Fashion trends Archives - Warehouse Aquatics

Everything you need to know about fish tank backgrounds

Lottie — Thu, 05 Jan 2023 08:00:18 +0000

If you’re decorating your fish tank, you’ve probably come across fish tank backgrounds. But what are these posters and 3D backdrops? Why are they a good idea? And what do you need to know about them?

What are fish tank backgrounds?

There are two main types of fish tank backgrounds:

1. Posters that you can cut to size and insert into your aquarium. These fish tank posters usually come on a roll and may be double-sided.

2. 3D fish tank backgrounds that you can fit or glue inside your aquarium. These textured backdrops are usually modular, which means you can expand them.

Designs usually feature ocean water, cliff drops, and rockeries. We’ve written another blog post on our top four fish tank backgrounds, where you can find inspo for your aquarium.

Bonus Tip

It’s best to insert your fish tank background before you add fish to your tank. Your aquarium needs to be empty when you install your background, so, if you already have fish, they’ll need somewhere to stay while you install your background.

Why should you buy a fish tank background?

Here are our top six reasons to buy a fish tank background for your aquarium.

1. Create a theme for your fish tank

Your fish tank background can play a huge part in your aquarium theme. For example, our trimmable poster seascape background can help you create an under-the-sea theme. (You’ll need an adhesive like Juwel Decoration Poster Fix to attach a background like this.) Meanwhile, our expandable Juwel Cliff Dark, Cliff Light, and Stone Clay backgrounds can help you create an authentic rock-themed design. (You’ll need an adhesive like Juwel Decoration Conexo to fit these backgrounds.

2. Enhance the appearance of your fish tank

Teamed with rocks, stones, pebbles, shells, plants, coral, and/or ornaments, a fish tank background can help you add depth and a touch of nature to your aquarium.

3. Stop fish from feeling agitated

Some fish feel distressed when they see their reflections in aquarium glass. A fish tank background can prevent this. Put your background on two or three sides of your fish tank to minimise the chances of your fish seeing their reflections.

4. Hide wires and equipment

While fish tanks can be tranquil to look at, they do need equipment like tubes and a filter and pump to keep fish healthy. These aren’t always the prettiest to look at, but an aquarium background can help you hide them. (Alternatively, if you have a Juwel internal filter, you could cover this with a two-piece Juwel filter cover, which is available in cliff- and stone-clay designs.

5. Recreate your fishes’ natural habitat

In the ocean, fish spend a lot of time in a dark blue-black environment. You can recreate this habitat with an authentic fish tank background. (However, this isn’t ideal in a small tank…but more on that later.)

6. Make a small fish tank look bigger

A white fish tank background can make your aquarium appear bigger than it really is. These backgrounds can also accentuate and showcase your fish, helping them stand out.

Is a fish tank background right for your aquarium?

Before you buy a fish tank background, consider these three points to check whether a background is right for your aquarium.

1. Fish tank size

If you have a small aquarium that is already full of plants and ornaments, adding a dark background could limit the amount of light that your fish get. If you have a medium or large fish tank, aquarium backgrounds shouldn’t be a problem, though.

2. Fish tank placement

If the back of your fish tank faces a wall, an aquarium background is probably a good idea. But if your fish tank is in the middle of a room, the reverse side of a fish tank poster won’t give you a great view. In this case, stick to the plants and pretty substrate.

3. Fish health

Make sure you buy a fish tank background that is safe for aquarium life. If you don’t buy a proper background from a reputable shop, you could disrupt the chemical balance in your aquarium. (All of our fish tank backgrounds are safe for fish.)

Ready to choose your fish tank background?

About Warehouse Aquatics

The Warehouse Aquatics mission is to offer the most choice at the best prices when it comes to your fishes’ wellbeing. We use the products on our website ourselves and are well-versed in all things fish, so we can give you all the advice you need. We’re not just here to sell aquatic supplies. We’re also here to guide you through your journey as a fish owner and enthusiast.

As a small team, we love to hear from our customers, so please do join the Warehouse Aquatics social media community. We’re always up for a chat, and we’d love to share your aquarium photos with our followers.

The post Everything you need to know about fish tank backgrounds appeared first on Warehouse Aquatics.

Our four favourite fish tank backgrounds

Lottie — Thu, 28 Jul 2022 16:13:41 +0000

There are plenty of ways to decorate and personalise your fish tank. But one of the easiest, most striking ways to transform your aquarium is to buy a fish tank background. These backgrounds offer a unique way to bring depth, colour, and theme to any aquarium.

