Friday, July 31, 2009

Aquarium salt?

i got API salt
i heard that salt is good for the health
of goldfish
but im worried about it
is the salt like a water conditioner or is it
just a add in
and are they meant to eat it or waht if they do should i be worried?
and what does electrolytes do for a goldfish ?
and does it disolve or will it be in my tank until i siphon it out
and does salt have any negative effects on the tank it self?
Answers:
Unless you have catfish or loaches, a little salt is a good thing. To add it, dissolve the amount in a container. The rate is best around 1 rounded tablespoon per 5 gallons for freshwater fish. Say you have a 55, you want to add 11 rounded tablespoons. You can dissolve them in about a pint of water easily. You might want to do 6 tablespoons on day and five more the next, so they can get accustomed to the salt.
It will not evaporate or filter out. It needs to be added in the process of water changes.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/electrolyte...
the salt is really good for fish (any kind of fish) i recommend ice cream salt at Wal-marts (is adds slime to them)
Aquarium salt is an add in. You will still need to use a water conditioner. It helps to keep away disease. Electrolytes for fish are like you drinking a gatorade. It helps their body work more efficiently. It will disolve in the water. You're fish are not meant to eat it though. It won't have any negative effects as long as you follow the directions on the package. It will tell you how much to add, depending on the size of your tank. Also, Ice cream salt is not a good idea. It is different from aquarium salt.
A little bit of salt in the tank water is good for most fish, even if they are freshwater fish. It helps boost their immune systems and stimulates the growth of their slime coat, which is their first natural defense against injury and disease. Any kind of salt will work fine, as long as it does not contain additives like iodine (which table salt does) or chlorine (which pool and some softener salts do). Most rock salts or sea salts work well. The salt sold in fish stores as "aquarium salt" is usually just 100% evaporated sea salt, which you can also buy at the grocery store, for less money. A salt bath is often used as a medication for sick or injured fish.
Too much salt coming in direct contact with a fish will give them a chemical burn, so when adding salt into a fish tank you should dissolve the salt completely in water first (about 1 tablespoon per gallon maximum for medicating fish or 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons for standard use) and then add it into the tank when you perform a water change. Don't add a full dose of salt with every water change as salt will not evaporate out with the water and the concentration will build up over time. Just add in enough for the water you are replacing.
Salt in the water is not recommended for aquariums that contain snails, scaleless fish, or heavily planted tanks. Plants do not appreciate high levels of salt and as snails are basically slugs with shells, salt can kill them. Contrary to what many people believe, corydoras are armored catfish and can tolerate salt, but many other species of catfish are scaleless fish and cannot.
Hi Hopeless Romantic, there are two schools of thought regarding the use of salt in aquariums, one favours using it as as a tonic in small amounts %26 the other favours not using it at all unless you have a specific situation to treat. Personally I favour the 'less-is-best' idea because the least additives you have in your tank the less that can go wrong. Also there is the possibility that anything harmful will build up a resistance to salt %26 when you need to treat something nasty with a higher concentration of salt it may prove difficult.
Even in low amounts salt will kill most aquarium plants so if you have these you really don't want to be using salt at all. Half of the members of my forum do %26 half don't so I would wait until you have several opinions either way before making any firm descision-there's not really a right way %26 a wrong way with salt, just different ideas!
I personally don't add salt unless I'm treating a disease. When used as a disease treatment, salt is most effective when the salinity level changes somewhat dramatically. Just like antibiotics, you don't want to just add salt for no reason, or it won't be as effective when you need it to treat disease. Salt will dissolve in your tank, but it will also stay in your tank for a long time. Frequent partial water changes (twenty to thirty percent) will lessen salinity over time if you've used it as a treatment. It's great to have salt on hand, but only use it if you really need it.

Aquarium Salt in a Betta Tank?

I have been told that Aquarium salt can help get rid of the little snails that have invaded my Betta's 2 gallon tank (Ive pulled out 6 of the little buggers and right now I see 3 more, who knows how many more are in there). Is it safe to put salt in his tank? And if so, how much? What else can I do to get rid of the encroachers (since Ive already put 6 of them in to my 30gal tropical tank)?
Answers:
Salt will help kill them, but you would be better off continuing the manual removal. Use up to 1 tablespoon of salt per gallon but add it over the course of several hours to avoid shocking your betta.
MM
A little bit of salt won't hurt your betta if you make sure to dissolve it completely before adding it into the tank and do it slowly (as MM suggested). However, if you crush the shells of the little pond snails, your betta will probably be happy to eat them. I do that with the ones that are in my tank and my guppies gobble them up. I just squish them against the side of the glass with a chopstick and the fish clean up the mess.
You can add salt, slowly, but don't do one tablespoon per gallon as previously mentioned. That would be WAY too much salt for your fish. The correct salt dosage would be one tablespoon per every five gallons (so six tablespoons of non-iodized salt, maximum). After the snails have died, do frequent twenty-to-thirty-percent partial water changes to lessen the salinity over time.
u should definatly put salt in ur tank. ive been using it ever since my betta got velvet. twice :(. BUT NEVER EVER EVER use table salt. u gotta buy special aquarium salt. its quite useful.:)

Aquarium Plants?

