Here at NDA we provide top notch service experience. From the hands on hobbyist to the hands off spectators we will customize an aquarium cleaning and maintenance plan to suit your needs. Automation and consistency are key factors to success with all aquariums. With the latest technology we can control and monitor your system from anywhere. Emails, texts, and alerts will be sent to everyone involved with caring for you aquarium system at the first sign of trouble. 24 hour emergency response is always provided to insure the well being of all aquatic life. We will advise you on the recommended frequency of service in accordance to the level of waste production. Regularity of water testing will prevent and ensure the health and stability of your aquarium system.

Aquariums come in all shapes and sizes imaginable and we treat them all with the same love and devotion. From the fancy shrimp sitting in half a gallon tank on your office desk to your dream aquarium of several thousand gallons. Freshwater aquariums can be a little tricky with water chemistry. We recommend to select freshwater fish from one region or from very similar regions due to the importance of pH. African cichlids for example come from an alkaline high pH environment where as tetras, angels, and oscars come from the acidic low pH environment of the Amazon. Selecting fish from similar environments will guarantee maximum coloration and proper intake of nutrients resulting in happy healthy fish.

Marine systems can have many variables to consider before making a permanent selection. Sea horses should not be housed with anything but other sea horses and their cousins like pipe fish. They are slow eaters, fish easily out compete them for food. Seahorses and pipe fish are also prone to being picked on simply because they rely heavily on camouflage for aggression prevention in nature. Sharks and rays are absolutely intriguing but they are not quite they big bad animals that comes to mind when we think ‘shark’. They rely heavily on sense of smell and electrical current. Their sight is very poor so they are targeted easily by quick fish with good vision. Eventually succumbing to the stress of constant fin and tail nipping.  Tank mates like groupers and lionfish make excellent companions. Fish with tendencies to swallow large prey are much better choices than tangs, angels, and butterflies that spend all day nibbling algae off the rocks.

Reef systems are for the hands on hobbyists only. You need to know your system and how it works to have success. Spectators that don’t like to get their hands wet should steer clear. Corals can be aggressive just like fish. Not all corals will get along. They also come from a variety of environments. Elegance corals, flowerpots, and long tentacle anemones for example come from shallow warm lagoons filled with sea grass. These areas are typically saturated with nutrients to support the growth of sea grass. A striking difference from the environment of SPS corals found in the offshore reefs where the water is turbulent from the open ocean. Completely void of nutrients and considerably cooler temperature than the lagoons of the shallows. The spaces in between the offshore reefs and lagoons are home to a wide variety of hardy LPS corals, soft corals, polyps, and corallimorphs. Nutrients have been diluted, water is not to warm not to cold, and the tide and turbulence keeps everything moving but lacks the slight chill of the open ocean currants. The biggest mistake made with reef systems is over stocking and there for over feeding. Corals do poorly in high nutrient environments. Fish should be kept to a minimum.

There will always be exceptions to the rules. Some people keep African Cichlids and South American Cichlids together. Some people have a bunch of fish in reef tanks. Some people keep tangs and angels with sharks and rays. Some people are just lucky. Some people are just something else. We will do our best to help guide you to make well informed and educated decisions concerning your choice in livestock. Not everyone will get along though. Even if they were supposed to.

What type of fish you keep will determine what type of food you feed. There are 3 basic categories and a variety of specialty feeders. Carnivores, herbivores, and omnivores make up the majority. The more protein in the diet the more phosphate is produced. There is a significant difference between foods for freshwater fish and marine fish. The ocean has traces of literally every known element. Because it is so saturated with nutrients marine fish have a slime coat that keeps minerals out and lets freshwater through. Marine fish must consume all of their nutrients. Most freshwater fish are exactly the opposite. Their slime coat prevents water from entering but they can absorb many important nutrients straight from the water. Freshwater fish do not need to consume all their nutrients. The most common problem in the aquarium industry is over feeding. A fishes stomach is usually only as big or smaller than the fishes eye. Do not let food hit the substrate. Small amounts at a time. If any food is left over after feeding you fed to much.

There are 3 main types of filtration; mechanical, chemical, and biological.

Advances in the lighting field are constantly being made. Fluorescent lighting is what we were limited to in the beginning. Now we have t-5, halogen, and LED. All have pros and cons.

You don’t always need to have your light on. Fish only tanks that do not have photosynthetic tank mates can go without light as long as they are exposed to ambient room lighting. Fish need a consistent photo period to be happy and healthy. Lights that go on and off at the same time every day. Less light will keep algae growth minimized.

Parasites, diseases, viruses, and fungus are the enemy. Some parasites like ich are always present in the aquarium. There are 3 stages to the ich life cycle; cyst stage, free swimming, and then once it has attached to the host. Ich will be triggered to emerge from cyst stage when fish loose the protective slime. A fish will loose its slime coat under stressful conditions. A happy healthy fish has a thick coat of slime to prevent parasites and such from hosting. Quarantine is recommended for a minimum of 3 to 4 weeks. After 3 weeks time you can be assured nothing unwanted came home with your new fish. Medication isn’t always necessary for quarantine but it is recommended.

The least stressful method for fish keeping is frequent small water changes rather than a big flush once a month. A weekly water change of 10% would keep your nitrates under 20 ppm in a perfect world if the system was not over stocked and over fed. Any water change over 50% could be detrimental to the beneficial bacteria. You may cause an ammonia spike. Some fish can handle a big flush and extreme changes in environment. Usually aggressive predators. Cleaning mechanical filtration frequently will help reduce waste accumulation. Most aquariums do well with a 25% to 40% water change every other week.