What are fish tank backgrounds?

While some fish tank backgrounds are like giant posters for your fish, others are 3D textured backdrops that you can fit or glue inside your aquarium.

Our fish tank backgrounds include scenes of ocean water, cliff drops, and rockeries. So, whether you’re after a stick-on ocean backdrop or a 3D rock formation, we have a fish tank background that can help you create your under-the-sea vision.

Not only do these backdrops provide a scene that brings your fish tank to life, but they’re also great for hiding your heater tubes and filter.

Our four favourite fish tank backgrounds

These are just a few of our favourite fish tank backgrounds.

1. Juwel fish tank backgrounds

This stone granite fish tank background from Juwel can help you create a striking rock structure for your aquarium. The natural grey tones and the background’s illusion of depth give this backdrop an authentic feel.

This background measures 60 x 55 cm, and you can cut the background to fit your fish tank, making it easy to install inside your tank. The background also has a modular design, which makes it expandable.

We stock variations of this Juwel fish tank background, including the Cliff Dark, Cliff Light, and Stone Clay designs.

Bonus Tip

We recommend attaching this background with Juwel Decoration Conexo.

2. Juwel rear wall posters

This double-sided fish tank poster from Juwel gives you two backdrops for your aquarium, which you might like to switch between each time you do a water change.

Choose between a natural rocky scene and a bright underwater landscape with mixed vegetation.

This fish tank poster measures 150 x 60 cm. Like the Juwel fish tank backgrounds above, you can cut this poster to size. However, these posters attach to the back wall of your fish tank rather than slotting inside the tank.

We also stock variations of this Juwel rear wall poster, including a:

Bonus Tip

We recommend attaching this poster with Juwel Decoration Poster Fix.

3. Juwel filter covers

If you’re interested in covering your Juwel internal filter without inserting a background that will fill your fish tank, a Juwel filter cover is perfect for you.

We love this two-piece Juwel filter cover, which features a ‘Cliff Dark’ design that replicates the appearance and texture of a cliff.

We also stock variations of this Juwel filter cover, including the Cliff Light and Stone Clay designs.

This filter cover measures 55 x 18 cm.

4. Back to Nature rocks

Fishkeepers who are looking to design a natural fish tank will love Back to Nature’s rock aquarium backgrounds.

These slim backgrounds are approximately 10 mm thick and come in two colours: Red Rock and White Limestone.

These backgrounds are available in heights of 45 cm for 50 cm fish tanks and 55 cm for 60 cm fish tanks. Each height comprises four sections that you can interlock to cover the back of virtually any fish tank.

About Warehouse Aquatics

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The nitrogen cycle in your fish tank explained

Lottie — Tue, 01 Mar 2022 10:02:03 +0000

As fish tanks are closed environments, ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates collect in the water and can cause fish diseases. Although these compounds build up in all fish tanks as part of the nitrogen cycle, overcrowding and overfeeding your fish can cause a particularly large build-up of compounds that contain nitrogen. So, how can you keep your fish healthy and limit the ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates in your tank?

Here, we’ll explain how the nitrogen cycle works and explain how to keep nitrates down with a good filtration system.

What is the nitrogen cycle?

Outside of fish tanks, the nitrogen cycle is the process of nitrogen moving from the air to plants, then animals, then bacteria, and then back to air. Although this system doesn’t need human intervention in the outside world, the cycle works differently in the confines of a fish tank. This is because nitrates convert into harmless nitrogen gas in open spaces. But this doesn’t happen in fish tanks, so partial water changes are essential.

The three stages of the nitrogen cycle

In a fish tank, the nitrogen cycle is a biochemical mechanism that causes the ongoing degradation of nitrogenous compounds like ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Put simply, there are three stages in this cycle.

Ammonia

Bacteria in your fish tank break down waste products like uneaten food, dead organisms, dead plant leaves, and fish waste. As the bacteria break this matter down, the metabolism of protein produces ammonia, a colourless gas that is harmful to fish. Even low levels of ammonia in your fish tank can cause oxygen deprivation and possibly burn your fishes’ gills.

Nitrite

Nitrogen-fixing bacteria called Nitrosomonas then consume the ammonia in your tank, producing nitrite, which is also harmful to fish. Nitrite disrupts your fishes’ oxygen-carrying capabilities. However, most fish can cope with double the quantity of nitrite in the water than they can ammonia.

