Beef Heart as a Mainstay for Discus
*The Myth of that Chinese "knock-off" Sponge Filters are not copying the ATI/AAP Hydro Sponge patened design
*The Myth of using Community Driven Reviews as a way to determine product quality
*The Myth of proper accreditation for Aquarium/Pond UV Sterilization Sizing
The Myth that Multi-Stage RO System WITH a DI Chamber is Required for Most all Freshwater and Saltwater Aquariums.
In my experience, this was another myth that was de-bunked long ago (as per my discussions with others such as researchers from Aquatronics), but has resurfaced because social media and dare I say, many persons inability to think on their own.
I do not know where it started, my guess is a popular online discount reef supply retailer. However regardless, online personalities with lack of history and/or experience took the lure and swam with it!In my opinion, this myth has become the most successful aquarium keeping myths in my career based on the sheer volume of persons who have bought into it, especially considering it was debunked long ago (not to mention common logic being thrown under the bus in falling for this myth).
Without going into detail, all a DI chamber is going to do for ones water over an effective, well made RO only system is to remove all ions and lower TDS slightly.
For a car battery, this would be important, as we certainly want neutral electrically charged (ion neutral) water, but for a saltwater tank that has a pH of 8.2, why would anyone care that the RO water might have a pH above 7.0?
Even for a planted freshwater tank, any water coming from a good RO system that has say a pH of say 7.8, there is no alkaline buffer to back this up and the pH is quickly neutralized by any acids present.
It is also noteworthy that if you do not add electrolytes back into our RO/DI aquarium water, you can can have a dangerously poor aquarium Redox since aquarium water needs to have some ionic charge.
Reference: Aquarium RedoxAs for TDS, basically the same thing applies, a small TDS reading is not going to cause ANY issues with either your fresh or saltwater aquarium.
Years of observations and use by me & others bears this out! Some say by controlling TDS or having a DI module, your nitrates coming out of the system are guaranteed neutral. Well my answer is, I ALWAYS had ZERO nitrate readings with properly maintained and well built RO systems.
Personally, my view is the reason these got marketed in the first place (besides more equipment to sell and resins for DI to purchase later), is that the cheaper RO systems being used by these persons did not have zero nitrate readings.For those who ask to prove my point, well the burden of proof is these persons telling others they need to purchase questionable additional equipment to show how a marginal amount higher TDS makes a difference in either marine or planted tanks since these persons are the ones promoting this often fictitious need.
Then these promoters need to explain how 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates from a well designed RO system are any worse than a more expensive to maintain combination RO/DI system also with 0 nitrates and 0 phosphates?? What is the difference of 0 from 0, come on people!! THE SCIENCE DOES NOT LIE!The next question based on the fact an DI chamber will do just as the name implies; remove "ions", how is it that a pH of 7.8 out of an RO only for a marine make any difference over a pH of 7.0 from an RO/DI or DI only (or even planted freshwater aquarium, since there would be no buffers after the RO process to maintain this pH and the pH would fall immediately once exposed to acids or CO2).
My four + decades in the hobby and history in speaking to many leaders long before the "cut and paste" world of the internet speak for itself for those refusing to use common sense with this myth, but mentoring and respect for others who have extensive experience in this hobby along with mentoring has gone the way of the Dodo bird in many aquarium keeping circles.
In calling out this myth, unfortunately even forums and admins therein have bought into this and have made personal logical fallacy/inflammatory remarks as to my work or those who have simply exercised common sense in supporting my work in the hobby/industry (an unfortunate example has been PNWMAS who has an unfortunate history of attacks upon my work).Really, in the end, the only reason to spend your money on an RO/DI system is because your home or office is run on a whole house/office water softener that adds sodium ions to the water that would throw everything else out of balance.
Honestly, and sorry to be so blunt, if a person still believes this myth, this person has bought into one of the biggest myths in the history of aquarium keeping.
As well if these same persons want to believe this just because several popular aquarium keepers also believe it, go right ahead and also if these same persons tell you to jump off a cliff, do not say I did not warn you.Strongly Suggested Further Reading:
Use of RO, DI, Softwater in AquariumsRecommended product for use with RO water or even tap water to provide mineral Cations essential for Redox balance and thus fish health:
Wonder Shells from AAP; the ONLY online authorized seller!!The Myth that that Catastrophic Heater Failure is the Number One Cause Of Aquarium Crashes.
While for some this might be true, but I have to ask is this a case of heater failure or poor planning?I have kept 1000s of aquariums in my professional aquarium maintenance and design company (100+ at the Bahooka Restaurant alone) and I can think of only a couple where catastrophic heater failure caused a total aquarium crash.
Speaking of the Bahooka, I had a very large Pacu once bite through a heater, both frying himself and the tank, but I am sorry this does not count IMO.Generally when a heater fails it simply stops working, this goes for the better heaters such as the Ebo Jager or Via Aqua.
The problem with this myth is that many do not properly utilize heaters.While over heating failures are less common, even these rarely cause catastrophic results if used properly. If you place a 300 watt heater in a 10 gallon aquarium and it over heats, the chances are the results will be catastrophic! But then why are you placing this size heater in this size aquarium.