I was wondering if I could put any regular plant in an aquarium with fish, without the plant harming the fish. Because I have regular plants in pots that I would rather see in an aquarium than the kinds you buy in the store. So I was hoping i could put them in my aquarium
Answers:
Nope, aquatic plants are of entirely different species than plants that grow outside of water and have different methods of absorbing nutrients, sorry. Even those that are grown submerged (roots in water, leaves out) by stores have to adjust and have a lot of leaves die out before they manage to recover and grow leaves that can handle being immersed in water.
If you don't want to pay money to buy your plants from the store, go down to the nearest pond or lake and scrounge some plants up from the bottom. Just make sure you give them a good rinse in a weak bleach solution and then quarantine them for a week or two before you put them in with your fish so you don't introduce any aquatic pests or diseases into your aquarium.
what kind of plants are they
Even aquatic plants like amazon swords will die off once submerged. Amazons are grown above the surface, so they look nice in the store, but will grow differently after the old leaves die off. If you take a terrestrial plant and submerge it, it will die and produce ammonia, which will kill your fish.

Aquarium plants?

I have a 10gallon set up with 4 guppies, 4 neon tetras and 2 black neon tetras. I intend on adding some plants, I already have some java moss anchored to slate rocks on the bottom and hope to expand this to create a kind of foreground carpet, but I'm also looking for some colourful plants to add in the background to give maximum effect, any help would be appreciated. Scientific names aswell as common names would be helpful aswell.
Answers:
Anubias barteri or anubias nana. Both are fine in low light situations, and fish don't like to eat it. These are what I would use, especially in a 10 gallon.
i like amazon swords, so i reccomend them..
when doing aquaculture always stock larger plants in the back and shorter ones in the front . for the illusion of depth.
Anyway for the background plants, try looking into red ludwig.
more red includes red telanthera(Telanthera lilcina)
also look into standard green plants like moneywort and my favorite, false tenellus (lilaeopsis navaezelandiae)
Edit: the first post wouldnt be smart, a amazon sword in a 10 gallon, they will get big and need alot more height to grow. i have a mother amazonswod plant that is ove 25 inches hiegh.
Forget the Amazon sword rookie stuff. If you're going for color, I'd suggest any of the Rotala family available (especially Rotala macranda). They're hardy and, with a lot of light, the tips start changing into some amazing reds and purples.
I use these guys:
http://www.azgardens.com/
They have a great selection.
And read anything by Takashi Amano. Check out his site below for some utra inspiration.
I`ve always liked that aquatic bamboo. It is really pretty when it gets big and the "trunk" grows in spirals. Its neat looking.
A great plant the makes a carpet effect would be a Pygmy Chain Sword. They send out lots of runners if you provide them with correct lighting and CO2 fertilization. A nice background plant would be Amazon Swords. They can grow up to 20", but they don't grow very fast.
I like to use this site for ordering plants: http://www.aquariumplants.com/
And for CO2 fertilization, here is a cheap way to make your own DIY (Do It Yourself) CO2 System: http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/diyc...
~ZTM
I would suggest a few Micro Swords. It is a foreground plant. It's not really colorful but it would be great for a beginner to try out. It grows to a height of 4".

Aquarium newbie advice?

