Aquariums take many forms. They can range from a small tank with a few fish to a huge aquarium filled with an abundance of different fish and plant life. They can also be fresh or salt water habitats. However, in order to have happy fish, you need a happy tank! This course is ideal for aquarium or pet shop owners or workers, those who work in related industries like zoos, tourism or conservation, or those who simply see an aquarium as a must-have home furnishing!

The Certificate of Aquarium Maintenance will teach you about the different factors that can positively or negatively affect the dynamics of an aquarium ecosystem. In this aquarium maintenance course, you will study the scope and nature of aquaria, equipment and system design, the water ecosystem, and the range of animals and plants suitable for specific aquariums.

You will also learn about the differences between fresh and saltwater tanks and how to maintain them, fish health and diseases, and how to breed a range of fish successfully.

Learning Outcomes

Outcomes achieved by undertaking an aquarium maintenance course include:

Scope and Nature of Aquaria

• Learning about aquarium use and management and the categories of aquariums
• Exploring aquarium size, complexity and aquariums for fish communities
• Studying water quality control and types of equipment
• Gaining insights into the water ecosystem and the different types – fresh water, saltwater and brackish
• Understanding the interactions between organisms and the water environment
• Learning about antibiotic factors, water quality and water treatment in the aquarium ecosystem
• Exploring rainwater, well or bore water and city or municipal domestic water supplies
• Studying energy relationships, plants and nutrients, photosynthesis, the nitrogen cycle and pollution in an aquarium
• Gaining insights into overcrowding and overfeeding
• Understanding tank size and capacity, maintaining a balanced nitrogen cycle, vacuuming and algae removal
• Learning about water conditions, temperature and hardness
• Exploring water pH, salinity, gas exchange, preventative care and moving your aquarium safely
• Studying the equipment and systems for different aquariums
• Gaining insights into filtration, aeration, light systems, light timbers and heaters and thermometers
• Examining tank covers, gravel, plants, decorations, pH meters, refractometers and hydrometers
• Understanding the appropriate species of animal and plant life to introduce into an aquarium
• Learning about freshwater fish, livebearers, loaches, anabantids, catfish, tetras and cyprinids
• Exploring rainbow fish, branchiopoda and gastropods
• Studying aquarium plants – fresh water, cold water, tropical fresh water and brackish
• Gaining insights into saltwater (marine) fish types and aquarium plants
• Understanding fish diet and diet related problems and vitamin and mineral deficiency
• Learning about the origins of disease, environmental diseases and diseases caused by water quality and chemistry problems
• Exploring water contamination and poisoning, ammonia and nitrate poisoning and oxygen starvation
• Studying pathogenic, viral, bacterial, fungal and genetic diseases and disorders
• Gaining insights into parasites, plant problems, coral bleaching, quarantining a tank and the treatment of diseases and parasites
• Examining freshwater tanks including tank selection, decor, aqua-scaping, plants and basic equipment
• Understanding electricity and aquarium set up, heaters, filters, air pumps, lighting, and how to clean and maintain a freshwater tank
• Learning about simple saltwater tanks, how to select and establish them, filters and saltwater tank cycling
• Exploring heaters, thermometers, lighting systems, test kits and how to select fish and other invertebrates
• Gaining an understanding of feeding requirements and cleaning and maintenance
• Studying the critical parameters that affect salinity, how concentrations of ions and temperature affect salinity
• Gaining insights into correct setup and maintenance, checking lighting and temperature, maintaining filters and water quality and maintaining plants
• Examining algae removal and regular vacuuming and water changes
• Understanding emergencies and preventative care
• Learning about fish reproduction and behaviour and how to set up the tank
• Exploring live bearers, egg layers, breeding and triggering breeding
• Studying selecting and conditioning pairs, hatching the raising fry and breeding and genetics
• Gaining insights into nutrition and cultivating your own food
• Examining fish legality in different countries
• Understanding UV sterilisation, cleaning and maintenance, checking filters and making water changes

And more!

Basics of Aquarium Set-up

Three of the most important factors setting up an aquarium (as you’ll learn in an aquarium maintenance course) are choosing your tank, fish and aquatic plants. Here is a rough guide:

Choosing a Tank

The two most common types of aquatic tanks are freshwater and saltwater. The third is referred to as “brackish water”, which is a mix between freshwater and saltwater environments. It resembles a river mouth, mangrove or estuary in nature, however for small-scale aquarists, it falls into the category of a freshwater aquarium tank.