Nitrate

During the third stage of the nitrogen cycle, bacteria called Nitrobacter process the nitrite and release nitrate, which is less harmful. Although nitrate isn’t harmful at a low level, a higher level can pose danger to your fish.

Removing nitrates from your fish tank

You can manage the nitrogen cycle in your fish tank by:

Using a biological filtration system. Your fish tank filter will contain sponges that aid the growth of healthy bacteria. These bacteria are essential to the nitrogen cycle because they break down the nitrites and ammonia produced by fish waste, as well as decaying organic matter. This is key to keeping the water safe for your fish.
Adding live plants to fight nitrates.
Removing waste and uneaten food from your fish tank. A gravel cleaner can be helpful here.
Putting less fish food in your tank. Only give your fish enough food for them to eat within a couple of minutes.
Carrying out regular water changes to manage nitrates.

You can also buy test kits to check the pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels in your fish tank.

About Warehouse Aquatics

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How much does it cost to own fish?

Lottie — Tue, 22 Feb 2022 09:50:33 +0000

If you’re thinking about buying your first fish, you might be wondering how much it costs to own fish and all the equipment needed to run a healthy tank. Unsurprisingly, the cost can vary depending on lots of factors. We’ll talk you through these factors here.

How much does a fish tank cost?

Fish tanks come in all shapes and sizes, so it’s no surprise that price varies hugely. Our lowest-priced tanks are our 17-litre Ciano aquariums, which come in white and black. At just over £40, these fish tanks come with a pre-fitted filter and LED strip light.

At the other end of the scale, we stock a variety of high-end fish tanks that come with cabinets designed explicitly for these aquariums. A couple of examples include our Juwel Vision 450 range of aquariums and cabinets, which starts at £1,453, and our Eheim range of luxury aquariums, which starts at £1,389.

How much do fish tank filters, heaters, and pumps cost?

You can buy different types of fish tank filters, like powered filters, under gravel filters, and sponge filters, depending on your tank. These filters range in price from £7–£38.

Meanwhile, fish tank heaters range in price from £10–£39. But you only need a heater if you’re keeping tropical fish. Coldwater fish don’t need a heater.

You can also buy an air pump for extra aeration and oxygen or to power a funky ornament. You can pick up air pumps for £11–£41.

How much do fish tank decorations and substrates cost?

When you come to decorate your fish tank, we stock loads of substrates, fish tank backgrounds, ornaments, plants, stones, pebbles, rocks, LifeRock, driftwood, shells, corals, leaves, and ceramic nature. This means you can decorate your aquarium on virtually any budget.

Our fish tank backgrounds cost £1–£60.
Our substrates, sands, and live sands cost £4–£46.
Our fish tank ornaments cost £3–£28.
Our artificial plants cost £2–£5.
Our stones, pebbles, rocks, and LifeRock cost £5–£203.
Our fish tank driftwood costs £3–£83.
Our artificial corals cost £3–£27.
Our leaves cost £5–£10.
Our shells cost £4–£7.
Our ceramic nature costs £5–£13.

How much do fish treatments and test kits cost?

Fishkeepers have to test their aquarium water and treat their fish from time to time. We stock a variety of dechlorinators, bacteria filter starters, water conditioners, water quality test kits, algae treatments, and fish disease treatments to help you with this.

Our dechlorinators range from £2–£25.
Our bacteria filter starters range from £2–£46.
Our water conditioners range from £2–£50.
Our test kits range from £5–£50.
Our algae treatments range from £3–£11.
Our fish disease treatments range from £3–£138.

How much do fish tank lights cost?

Almost all fish tanks come with light tubes, so you don’t need to worry about this added cost. However, we do stock replacement T5, T8, and LED bulbs. These bulbs range in price from £6–£31.

Read about the difference between these bulbs here.

How much does fish food cost?

We stock an array of fish foods for goldfish, tropical fish, marine fish, and shrimp. We also stock holiday feeders for while you’re away. These foods range in price from £1–£4 per tub or sachet.

How much do fish cost?

Much like aquatics equipment, fish can cost virtually anything. That said, you can pick up most starter fish for up to a few pounds each. And the smaller your tank, the fewer fish you can keep. Bigger fish can cost much more and even enter the hundreds.