I'm thinking of getting a small aquarium. I'm an experienced pet owner but I've never owned fish before. my wife got me a really pretty betta which i keep on my desk at work and he got me thinking I'd like to get an aquarium.
how do i get started
I'm a beginner so nothing too complicated
Small apartment so nothing too big
My wife likes colourful/pretty fish
I like strange and unusual
suggestions?
I
Answers:
Aquariums are not hard to keep, as long as you know the basics. The easiest to keep is a 55 gallon, but it sounds like you would prefer a smaller version. No matter which tank size you buy, you will need lights and a filter, gravel (usually 1 1/2 pounds per gallon, i.e., a 10 gallon would take 15 lbs). I like backings on my tank (pictures) and there are many natural scenes to choose from at your local pet dealer. If you want tropical fish, you will need a heater, and depending on the fish, I keep my tanks at between 75 and 82 degrees. Make sure that after you set up your tank, you let it cycle for at least two weeks, a month is better, before you add too many fish. Betas are hardy and would do well. You need to get your biological filter up and running; Your biological filter is friendly bacteria that render harmless any fish waste products that will produce the ammonia harmful to fish. Live plants will help 'cycle' the tank more quickly, and they help prevent algae.
You will have to stick with smaller variety fish--your beta is perfect--make sure any others will stay small! Loaches may be fun to watch, and tiny when you buy them, but some can grow to be several feet long! Betas are compatable with most other 'community' fish, just not another male beta. Neon tetras are flashy, as are many types of tetras. Make sure you don't buy the smallest ones, because they are easily stressed, and can die for no apparent reason. Dwarf gouramis are pretty, and a fun fish. These are all freshwater.
I feed my fish twice a day, no more than they can eat in 3 to 5 minutes. I feed them frozen food in the morning, and flake at night--it helps them to remain healty, and makes their colours bright.
Lastly, please get a water test kit. You can only really know your tank is ready for fish if you can test the water, and then you should test on a regular basis. You will need to test at least for ph and ammonia. The smaller tanks are a little harder to keep stable, but it can be done with regular water changes (only about 25% once or twice a week). ('Bog log' is decorative wood that you can put in your tank to help keep it stable.) Get a siphon and vaccum the gravel when you change the water. It will only take a few minutes with a small tank. Make sure when you replace the water, that the temperature is similar, and it is conditioned with a dechlorinator. I know this can sound complicated, but it really isn't. Just take it a step at a time, and your fish will love you for it! There is nothing more eye-catching than a well cared for tank with happy, healthy fish! Good luck!
how about a ten gallon tank? put ur betta in, and add a few other fish( guppies with small fins perhaps?) . or you can buy a divider ( so you dont wake up finding 2 dead bettas)and get another betta and watch em flare =D BTW, aquariumqueen, since he has a betta, it might be best to buy short finned not so fancy guppies since bettas sometimes misate them for other bettas and start chasing them. getting 2 bettas and a divider would be less cpstly since guppies like to be in groups and bettas have a labrinth so they dont need an air pump ;)
If you are a beginner I would NOT get a saltwater aquarium, even though they are pretty they are very hard to look after. I would go to your local pet store and buy a tank that suits your home and is a reasonable size. Look for the most colourful / unusual fish you can find without going too expensive.
; )
well i have a 10 and i have mollies and platys which are livebears. they are pretty and fancy male guppies are awesomly colored. they are pretty hardy fish. a few plastic plants, heater, filter and eventully a air pump. have fun with it. get to the pet store and take a look. also u can put a betta in with the aqaurium if u get the shorter fined fish!! good luck!

Aquarium lights?

do you have to shut them off at night?
is it harmful.
Answers:
Get common appliance timers at Wal-Mart or any other hardware store. Set it for when you wake up and when you go to bed and you will be fine.
a tropical day has about 12 hours of light. no need for more. so yes, you do have to shut the lights off in the evening already.
you can split those 12 hours in two sections though, for example switch on the light for 6:30-12:30 and for 17:00-23:00.
the fish and the plants don't care as long as there are 12 hours light but algae won't grow that fast with this plan.
you can use a timer to switch the lights off and on automatically at the proper time.
The best thing to do is keeping the light on for 10-12 hours during the day and keeping it off for 12-14 hours at nights
A timer is extremly helpful with that

Hope that helps
Good luck

EB
Timers are great. But unless you have plants in your tank I wouldn't bother. The only time you really need to even have the tank light ON is when you want to view it better. The fish get plenty of ambient light from the room itself so unless you have the tank in a pitch dark room, the fish already have a "day" cycle. The purpose of the aquarium lights is to supply light for the plants and for your viewing pleasure. If you don't have plants in the tank, then you rarely need those lights on.
When you do turn the lights on though, make sure the room light is on first. The more light coming into the tank before you turn the tank light on the less you will startle the fish. Startling fish is a major timer drawback but if you have plants it's usually worth the tradeoff (fish eventually get used to the fact that the light will be coming on suddenly everyday).
I shut them off after 12 hours. At night, I have something that simulates moonlight...
http://www.thatpetplace.com/pet/group/10...
Your light should be for 12 hours a day, so yes it should be turned off at night. Wal - Mart has some timers for cheaper than other stores.
~ZTM

Aquarium lights same as the ones at Home Depot?

Do the flourescent lights that they sell at home depot offer the same spectrum as the so called "aquarium lights?" I'm not planning to use household lights in my tank, ( it won't even fit in the fish tank's hood lol). I might fit it into a lamp as a backup for my little fish tank.
Answers:
Well fluorescent lights come in a range of spectrum's which are obviously used for many different things. I have personally used a normal household fluro in my fish tank light. The purpose of the "Aquarium Light" is mainly for plant growth (if you have plants in the tank) and it helps to highlight the colours in fish eg neon tetras.
I purchase my fluro lights at my local hardware store.
Here is a link that discribes the different type of bulbs that are/can be used. Lighting is importantfor the overall health and reproduction functions for fish.
http://www.fish.com/lighting.asp?catid=3...
It will depend on the type of fish you have to what type of light you need. normal fluro tubes don't put out the best light for fish. Best to get one from a fish shop, that way you can get the correct type and some even bring out the colors of the fish really well.
Normal, every day flourescent bulbs are fine for fish - fish don't even need flourescent lighting to survive. The only reason it would make any difference at all is if you are keeping live plants.

