The following is the description of the policies that FSA offers its customers, and the reasons for such policies.
As defined by Merriam-Webster dictionary, livestock are “animals kept or raised for use or pleasure”.
FSA offers and sells a large variety of livestock to our customers; we are referring to the many varieties of fishes that we have available to our customers. Also offered to our customers are other animals such as corals of many types, snails, crabs, shrimp, starfish, seahorses, frogs, tadpoles, crayfish, clams, anemones, sea urchins; just to name a few. For simplicity sake, our livestock policy covers all such animals listed as well as unlisted, which are sold by FSA.
WHAT WE DO GUARANTEE
We do guarantee that you livestock will be picked by professionals who are familiar with, and handle these types of livestock, and have received instruction in methods of choosing livestock. We do guarantee that the animals will be prepared for delivery in the most suitable way for that particular animal. We do guarantee that the animals will be delivered to our customers in a timely manner, and acclimated to the water conditions of their tank, before actually entering the aquarium environment. We do guarantee that all animals will be delivered to our customers in a well state of being by all outward appearances. Your animals will be free of visible injuries, cuts, scrapes, abrasions, bacterial infections, funguses, parasites, deformities, or other maladies, and will have exhibited acceptable behavior to the FSA purchasing agent.
WHAT WE DO NOT GUARANTEE
We do not guarantee the longevity, or ability to acclimate to captivity, of the animals. We cannot guarantee our customers that their purchase will be alive and well for “X” amount of days, weeks, or years; just as your physician cannot guarantee you that once you leave their office that you will remain healthy for any given period of time. We ask our customers to understand that we are working with LIVEstock which are subject to sickness, injury, and accident. We do not guarantee that your livestock has been through a quarantine process. Livestock will pass through several hands before entering into our customer’s possession. FSA receives no quarantine guarantee with our purchases, therefore; we cannot offer that guarantee to our customers.
FSA does, however offer an “Overnight Policy”, for any animal that dies within a 24 hour period of entering into our customer’s tank. If an animal is introduced into a tank on Tuesday at
FSA wants our customers to have the confidence of knowing that the professionals at FSA do all that we can to insure that your animals are chosen and delivered to you in the best condition and state of being possible for us to guarantee, as well as offering the services which will insure that your livestock will be well kept.
There is nothing that FSA wants more than to see our customers happy, and their animals doing well. We choose to be in this business for that very reason.
Rainwater harvesting and collection is not a new concept by any standards. The practice has been around since ancient and biblical times. Joseph, from the bible, was thrown into a cistern by his brothers while they planned to sell him into slavery, later Joseph became ruler of Egypt. We cannot guarantee that you will be ruling any countries after your professional rainwater harvesting system is installed, but you can certainly be in control of how your FREE water will be used.
Rainwater harvesting and collection is simply the practice of collecting rainwater that falls onto your property, it’s put into storage, then utilized for any outdoor water use. The water is not considered potable so it would not be used for drinking or consumption purposes. Rainwater harvesting and collection practices are historically ancient and completely relevant in today’s world. Rainwater collection is a lifestyle and common practice in many parts of the modern world, poorer countries and first world countries alike. Collection practices can range from the use of barrels, underground cisterns, above ground bins, troughs, among many other storage forms. The powers that be in our country use large reservoirs and lakes to provide water to the masses, and the practice of rationing and imposed droughts are becoming more and more commonplace. How rainwater collection is practiced varies greatly as well plastic sheets set out at the first signs of rain clouds, buckets or barrels set out, dug out pits, even mouths open to the sky is taking place in some parts of the world.