Often what I have heard is the store or website said to and stated the more watts the better. Unfortunately proper matching of wattage, tank size and ambient room temperature prevents this in most all cases! At worse in most cases is you will have a very warm tank!!!With large tanks, what I usually have done is two or more heaters adding up to this ambient temperature, aquarium size, heater wattage formula, which further prevents this issue.
Sadly this rumor seems to trace back to the same online retailer of bulk aquarium supplies as the DI myth!!
Further Reading (including heater/aquarium matching formula):
Aquarium Heaters; Review, Size, Heater InformationThe Myths of Biotope Aquarium/Fish Keeping (Exact Water Parameters).
Many fish keepers wanting to keep the best habitat for their finned pets often will get hung up on attempting to keep exact conditions to their fish' native habitat. What is not realized is that in an aquarium, which is a CLOSED system, it is generally impossible.
Just as important, often keeping the exact conditions does not guarantee a long lifespan, in fact quite the opposite often turns out to be the case.For instance even though a Betta can get oxygen from surfacing to the top of the tank for some air, this does not mean the optimum environment is a small bowl without any circulation or filtration. This is simply an adaptation that allows the Betta in the wild to survive harsh changes between monsoon and drought.
An example elsewhere in the animal kingdom is the wolf. The wolf is well adapted for the hash conditions they live in, HOWEVER the wolf generally only lives 3-4 years in the wild while living 14 years in captivity.
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The other part of this myth that is even more misunderstood is the water parameters of pH, KH, and especially GH.
Many aquarium keepers will knowingly remove different minerals that make up GH believing that a GH over 100 ppm is bad for certain fish such as Discus when there is NO EVIDENCE to support this, other than the GH of the Amazon.
HOWEVER, the Amazon is an "open system", so while the GH is low, there are still ESSENTIAL mineral Cations, just in a very diluted high tannin water!
BETTER would be to still add back the tannins, and still add a small, but constant source of mineral Cations, even if this means a GH of 300 ppm as this will NOT harm your Discus or similar biotope water fish!!While anecdotal, I can note that in my four decades of fish keeping, literally 1000s of clients aquariums, I have had many mixed community aquariums where-by I have kept many South American "soft water" biotope fish along with fish such as Tanganyikan Cichlids in water with high pH, GH, and KH.
The fish thrived assuming I kept the aquarium properly filtered (generally including UV Sterilization), with otherwise good nitrogen cycle parameters, and a balanced Redox.In summary, just because fish in the wild live in certain conditions, it doesn't mean we have to create the same conditions in our aquariums.
Fish we keep in our tanks are generally bred in aquariums and are used to many different types of conditions. Fish, just like humans, can adapt to different conditions.
This simply means, having a proper GH, with a good pH and KH will be some of the best conditions we can make for a fish in a aquarium. Trying to keep water parameters just like where the fish is 'from', doesn't ensure a long thriving life for the fish.Highly recommended science based reading:
*Aquarium Chemistry; GH Section
*Aquarium RedoxThe Myth of Aquarium Test Strip Lack Of Accuracy.
This myth has been around a long time, but has exploded of late in social media (although some older traditional forums have some better discussions).I have used test strips and compared the results with liquid tests in literally 1000s of applications over my professional aquarium maintenance career and the differences are zero to small when you compare most common aquarium strips to common liquid test kits.
Obviously when one compares to laboratory grade liquid test kits & meters (such as by Hanna or Lamotte), then the differences are more noteworthy.Where this myth can become a problem is with newbies, as often, especially with titration liquid test kits such as GH/KH, newbies often struggle and then give up when for both these parameters. A good general idea from a test strip is all that is needed with both of these parameters (ditto with nitrates).
However I have had many a beginner aquarium keeper complain to me that they will not test these parameters after someone in some forum told them test strips were junk and they found the liquid test too difficult.The problem is that many will incorrectly use and store their test strip container.
Common Mistakes in Use:
- Sticking wet fingers into the container (thus exposing to moisture which degrade future results).
- As well, failing to add a desiccant can also allow for moisture damage.
- The third mistake often made is allowing water to run between test squares/panels, often making results read incorrectly.
As well, when we use test strips, we are simply looking for trends and changes, so 100% accuracy is not needed here. If one is busy, a test strip is an easy way to take a quick measurement of water parameters, then explore any poor results or changes in more depth with a liquid or even better electronic test meter.
From my "Aquarium Answers Test Kits" Article:
"I constantly read online or get questions from aquarium keepers about the so called lack of accuracy of test strips or common liquid test kits such as the API line (I by no means am a supporter of all things API). All we are looking for in general aquarium keeping husbandry is trends and reasonable ball park figures, not 10ths of a degree accuracy needed for some scientific experiment (remember, we are not working on a cure for cancer here, just getting basic generalized numbers of our aquarium water parameters).Often, as with those who improperly use a medication (such as wrong parameters, incorrect dose, etc.), many will have one or two "bad experiences" and label a test kit as inaccurate.
