Basic Advice

The Top 10 Most Helpful Aquarium Accessories

Aquariums are one of those hobbies that have literally thousands of potential accessories available on the market. Start with these 10 to make sure you have the basics covered:

  1. Algae Scraper—this handy product will help you remove algae from the sides of your aquarium, helping to increase visibility. You like actually seeing your aquarium, right? Then buy one of these.
  2. Algae Eraser—or, if you don’t like scrubbing, a product sold exclusively through us can help you take care of algae before it even happens.
  3. Fluorescent or LED lighting—in our day and age, there are plenty of lighting options that both perform well and are energy efficient. Don’t get stuck using your grandpa’s aquarium lights.
  4. Water test kits—in between service intervals, you may want to use one of these simple kits to test the levels of ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, as well as the pH of the water. If anything is off, you can call in your service tech early to take care of the problem.
  5. Water conditioner—when you’re periodically changing out the water in your aquarium, you’ll probably want to add this to distilled water to ease the fish’s transition to it.
  6. UV Sterilizer—this rather new piece of technology helps to kill free floating pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, and even free floating algae. It promotes water clarity and contributes to a much healthier environment, keeping disease from spreading and keeping your aquarium cleaner.
  7. Live Rock—though the name can be misleading, live rock can help to bring  valuable organisms to the ecosystem of your saltwater aquarium.
  8. Mellafix—a great product used to treat bacterial infections, the #1 potentially fatal disease threat we see in our aquariums. A must-have for when you see your fish starting to act funny like they may be getting sick.
  9. Net—obvious, right? A net can help you remove things from the aquarium without having to stick your hands in there.
  10. Our Phone Number—seriously, a lot of the time, something strange will happen and aquarium owners have no idea how to respond. Blue Planet Aquarium offers 24 hour emergency service.

If you call after regular business hours, as prompted by our phone system, dial 9 and you’ll be connected with our 24 hour emergency service to put you in touch with someone who can help. Most of the emergency calls we receive are just a question or can be handled over the phone, but it’s good to know someone is there if you need them. Write this number down: (773) 774-3474.

About Jon Wolf

Servicing Illinois, Wisconsin, Indiana & Michigan, Blue Planet Aquarium Services has been the most trusted name in aquarium design, installation and maintenance since 1999. A company large enough to be dependable but small enough to still watch out for your best interests, Blue Planet is the only company to call if you are planning to install an aquarium or have one maintained.

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