Full Service Aquatics installs a system that is called “The Rain Bank”. The Rain Bank’s purpose is to capture, filter, and reuse the water that is harvested. Approximately 80% of rainwater from your property runs off your property into storm sewers never to be seen again or utilized by you. The average home can receive well into the 10’s of thousands of gallons of rainwater annually in which only a tiny fraction will be utilized by you for your property and watering needs. The Rain Bank can change all that; not only does our rainwater harvesting system capture the rainwater, it offers out of site storage for any size home or facility, the ability to reuse the water. The twist that Full Service Aquatics offers on these systems is that we can create beautiful water features (waterfalls, fountains, etc.) from the captured water, at the same time making that biologically purified water now available to the environment as well, allowing you the ability to actively participate is sustaining the environment by providing clean water to songbirds, small animals, amphibians, honey bees and a host of other animals that are rapidly losing habitat and water resources due to development.
Your installation of The Rain Bank will also put you ahead of the curve for what is the inevitable harsh water use restrictions, water rationing, imposed droughts, and the REQUIREMENT for homeowners and new home builders to install rainwater capture and rainwater harvest systems. It also takes away the necessity to buy back that water that has run off your property, in essence keeping money in your pocket for what was already yours!
Call FULL SERVICE AQUATICS, (908) 277-6000, today to learn more about the RAIN BANK, and schedule your free consultation.
A CAC is a CERTIFIED AQUASCAPE CONTRACTOR. In the green industry there are about 2,000 contractors in the United States and Canada, of those 52,000 about 290 have been able to become CAC’s. A CAC has passed various criteria, shown a high level of ability and professionalism, continue with education in their field, and been reviewed by peers in the industry, and this ensures that only the best of the best installers can become CAC. CAC’s are your guarantee that you are being serviced by the best water feature installers in the country. Look for the logo!
So, what is the difference between them? The following is brief descriptions as each of these on their own are broad categories to cover in one FAQ.
MECHANICAL – Mechanical filtration does not mean that the guy from the local garage will be coming by to filter your pond or aquarium, nor does it mean a robotic arm will be picking out excess debris and waste from your pond or aquarium (as awesome as that would be!). Mechanical filtration is the term used to describe the process of removing suspended or floating debris from the water of the system you are working with. What is a mechanical filter can vary greatly depending on what type of aquatic system we are speaking of; for example: a sewer system has sewer grates at their water intakes to “filter” out large debris like leaves, branches, garbage, and road debris that would otherwise clog up their aquatic sewage system – THAT is mechanical filtration. In your fish tank you may have filter floss in a bubbler that over time captures, removes, or FILTERS fish waste, uneaten food, and dead plant parts from your water – this to is mechanical filtration. In your pond you may have a net in your skimmer box and a heavy duty filter mat that is used to remove or FILTER leaves, seeds, pollen from your water – this too is mechanical filtration. On your gutters you have metal screen mesh to keep out leaves etc. from your gutter system – this is mechanical filtration………get it? Basically, mechanical filtration is any filter elements that remove particulate matter from a circulating system, aquatic or otherwise. The air filter on your car? That’s right…mechanical filtration!! Easy stuff.
CHEMICAL – Chemical filtration are elements within an aquatic system that is being filtered, which treat the water to remove (not add) from the composition of the water chemically. The most obvious and common form of chemical filtration in aquatic environments is carbon. Carbon is placed in the flow of the water to remove impurities, discoloration, and odors. When removing elements from the water it is simply chemical filtration. The types of chemical filtration for aquatics systems are numerous, some examples are: phosphate remover, ammonia remover, nitrate remover; all of these can be applied in different ways but generally are best used in the flow of water and should be the last stage of the filtration process following mechanical and biological.
BIOLOGICAL – Biological filtration is the filtration process that is closest to mother natures heart and probably the most important type of filtration and for the most part it is done via our little friends “the beneficial bacteria” (nitrosomonas and nitrobacter). As beneficial bacteria grow or colonize our aquarium or pond they remove, “eat”, or convert harmful compounds like ammonia and nitrite into less harmful nitrate. Nitrate can be removed by plants or water changes. As the water flows or is exposed to “our little friends” these harmful compounds are removed or are FILTERED from the water. For the purposes of what we are discussing this is what is referred to as “biological filtration”. These beneficial bacteria colonize surfaces of biomedia such as gravel, bioballs, biofoam; they are NOT free swimming or planktonic bacteria they only colonize on surfaces.
