Aquarium - Benefits and Maintenance

An Aquarium can be a very beautiful and engaging addition to your home. The principle reason why people want to have an aquarium in their home is for aesthetics. Aquarium add to the beauty of the home.

The graceful movement of fish relaxes the mind. It lowers stress levels and is proven to improve health and wellness in peoples.

Patients who have been made to view aquariums have been known to recover faster.

An aquarium also teaches us about harmony. Within the closed environment of the aquarium are complex biological and chemical processes. We understand how everything in nature is related. A slice of a natural water body such as a pond or a river is brought into our homes.

Interacting with fish helps people build empathy and compassion towards animals and people. The fact that a totally helpless animal is entirely dependent on you brings a sense of responsibility and helps people develop a caring nature.

Checking water parameters of your Aquarium

Water quality is extremely important.  Fish are sensitive even to small changes in water parameters.  Hence, it is necessary to have a regular testing schedule to monitor the water parameters.

A pH which is less than 7 is acidic while a value above 7 indicates alkalinity. As dirt accumulates in the water, the pH increases.  Regular water changes can help maintain the pH level.

Chlorine is added at your water utility.  Chlorine should be removed by using a dechlorinator.  Ammonia, nitrite and nitrates are the results of the waste produced by the fish.  Proper water changes at regular intervals help keep these levels within limits.

Temperature should be maintained properly.  Fish are cold blooded creatures which means that they cannot regulate their body temperature on their own.  Hence, they are very sensitive to temperature changes.

Following are the limits of the various parameters which are monitored.

Parameter	Recommended values
pH Level	6.5-8.2
Chlorine and Chloramine	0.0 mg/L
Ammonia	0.0-0.25 mg/L
Nitrite	0.0-0.5 mg/L
Nitrate	0-40 mg/L
Hardness	100-250 mg/L
Alkalinity	120-300 mg/L
Temperature	74-82º F (23-28º C)

Performing Water Changes in the Fish Tank

Your Fish Tank requires periodic Water Changes.   The fish excrement and leftover food contaminate the water leading to the generation of nitrates.  This turns the water acidic and can be injurious to the health of the fish even killing them.

Some people mistakenly believe that a good filtration system is sufficient to maintain water quality.  No filtration system can be a substitute for periodic water changes.

Hence, maintaining water quality is of paramount importance.  It is not necessary to change all the water in the tank.  In fact, doing so change lead to fluctuations in temperature and water properties like pH.

Hence, it is ideal to make partial water changes.

Regular water changes are necessary. Change 10% of the water every week.  The water should be replaced with dechlorinated water.

Change 25% of the water in the tank every month.

Doing a water change is easy.  Just get a siphon available at any hardware store.

• Get a bucket and place it near the aquarium.
• Start the flow of water through the siphon by squeezing the bellow in the siphon.  Once the water starts flowing, the flow will continue.
• Move the suction point of the siphon inside the tank and so that dirt at the bottom of the tank are sucked out.
• In addition to water changes, the water parameters like pH, nitrate content should be measured periodically and recorded.
• Once the water has been removed. Let the water settle down for a about 10 minutes
• Getting the New water ready
• The new water should be free of chlorine.
• Check the pH of the water.
• The new water to be added should at the same temperature as that in the water.
• Add the water to the tank in small amounts, with a small bowl so as not to agitate the tank.  This can make the water cloudy.

Stamp Exhibitions and Philately Clubs

Stamp Exhibitions

Stamp exhibitions, also known as philatelic exhibitions are held in regional, national and international level to show the world some of the best stamp collections made by philatelists from all over the world. They also serve the purpose of creating awareness about stamp collections and also help stamp dealers and post offices sell stamps and related antiquities and other philatelic items.

What happens in a stamp exhibition?

A philatelic exhibition facilitates the study of stamps, their history and various facts surrounding them. Stamp auctioning and display of various rare stamps give an unforgettable experience to any avid stamp collector.

Stamp collectors compete for medals and are judged upon by qualified judges with a profound knowledge of philately.

Stamp exhibitions mostly happen as regular events conducted by well-known philatelic societies.

Types of exhibition

Exhibitions may be of international, national or regional scope and have a target audience correspondingly.  They may theme based displaying a collection of stamps particular to a certain theme or a general type of exhibition.

Stamp exhibitions that are granted the FIP patronage are considered to be the most prestigious.
Some of the well-known stamp exhibitions are

• STAMPEX
• INDIPEX
• ASIANA
• EXPONET is a virtual stamp exhibition that allows the user to have the joy of visiting a stamp exhibition right from their home via the Internet.

