Planning to buy a Fish tank aquarium ,How to choose right size ?

One of the biggest mistakes that most aquarium newbies make is choosing the wrong size fish tank aquarium. Aquarium tanks come in many different shapes and size and not all of them will be what you are expecting to get out of your beautiful new aquarium. Small aquariums are quite popular these days - mainly because of the space saving design. The problem is that small tanks can be very hard to maintain because such a small volume of water is hard to control and the smallest change in conditions can kill all your fish. 

 Aquarium tanks are classified into 3 different sizes. Small, medium and large. Small tanks are tanks that have a volume of less than 20 gallons while medium tanks have a volume between 20 and 50 gallons. Tanks that have a volume greater than 50 gallons are large tanks and although they can take up a lot of space they can really give you that wow-factor in any room or office. The cost of a tank is usually determined by it's size as bigger tanks also require bigger filters and lights which adds to the cost. Although cost and size is an issue, the main consideration should be the fish and the kind of home you want to provide for them. 

Going too big or too small with your fish tank can make the difference between your fish having a long and flourishing life or a quick demise of your entire collection of expensive aquarium fish. As a general rule of thumb you can calculate the size of your fish colony based on the volume of your tank. You should allow 1 gallon of water for every 1 inch of fish you intend to keep. Lets say you intend to keep two 3 inch fish then you need a tank with at least a 6 gallon tank. 

Further Troy who wrote this article says that most people but way too many fish in their tank. Although the above rule is only a rough indication it will help you make a more flexible decision when buying a tank. Too little water for too many fish will make your tank maintenance unbearable and you will most probably end up buying new fish once a month.

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Gas Appliance Repair and Maintenance Tips

Getting your gas driven appliances repaired and maintained by your gas engineering service can reduce break downs, ensure operational safety and give your gas appliance a longer life.

1)       Qualified Engineer: It is of the utmost importance that the technician that comes to check your gas appliances is an experienced engineer from a gas engineering service. Do not try to fix your gas appliance yourself or let an inexperienced technician do it for you.

2)      Frequency: Refer to the manufacturer's instruction to see how many times a year you will need to get your gas appliances serviced and repaired. Some brands recommend a service frequency every two years while others recommend at least once a year maintenance plan. Make sure you give your heaters a bit of a tune up before winter comes.

3)      Read the Manual: Read the manufacturer's manual before you start using the appliance as gas appliances are dangerous and there improper use can lead to severe injuries. If you have misplaced the manual, download a copy from the internet or contact then to get a copy.

4)      Warning Signals: Some of the warning signs that you should be wary of are a yellow or red flame, accumulation of brown or yellow soot around the burner, pungent smell, eye irritation, dizziness, nausea and frequently blown out pilot lights. The above signs are due to incomplete combustion in which case you may be wasting energy or escape of carbon monoxide that is lethal in large quantities. If you sense any such signs, call your gas engineering service immediately.

5)      Air Filters: Air filters and vents in gas heaters can become clogged due to an accumulation of dust and soot. When this starts to happen, it can result in overheating and combustion problems. You can clean the vent of your heater by yourself with the help of a manual or call the gas engineering service top do it for you.

6)      Flues: The flue pipes should be checked for any corrosion, damage or blockage and if it is perforated, it should be replaced by a gas engineering service technician.

7)      Gas Pressure: A part of the servicing process is also to check for gas pressure and adjustments. Incorrect gas pressure can impact the amount of oxygen drawn into the gas burner that can result in improper combustion.

8)      Fluctuating Temperature: If you have a gas water boiler which when switched on, keeps fluctuating the temperature of the water, you should call a gas engineering service to fix it. However, if you are using up water, it is normal for it to gradually lose temperature-Brianna Wilson

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Best 2 Way to Clean The Air In Your Home

Most people think that the only function of an air conditioner is to provide a cool temperature during summer months. Aside from giving you cool air, your air conditioner unit also helps in decontaminating and sanitizing the air around you through the use of a filtration process. When people are continuously exposed to contaminated air, they might end up with several chronic health problems like allergies and asthma.

There are wide varieties of air conditioner units, and most of them are built using electronic air filters. This type of air filter can pull out clean around 95% of the pollutants in the air by capturing them on a metal filter plate. Usually, this type of filter is placed in the air ducts and the furnace in your heating and cooling system.