A good filter system will utilize all these methods of filtration, normally with chemical filtration being employed when necessary. If you still have any questions call one of FULL SERVICE AQUATICS knowledgeable staff members to have any other questions you may have answered. CALL TODAY (908) 277-6000!!
Pippin, the cat-fish…… yes he is real, and yes he loves his pond. Pippin is 8 years old this year, and has recently had his pond upgraded to a larger size with a bigger water fall, not too mention a couple of new fish as well. He enjoys his pond immensely often times treating it as a huge water bowl. Pippin can be found at ponds edge several hours per day, and anyone is welcome to come by and see our display pond and say hello to Pippin.
Any good fish professional worth their fins should always recommend that all fish should be quarantined before being introduced to a new environment. Whether quarantine can be practiced or not is another issue. The process of quarantining fish is generally agreed upon by most professionals, the length of time in quarantine is still debated among fish professionals and veterinarians. Quarantine defined is: Isolation typically to contain the spread of something considered dangerous, often but not always disease. The word comes from the Italian language, quarentena, meaning 40 day period. The objective of quarantine is to assure the health of the fish by allowing enough time for any health issues to develop in the fish before entering into the general population.
The process is just that, isolation. The isolation usually taking place in what is referred to as a hospital or quarantine tank, before introduction to the general fish population. During quarantine the fish should be observed very closely to assure that: there are no signs of stress in the fish, there are no exterior signs of parasitic, bacterial, or fungal infection, no signs of damage to the body of the fish, and that the behavior of the fish is appropriate for the species being observed. During quarantine the fish should be fed regularly with medicated and non-medicated foods, small frequent water changes should be performed, and at the end of the quarantine period that you feel comfortable with, the fish should be acclimated to its permanent home and again be observed for at least the first few days to make sure the fish adjusts to its new home.
The length of time in quarantine is debatable and somewhat at the discretion of the fish owner. Anyone would agree that quarantine should take place for at least 15 days, others have said that quarantine should take place for a period of 6 months or more, so; as can be seen this is a great difference of opinion. My opinion is that 15 days is too short, especially knowing that the common ich parasite can be infesting a fish and not show any signs for up to 17 days, other problems can develop at a slow rate as well. I also think 6 months, for most people, is too long unless you are a collector with some expensive specimens. I do think a very reasonable quarantine period is 4-6 weeks. A 4-6 week quarantine will allow most problems (parasites, bacteria, fungus) to reveal themselves and present the opportunity for treatment if need be, and this period falls within the classic definition of quarentena.
Learning; how to, how much, and how often to feed your fish is a challenge for the inexperienced fish keeper and the consequences of bad fish feeding habits will create minor and possibly major problems for your aquatic environment whether pond or aquarium. To answer this very common question we will keep the focus on the types of fishes that are the most common to pond keepers and aquarium keepers, as there are many very specialized fish that have very specific feeding requirements, we will not address that here. First let’s tackle how often to feed your fishy friends. For the majority of the most commonly kept pond fish and aquarium fish a once daily feeding will suit them just fine and until you’re very experienced and comfortable with fish keeping I do not recommend more than twice a day. Your fish will do everything they can to convince you they have not been fed in months even though you KNOW you just fed them earlier in the day, do not let them fool you, you train them when to eat not the other way around, you’re in charge…you’re the human. To skip or miss a day of feeding here and there is not a bad thing for your fish, in 25+ years of fish keeping I have NEVER seen a fish starve to death; I have however, on way too many occasions, seen fish that are killed by their good intentioned owners, overfeeding them. Remember, fish do not overeat, when they are done they are done, therefore overfeeding leaves leftover food that quickly breaks down and just as quickly drags down water quality which will kill fish at a startling rate, you do not want to experience this and I don’t want you to either, it can be quite heartbreaking. A HUNGRY FISH IS A HEALHTY FISH.