Each country has its own international stamp exhibition at some point in time and these exhibitions have striven hard to keep the art of philately alive in the present days even though postal communication has dwindled.

Philately Clubs

Stamp collection is all the fascination and the thrill of collecting and treasuring hundreds of stamps with a passion and zeal for the love of philately. Hobbyists find philately very interesting and it has been an active hobby for the past 2 centuries.

The zeal for stamp collection is kept alive by the various philately clubs and societies that are formed by activists from all over the world sharing a same passion for philately.

A place to share and explore
Stamp clubs serve as a wonderful platform for stamp collectors to share and explore with people of common interests.  They help you to connect with the local stamp collectors’ community and also maintain a huge base of stamps that you can admire and explore with. Philately clubs can be the best places that can understand your fascination for stamps and let you show off your collection to similar minded people.

Local philately clubs

Finding your nearest philately clubs can be very easy with the help of internet. Just a simple Google search can lead you the place where you can connect with your contemporaries.
Local philately clubs could be a great resource for individual stamp collectors and since philately is rather an individual hobby; clubs could be a great way to socialize.

National and international level philately clubs

There are many national international online societies available that help you add more fun to your hobby. Some of the well-known international philately clubs are

•  American Philately Society
•  Royal Philatelic Society London
•  International Philatelic Union

There are many regional and national philatelic organizations available in every country.

Importance of stamp clubs

Stamp clubs can be ultimate source of help and fun, by rendering in each of these effective ways:

•  Provide a way to connect with fellow stamp collectors
•  Share information
•  Organize stamp exhibitions
•  Give alerts on stamp auctions and deals
• Give an open access to its resources

Connect with the nearby philately club today!

Stamp Collection - Preservation - Antique value of stamps

Importance of Stamp Preservation

Stamp collection is a fulfilling hobby taken up by people world over. But acquiring stamps is not the only requisition of stamp collection. After collecting the stamps, care should be taken to preserve them. A slight careless attitude can prove troublesome. Below are a few pointers that will ensure that your hard work do not go waste.

Stamp Hinges

There are easy peel hinges available in the market to stick the stamps on album pages. There is a fixative on the back of these hinges which make it easier to remove the stamps when you need to study them or maintain them.

Stamp Mounts

Stamp mounts which are made of clear plastic sleeves should be used to store the brand new stamps or precious stamps. These mounts help to conserve the adhesive on the back of the stamp that is there originally when the stamp is made. While using such mounts, stamps can be slid into the transparent sleeves of the mount and placed in the album.

Stamp Albums

Once you have mounted the stamps, you should place them in a stamp album. The stamp albums are used for preservation of stamps. There are different types of stamp albums. Some have plastic sheets into which full envelopes can be inserted. Some have small pockets to store individual stamps.

While placing stamps in a stamp album, always keep a distance between two stamps. Also when you place stamps in an album, place them only on one side and leave the other side of the page blank. If you stick stamps to both sides of a page it could lead to damage of stamps due to compression when they come in contact with each other.

You should always store your stamp album in moderate temperature to avoid damaging the stamps.
Make sure that you follow each of these steps and preserve your collection all-well.

Antique Value of Stamps

Stamp collection is a very passionate and age old hobby known as philately and is one of the most widely practiced hobby by stamp collectors from all over the world who appreciate the details and antique value of stamps.

Antique stamps

The value and reverence for a stamp grows with the antiquity factor in it. Any item that is more than a century old is known to be antique and stamps especially from the 20th century and before have a better value than recently published stamps  within a span of 70 years.

Antique stamps are more difficult to collect and also need a complete verification of very small details like a small symbol, engraving or paper quality to ensure its authenticity.

Value of stamps

The value of stamps depends on various factors like
• Its antique value
• Type of collection
• Quality
• Condition (Used or unused stamp)
• Availability

General facts on antique value of stamps

• Used stamps have lesser value than unused mint stamps with original gum
• The more a stamp is older, the higher is its value.
• Perfect stamps are worth more than stamps with tears, creases and other faults.
• Loose used stamps are not very highly valued.
• Incomplete stamp albums are valued less.
• Beginner’s stamp albums are valued very less.
• The availability of stamps also matter. An antique stamp that is available in huge numbers even today will not be valued highly whereas a rare antique stamp could cost a fortune.
• An antique stamp that is unique and has some distinguishing fine detail that is not normally known could be valued very highly due to its exceptionality. For instance, out of two similar antique stamps, one with a misprint or extra detail like an engraving could be much more highly valued than the other one.
So having these points in mind and collecting the rare and most valued antique stamps will add more spice to your philatelic passion.