HOWEVER in my 1000s of daily tests, I have to throw out the very rare anomaly and state I have found little difference in most basic test kits as per what the job requires (I also performed many controlled tests of test kits & strips).IN FACT, most "bad" readings were still traceable to user error on my part such as sticking a wet finger in the container in previous tests, failing to place a desiccant in the container after initial opening, or not holding the strip flat after dipping, thus allowing mixing of water between test squares. When used properly, 1000s of accurate readings over a few decades of professional use DO NOT LIE!
Even when a reading is not 100% accurate, does a KH reading of 160 ppm versus 140 ppm make that much difference as long as it is showing trends such as a decreasing KH (possibly indicating an ever increasing bio load which would likely then call for lowering the bio loads and/or increasing water changes and increasing alkaline buffers)??
The exception would be for measuring rH (Relative Hydrogen) where a highly accurate ORP and pH reading are needed to complete this formulation."And This:
"It is always best to have as many different test kits as you can afford (as they apply to either freshwater or saltwater.
I prefer to purchase my test kits separately as most master test kits duplicate tests I do not use regularly and leave out essential ones I (& others) need for established aquarium such as KH and GH, or possibly Phosphate, Calcium, or Redox.The API 5 in 1 Test Strips (and similar by Mardel & Tetra) often have the tests that I generally use for my established tanks in a very convenient form that are accurate enough for regular monitoring (then stepping up to a liquid or test meter if something is off).
I find these vastly more useful and time efficient than so-called Master Test Kits which exclude the very important GH, and KH tests (without a KH test one cannot correctly maintain a steady pH or track bio load and without a GH one cannot monitor essential minerals).
The only missing test is for ammonia, however the nitrite test is often all one needs for an established aquarium. For my newer client's aquarium or simply quick reference in my established aquariums, I prefer a SeaChem Ammonia Alert as this is an easy to notice warning test that is always present in the aquarium. More importantly this test kit test ONLY the toxic NH3, NOT the non toxic NH4 ammonium combined with NH4 most other ammonia test kits cannot differentiate between."The Myth of Stress/Boredom Induced Betta Tail Biting.
OVERVIEW
While one cannot be 100% conclusive that this is a myth; all scientific based research (including scouring the Internet for even just one conclusive picture), as well as years of experience keeping 100s of Bettas point to this being a myth.
Just as noteworthy, is that this has been accepted as a myth by the professional and scientific aquarium keeping community for decades (long before the internet)!
Before I go on, especially since social media influencers and search engines seem to accept this myth; for decades this has been accepted as a myth and as per accepted scientific method, it is up to those who do not agree with accepted science to disprove, which to date no such proof has been forthcoming!
Thus, stress/boredom induced betta fish tail biting to this date is still a myth, despite social media, blog, and search engine claims.
As we will discuss, the logical explanation for observed tail biting has always been the betta attacking itself either due to a reflection or simply seeing its own tail fins, as readers should be reminded, that Betta fish, like most animals (but not all, including a few specific fish), ARE NOT SELF AWARE!HISTORY
This seems to have sprung from popular Betta keeping forums, just as the made up (myth) of a fish disease: "Red Pest".
Unfortunately just as in "Red Pest", this myth has grown wings in re-post after re-post to the point many now believe this actually happens when in reality there are better explanations for the damaged tail or behavior Betta keepers think they are observing.Further Reference for "Red Pest":
Red Pest, Invented Fish Disease, Actually SepticemiaDETAILS
For starters, biting of ones self when it has some sort of irritation (itch, stress, boredom, etc.) is a warm blooded animal phenomenon.
You will not see a lizard, fish, etc. biting itself. Rather you will see these animals scratching against a rock or similar due to irritations. This is more commonly known as "flashing".
However, it is quite common for a bird or dog to literally decimate themselves over irritations or stress. Stress decimation has never been proven in cold blooded animals!.
Readers might also note that a search engine inquiry will find that all results state that cold blooded animals do not bite themselves due to stress or boredom.
Interestingly, a question posed to AI such as Bing's CoPilot will state that cold blooded animals do not bite themselves due to stress/boredom. YET, when you press the AI as to why it will promote this myth with its results, it will have no good answer, which of course the reason why is there indeed is no good answer other than search engines promoting social media over science!Further Reading:
Warm-Blooded vs. Cold-BloodedMost likely the damage observed is due to poor water parameters & care, or damage from decor such as rocks. This is especially true when a current is strong and/or the fish is weak.
Here are a few recommended resources, the first is a MUST READ where following each point is a must (or at least as many points as possible). The second is just some basics to Betta care:
*A Healthy Aquarium, Disease Prevention
*Betta Profiles, CareOften what persons have described in videos is actually healthy Bettas showing aggression attempting to bite itself, not actual stress induced biting.
Here is one such video example. This video claims tail biting, but does not show tail biting, rather just common Betta aggression whereby damage is mostly likely from impacting objects in the aquarium/bowl:
YouTube; Betta fish tail biting
OR this again showing aggression biting, not stress
YouTube; Male Betta Biting His Tail
Every other YouTube video is someone assuming their poor Betta is biting their tail, many showing Aeromonas and not treating for the real problem. This is how bad this myth has spread!!Another point is that this myth was dismissed by most in the professional aquarium keeping industry (including in fish illness seminars I attended), it was not until the Internet that it exploded that is suddenly became truth to many via non science based blogs re-posting the same information as an attempt to explain to many what they were seeing was tail biting like one might see with a stressed bird.