Aquarium help!?

I dont no if i should go with the 24 gallon nano cube or the 29 gallon bio cube... i want more space but good lighting.also i live outside of phill and im not sure were i can find a retailer that sells them.
Answers:
Bigger is always better.
And longer is always better. Keep in mind while cube and sphere tanks sell well because they look fancy, long rectangular shaped tanks offer the most usable (swimming, territoriy) space for the fish and still remains the most ideal type of tank.
if you can afford it, always go for the bigger one. more room for fishes and better water stability.
are you talking about the JBJ nano cube?
i bought the 29 biocube and am no longer satisfyed with it now that i've seen the nanocube. but if at all possible get the red sea cubes as, IMHO, they are the top shelf of cube tanks.
try the link below

Aquarium heaters?

While draining water from my tank i forgot to turn the heater off and the water line went below the heater.
I was out of room for 10 min when i came back in and smelled burning, i switched heater off but it is burning hot, will it be ok to use or will i have to buy a new one
Answers:
i would leave it till it it cools down, dont put it in water or it will break.
once it cools down look at it for cracks.
if there is none then it might be ok to use
look to see if theris any cracks or if the heater is damaged if its not then fine to use
in a simple case with electronics and water, all i can say its better safe that sorry. if you smell burning and it feels hot, then i wouldnt risk it, i would risk killing myself or my fish just for the pence that a new heater would cost.
my advice, replace it to be on the safe side, it isn't worth the risk
so you switched it off and it is cool now - put it in a bucket full of water and then plug it in to test the integrity of the the glass. if your house mains don't trip off then the water heater should be fine - remember to switch off and let it be for ten minutes before transferring it to the tank , when its in the tank let it be for 10 minutes before plugging it in .

Aquarium fuse question...?

My aquarium light blew a fuse. It was a FS-U fuse/starter. Petco only has FS-20 %26 FS-40 fuses/starters. My light is 20 watts. Can i use an FS-20 instead of an FS-U? Thanks!
Answers:
I think you can use a FU!
I am not sure what an FS-U is But if its a regular 20 watt starter do not buy it from any pet store you will probably pay about $3.98 for one .You can get the exact same thing at Home Depot for about $2 for a pack of 2. I have about 20 tanks to light so I look for the best prices on bulbs and starters
Ditto to bob m... use the FS-20's and buy them at a home store or Walmart.

Aquarium for gift?

I want to buy an aquarium for my sil and daughter for Christmas. They will be having baby in Jan. and they live in 2-bdrm apt., so no too big but not too shaby. Moderate price range. Any suggestions?
Answers:
I would suggest you look at 20-30 gallon aquariums for a few reasons. Those are very common sizes and therefore rather inexpensive. They are readily available in a "kit" from any large pet store chain which makes the gift easy to buy, fairly complete and less expensive. As a general rule, the larger the tank, the easier it is to maintain, so I would avoid a tank of 10 gallons or less.
The one addition to the kit I would say is a must have item would be a reasonable basic aquarium book. Most better pet shops and book stores have a variety of them in a range of prices.
Best of luck shopping
MM
20 gallon should be fine with plants and all I would say about 150 dollars just got one made my own lid out of wood try the reptile one with no lid it is great for fish and you can buy lid expensive or make your own very easy good luck
you shoul get them one between 2-5 gal thell cost between 20-50 dollors depending on what type you get as for fish you should give them a betta there virtiualy low maintence and very colorful dont get them a goldfish they require 10 gal each and grow huge
Hmm.
Fish-keeping can actually get a lot more complicated than it looks, so if this is a surprise gift, you might want to avoid something too large. Too many people have received aquariums as presents and not known how to take care of them properly. If you haven't checked with them first, perhaps a 10 gallon aquarium would be best. It doesn't take up that much room, it isn't quite as involved as a 30 gallon tank and it can still hold a nice community of fish.
I would suggest a 10-gallon or smaller
I would say about 6-10 gallons should be fine. you could get 6 gallon for 50 $ with everything included. Check out your local pet store or wal-mart (if there is a branch near you).
I would suggest thinking of a new gift. Animals should never be given as gifts, especially fish. Fish are seen as expendable, and if it dies oh well. Most people won't take the time to research what it takes to be a good fish parent. Please think of another gift, or take the person you want to buy the tank for with you to do so. That way they will be able to ask questions as you go along.