Related Link

Caring for your stamp collection

Caring for your stamps

Stamp Collection - Methods and Tools

Arranging Stamps

Stamp collection is not just about finding new stamps for your collection. A stamp collection is more about organization and management. Philately deals with finding ways on the basis of which different stamps stand different and unique.

There are a lot of ways by which one can arrange the stamps. Let’s figure out the most popular ones!

Country-wise

This is the easiest way to arrange the stamps. This also makes the cataloging process easy along with simplified future references.

Release date

Arranging stamps on the basis of the year in which they were issued is another simple way to arrange the stamps and make a catalog for them.

Theme based

Another widespread method of arranging the stamps in a collection is to arrange them according to the theme on the stamps.

For example, stamps with world renowned people on them, stamps with world famous monuments, stamps with animals, stamps with birds etc.

Denomination

You can also arrange the stamp in your collection based on the value that is printed on the stamp.

Current value

If you are aware of the present market value of the stamps in your collection then you can also arrange the stamps according to their current market value. But it should be kept in mind that the denomination which is written on the stamp is not necessarily its current value.

Rare and vintage stamps could have a very high market value.

Quality

Arrange the stamps according to the condition they are in. A stamp in good condition has more market value than a stamp which is damaged or worn.

Color

You can also arrange your stamps based on their colors.

Stamp setting

Arrange your stamps on the basis of the stamp setting.

Different types of stamp settings are special releases, first day covers and blocks.

Shape and dimension

Last but not the least; stamps can be classified according to their sizes and shapes. Though most of the stamps are rectangular or square, there are also stamps in other shapes like triangles.
Organize it the best way!

Equipments for Handling Stamps

Stamp collection is an interesting hobby and doesn’t need much of equipments, but yes there exist few which can make stamp collection easier and a wonderful experience. Let’s see what all should be there in your equipment box for this exciting hobby!

Stamp tongs

It’s a tool which looks like a tweezers but is round and polished so that you can pick up and hold your delicate stamps in it, as holding them in your hand can crease them or give them stains.

A magnifying glass

It’s one of the very useful tools as you can read and see all the intricacies and related features in a stamp which can make it easy for you to put it in a particular category. You can also pick a magnifying glass with a battery operated light attached to it.

Perforation Gauge

It’s a tool which is required and comes handy while measuring the size of perforations on each stamp which in turn is useful to compare and get detailed information about a stamp. Metal perforation gauges are better and long lasting.

Watermark detector

Generally no two same looking stamps are same as there is a watermark on the back of the image of the stamp which makes it different from others. Watermark detector can be used to see that watermark on a stamp.

Stamp lifting fluids

These fluids are used to remove a stamp without damaging it.
These tools are inexpensive and can be bought from stamp dealers or mail order dealers. These can also be obtained from shopping websites. Just Google and you can buy them online.

Related links:

Stamp Collecting for Beginners

Philately - the Hobby of collecting stamps

Getting Your First Stamps

Stamp collection is considered to be one of the most famous hobbies around the world. Choosing the very first stamp for your collection is special and hence requires some basic knowledge about this hobby, type of stamps and tools required. So, let’s get started.

Used or mint?

Many collectors decide and collect used stamps, meaning, they pull out or clip out stamps from envelops and add them to their collection or album. While there are others who go for unused or mint stamps which can be bought locally from post offices or from auctions. But that doesn’t limit the option of collecting both. Of course one can collect both kinds of stamps and make a beautiful album.

For used stamps, first clip them from envelop. Next, soak them in warm water to remove them from the paper. Give a quick soak in clean water. After rinsing, air dry your stamps and flatten them by putting under a heavy book, and the stamps are ready to become a part of your collection.

Local or Global?

Most of the collectors collect stamps locally. Collecting Stamps of a country where one lives is a rather easy task, but you can choose to decorate your collection from many countries or all the countries in the world. But as your area get’s wider the search gets complicated. So, take a slow pace.

For stamps from other countries, you can shop from “new issue dealers” or can directly gather them from the philatelic bureau of that country’s postal service.

You can also organize your album of stamps according to one or various topics.

Putting Together Your First Stamp Album

If you are starting out to collect stamps as a hobby you can find stamps for your collection from a nearby post office or from old letters or also ask your friends and relatives who live overseas to send you different kinds of stamps.

Once you collect the stamps you need to store them carefully to prevent them from getting lost or damaged. You can do this by putting them in a stamp album.  A stamp album serves many purposes. It provides a place where the stamps can be stored and displayed, so that you can look at them whenever you want to.