Most of these blogs are regurgitating the same information (copy & paste) even the same diagram. One blog was by a friend (NippyFish) that I know was hijacked by a Russian (where I have been attempting to help her with DMCA acts that so far have gone nowhere, thanks Google), so this is far from trustworthy.
Yet, even with these facts presented to them, a few aquarium keeping groups such as the otherwise intelligent "Fish Tank Enablers Facebook Group" continue to push this myth and their Admins will remove experts in their field if this myth is pointed out (sadly this type of behavior is typical with many groups including "Live Aquaria" Facebook Group which is a group I strongly advice to avoid!)An interesting point that many of these non professional based blogs have in common is they state that certain bite shapes in tail damage are proof of biting when in fact this is simply more an indicator of the pathogen. The so called "Betta biting chunk" is typical of a Columnaris infection where by chunks of tissue simply fall off.
More common though of Betta Fin Rot is a more ragged deterioration which these blogs claim (correctly) is more from fin rot. Problem is Fin Rot is not a disease per say, rather symptom (just like Septicemia or so called Red Pest). This more ragged fin damage is more common of an Aeromonas or Pseudomonas infection.Here is one of the copy & paste pictures that these blogs have shared that I have corrected to the correct diagnosis as per known science:
Of course one might ask what does it matter?
Why getting this right matters is such myths distract from the real causes and addressing these, especially if a case of fin rot is involved.
This especially becomes critical when the fin rot is caused by Columnaris, albeit a less common cause of such damage, as Columnaris can be an aggressive infection if not addressed while the misled fish keeper attempts to address an incorrect cause.
Luckily often Columnaris is stress related, so the non experienced aquarium keeper removers the stressor and boom, they think they cured their Betta tail biting and the myth goes one!!While this myth is maybe not as easy to dismiss for some, we also need to compare to another myth that is; that is that Melafix is harmful to Bettas and certain other fish where observations to not hold up to science based scrutiny.
Just because we see something does not mean the cause is what we see.
It is also up to those who make this claim of stress induced tail biting in Bettas to prove that this is indeed the case since this goes up against previously established science (not the other way around for those holding to the science already established to prove themselves).
References:
Burden of proof
Wikipedia; Evidence (Science)The point of this article calling out this myth is not to tell people they did not see their Betta chasing their tail (or calling them a liar), is that the explanation of stress related biting is not correct.
A similar analogy could be made about a student seeing a leaf float on a breeze and telling the teacher that there are exceptions to gravity when in fact the student clearly saw what he saw, but the explanation is more to the aerodynamics of the leaf (thus the teacher is not calling the student out as a liar either, just correcting the student).This is similar to the Melafix myth/controversy, where by science has clearly demonstrated this is not true when used correctly and moreover that often it is the disease Melafix is being used to treat is what actually killed the fish (which is actually a poor fish remedy for most problems).
This is like saying, "I have a headache, therefore I have a brain tumor" or looked at another way; "my friend took aspirin for their headache and it killed them" when in reality they were treating a brain tumor with aspirin.
More about the Melafix Myth: Melafix Dangers; Betta, Labyrinth Fish, Pencil FishIn the end, those that are pushing this likely myth, should look past the lazy social media posts and cut & paste blogs (including pirated ones), and look at true causes of stress that affect fish such as oxidative stress (this might include utilizing a GH test & Redox meter).
While this reading might take more effort along with exploring the lost art of mentoring, in the end you will find more yourself more equipped to make a good answer for these tail problems in Bettas than the lazy answer of a stressed Betta biting its tail.
Reference: Oxidative Stress & RedoxFinally, here is a video that demonstrates the problem I mostly have with this myth, whether one want to believe stress related tail biting in Bettas or not, this has convinced many Betta keepers that this is the problem when in fact it is a clear cut fin rot infection that needed to be treated by proven prevention and treatment methods (not just aquarium salt). This poor lady is obviously convinced her poor betta is biting itself (no evidence is shown) when it is obvious the Betta has tail rot, likely here from Aeromonas bacterium:
YouTube; Olaf is tail bitingRecommended Reading Disease References:
*Fin & Tail Rot in Bettas & other Fish; Treatment and Prevention
*Treatment, Identification of: Aeromonas in Fish
*Treatment, Identification, & Prevention of Columnaris in FishRecommended Product for Bettas:
*Aquarium Sponge Filter from AAP/ATI
The only authorized online seller of the full line of AAP Hydro Sponge Filters. up to FIVE TIMES the capacity of most sponge filters promoted in forums and YouTube videos (even higher efficiency than Swiss Tropical)The Myth of an Acrylic Aquarium versus Glass Aquarium.
I have read and had emails from people who believe that an acrylic aquarium is the safe/better choice for any aquarium. This is simply not true when the facts of manufacturer, construction, and experience are factored in.