How to feed your fish is the next thing we’ll ponder here. For the aquarium keeper with tropical aquarium fish, or coldwater fish it is best, and convenient, to use a combination of dry and frozen foods. For the pond fish keeper dry foods are easiest to use. First, know what type of fish you are trying to feed; does it prefer vegetable matter or protein. Flake, pellet, frozen cubes, freeze dried foods are readily available at any pet supply center; or by calling a fish expert from FSA&L. Rotate the type of foods you’re feeding. Frozen foods, ideally, should be thawed before adding to the water. For filtration systems that have overflow or skimmer systems flake food should be wetted before offering to your fish so it does not float directly into the filter system. For ponds with skimmer box filters (which they all should have) find an area of your pond where the water motion is slowest and use that area as your “feeding station”. For New Jersey water features, and owners of New Jersey pond installations, feeding of outdoor pond fish and koi, in New Jersey typically ends in late October, depending on the weather.
How much to feed your fish is the biggest part of this question. For the typical tropical aquarium fish their stomach is about the size of their eyeball, but this is not the case for the typical pond fish or koi. The best feeding practices will take a bit of time and observation to learn. DO NOT THROW FOOD TO YOUR FISH AND WALK AWAY HOPING FOR THE BEST. Feeding very slowly over a period of 5-10 minutes until your fish start showing disinterest in the food is the best way to get to learn how to feed your fish, when fish are hungry they will clear very quickly what you are offering them, once they slow down or maybe just nudge the food it is time to stop! This is the best way to learn to feed your fish, it does take time and patience, but once you get to know their feeding habits it becomes much easier. This method of feeding also allows your fish to develop trust for you, until they trust you they have to assume that you could very well be there to eat them. You must prove yourself to your fish!
This is a time tested approach to feeding which the NJ fish keeping experts, aquarium experts New Jersey, and New Jersey pond experts at FULL SERVICE AQUATICS successfully employ when feeding their fish. For more advice from a New Jersey aquarium expert or a New Jersey backyard pond expert call FSA&L for free phone advice, or an on-site professional aquarium or pond consultation.
Very important question, which the stock boy at your local “PETTHIS” or “PETTHAT” superstore will tell you….float the bag for 15 minutes then let the fish go. Soon after that your new fish goes into shock and dies, when you return the dead fish to the store they test your water and tell you your pH is too high or low….a very typical scenario.
So let’s take a step back. After you have read the info in our FAQ “How can I tell if a fish is healthy?”, you go to the fish retailer and carefully choose your fish, make sure it has been properly bagged for transport, and get your fish to its new home. Then open the bag and pour off the excess water, fold back the plastic bag, and carefully float the open bag in the new home your new fish is going into.
Now, you’re ready to acclimate. Acclimating your fish is a process that should take place over at least a one hour period, a bit longer to acclimate your fish will benefit them. Acclimating fish is not just a matter of letting the new fish adjust to the temperature of its new home, but also to several other water parameters such as pH, nutrient levels, lighting conditions, salinity, and of course temperature. However, the acclimation process also will give your fish much more information about the environment it is about to be plunged into. After the bag is opened and placed in the water, small quantities of the water from the fish’s new home should be poured into the holding bag about every 10 minutes or so until you have tripled the original volume of water that your new fish came in. For example if your fish is sitting in 1 gallon of water, you’d want to have at least 4 gallons of water in the holding bag before the fish is to be released into it’s new home. Also, you want to just release the fish, do not add the water from the holding bag into the new home, and simply discard that water.