It also saves the stamps from natural elements like heat or moisture. It also gives a place to sort the stamp in an order that suits you.  Here are a few pointers that will help you to put together your first stamp album.

1. Buy a binder which has acid free paper to sort your stamps. There are many kinds of binders available in the market.
2. Buy mounts for stamps with plastic sheets which can be used to stick the stamps and prevent them from damage.
3. Keep a list of your stamp collection in your album.
4. You can also decorate the pages of your stamp album.
5. After preparing the stamp album, next step is to organize the stamps in the album.
6. Organizing the stamps is a personal choice. You can arrange them according to the countries they are from or according to the subject of the stamp like pictures of famous monarchs and presidents, pictures of butterflies, pictures of flowers and so on.
7. Collect, organize and preserve your hard earned stamps well.

Build On Your Stamp Collection

Once you start collecting stamps and putting them in your stamp album, it becomes a passion which you cannot give up on. You get an urge to collect more stamps for your collection. But it is not easy to find stamps. You need to find stamps which are not already there in your collection. Given below are a few pointers which might help you in building up on your stamp collection.

Ask your friends, pen friends and relatives

The most common method to build up on your stamp collection is to ask your family, friends and relatives. They’ll pass on the stamps to you which they receive and which they find are new and different.

Visit online auction sites
You can find lots of rare and famous stamps on various auction websites which devote a section to stamps. This is an easy way to build up your stamp collection.

Local dealers
You will find many local dealers who sell packets of stamps with lots of stamps in them. You might find some stamps in such packets which you do not have and can include them in your collection.

Large Main Dealers
There are many large dealers, who deal in buying and selling of stamps and also arrange auctions for rare and vintage stamps. By going to such dealers, you can find rare stamps for your collections.

Swapping Stamps
If you get in touch with other people who collect stamps, you will find that you can exchange some stamps with them as both parties might have more than one of the same kinds of stamp.

Philately clubs

These are the clubs joined by people interested in philately. Networking with like-minded people always yield meaningful ideas and ways with which you can boost your stamp collection.  You can find these clubs online or in your locality.  Check out the nearest philately bureau in your post office.

These guidelines will help you in collecting more stamps for your collection and which in turn will yield you happiness and fulfillment when you’ll see your collection growing manifold.

Related links:

https://postalmuseum.si.edu/introduction-to-stamp-collecting

https://stamps.org/collect/stamp-collecting

Amateur Astronomy - Getting Started

Getting Started

The first and easiest step into the hobby of Astronomy is to identify the stars with the naked eye. There are many stars which can be identified with the naked eye. Find a quiet place without any lighting.

Look up at the night sky. It may take some time for you to get used to the darkness. The sky may become gradually clearer after a few seconds. Planets such as Venus and Mars are also visible to the naked eye. 

Looking up and identifying the easy stars such as the pole star (Polaris) and constellations such as Orion and the Great Bear can be a good start. Get Started with Fellow amateur astronomers in your locality. Get Astronomy Guides which have detailed maps and steps to locate the common stars and planets. 

Astronomy Clubs

Astronomy Clubs are voluntary groups of people with a shared interest in astronomy. Astronomy clubs can be found in almost all major towns and cities across the world. With the internet, there are numerous groups on social networking sites which work together to further their hobby. You can join one of these in your town. It is great to meet and socialise with people who share your interest.  

Astronomy Clubs have their calendar of activities. They also arrange for activities based on special astronomical events like a comet shower or an eclipse.

Getting your Sky Chart for Astronomy

A sky chart is a map of the night sky over a period of time. Most sky maps are dated over months. Astronomical magazines and websites publish maps of the night sky every month. Sky charts are different for different places on the earth.

There are charts on the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere and the Equatorial Regions. Sky charts also list down the different objects which can be seen with the naked eye, with binoculars and with telescopes.

Skycharts today are available for free download at many internet sites.

Mobile Apps for Astronomy

With the advent of the smartphone, astronomy has become easier than ever. Special software which can be downloaded to your phone identifies your location through GPS and generates the nightsky for your location for the current date.

Such apps also name the object and makes it easy for the amateur astronomer to identify them. They also specify objects which can be seen with the naked eye and with binoculars and with the telescopes.

Just point your smartphone at the sky and the app generates the map for you. Just look-up and try to identify the objects.

Astronomy Magazines

There are many astronomy magazines.  It is good to subscribe to them.  Astronomy Magazines help you keep abreast of the latest news in the field of Astronomy and new viewing techniques such as new telescopes, popular mobile apps. etc.