An aquarium can be as simple as a small round bowl with a single fish inside to a large tank with a variety of fish, aquatic species and ornaments to help create an ecosystem. Those with a broad variety of species are often called “community tanks”, and it can be quite a learning experience in terms of watching different species interact. However, the compatibility within the species is an important factor to consider if you want to maintain harmony between the species and the environment inside an aquarium tank.

Choosing Fish

The choice of species is critical from a range of perspectives. Fish that are slow swimmers can be disturbed by those that swim faster. Larger fish can intimidate smaller ones and provoke smaller fish to exhibit aggressive behaviour.

Aggressive fish are more likely to eat more food than those that are shy, but adding more food won’t help either, because more uneaten food will accumulate in the tank, which can lead to problems with water. Different types of fish might fight for territory and limit the amount of space for the rest of the fish to swim free. And there aren’t enough ornamental structures which fish can use for hiding, the territorial ones might use the only ones available in the tank.

The different species you might be considering in your aquarium also need to have the same water quality and food requirements so they can live in a well balanced environment together. If fish aren’t compatible with the water parameters — for example, salinity, temperature, alkalinity, oxygen levels, pH etc — it’s colour and growth rate can be diminished. Overcrowding can also be a problem because it can lead to stress for fish and low water quality issues.

Choosing Aquatic Plants

Aquatic plants are also crucial to have in an aquarium as they oxygenate the water and regulate important chemical plants like the nitrogen cycle. Plants also help give the aquarium a “natural look”, but more importantly, serve as shelter for fish and other invertebrates.

Many aquarists maintain a diverse range of aquatic plants as part of the “aquascape” of their tank.  This requires growing, propagating, fertilising and maintaining their plants on a weekly basis.  Some aquarium fish and invertebrates also eat live plants, so aquarists may want to take this into account when matching up fish and plant species in the same tank.  A lush aquascape of vegetation can be hard to maintain if fish and snails are consuming plant foliage as fast as it grows!

Popular Types of Freshwater Plants

In our aquarium maintenance course, you will learn that aquatic plants are crucial in an aquarium as they oxygenate the water and regulate important chemical plants like the nitrogen cycle. Plants also help give the aquarium a “natural look”, but more importantly, serve as shelter for fish and other invertebrates.

Aquatic plants are also crucial to have in an aquarium as they oxygenate the water and regulate important chemical plants like the nitrogen cycle. Plants also help give the aquarium a “natural look”, but more importantly, serve as shelter for fish and other invertebrates.

Cryptocorynes

One of the most popular aquarium plants in Australia, they come in a range of sizes and attractive colours, and offer excellent coverage due to their bushing habit and medium size.

Baby Tears

A healthy carpet of this plant looks amazing in aquascaping styles, and if producing oxygen, have lovely little bubbles that form on their leaves.

Dwarf Hairgrass

This plant accents beautifully with features such as wood and stone, and tolerates most environments, and is incredibly easy to grow.

Amazon Sword

A staple of most aquascapes, it is fast-growing, easy to maintain and ideal for hiding hardware and plumbing. Given they can grow up to 50 centimetres, they are most often planted in the mid-background area of an aquarium.

Java Fern

Java Fern has a unique look that appears in bunches, and has thick, semi-striped leaves. It can be planted in almost an area of an aquarium without being too much of a distraction.

Anubias Nana

This plant has curved stems and large semi-round leaves and is a great match for stone aquascapes. It tolerates nearly any water quality or environment.

Popular Types of Salt Water Plants

Halimeda

This gorgeous plant has leaves that are like chains of coins. Because it grows throughout the oceans, it is an ideal choice for a variety of salt water aquascapes.

Mermaid’s Fan

Just like it’s name suggests, this plant sprouts like a delicate green fan. However, they do need the right nutrient balance including calcium and limited nitrate and phosphate.

Shaving Bush Plant

This is a great companion for Mermaid’s Fan because it absorbs excess nitrates and phosphates. It has a central stem with a bunch of thin leaves that resembles a shaving brush!

Sea Grass

Essential in coral reefs, sea grass grows in clumps like grass. They have tiny flowers and strap-like or oval leaves and form “meadows” that provide shelter and habitat for juvenile fish.

Green Finger Algae

Any algae type is good for a salt water aquarium because it acts as a natural filter, and this one has fleshy, finger-like leaves that resembles coral.

Spaghetti Algae

This is common in saltwater aquariums because it is easy to grow. It is provides visual interest with its clump of noodle-like leaves and is a good source of food for fish that eat algae.

 

Learn how to care for a variety of aquariums’ living inhabitants, systems and equipment to create a thriving fish-friendly ecosystem with an aquarium maintenance course such as our Certificate of Aquarium Maintenance.