Electronic air filters help to clean contaminated air and improve the quality of indoor air. You need to understand the air inside your home contains allergens, dust particles, dirt, fumes, and other several substances that cannot be simply removed with the use of a vacuum. With the use of the electronic air filter, the contaminated air will be cleansed and those particles collected will be drawn to the plates. You can clean your plates to remove those collected substances.

Two Types of Electronic Air Filter;

• Electrostatic - this type of electronic air filter gather particles or substances using the charged plates that are installed in them. These are more effective than other types of filters because they can accumulate a lot of particles.

• Charged filters - the substances and particles collected are deposited using the charged fibers located in the machine.

There are two types of tests to determine how well filters clean the air in your home: the weight test along with the dust spot test. These two tests will help you to determine whether your air filter is efficient or not. The weight test determines the cleansing capacity of the machine using the weight of the collected dirt that the filter can remove. However, this test cannot tell you if the machine is efficient at removing small substances or particles in the air around you. The dust spot test, however, tells you if your filter can catch particularly tiny particles, ranging from 0.3 to 6 microns

Regardless of what type of filter you use, make sure that you clean it on a regular basis using the proper cleaning tools and equipment. This will help you to ensure that you and your family will have a quality and improved indoor air without the risk to your health-Jane Dabad

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How to hide clutter ?- Home Improvement tips

As much as you try to keep your home free of clutter, sometimes life's busy schedule makes it difficult to keep up with the piles of paperwork, toys, magazines, and other "stuff" that take over your home. Clutter usually goes unnoticed until guests announce their arrival and you need to get rid of the clutter fast. Here are some clever ways to get your home ready, so the next time guest will be paying you a visit you'll know how to hide your clutter fast.

Follow the advice of the old nursery rhyme: "a tisket, a tasket, a green and yellow basket," to corral your wayward clutter. Baskets and storage bins are a great alternative to shoving everything under the couches or tossing things in the closet. Shop for baskets or storage bins in the same color to hide odds and ends -- from your remote controls to toys. Baskets can be stacked in areas throughout your home such as under a coffee table, in your bathroom, or even in an unused fireplace. The pros at Better Homes and Gardens suggest displaying multiple, matching baskets together to not only offer tons of storage space, but to add a decorative touch as well. Decorative boxes are another chic storage option. Store a few boxes in patterns that complement your decor on a table in the foyer to store keys and mail.

Curtain Call

If your living room doubles as your home office, you may want to hide your office equipment and paperwork before guests arrive. Homedit.com suggests hiding your workspace with a curtain to easily and decoratively conceal your work area. Not handy with a needle and thread? How about covering your desk with a pretty tablecloth or fabric (use one that's long enough to cover the legs or open areas) and storing stacks of papers and computer equipment hidden under your desk and out of sight? Another great no-sew option, is to section off your work area with a decorative screen. A decorative screen can transform your messy desk area into a decorative focal point in seconds.

Hide it Down Under

If you have a sofa with a skirt around the bottom (the part that covers the legs), use this space to store a shallow bin or box to house extra items.

Sink Skirt

Guests will most likely use your bathroom, so getting rid of bathroom clutter is a must. Finding a place to hide clutter in a small bathroom, especially one with a pedestal sink that offers no under-sink storage, can pose a problem. For small bathrooms with limited space, HGTV.com suggests adding a skirt around a pedestal sink. Store cleaning supplies, hair appliances, or skin and beauty products hidden behind the skirt. If you're not handy with a sewing machine, there are many no-sew tutorials available online. Many tutorials use fabric glue and Velcro and take one afternoon to complete.

Dual-purpose Furniture

When buying furniture, consider purchasing dual-purpose pieces. Benches, ottomans, and side tables are excellent when it comes to multitasking. Ottomans and benches come in endless colors, patterns, and styles that offer a solution to your seating and storage needs. Use the storage area inside an ottoman to hide extra blankets, electronics, remote controls, books, and magazines. Your foyer or mudroom is the ideal place for a storage bench. Toss items that usually take up space in your entryway shoes, coats, and backpacks inside the bench. You'll not only hide unsightly clutter, you'll also free-up space for guests to hang their coats and place their belongings.

Cabinet and Closet Doors

Use the backs of doors and cupboards for bonus storage space. Hooks and over-the-door organizers make convenient spots for loose items that never seem to have a home.Jenny G

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How to link your rooms with colour

If you think a single colour scheme for all the rooms in your house is boring, you are wrong. They add style and warmth to the decor

Giving individual rooms a link with each other through colours isn't difficult at all. Not only will it make your rooms look great, but will also create a harmonious atmosphere.