So, how much does it cost to keep fish?

You can decide how much to invest in keeping fish. While some of our customers are huge fish hobbyists who purchase high-end fish tanks and advanced filtration systems and treatments, other customers prefer a more traditional approach to fishkeeping.

With our supplies, you can spend well under £100 to set up a fully functioning fish tank. But you might decide to splash out and treat your fish to some luxuries too.

About Warehouse Aquatics

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How to decorate your fish tank

Lottie — Tue, 08 Feb 2022 11:39:16 +0000

Lots of people who are thinking about buying a fish tank imagine how they’d like their aquarium to look when they finally decorate it. After all, a fish tank adds a certain tranquillity to pretty much any room. That said, when it comes to decorating your aquarium, your options are endless. And finding a way to decorate your fish tank in a way that’s both beautiful and functional can be challenging.

So, here, we’ll share some ideas to get you started.

Fish tank backgrounds

One of the first things to think about when planning to decorate your fish tank is whether you’d like a fish tank background. Some are like giant posters, and others are 3D textured backdrops that you can fit or glue inside your tank. Not only do these backdrops provide a scene that brings your fish tank to life, but they can also hide your filter and heater tubes. Our fish tank backgrounds include scenes of cliff drops, ocean water, and rockeries.

Fish tank substrates

You also need to decide on a substrate to decorate the bottom of your fish tank. You have a few options here, and your decision should be as much about function as aesthetics. This is because fish tank substrates encourage healthy bacteria colonies that aid filtration. Function aside, our substrates come in a range of textures and colours to suit any aquarium design.

Sand is one of the most popular substrates for fresh and saltwater tanks. Not only is sand ideal for beneficial bacteria that keep your fish tank water healthy, but it looks natural and beachy, an aesthetic that lots of fishkeepers want.
Live sand is a fantastic option for marine fish tanks as it’s full of strains of marine bacteria as well as the usual healthy bacterias. It also shares the beachy look of standard fish tank sand.
Gravel is another popular choice, ideal for freshwater tanks. It’s durable, only needs occasional rinsing, and comes in an array of bright, tropical colours.
Planting substrate is specially formulated for fishkeepers who want to grow aquatic plants. If you’re looking to design a natural, green environment for your fish, this kind of substrate offers the fertilisation and anti-algae benefits that you need.

Artificial fish tank plants

When you decorate your fish tank, artificial plants allow you to create a natural look without the maintenance that comes with live plants. These plants add pops of colour to any fish tank, and many fishkeepers choose tall, flowering plants to create that tropical under-the-sea look. We sell approximately 200 artificial plants in all shapes and sizes to brighten your aquarium.

Artificial coral

Artificial corals make perfect additions to fish tanks for those who want a tropical look. They’re easy to clean and come in virtually all colours. Just a few of our artificial corals include red ridge corals, lettuce corals (like this one), coral gardens, sun corals, and trumpet head corals.

Rocks, stones, pebbles, shells, and leaves

Fishkeepers looking to cultivate a natural look in their fish tanks often gravitate towards our wide selection of rocks, stones, pebbles, shells, and leaves. These natural items come in every shape, size, and colour. It’s important to buy these items from a specialist aquatics shop as items picked up off the beach often aren’t safe for fish.

Fish tank driftwood

Driftwood and wood roots offer yet more natural-looking decorations when you decorate your fish tank. Driftwood decorations also create great hiding places for your fish. Again, it’s important to buy driftwood and wood roots from an aquatics shop because standard driftwood from a beach can cause gill damage in certain fish.

Fish tank ornaments

Fish tank ornaments offer one of the easiest ways to personalise and decorate your fish tank. From Bonsai plant ornaments that wrap around your air tube to ancient Greek structures, swim-through tunnels, castles, bridges, space dogs, plane wrecks, and television characters, you’ll find the perfect ornament for your fish tank in our collection of over 100.

Ceramic nature

Ceramic logs, tubes, and caves offer great hiding places for fish and create a rustic look for any fish tank. You can choose between our turtle cave, half logs, and bamboo tubes.

You're ready to decorate your fish tank

With the following fish tank decor categories in mind, you’re now ready to explore our decorations range and personalise your fish tank. Whether you opt for whimsical ornaments, tropical plants and corals, or rustic driftwood pieces and shells, we’d love to see your fish tank designs. Send us a photo on Facebook.

About Warehouse Aquatics

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