So what information will your fish be able to receive via acclimation? As the water from the new home is being introduced to the new fish it will be able to get chemical information about the existing fish population that it is about to meet. Fish “communicate” a lot by releasing or secreting chemical, hormones, and even bodily waste into the water and your new fish can learn a lot about the new home he is heading into and be prepared for it by your properly acclimating them. Maybe there is a fish that is ready to spawn letting off all sorts of chemical information that your fish can read, or maybe your have a very dominant fish in your tank who is none too happy that a new guy has shown up in his territory and he is letting off chemical signals to this new fish to let him know who is boss of the tank. Maybe there is a sick fish in your tank that you’re not aware of, but the chemical information of the water can let your new fish know who to steer clear of. Also, that acclimating time period let’s your fish de-stress after the car ride, it will allow your new fish to visually see where he is going into as well as let the existing population see who is coming into their territory. There is so much information being exchanged during the acclimating process it will make the “PETTHIS” stock boy’s head spin! So keep this in mind when introducing a new fish, it is NOT just about temperature, it is about giving all parties involved the best chance of existing together in their new shared home, and your proper acclimating process will ensure this. For more information contact FSA&L the aquarium experts.
In many ways determining if a Japanese koi, a tropical aquarium fish, or a pond fish is healthy is a matter of first impression. That “first impression” ability however, comes with a lot of time looking at and studying fish. It should be stated that whatever the circumstance is, that has put you into possession of a new fish, ideally, ALL FISH SHOULD BE QUARANTINED BEFORE ENTERING INTO YOUR PARTICULAR AQUATIC ENVIRONMENT. Whether it be a large backyard koi pond, a tropical fish tank, a marine fish aquarium; quarantine, ideally, should be the practice. Notice I have put ideally for the quarantine piece of advice. That is because after 25+ years of fish keeping I know that the vast majority of people do not have quarantine facilities available to them. Unfortunately, most importers, and fish retailers do not quarantine their fish either. If they were to quarantine their fish before resale, you should be prepared to pay a premium for those fish, and rightfully so as the quarantine process is somewhat painstaking and requires much attention and know how, so expect to pay for that (for more on quarantine see our quarantine FAQ). When choosing new fish the average person is limited to outward appearances to make their judgment; here’s the basics on what to look for:
Other tips:
Try to deal with a reputable fish dealer, not the gum chewing kid who was just stocking gerbil food before you begged him to catch you some fish. Or Call FULL SERVICE AQUATICS at 908-277-6000 and have one of our aquarium specialists make your purchases for you!
This is a very often asked question that actually does not have a definite answer. In my 30+ years of fishkeeping from hobbyist days to professional level I have heard many differing responses to this age old question. My answer to this question will simply be based on my experiences and observations from working with fish tanks and ponds on a daily basis for the better part of my life.
But first let’s backtrack to some of the types of answers that you may have seen regarding this question. One of the most popular answers would be the classic 1” of fish per gallon. Sounds reasonable, but let’s play it out; if we have a 100 gallon tank and a guppy is 1”, can we only keep 100 guppies in that tank? Sounds kinda boring and a display like that would be pretty empty it seems. OR, if we have a 100 gallon tank can we keep a 100 inch fish in that tank? Of course not, typical 100 gallon tank being 48” long we’d have to fold the fish in half, no? So the silly response like 1” fish per gallon deserves a silly scenario.
How many fish you can have is answered by how well set up your aquatic housing is by way of volume of water, filtration, fish type and species. I’d say most importantly know what type of fish you are keeping and provide the adequate housing. That cute little red-tail catfish may seem to be doing very well in your 40 gallon aquarium but when that fish grows out to 4 ft. long, what then. Ok so you upgraded to a 300 gallon tank for your cute red-tailed catfish but your filter is rated at 90 gallons, what now? You get the gist.
Plan carefully, know, really know what type of fish you are keeping and try not to push your fish keeping parameters to the max. Give your fish room to grow and thrive, if your fish are “schoolers” keep them in schools, try to give them the best environment you can and you will get the best results and the most enjoyment. A jam packed aquarium or pond is very cool to look at, but it is not a realistic situation and will soon have some very negative results, so let’s keep things positive.
Bottom line opinion I have is oversize the aquarium or pond, over filter your system, and under stock; this will yield the results that we all hope for.