Why should you link rooms with colour?

It makes the overall look relaxing

One reason why you should link one room to the other is because colours that continue from one space to another allow the eye to recognise familiar elements as you move through your home. However, this does not mean that all the rooms in your house have to follow the same colour scheme, whether it's on the ceiling, wall or upholstery.

To make your room look bigger

When you link one colour to the other, it also makes your room look bigger. Competing colour schemes enhance the feeling of boundaries between each room, thus making them look bigger.

You save money

Instead of choosing different colours that may have different prices, one colour scheme will help save your budget. You can always add wallpapers if you think a room is lacking appeal.

How to do it:
With woodwork

The best and easiest way to create a colour link between each of your rooms is through elements such as window frames and doors. You can use laminated woodwork or teak wood throughout the length and breadth of your house to match the colour scheme.

Repeat them on the walls

Using the same paint on all the walls is another way to create a colour scheme. If you do not wish to use the same paint throughout, choose different shades of it. For example, if you choose dark green for your living room, opt for peacock green in your dining room and mint green for your bedroom.

Use them with fabrics and accessories

That's another way to link one room to the other. You can introduce cushions, curtains and upholstery featuring a wall colour from another space. This will create the necessary flow of colour, at the same time maintaining the distinctness of two rooms.

Wallpapers at your rescue

If you feel following one colour scheme throughout the house may look monotonous, choose from a wide range of wallpapers. There are plenty of wallpapers available in the market that you can choose from — floral, graphic, symmetrical, hand-printed, multi-coloured etc.

Colour combinations

If you are wondering which colour schemes to select, here are a few you can try.
- Green (dark, peacock and mint)
- Red (blood red, maroon and pinkish red)
- Purple (lavender and mauve)
- White (pure white, beige and cream)
- Blue (royal, aqua and sky) 

Verdict - Times of India

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8 Easy Tips to Clean Your Gutters

Cleaning the gutters is certain to be a job that needs completing to ensure the property is well-maintained. A blocked gutter has the potential to damage the foundation of the property due to the runoff water after heavy rainfall. Maintaining a clear and well-installed guttering system is a job that can be complete by the property owner provided the right care is taken.

Here are several steps to take in the process of cleaning the guttering system:

Ladder - In order to reach the height of the guttering it is necessary to use a suitable ladder. A freestanding ladder is certain to help in those instances of having a solid ground surface to place the ladder. For the taller building it might be necessary to use an extension ladder. A ladder needs to be rested on a solid surface and not the actual guttering since this could be bent or buckled from the weight.

Collection strategy - When clearing out the debris from the guttering it will help to use a bucket which can hook to the rear-side of the ladder to help with placing the wet leaves or similar items. Since it helps to keep the hands-free for safety it generally benefits to avoid using the garbage or canvas bags.

Use gloves - Since it isn't likely to be a practical choice to start scraping out the wet debris using the hands it will certainly benefit to wear a suitable pair of work gloves. Bare hands can easily be cut or scraped from catching on sharp or prickly edges.

Gutter scoop - For complete ease in clearing the debris from the guttering system it might benefit to use one of the purpose made gutter scoops. A tool of this type is sized just right to help lift out the wet leaves without much trouble. A scoop should come with a comfortable handle to ensure it is easy to grip.

Gutter gadget - A hand-held tool like a gutter gadget is highly effective at cleaning out the guttering system. It might be more expensive than using the hands or scoop, but it is certain to be one of the quicker options for clearing out the debris. A more expensive gutter-cleaning robot is highly effective and can be controlled from ground level using a remote device.

Water pressure - An alternative option to scraping out the guttering is to use water pressure. A wide range of telescoping wands and devices are available to help with cleaning the gutter using high pressure water. For the gutters that are not significantly blocked, a regular garden hose might be able to complete the work.

Downspout - Beyond the horizontal guttering pieces it also helps to make certain the downspout is free and clear of blockage to make sure the water is able to reach the drainage system as soon as possible. Blockage and clogs in the downspout are certain to limit the effectiveness of the entire guttering system.

Gutter guards - It wanting to avoid having to clean the guttering it might benefit to have the gutter guards installed. A simple device like this is able to easily protect the guttering and stop the debris or leaves entering in the first place - Kyle Vail

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