Yes, maybe for a very large aquarium such as one over 250 gallons the acrylic is the better choice, especially when weight and off site construction are considered. For the average aquarium, especially those 75 gallons or less this is factually false.
Let me address the facts and why some might come to this false conclusion:
- Acrylic is more flexible, thus allowing for better expansion of the aquarium once filled. This might be partly true, however for the average aquarium, if constructed is properly made out of float glass, there is ample flexibility.
HOWEVER, many builders of aquariums have cheapened their product by using tempered glass in all or part of the aquarium.
The facts are, while tempered glass might be great for automotive wind shields, it's terrible for aquariums due to its brittle nature and inability to stretch.
So, if you are thinking of purchasing one of these tempered glass aquariums, acrylic would be the better choice. If your choice is between a properly constructed glass aquarium made out of float glass and acrylic, a glass aquarium has all the flexibility needed when proper thickness and bracing is provided. - Acrylic is less likely to have a major water leak.
In both my experience with 1000s of aquariums and with the knowledge of construction methods, this is simply NOT TRUE!
Small leaks in the seams and tops of glass aquariums are again often due to poor construction or poor silicone choices used are definitely more common in glass tanks.
HOWEVER, when it comes to catastrophic "explosions" of the aquarium, acrylic aquariums win hands down as per being the higher risk. This is based on hard numbers when one compares the number of acrylic aquariums I have kept versus the actual catastrophic leak events.
Just as importantly, an explanation is generally forth coming and that's often because many acrylic aquariums do not use enough cement and do not properly clamp the aquarium during construction and this results in the glue not properly "melting" the acrylic panels together. This allows for a potential sudden separation of the panels some day. - Acrylic is stronger than glass.
Pound per pound, kilogram per kilogram this might be true, but when one uses the correct glass thickness compared to the correct acrylic thickness, the glass aquarium constructed out of float glass does just fine.
Now if you plan to play baseball near your aquarium, then I might suggest the acrylic aquarium, but for normal aquarium placement, this is not a factor for aquariums under 250 pounds.
As a side note, with the correct silicone use, a safe well constructed aquarium up to 750 gallons can be built. So make sure you do not use these cheap hardware store brands that are not specifically designed for aquarium construction.
Further Reference:
*Aquarium Silicone, Tank Repair, Applications, DIY, How To UseAquarium Construction Grade Product Resource:
*American Aquarium; Fish Safe Construction Grade Silicone- Acrylic is more flexible, thus allowing for better expansion of the aquarium once filled. This might be partly true, however for the average aquarium, if constructed is properly made out of float glass, there is ample flexibility.
The Myth of UV Sterilization being only for Aquarium/Pond Clarification.
Even though disproved years ago via controlled tests that involved fish longevity and incidence of disease as well as UV Sterilizations affect on Redox, this myth still persists in certain aquarium keeping circles.
This myth has been helped by the flood of cheap Chinese UV sterilizers, such as the Green Killing Machine that are often marketed as UV sterilizers when in reality these are only clarifiers. People will purchase these cheap UVs and then find no help other than clarification and then continue to spread the myth.BTW, this is not to say all Chinese made UVs are only clarifiers, but that most of those sold on Amazon or elsewhere for under $50 simply cannot even afford to use the correct low pressure UV bulb and instead utilize the cheap medium pressure UV bulbs that have flooded the market, and are really only meant for nail curing.
This also is not to say that the Green Killing Machine does not do a good job with clarification; HOWEVER many less than knowledgeable retailers often market this product as a true level one capable UV Sterilizer when it is not.
As well, one aquarium supply website in particular markets all sorts of submersible and HOB UVs as sterilizers when the facts and science of level one UVC sterilization show these to be clarifiers AT BEST!The result is persons purchasing these products and observing no differences other than clarification and then going into anecdotal forums such as PNWMAS or FishLore and stating that ANY UV sterilizer is only good for clarification. This is bad misinformation at its worse.
To understand more about what true level one or even level two sterilization an and cannot do, I strongly suggest reading the following article:
UV Sterilization for Aquarium or Pond; Facts & InformationBelow is are some pictures that demonstrate the abilities of level one UV sterilization on oxidizers (Redox) in an aquarium. Since these oxidizers are harmful to long and even short term fish health, this is further simple visual evidence to disprove this dishonest myth.
The aquarium on the right utilizes a level one UV Sterilizer while the one on the left does not. Clarification of an oxidizer (Potassium Permanganate) is more quickly removed by the aquarium with the UV Sterilizer.
Courtesy the above cited article about UV Sterilization
In the end, if you want true level 1 or 2 sterilization and the most reliable UV Sterilizer on the market, the new AAP- TMC Vecton Titan UV Sterilizers are what you want.
These are not only the most efficient UV Sterilizers, but the most reliable too.
Beware that there are some non authorized sellers of these UVs too, so do not fall for the unusually low price, as AAP is one of only two authorized sellers in the USA (both selling at or above authorized MAP pricing). If you buy from a non authorized seller your warranty will be void, and just as importantly, AAP (American Aquarium Products) has been in business selling these products for decades and offers lifetime free repair beyond warranty (only pay for parts and shipping), which no other seller offers.The Myth of PAR as a definitive measurement of LED Light energy for planted or reef aquariums.