Aquarium filters?

Can anyone recommend a good aquarium external filter as the one i have at the present is about as good as an ashtray on a motorbike,
(please do not recommend the one beginning with F and finishesing with L)
Answers:
I personally like Whisper brand HOT or hang on tank power filters. I have found them to be affordable, easy to maintain and very reliable.
MM
you mean fluval,i have no problems with it.But you would be better of with a underwater filter as they don't need cleaning as much as the others do.
Well the filter I have is an Aquaclear. It is quiet effective and easy to maintain. Ive had it for about 3 months now and has worked great and it keeps the water nice and clean and the fish happy.
I have to confess the reason I purchased it was because the local pet store had a 50% sale on their aqua clear products one weekend. It has a 3 stage filter system - first a sponge - then filtered through a carbon bag and finally a 'bio bag' (which i think is just a little bag of porus rocks meant to hold 'good bacteria'. Im not sure how the pump makes the water go through the 3 layers but it seems to work great.
The sponge and bio bag are still in great shape only thing i had to do is rinse them in some aquarium once. The only part that i change is the carbon bag which I usually change once per month. Hope this helps.
Cheers
Go with an Eheim power filter they are great filters.
Ditto on the other answers. I personally prefer the Aquaclear's myself. They don't require the maintenence stated by the manufacturer actually. Rinse out the sponge every month but you don't need to be replacing it like they say, just the carbon once a month is all. Eheim is outstanding but expensive. I've not had any issues with that F filter you don't want mentioned lol. Haven't tried Whisper yet, but haven't heard anything wrong with them.
Penguin Bio-Wheels work awesome. I ditched my f----l for a bio-wheel. Now its the only filter I run, and its been working flawlessly for 4 years now.
I like AquaClears the best. The only thing you really have to replace monthly is the carbon. You can rinse out the foam in the bucket of water when you do your water changes. But if you really want a canister filter, I also like the Rena FilStar Canister ones.
http://www.petsmart.com/global/product_d...
~ZTM
aquaclear
i have a Rena filster expensive but low maintenance and its not noisy,its easy to clean and does a great job in both my tanks
I have a aquaclear 110 on my 45 gallon and i highly recommend it!
ive used ehiem for years with no probs prev externall as can change all material inside keeps tanks clean needs cleaning once a month

Aquarium Evaporation?

I have a 30 Litre (8 Gallon) fish tank that is heated to 26 degC (78 degF), and because it鈥檚 been so cold here, there evaporation seems to have sped up dramatically.
(I used to loose less than 250ml a week, now I鈥檓 loosing close to 500ml a week).
What effect does this have on the water chemistry?
My kH (and thus pH) fall quite steadily regardless of the kH treatment I use, could evaporation cause this?
I鈥檓 currently doing a 20-30% water change ever 10 days or so, should I be doing smaller water changes (like 10%) ever week instead?
Answers:
actually kH rises because of the evaporation - the water evaporates but calcium stays in your tank.
how do you measure kH and pH?
btw 500 ml a week is not much, my main tank loses this amount of water every 5-6 hours ;-)
comment on additional details:
do you have many plants in your tank? the plants need carbon dioxide for their growth and when they eat up all carbon dioxide in the tank and no additional carbon dioxide is added the calcium carbonate which is solved in the water crystallizes and falls out. also snails need calcium for their shells.
No keep changing the water like you are
Evaporation does have an effect oon the chemistry, but by changing the partially the water regularly the water chemistry is kept in check. Partial water changes up to 25% a week would be the ideal maitenance routine.
I always get lots of thumbs downs on this point, but I often like to tell people not to even test all these water parameters because it just makes people nervous and want to start messing around with the water. 99% of the time tap water is fine the way it is.
What I would recommend is doing 25% water changes every week, just as the previous poster suggested. Top off the tank when you need to. And then, unless you start seeing health issues in your tank, don't worry.
If you have fish that specifically prefer hard, alkaline water, then just say so and I can share tips on how to stablize it at higher levels (levels you don't really want for most types).

Aquarium Decor?

