Learn to Manage an Aquarium

Course Code: BEN105

 Course Duration: 100 hours

Broaden and Deepen Your Understanding of all Types of Aquariums 

• Freshwater or saltwater, small or large systems 
• Home or hobby, business or commercial applications
• Enjoy aquariums in community settings, tourism, conservation or any other purpose

There are vast differences in aquariums. Equipment can be as basic as a small, desktop tank or fishbowl of a few litres capacity. Home to cold water species such as goldfish and no other equipment or decoration. Other tanks are large aquarium, seen in public spaces holding millions of gallons of water and a vast number of often larger species.

Aquariums falls into different ecosystem divisions such as:

• Fish only aquaria
• Aquatic plants only aquaria
• Fish and aquatic plants
• Fish and other living organisms (i.e. saltwater corals, living rock, anemones)
• Aquatic organisms without fish (i.e. living reefs, other invertebrates)

What's covered in this course?

There are 10 lessons in this course.

This course covers:

Lesson 1. Scope and Nature of Aquaria

• Aquarium use and management
• The categories of aquariums
• Aquariums for fish communities
• Aquaria Size and Complexity
• Water quality control
• Types of Equipment

Lesson 2. The Water Ecosystem

• Interactions between organisms and the water environment
• Checking abiotic factors
• Different types of natural ecosystems
• Saltwater ecosystems
• Freshwater ecosystems
• Brackish water ecosystems
• City or Municipal domestic water supplies
• Rainwater
• Well or bore water
• Water quality in the aquarium ecosystem
• Water treatment options
• Energy relationships
• Plants and nutrients
• Photosynthesis
• Pollution in an aquarium
• Nitrogen cycle
• Overcrowding
• Overfeeding

Lesson 3. Water Quality and Management

• Tank capacity/Tank size
• Maintaining a Balanced Nitrogen Cycle
• Aquarium Cycling
• Changing the Water
• Vacuuming
• Algae Removal
• How to Avoid Overfeeding
• Water Conditions
• Water Temperature
• Water Hardness
• Water pH
• Salinity
• Gas Exchange in the Aquarium
• Preventative Care
• Moving Your Aquarium Safely

Lesson 4. Equipment and System Design

• Learn about the equipment and systems for different aquariums
• Aquarium Equipment
• Aquarium Tank
• Filtration
• Aeration
• Light System
• Aquarium Light Timer (optional)
• Tank Cover
• Heaters and Thermometers
• Gravel
• Plants and Decorations
• pH meters
• Refractometers/Hydrometers
• Water and Other Additives
• Adding the Fish

Lesson 5. Suitable Inhabitants for Your Aquarium

• Determine appropriate species of animal and plant life to introduce into an aquarium.
• Freshwater fish types
• Livebearers
• Loaches
• Anabantids
• Catfish
• Tetras
• Cyprinids
• Rainbow fish
• Branchiopoda
• Gastropods
• Freshwater Aquarium Plants
• Cold Water Plants
• Tropical Fresh Water Plants
• Brackish Water Plants
• Saltwater Fish Types
• Saltwater (Marine) Aquarium Plants

Lesson 6. Fish Health and Diseases

• Fish Diet
• Fish Diet Related Problems
• Vitamin and Mineral Deficiency
• Origin of Diseases
• Environmental Diseases
• Common Signs of an Unhealthy Tank
• Diseases Caused by Water Quality and Chemistry Problems
• Water Contamination and Poisoning
• Ammonia and Nitrate Poisoning
• Oxygen Starvation - Hypoxia
• Pathogenic Disease Causes
• Viral Diseases
• Bacterial Diseases
• Fungal Diseases
• Genetic Diseases and Disorders
• Parasites
• Plant Problems
• Treatment of Diseases and Parasites
• Quarantine Tank
• Coral Bleaching

Lesson 7. Freshwater Tanks

• How to establish a freshwater tank
• Tank Selection and Decorations
• Setting up Tank Décor
• Setting up Planted Tanks
• Aqua-scaping
• Basic Equipment
• Electricity and Aquarium Set-up
• Heater Installation
• Filters and Air Pumps
• Lighting and Hood
• Solar Heating
• Other Equipment
• Selection and Addition of Fish
• Feeding Requirements
• Cleaning and Maintenance

Lesson 8. Simple Saltwater Tanks

• How to establish a saltwater tank
• Tank Selection
• Saltwater Tank Cycling
• Filter
• Basic Equipment for saltwater tanks
• Heaters and Thermometers
• Light System
• Test Kits
• Selection and Addition of Fish and Other Invertebrates
• Feeding Requirements
• Cleaning and Maintenance
• Critical Parameters Affecting Salinity
• How concentrations of ions affect salinity
• How temperature affects salinity

Lesson 9. Maintenance

• Learn how to maintain a tank
• Correct Tank Set-Up and Maintenance
• Checking the Lighting
• Checking the Temperature
• Filter Maintenance
• Checking and Maintaining Water Quality
• Fish Observation
• Plant Maintenance
• Algae Removal
• Regular Vacuuming
• Regular Water Changes
• Preventative Care
• Emergencies
  

Lesson 10. Breeding

• Fish Reproduction and Behaviour
• Live Bearers
• Egg Layers
• Breeding
• Tank Set-up and General Requirements
• Early Stages - Selecting and Conditioning the Pair
• Triggering Breeding
• Hatching the Raising Fry
• Breeding and Genetics
• Nutrition
• Cultivating Your Own Food
• Fish Legality in Different Countries
• Aquarium Care
• Ultraviolet (UV) Sterilisation
• Cleaning and Maintenance
• Maintenance of Plants
• Checking Filters
• Water Changes

What you will learn!

• Skills to work in the pet industry or care for an aquarium in any setting e.g. government building, community library, private residence such as aged care facility etc, at home... anywhere! 
• How to protect and maintain your system and equipment. 
• Feeding fish. 
• Water quality and control. 
• Breeding.
• Aquarium plant care... 
• so much more!