This is another myth spread by forums and blogs where I will not judge the intentions, but it's clear that giving just part of the facts (PAR), these forums and blogs are misleading via omission of key facts.A good example is a popular blog author who also speaks in many reef keeping conventions and forums.
This marketing professional (Ph.D in Marketing) makes some eye catching graphs that really promote certain LED lights such as the EcoTech over others. YET he completely skips over the lighting parameter of PUR (Photosynthetically Useful Radiation).
This in my opinion is very misleading, whether by intention or not.This individual makes neat maps for many of the popular LED Lights, but obviously skips over the industry leader in PUR & PAR efficiency (aAP/TMC AquaRay LEDs) in his published data and articles.
Sadly, heat is a symptom of a light that is wasting energy, since heat is energy wasted not going to produce light. This is typical with high PAR (with low PAR efficiency), but lower PUR lights and a symptom is also the need for cooling fans.The scientific FACTS are that one could have a LED light with a much higher PAR than another, yet be considerable inferior in actually useful light energy produced that a coral or plant requires.
QUOTE from "PUR vs PAR in Aquarium Lighting":
"Using T12 Fluorescent lights of equal length & wattage as an example, where by lumens per watt, light spread, input energy is ALL EQUAL; when we switched from a warm white light to a trichromatic daylight T12, plant growth increased"
The above quote is known history, every factor is the same (input energy, length of lamp, etc), the only difference was/is PUR further proving the point!An extreme example would be it you made a LED fixture with nothing but green and UVA emitters while making a balanced PUR fixture that hits all the important PUR efficiency wave light lengths.
Since the green emitter are at most 70% efficient and as little as 20% efficient and little of the UVA is useful PUR energy, but if this light had say 120 watts versus the balanced LED fixture at 30 watts input energy, the LED fixture of 120 watts using green/UVA emitters would be judged superior based on these often absurd graphs published by this individual then copied all over the Internet in forums, etc. when in REALITY, this fictitious 120 watt fixture would actually be much less useful in light energy provided!!Another key aspect of PAR missed by almost all in the hobby and the industry, especially when attempting to shill the latest LED light from China is PAR efficiency, which is easily proven with simple math.
All one needs to do is take the input wattage. Then get the PAR reading in air, which the standard is generally 12-15 inches (air is more accurate than water which can vary for even the same light). Then divide the PAR by the wattage and you get the efficiency of PAR per input wattage. The lower the better and it is quite noteworthy that often the latest light "flavor of the month" is well above average (The average .45 watt per µMol•m²•sec of PAR).
The better LEDs such as the AAP AquaRay line are well below .24 watt per PAR mmol with the low quality LEDs coming in at .45 and higher.One might ask why does PAR efficiency matter?
1st, the main reason LEDs were brought to market was efficiency over other lighting systems, but if you are needing to use 300 watt LED systems to do the same jobe a 90 watt system can do, one has ask why bother??
2nd, the reason for poor efficiency is wasted energy as heat which degrades equipment and can over heat the aquarium as well as wasted efficiency due to poor emitters & PUR as noted earlier.Some Recommended Reading on this subject:
*PUR vs PAR in Aquarium Lighting (LED)
*Aquarium Lighting; Complete Information
*EcoTech Radion Versus TMC Aqua Ray HO LED Aquarium Lights
*PUR or RQE, YouTube Video Fail- Guide to lighting a planted tankThe Myth of Feeding Beef Heart as a Mainstay for Discus.
This is another myth that was "put to bed" many years ago by fish keeping gurus such as Martin A. Moe and Marc Weiss but has unfortunately recently re-surfaced in social media.Here is a quote from Martin A. Moe (a known expert in the field of fish keeping for decades):
"Fish are cold blooded and all digestion reactions take place at 70 to 80F, the temp of aquarium water. Thus they may not be able to efficiently digest or use the types of fats present in the flesh of warm blooded animals. They are much better off with the flesh of animals that are similar to their normal prey"It is also noteworthy that the amino acids (which make up proteins) are not ones that are easily utilized by fish.
Another issue with the use of Beef Heart is due to its make up, it often leads to considerable aquarium pollution when used regularly, which is another reason to use sparingly (if at all).While in my own tests/studies with feeding Discus Beef Heart, the occasional treat had no discernible negative affect, and the Discus most certainly enjoyed the trimmed and chopped beef heart, it is regular/consistent feeding we are talking about here.
References:
Fish Nutrition; Beef Heart
YouTube; Discus Fish Care Tips
YouTube: Exclusive interview with Discus fish legend Marc WeissThe Myth of that Chinese "knock-off" Sponge Filters are not copying the ATI/AAP Hydro Sponge patened design.
What is the importance of of knowing the truth? With the flood of cheap (1) Chinese knock offs, (2) patent infringing copies (Patent 5203990), and (3) long time competitors that are simply less efficient due to sponge material quality and lack of different sponge pore sizes; the answer is A LOT!
One thing all three have in common is a poor sponge material design, which is also how costs are shaved!
