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This post, Spring fish sale!, originally appeared on Wilmette Pet Center on March 19, 2021. Tweet This Post!

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This post, Save on stocking stuffers and last minute gifts for your pets!, originally appeared on Wilmette Pet Center on December 17, 2019. Tweet This Post!

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These cute, colorful little animals are active and fun members in your aquarium. They can be kept with peaceful fish, and look really great alone in a  species-only tank. They’re great for both new and experienced fish keepers. 

Diet: Omnivorous

Temps: 65 – 80.

Because of their small size, they fare better in smaller tanks, especially ones with gentle filtration, like a bubble or a sponge filter. The love plants, as that gives them places to hide and dash about and find food on, and those plants will help keep ammonia and nitrates in check (although frequent small water changes are, as always, still important!)

The new Aqueon LED Aquarium Kits are a great option for first time freshwater shrimp and plant keepers! Each aquarium kit comes withQuietFlow® Internal Shrimp Filter with an internal carbon cartridge and a unique removable protective pre-filter sponge, which prevents shrimp from entering the filter housing.

Available in two sizes:The 8.75 gallon shrimp aquarium kit presents a unique viewing perspective into the aquarium. This glass aquarium features an angle top pane of glass allowing for unobstructed top down view into the aquarium.

The 7.5 gallon glass aquarium kit has an elevated base and the lid holds the concealed LED lighting. Each aquarium kit comes withQuietFlow® Internal Shrimp Filter with an internal carbon cartridge and a unique removable protective pre-filter sponge, which prevents shrimp from entering the filter housing.10 pounds of Plant and Shrimp SubstrateBright LEDs for lush freshwater plant growthWater Conditioner SachetAquarium Setup Guide

Check out the new 16 gallon BiOrb – one of our most popular aquarium kits in a new, larger size! 
Constructed Out of Acrylic- 10 times stronger than glass, 50% lighter and 93% clearerTrue 5 Stage Filtration – Biological, Mechanical, Chemical, Water Stabilization and OxygenationLow Voltage – All biOrb aquariums operate from a 12V TransformerLED Lighting – Equipped with a long lasting, low voltage Standard LED LightFilter Cartridge – A true “one size fits all” filter for the biOrb aquariums

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This post, Aquarium and fish keeping gift guide, originally appeared on Wilmette Pet Center on December 11, 2018. Tweet This Post!

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This post, Fresh water shrimp and great new aquariums to house them., originally appeared on Wilmette Pet Center on October 11, 2018. Tweet This Post!

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Artificial plants versus live plants? They both have their pros and cons:

Artificial plants

Artificial plants are the simplest and easiest option – since they don’t grow they do not need any maintenance – no cutting, no leaves to prune, nothing to trim. There are many styles and brands now, many of them looking incredibly realistic and life-like – and plenty in fun, whimsical colors if you want to add some pop to your tank!

Artificial plants also do not do anything for your water quality, so you need to do more frequent water tests to keep an eye on your parameters. Algae can be more of a problem when you have artificial plants in your tank, especially if water changes are not done on a regular basis, so you may occasionally have to remove them and wipe off any algae that has built up on the leaves.

Placing in your tank: most artificial plants have a weighted or bucket style base. Simply dig them under or fill them with gravel and you’re done!

Live plants

Live plants help water quality by soaking up ammonia and nitrites, using them as a fertilizer to grow. This helps prevent ammonia spikes, balances water chemistry, and will starve algae out of the nutrients they need to grow, keeping your tank more attractive.

Real plants grow, so they do need some maintenance. Periodically you’ll have to cut the plants down so they don’t over take and crowd out your tank.  Leggy plants (where they have long stems without any leaves), should be shortened and

replanted. Any dropped leaves and dead plants need to be removed so they do not disturb your water quality. Many bunch plants can be cut, and the cuttings rooted in the gravel, where they’ll keep growing.

When first starting to decorate your tank, don’t go crazy with plants. As they grow, they’ll begin to fill in the empty spaces; if you have too many in the beginning, as they grow the tank will get more crowded, and you’ll find you’re doing more maintenance and will have to eventually remove some.

Create a layered effect: plant the shortest plants at the front, medium size plants in the middle of the tank, with the tallest toward the back.

