Choosing Sand & Gravel Substrate

Charutha Bandara is an Indianapolis software engineer who guides Aegis Studio, a software development company. Outside of work, Charutha Bandara is passionate about marine life and sells aquarium supplies on his website Ceylon Aquatics.

When creating and maintaining an aquarium, one basic decision point for freshwater aquariums is the substrate used. This often boils down to sand versus gravel. An advantage of the latter is that it lets water flow through easily, which prevents bacteria and other grime from building up and causing harmful aquarium mold. At the same time, the heaviness of the gravel ensures that it doesn’t get pulled into filters and start to clog them.

While sand doesn’t provide easy water flow-through, this task can be accomplished by fish that feed by burrowing and scavenging. It is also more natural, in that it mimics outdoor habitats such as riverbeds and lakes. Finally, the tightly packed quality of sand means that plant matter and uneaten food particles are more likely to remain on the top of the substrate. This is in contrast to gravel, which needs to be changed more frequently, as food tends to fall through the gaps and decay at the tank bottom.

Supplies Do You Need for an Aquarium

Charutha Bandara is a full stack developer experienced in building RESTful APIs and web and mobile applications. Based in Indianapolis, Charutha Bandara is also an entrepreneur who runs an aquarium supplies business.

If you plan to keep your pet fish healthy and comfortable, there are some things your aquarium must have. These key aquarium supplies include:

Aquarium heater

Fish get affected by rapid temperature changes, and you should have a heater in your aquarium to keep the fish consistently warm. Warm temperatures will make the fish less stressed and healthier. The temperature you set in your aquarium will depend on the fish species, but temperatures between 72 and 82 degrees are ideal.

Air pump

This device will ensure the water in the aquarium stays oxygenated, making it easier for the fish to breathe. It will also keep the aquarium evenly heated by blowing warm water away from the heater.

Water conditioner

Your pet fish’s waste contains ammonia which can kill them if it builds up in the aquarium. A water conditioner will break down and digest the ammonia keeping your fish safe. A water conditioner will also extract toxic heavy metals and chlorine from your water supply.

Creating a React Native App Using Expo CLI

Guiding Aegis Studio in Indiana, Charutha Bandara is a full stack web developer who works in languages such as Javascript React.js and Node.js. In a Medium article, Charutha Bandara outlines his methodology for building mobile apps using Expo CLI and React Native.

React Native was originally designed for the Facebook mobile application platform. Its utility as a progressive web app (PWA) led to evolution as a multi-platform framework that also supports desktop and web environments. Offering a variety of plugins and components, Expo CLI simplifies React Native development and makes testing applications on physical devices in one’s network easier. It can be downloaded as a simple app and scanned using a QR code.

Assuming the reader is familiar with React, Mr. Bandara goes on to detail the steps for creating an initial Expo app. This is undertaken through blank managed workflow and using an Android or iOS simulator to visualize the app as it’s being created. His instructions include setting up app navigation and a specific feel and look, as well as employing Firebase for user and data additions.

You Should Outsource Web Development?

A freelance full stack developer from Indianapolis, Illinois, Charutha Bandara designs e-commerce solutions, creates hybrid mobile applications, and builds web applications. Charutha Bandara works with small businesses through his agency Aegis Studio to meet their app and web development needs and requirements.

Small businesses typically face the constant struggle for growth control and efficiency of different facets. With limited resources, including employees, the chances of neglecting some sectors escalate, with more focus on sales, supply, and customer attendance. Under the strain, a feasible solution is outsourcing, especially for trending business models like mobile apps and online presence.

By 2026, the global mobile app development is expected to be worth $407.31 billion, with third-party agencies working with small businesses expected to make up a large percentage of that market. Maintaining an in-house development team is costly and may strain your small-scale business. What’s more, app and web development run on demand and supply, and a recurring remuneration may cripple your business.

Partner with a 3rd party developer for the task. After development and deployment, the appropriate agency provides ongoing support through insights on performance, trends, and required updates, either as part of the initial package or at a small fee. Market studies show that partnering with a reliable agency cuts costs by 75%.

Also, as you focus on your business, there is a high chance you lose out on emerging trends in technology. It gets increasingly hard to keep track of changes in areas outside your business niche, especially in specialized fields like software engineering and information technology. Ride on the 3rd party development agency’s skill, reach and experience to ensure scalability depending on your business requirements.

The Work of a Full Stack Developer

A software engineer who launched Aegis Studio in Indianapolis, Charutha Bandara works with software such as React Native, Docker, GCP, AWS, and other leading-edge frameworks. Previously, he worked at 3D Room Space in Santa Monica as a lead software engineer. Charutha Bandara completed extensive coursework covering full-stack development at Thinkful Full Stack Academy in Chicago.

A full-stack developer can work with all the components needed for a complete website, including the front and back ends of an application. Front developers are responsible for designing and building the visible parts of websites that users interact with and see on their web browsers. These are often the user interfaces and web pages. The backend deals with behind-the-scene functions, executing the commands issued by the website user, including database-related processes, logical processes, validation of users, and server configuration.

A full-stack developer is a programmer skilled in building and coding the frontend and the backend components of a website or application. A full-stack developer can handle all work related to databases, servers, coding, and systems engineering. Some of the skills needed to become a full-stack developer include, but are not limited to, HTML, JavaScript, CSS, SQL/NoSQL, and Object-Oriented Programming.

What Is DevOps?

An experienced software developer and engineer, Charutha Bandara serves as a consultant and software engineer at Aegis Studio in Indiana. In this capacity, Charutha Bandara builds web applications and performs DevOps administration duties.

A combination of the words “development” and “operations,” DevOps enhances a company’s ability to deliver services and applications through the implementation of different tools and practices. This added speed helps companies better compete in their markets and ensures they serve their customers more effectively. In essence, DevOps removes the barriers between development and operations teams so they can collaborate more effectively and smoothly, speeding up the software application life cycle.

The added agility that DevOps provides comes with a host of benefits. The increased speed allows businesses to innovate faster so that they are better poised to stay ahead of the competition. It also helps companies improve products faster and gives them a reputation of being more reliable. Since DevOps is not a form of technology but rather a change in philosophy, it can be implemented without adopting security risks by using automated security testing tools.

Creating Faster Websites Using Gatsby.js

An accomplished software developer, Charutha Bandara possesses in-depth knowledge of the open source framework Gatsby.js. As a freelance software engineer, he has been using Gatsby.js to design e-commerce solutions for small businesses. Moreover, as a former lead software engineer for 3D Room Space, Charutha Bandara used Gatsby.js to develop progressive web applications that display data stored in the Firestore Cloud Database.

A static site generator, Gatsby.js is based on Webpack, React.js, and other tools. Gatsby.js uses GraphQL to feed sites with data. One of the primary benefits of using Gatsby.js is speed. Gatsby.js will prefetch resources and compile the ideal Webpack configuration, resulting in sites that are two to three times faster than comparable sites. All this is done by the framework so that developers can focus on other parts of the build.

Since Gatsby.js is based off of React.js, developers can reuse components utilized in React applications. The use of GraphQL allows Gastby.js to fetch data from almost any source without the need for a classic backend. Developers can specify only the data they need instead of leaving the decision to the server.

Charutha Bandara has written a Gatsby.js tutorial that can be accessed on his blog: https://cbandara.com/blog/gatsby.