I have seen YouTube comments by persons who only know these sponge filters by the above noted categories, not by the use of a patented AAP/Hydro Sponge Filter.
With a poorly designed sponge, much of the muck that is held by the sponge is trapped in the outer part of the sponge. A good test is when the sponge is removed, a good portion drips back into the aquarium if not removed very carefully. Then when rinsing, it does not take much to clean these sponges.
With a patented AAP/Hydro Sponge, generally the same amount of muck might drip back into the aquarium upon removal, however the big difference is when rinsing and squeezing to get clean in a small bucket of used aquarium water (or de-chlorinated water), it often takes 2 or 3 water changes in this bucket for the sponge to come clean!!!
The picture below demonstrates the high density of sponge pores found in a quality sponge. This is unlike most every other sponge which have more in common with the foam in your couch cushion!
Let's look at each of these in a bit more detail:
- Patent infringing copies: Here we again still generally see a poor sponge used to save on production cost for much lower capacity of bio and mechanical filtration. HOWEVER because the patented interchangeable design has been copied, flow patterns and versatility are definitely better.
Sadly Hydro-Sponge has ceased battling many of these companies infringing on their patent here due to time and money involved (not to mention that while AAP/Hydro Sponge is 100% American made, it is nearly impossible to stop patent infringement in China for low cost goods).
What we can do is avoid these companies and stores that sell these.
Unfortunately in our often social media driven world, we have aquarium marketing schemes de-jour such as "My Aquarium Box" actively promoting just one such patent infringer. As well as popular YouTubers such as Aquarium Co-op re-branding Chinese made copycats with some minor tweaks such as color that have inferior sponge material and claiming that only coarse filter material should be used as it is better when in fact in many cases it is not the best choice and more often than not, a combination of fine and coarse clearly is best.
We also have a popular blogger who has very well written articles on fish care and implies expertise with "Labs" in the title. Unfortunately, he too promotes Amazon Chinese knock offs. Worse yet, when confronted, he goes off on a "Red Herring" argument about how often AAP updates their page as a way to somehow discredit the content, which this has no bearing on the subject (as well the content on the AAP website has been updated often, in past on this subject, prior to the sale of the business, it was updated on average every 6 months which is far more than any other author of quality aquarium keeping information).
In the end, we need persons in this hobby who will listen to others who have been around a long time to mentor them and and then follow the trail of truth.
- Long time competitors that are simply less efficient: This is where sponge filters such as the Lees, Hagen, and Tetra fall based on my mentors experiments. While these and others have been around for a long time, their flow patterns simply do not allow the versatility of use nor the flow rates of the patented AAP/Hydro Sponge Filter. These filters also do not use the quality of sponge material, albeit better than all the Chinese knock offs, thus lowering mechanical and biological sponge filter capacity
Further Reading:
Sponge Filter Information
Recommended Resource for Patented Sponge Filters:
AAP Hydro Sponge Filters
- Patent infringing copies: Here we again still generally see a poor sponge used to save on production cost for much lower capacity of bio and mechanical filtration. HOWEVER because the patented interchangeable design has been copied, flow patterns and versatility are definitely better.
The Myth of using Community Driven Reviews as a way to determine product quality.
The use of community driven reviews in places such as Amazon, as these reviews might be helpful for music, but when one is dealing with science these reviews often fall well short of facts.
To use such reviews to base your fish care decisions is pure folly, but unfortunately with the explosion of social media and even search engines using social media to drive their results has placed even more emphasis on this folly than ever.A few examples:
- A common review is for UV Clarifiers masquerading as UV Sterilizers. With many discounters, a way to keep these cheap is to use medium pressure UV Bulbs that only produce 7-14% useful UVC irradiation versus a low pressure UV bulb that produces 35% or more UVC irradiation. The use of the medium pressure bulb/lamp saves a lot of money, but also makes the UV equipment a clarifier at best and even then not very good.
YET, I see many great reviews for such products on Amazon and elsewhere where also these reviews do not take into consideration long term use where by many of these products have poor longevity due to poor seals, design, parts, etc.
Further Reference:
Actual UV-C Emission from a UV Bulb; Aquarium or Pond - Many products are sold at discounters with missing, but required parts to keep the price low such as pre-filters for UV Sterilizers which increases turbidity and thus lowers effectiveness. Another example is pre-filter required for optimum operation of the Rena Smart Filter. This often results in negative reviews when in fact the user never had tho correct parts and were doomed to failure from the start.
- Reviews based on "my fish like it" or everyone else uses it too and likes the product.
This is terrible reasoning!! Science is NOT A VOTE!!!
If one product has superior ingredients based on known science or has a better order of ingredients, this product is likely the better product regardless of positive reviews. Worse are products that make claims that sound great, but refuse to list ingredients; these products should always be avoided regardless of positive reviews as again this is not sound science!! - The simple fact that most reviews are by persons with few credential to make such reviews.
I am sorry, keeping a 20 gallon aquarium for the last 5 years does not make one an expert on why one filter is better than another versus controlled side by side testing using multiple aquariums with all other parameters including bio load and feeding being the same.