There are a wide variety of plants available for the aquarium, but some need more intense lights than most of us have in our tanks. Some of our favorite plants are:

How to plant: Because they’re alive, some care needs to be taken with planting  live plants to allow them to thrive. Bunch plants, like wisteria and hygrophila, should have their base gently tucked into the gravel. The metal weight can be left on or removed and the plants spread out to create a more full look. Plants with rhizomes should not have their base buried; plants like anubias work well if the rhizome is tied to rocks or driftwood. Plants in pots should stay in their pots; it helps protect the roots while letting water flow through. Moss balls and banana plants are the easiest to place – just drop them in! Plants with root systems like Amazon swords should have the roots tucked gently into the gravel, making sure the crown, where the leaves emerge, is above the substrate.

Many of our customers will blend both real and artificial to get the benefits from both. They’ll have live versions of the hardier, low light plants, and use artificial version of the more delicate and sensitive plants. It makes it easy to have a beautiful and elegant aquarium that looks great in your home.

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This post, Live aquarium plants vs artificial, originally appeared on Wilmette Pet Center on September 25, 2018. Tweet This Post!

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Sleek, modern style

Efficient filtration

All topped with an efficient   

LED lighting system

 

Constructed Out of Acrylic- 10 times stronger than glass, 50% lighter and 93% clearer

True 5 Stage Filtration – Biological, Mechanical, Chemical, Water Stabilization and Oxygenation

Low Voltage – All biOrb aquariums operate from a 12V Transformer

LED Lighting – Equipped with a long lasting, low voltage Standard LED Light

Filter Cartridge – A true “one size fits all” filter for the biOrb aquariums

 

They are available in two sizes – 8 gallons and 16 gallons – and two colors – black and white. 

 

The 8 gallon BiOrb comes with theremote-controlled multi-colored LED light. Enjoy the magic of multi-colored lighting in your biOrb at the touch of a button. Simply choose your favorite color or scroll through the entire spectrum of light.

 

The 16 gallon comes with white daytime and blue nighttime LEDs, with an automatic sensor to turn them on and off automatically!

 

 

1. Air driven filtration system creates vigorous water flow and a constantly changing water surface. This maintains oxygen saturation.

2. The circular flow of water then collects any fish waste on its way down. 

3. It draws the waste through the ceramic media where the natural biological filtration absorbs some toxins. The freshly oxygenated water also feeds the bacteria.

4. Any remaining waste is trapped in the sponge cartridge. The water then passes through resin particles and natural stabilizers to remove toxic substances and keep the pH levels ­­­constant.

5. The clean water is then oxygenated as it flows back up the bubble tube to repeat the cycle.

 

The easy change, one size fits all filtration cartridge makes your monthly maintenance a breeze! 

 

 

They have created a line of beautiful and realistic decorations, specially designed for this tank. Most unique are the ornaments that surround and cover the uplift tube to hide the stream of bubbles. 

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This post, , originally appeared on Wilmette Pet Center on August 2, 2018. Tweet This Post!

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This post, The basis of how our aquariums work, originally appeared on Wilmette Pet Center on July 31, 2018. Tweet This Post!

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16 gallon LED Biocube

Protein skimmers use tiny bubble to remove organic compounds from marine and reef tanks. Extra protein breaks down and contributes to ammonia and nitrite problems (and marine fish are more sensitive to high ammonia levels), keeping your tank and its inhabitants clean and healthy. Proteins and organic matter are deposited into the collection cup, making it easy to remove from your tank.

Coralife BioCube stand

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This post, Coralife tanks and accessories at amazing prices, originally appeared on Wilmette Pet Center on June 26, 2018. Tweet This Post!

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This post, Getting started right keeping fish, originally appeared on Wilmette Pet Center on December 8, 2017. Tweet This Post!

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Stop by for a sample of this great food and learn how to train your pet to eat it. 

 

For our finned friends we have:

Bug bites!

 

Since the dawn of time, insects have been hunted by fish in the wild as they offer a widely available, nutrient-rich food source. This instinctive feeding habit is the foundation behind Bug Bites, which are formulated with Black Soldier Fly Larvae as the #1 ingredient. Employing a unique and sustainable process, the larvae are raised on human-grade fruits and vegetables to provide several “super food” benefits versus any ordinary insect:

• “super food” benefits versus any ordinary insect:

• Excellent amino acid profile
• High in protein
• Low in carbs

• No exoskeleton – easily digestible
• Appealing taste fish crave

 

It’s available in multiple formulas for every kind of fish and feeder in your aquarium. 

They use more than just bugs. Check out their page to see the other high quality proteins and supplements, plus their levels of quality control.

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This post, Our newest foods for reptiles and fish!, originally appeared on Wilmette Pet Center on June 8, 2017. Tweet This Post!

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