Rather than spending lots of money on bogwood and rocks, is it ok to use the ones that you find on the beach?
I would make sure the wood is not rotten and falling apart and would give them all a good clean and soak in water for a few days.
Thanx for answering :)
Answers:
I would not use wood that you find on the beach as it might be abit dodgy and its not expensive.
Rocks should be fine just follow the instructions that guppie stole from magic.
You can`t use them sorry
No it's not a good idea to use things you find on the beach as they can have parasites etc even if they look ok. Also something that has been in the sea isn't suitable for a freshwater aquarium as it will be salty. It is just best to buy the decor from an aquarium shop, afterall it's not worth risking harming the fish.
I found a inexpensive way to decorate my child's tank, I take her to the housewares dept in a store and she picks out a couple a vases in different colors but still see through
the glass will not harm the tank, and she can still see her fish when they are (hiding)
yes you can use it but you have to clean it really well.
You really dont want to risk it with the wood but rocks are ok, As long as you test them, Here is how to do it.
To clean them use warm water and a stiff brush to remove any and all materials from the surface of the rock. If the rock gets soft, crumbles and feels sandy, discard that rock. Then soak the rock in a weak beach solution for 30 minutes. 1/4 cup to a gallon of water is enough to kill any remaining pathogens. Rinse very well and allow the rocks to dry well. Now test them.
First, drip a few drops of vinegar on the rock. If you see bubbles or fizzing, discard that rock.
Place each rock in a separate container of water. Just enough water to cover the rock and be sure that the container is quite clean. cover the container. Allow the rock to soak at least over night. The next day carefully check the surface of the water for any oily film or discoloration in the water. If you see either discard the rock.
A rock that passes these tests will be safe for your tank.
~ GG
If you have gone to the expense of buying an aquarium spend a little extra on bogwood and rocks, don't use the ones you can get on the beach they could be contaminated. Why would you want to penny-pinch and put your fish at risk.
Both should be just fine provided you take the correct precautions. With the wood, just make sure it's not rotten as you said and then make sure it's free of debris. I would not use wood from saltwater sources in a freshwater tank as it would leech chemicals into the water for months to come and soaking would only remove them after months of time.
As for the rocks, please see guppie_guys answer, that was copied word for word from my previous answer to this same question. Without the decency of a link or reference I might add.
MM
it all depends on what kind of fish you are looking to get on wether or not you can use that decor. bogwood, im guessing is driftwood. driftwood of any kind in water releases leechins, which will make your ph drop. if you are getting fish that like a lower ph or love living around driftwood, that would be ok, as long as you went through a LONG process of soaking it and testing the water its soaked in, till you know how quickly the ph is dropping. once it starts to slow down it may be added to an aquarium.
On the other hand, rocks or sand from the beach can result in your ph sky rocketing! it all depends on the calcium level. if you are getting fish that like high ph (african cichilds) it would be ok, as long as you disinfect them throughly.
Bogwood isn't that dear anyway, you must be on a tight budget to not afford that. It is æ‹¢7.50 per Kg in my local shop.
I like plants in mine. Fake or real any will do. And small ortaments work well too. I used to have a castle that had holes in it and the fish would swim in and out al the time. Id get somethin like that. Like those shipwrecks.
Guppie Guy answer seems pretty good~
oh wait, he copied it from magicman116?
oops. haha..
No, NEVER use it. You never know where it might come from. It could have came from a place with heave traffic and after you put it in your tank, your going to poison your fish. Plus, it could change your PH, GH and Kh !
Never put anything that's been in the sea into a freshwater tank.

Aquarium chiller?

my tank has been over 80 degrees for the whole summer, reaching 88 degrees once. all of the inhabitants are doing fine but i plan on getting coral and need a chiller. I have a trickle filter and wanted to know which would be a better option a drop in chiller or an inline. how would i go about hooking up the inline with the sump
Answers:
Just get a fan if your tank has made it this far into the summer. A 20" fan blowing directly on the surface of the water will give a nice drop in temp and save you about 250-500 bones. If you are going to drop your temp down to 60-65 then you will want a chiller. Go to wetwebmedia.com. There are many articles on chillers and can be of alot of help to a marine fish keeper.
i agree. i live in georgia, and my ac sucks. i bought a 20$ fan at walmart and mounted it and pointed it at my sump. its on a timer to go on during the day when the lights are on and my 55g stays between 79-82 all day and night...$20 vs. $3-500...works for me..

Aquarium Canopy?

Does anyone know if there are any good websites on DIY canopy building for a 55G aquarium?
Answers:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/setup/...
They are very helpful. There are many subjects covered on this site, and Bob Fenner is great.

Aquarium build up on top of tank and light fixtures?

what can I use to get rid of that white chalky/salty looking build up on the tank top. It doesnt come off with anything I have used and looks nasty, it also builds up to form like a crusty mess on the outside of the tank. The tank is freshwater, tropical fish.
Answers:
since a razor blade doesn't work on mine i have tried 2 things, recommended by others, and they both work like miracles
you can put white vinegar on it and let it soak for about 10 min and then wipe it of with a damp cloth
you can also use pure lemon juice, also let it soak for about 5-10 min and then wipe it off with a damp cloth
That way nothing gets scratched
But don't expect that it won't come back, it will, I usually clean my cover about once a month
DON'T use any chemicals on it