Would you trust a review of an MRI machine (magnetic resonance imaging) by patient who has had a few diagnostic images performed in one or an informational blog or website by a technician who uses these day in and day out???
Unfortunately we live in a society more and more driven by "feelings" and social media as well as self appointed experts (this is common in YouTube), but this is not science and should not be used to determine what is best for your finned pets!! - In addition, here is a real world example of how user reviews are being used in Amazon.com for the Current Satellite LED. The referenced article below explains the pros and cons of Amazon user reviews. While these reviews have there place, they are still lacking in knowing peoples experience with the product or even how involved someone is in the hobby. This article explains these reviews should be only one part in researching aquarium topics.
New article about Amazon from Fish As Pets:
Buying Aquarium Products via Amazon (& Chewy, eBay)
Further Reference:
Amazon User Reviews for Aquariums
- A common review is for UV Clarifiers masquerading as UV Sterilizers. With many discounters, a way to keep these cheap is to use medium pressure UV Bulbs that only produce 7-14% useful UVC irradiation versus a low pressure UV bulb that produces 35% or more UVC irradiation. The use of the medium pressure bulb/lamp saves a lot of money, but also makes the UV equipment a clarifier at best and even then not very good.
The Myth of proper accreditation for Aquarium/Pond UV Sterilization Sizing and Categories.
This is not so much a myth, but rather a call out of search engines, AI, and social media which has boosted articles and similar that have plagiarized content without proper and legal accreditation. Sadly this is all too common in the Aquarium keeping hobby/industry where it is a race to sell products on Amazon as an affiliate, while Google, Bing and others "stand to the side" and cite or boost the latest article on a certain subject all the while not even giving even a nod to the original source.
I, Carl Strohmeyer, have been a victim of this plagiarism that started slowly, but has really accelerated since 2020.
One such subject has been Aquarium & Pond UV Sterilization where I've spent literally 1000s of hours in research and hands on experience. This includes building and designing my own units and both anecdotal and controlled testing of results.
The basics are this: "for sterilization (level 1) you want 20-25 gph per watt for compact UVs or 30-35 gph for high dwell time UVs, as well as an aquarium/pond turnover rate of 1-1/2 times per hour (recommended minimum). For simple pond clarification about 45-50 (Compact UVs), or 60-70 high dwell time UVs."
Quoted from: "Aquarium/Pond UV Sterilization
Here is a table/graph from the above cited article:
Honest aquarium/pond keepers need to support the industry and hobby by supporting those who gave their career, much of it for free in my case, by not supporting websites such as "FishTankReport" who have freely used much of my content in the UV Sterilization article without even a shred of attribution.
Recognition and plagiarism to my idea of Category A, B, and C UV Sterilizers has also gone on for some time too, with queries failing to properly attribute this to me (Carl Strohmeyer).
As well, this plagiarism and lack of attibution goes far beyond UV sterilization with my work not properly accredited for "Aquarium Redox Balance", "Aquarium Disease Prevention", "Aquarium Fish Nutrition", "Aquarium Lighting", "Steps to Columnaris Treatment", and many more!
Please call out search engines and AI such as Bing CoPilot that often cites and pushes these plagiarizing articles over the real stuff or quotes me then cites someone else.
Sadly, with AI becoming more and more the future, this plagiarism is exploding since the programmers seem to have not put in any filters to stop this.
Recommended Aquatic Sites for Information, Products
Aquarium LED Lights, Lighting
By AAP AquaRay, the TRUE leader in aquarium LED Lighting
UV Replacement Lamps; Aquarium or Pond
For TRUE High Output, Hot Cathode, Low Pressure UVC Germicidal Bulbs, for aquarium or pond
AAP/Aqueon Freshwater & Planted Aquarium LED Clip-On Light
The BEST CHOICE for those seeking a good and effective LED Aquarium light and do not want to pay for the beells & whistles of the Finnex or Fluval LED while not getting any better LED Light!!
Aquarium Light Information, Help
The most in depth and regularly updated article available FREE on the Internet!
Aquarium UV Sterilization; Complete Sterilizer Use Information
AAP/Two Little Fishies PhosBan 150 Sand Bed Bio Filters
Premium, second to NONE Aquarium Bio Filters, that with Oolitic Sand also maintain essential marine aquarium calcium levels, alkalinity, & electrolytes that are important to ALL Marine life, Goldfish, African Cichlids, Livebearers & more
Nutramar Nori- Seaweed (25 Sheet)
All natural roasted green seaweed, perfect for feeding marine herbivores and omnivores such as tangs, butterflies, and angelfish.
Enticing, nutritious, and easy to feed.Ingredients: Contains pure Pyropia sp. algae. No preservatives, artificial colors, or ingredients.
Copyright; Steven Wright & Carl Strohmeyer
Labels: "Fish Tank Enablers", "Live Aquaria", Aquarium DI, Aquarium Lighting PAR, Aquarium myths, Betta Biting, fish keeping myths, fish tail biting, Glass Aquarium, LED PAR, PNWMAS, UV Clarifier, UV Sterilizer
posted by Steven @ 1:36 PM
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