There are many magazines which your can subscribe to

Useful links:

How to get started in Astronomy

Getting started in Astronomy

Telescopes - An Overview

Getting your first telescope

Once you are able to identify the most common objects in the night sky with your naked eye and with binoculars, it is time to get you first telescope. This is an important step in your road to becoming an amateur astronomer.

The telescope will help you look further into the night sky. Telescopes can magnify distant objects which cannot be seen with the naked eye or even with a binocular.
When you are getting your first telescope, it is better to invest more and get a good quality one. There are many professional telescopes. A telescope with a big aperture will have greater clarity and will cost more. It will also be more difficult to handle as it would be heavy.

All beginner telescopes today have in built computer tracking systems. The user will have to enter the name of the object and the telescopes automatically aligns itself to it. This helps the beginner traverse the night sky easily.

It is also necessary to get a good tripod with the telescope to get steady images.

Check out this Telescope buying Guide.
http://www.space.com/15693-telescopes-beginners-telescope-reviews-buying-guide.html

Reflecting Telescopes – An Overview

The Reflecting Telescope works by allowing light from the distant object to fall on a mirror in the rear of the telescope. This light is reflected to another mirror which is located at the top of the telescopic tube. This mirror directs the image to the viewer.

The reflecting telescope is generally credited to Sir Isaac newton. Reflecting telescopes are also known as Newtonian Telescopes.

Reflecting telescopes are widely used in professional astronomy. They are small in size for the same magnification when compared to the refracting telescope. They do not suffer from chromatic aberration as the refracting telescope.

The downside is that the many components of the optical system such as mirrors and lenses can get out of alignment. Since, the reflecting tube is open from one end, there are chances for moisture and dust to enter.

The reflecting telescope may be more difficult for children to handle.

Refracting Telescopes – An Overview

Refractor Telescopes are probably the oldest type of telescopes. They are also extremely common. This is because of the simplicity of construction. The telescope consists of a hollow tube with lenses which refract the light. This produces the magnification of the distant object.

Refracting telescopes are also known as dioptric telescope. Refractors are also cheaper than other types of telescopes. You will find them in hobby stores as well as in your neighbourhood departmental store. These telescopes are lightweight and are easier to care for and maintain. For the amateur astronomer, this is often the first telescope.

The downside of these telescopes is that they get very heavy for larger apertures. Hence, at higher magnification required in professional astronomy, they are not much used. Besides, there is the problem of secondary colour (chromatic aberration). The lens gets too big for higher magnification which causes the lens to sag

Modern materials used in lenses have improved the quality of images.  The refracting telescope can provide good images of the moon, planets and other deep space objects.
Modern refracting telescopes have “Go to” controllers which can point the telescope to any object the user specifies. Special azimuth motors will track the object overtime. This makes locating objects in the night sky easier for even amateurs.

Protecting your Telescope Lenses from Dust

Dust is present everywhere around us. It is only natural that sooner or later your telescope will be coated with a layer of dust. While a thin layer of dust will not probably interfere with your image. A thicker layer can affect your image. Hence, it is essential that the telescope lens is protected from dust.

Telescopes are provided with covers. Always fit the covers over the lenses when you are not using them.  Some astronomy shops provide compressed air to clean the lenses.

Never touch the surface of the lens with your bare hands. The oils in skin can affect the coating on the glass.  Never blow into the lens, droplets of saliva can get deposited on the surface and damage the lens.

How is collimation done in a telescope ?

Collimation refers to the process of adjusting the different components of the optical system such as lens, prism and the mirrors. A telescope which is not collimated will result in blurry images.

Different types of telescopes have different methods of collimation.

How to collimate a telescope ?
http://www.viewfromascope.com/how-to-collimate-a-telescope/

Binoculars for Astronomy

Once you are familiar with the basics of the night sky, you can take the next step with binoculars.
Binoculars are great for astronomy as they give a wider field of vision though they have lower magnification. They are also cheaper than telescopes.  Binoculars are portable and are easily available.

Binoculars are specified on the basis of the magnification as well as the aperture size. A bigger aperture size permits more light to enter and provides clearer images.

For instance, 8 x 40 means that the binocular has a magnifying power of 8 and an aperture size of 40.

Common specifications are 7 x 35, 8 x 40, 10 x 50, etc.

A binocular will greatly increase you reach into the sky.  It is estimated that with binoculars an astronomer can watch nearly 100,000 stars.

Check out these resources on choosing a good binocular.

Related links:

Selecting the best telescope for beginners

Choosing the right telescope