hope that helps
Good luck

EB
Im guessing it is on the outside of the tank. Get an refillable knife blades and scrape it off, you dont need to use any chemicals. it works well
i used to work in a pet shop and i have a really large salt water aquarium and that is all that i use.
scraping it off will work just be careful not to scratch the glass. Or you can try a lite vinegar water mix to get it off.
To answerer MJ-
LIME AWAY???
Asker, I would not listen to this advice.
Never EVER use any sort of chemical on or around AND ESPECIALLY IN a fish tank.
Follow the advice of others and use a razor blade.
Also, I would get away from using whatever water you use that has all this lime and calcium in it. I suspect you're using dechlorinated tap water. I'd recommend switching to spring water. Make the change very slowly. If the water has all this lime and calcium, is also has a high pH and is hard.
Bettas need water that is slightly acidic and soft.
Changes in pH and hardness should be done very slowly.
I recommend changing out 10% of his water every day until you have changed it completely.

Aquarium Bubble Stone?

I just bout a Aqua Culture Aquarium Bubble Stone and how do i install it in my 10 gallon tank with goldfish in it? i also have an air pump so i need step by step instructions please.
Answers:
I have that and you need to go to Wal-Mart(I presume that where you get them) and get the standard Airline Tubing(Get the 25inch one those are good deal and size) at the fish area.
Also im guessing that you have the air pump with a check valve(to prevent from back siphoning and damaging your pump).
This is what it looks like:
http://www.thatpetplace.com/images/thumb...
1. Find a sterdy safe place to put your pump.
2. Cut the airline tubing to a desired length.
3. Connect One side of the tubing to the pump
4. Carfully(To prevent it from breaking) connect the airstone to the other side.
5. If you have a check valve cut the middle of the tube and connect the valve.(Its best to have one)
6. Put the air stone in the tank and let it soak for 1hour(Some airstone needs to soak more than an hour and some dont it depends on the what type it is).
7. Then plug it in.
Have fun
WT
1st you should let the air stone soak in water for 10 min. before using it. then take your air line hose and connect 1 end to the air stone and the other end to the pump. place the air stone in the tank where you want it, preferably under a heavy rock or something that can hold it down. then just plug it in.

Aqua-plus and the cycling bottle?

is aqua-plus and the cycling bottle are good for cycling?
Answers:
99% of the time bacteria supplements are junk by the time they hit the shelves of a pet store. Such supplements have strict date codes on them and must also be stored correctly. Even if the store is willing to store them properly, odds are high the shipping company that delivered them did not. Also, often when I see these in stores, the date label has been removed, telling you it's out of date and the store is trying to sell it anyway. I wouldn't waste a penny on any of these type products ever.
If you are looking into cycling a tank and need some help, please fee free to email me.
MM
I don't think anyone can stress enough that cycling will always take time and buying things that 'speed up' the cycle really won't cut much time off of it.
You need time to build up the required amount of bacteria to process the waste of the fish and products you buy that claim to have the bacteria needed won't have anywhere near the amount you need to establish a tank. At best, you'll take a week off the cycle, but you'll still risk losing fish if you try to rush it.
No the answer above is not necisarily true. There are products that contain nothing but fish feces that help add bacteria into your tank. The bacteria is what cycling all about. Aqua Plus is just a water conditioner, meaning it removes chloramines. Cycle is actually a good brand to help get your tank started. This doesn't mean that your tank will automatically be good but it helps to get it along. This can help decrease the death of your fish because it will speed up the process of changing nitrites to nitrates. Establishing a tank takes time; period. It's not meant to mature your tank instantly, it is to promote the health and ecosystem of your tank.
The best way to cycle a tank is to do it without fish. This can be done two ways. One is to get filter media from an existing cycled tank. This transfer will introduce bacteria very quickly and will usually allow you to put fish right in. The other method is to do it with ammonia drops, fish food, or any other organic item that can decompose. When you cycle a tank without fish, there is no risk of your fish dying from ammonia or nitrite. Email me if you have any questions.
No. Nothing is good for cycling but time and patience. You cannot buy a good cycle out of a bottle. I gave a detailed explanation of exactly what is involved in order to properly cycle water in your previous question. That is all you need to do to get perfectly cycled water.
Aqua-plus is okay generally, it does cause some bubbles to form on the surface of the water at times but it's not a problem.
You can forget about the cycling bottle as MM mention they're not worth the money and there's probably no bacteria in the bottle by the time you buy it off the shelf.
A way of speeding up the process is to get some filter media from friends who have "healthy" established tanks. With enough media, you could dramatically cut down the time required for cycling.
.

Approximately how much does running a Koi pond add to you electrical bill each month in your area?

My husband and I would love to build a koi pond next year and I am just full of questions!
I keep reading about the noticeable increase in energy bills but haven't found any estimates.
I suppose it would be important to ask what size your pond is and how often you have to use the heater as well...?
Thank you for any information you can give me!
Answers:
Our pond is 3,000 gallons. We put a livestock water trough heater in it in the winter to keep at least a portion of the surface ice-free to allow for gas exchange, and run it pretty much continuously from around December to March, depending on the weather. It is temperature-sensitive so it shuts itself off if it's not needed.
We also have a 5,000 gph pump that we run continuously, 24/7, from April/May through October/November, again depending on the weather. If we are not running the pump (in the colder months), we put in a small bubbler, just to keep it oxygenated (that pump is much smaller - mayber 1,500 gph?).
Anyway, with running all that, and having at least "something" running 24/7/365, we spend maybe an extra $75-$100 per month on electricity. Our house is about 20 years newer than my parents, and roughly a third again larger, but their electricity bill is very close to what ours is and they don't run a pond. Also, we are on a program where we pay an "average" amount on our electricity bill and the power company adjusts that amount annually depending on our usage, but we have never paid more than $200 a month - hope that gives you some idea of what to expect.
I just want to add that I get AT LEAST the equivalent of the costs for the extra power usage out of the pond, in terms of relaxation and enjoyment. A massage costs $75-$80 an hour, and you can get a whole month's worth of koi pond for that!!
Hope this helps.
maybe it depends upon on how you are going to operate your fish pond
well it would help knowing the gallons of the pond and how much gph the filter is going to be, you don't really need a heater for a koi pond. I mean they can live in a sheet of ice (though not fully frozen water)
i was take a guess and say it cost around the same as maintaining a swimming pool, with filter and heater and all.

Apparently great white sharks show there fins above water when circling,does the same go for hamerhead shark?

the answer with the most information gets chosen best in 5 hours
Answers:
White sharks do not show their fins when hunting. A white shark is a sneaky predator always coming from behind or under neath. This depends on what hammerhead you are talking about. Ill assume the great hammer head because it is the most noted. They stay very deep i the ocean never breaking water they hunt in like schools of 100. They get spooked very easily but once they are comfortable they are very exploratory. They have been know to bump and even mouth breathe divers out in the ocean. They can grow upwards of 6 feet long. The dangerous party again is they hunt in schools so you cant keep an eye on them all
Hammerheads don't generally spend much time at the surface. Their broad head allows them to detect vibrations from the crabs and small fish that hide in the sand. They eat other bottomdwellers, so they don't really do much circling. If it was circling though, it would be circling below the surface. In the event that it attacked a floating target, it would come from below the target, not at a parallel to the surface of the water.
Nosoop4u
As ambush predators, when attacking prey at the surface, they wouldn't come at it at the surface (where their fin would be showing), they would strike from below (so you would really not see their fins in the case of Hammerheads).
actually, no shark shows it's fin when actively hunting. Sharks are lay in wait and surprise hunters. Sharks do show their fins when on the surface, beleive it or not, they are sunning themselves and not actively hunting. Sometimes when intentionally baited by humans at the surface, the sharks fins do extend above water while feeding at the surface.
sharks are the consumate ambush predator. Almost every survivor of a shark attack all say the same thing. I never saw it before it attacked. I was a diver for many years, I interacted with leopard and blue sharks quite often. I was bitten one time, by a smaller blue shark on my left leg. At the time, I was feeding the sharks and was distracted for a moment. I didn't see a piece of bait that dropped down near my leg. The shark bit, and immediatley released my leg. I got away with 25 stitches and a new respect for even small sharks
As for hammerheads, they are bottom feeders as a general rule. They use those wide heads like a mine detector, but instead of regestering when the pass over metal, it picks up the electrical out put of small fish or crustacians just under the sandy bottom which they then grab and eat. There have been a few attacks credited to hammerheads on humans, but I don't know of any where they actually tried to eat a human. I think they mistook the flash of a foot or hand for a fish and bit out of instinct.

API Freshwater Master Kit. Where can I get that?

As the title indicates...
And can anyone tell me the price range?
Thanks, fellow fish frens
-K-
Answers:
Petsmart sells it. In the store it's laround $35. On their website it's 20.69. It really is the best kit to use.
hey ermm you maybe can get them from a pet store but im from uk so i go 2 pets at home and home bargins to get things like that or i can get big fish tanks for æ‹¢5 and air pumps for æ‹¢7.00 and filters for æ‹¢5.00 and cheap plants for 99p each and fish are 5 for æ‹¢4.00 so its really cheap for me and a big bag of gravel is æ‹¢2.00 my tank kit cost bout æ‹¢9.99 or for a big tank cost æ‹¢15.00 or æ‹¢5.99
If you don't have a petsmart near you, try petco or a private owned fish store
Try to search for petstores

EB

Anyway to remove Ick Stain.?

I had a nasty case of ick recently. The medicine stained my silicon and hoses blue. Anyone know of a way to remove the blue from the silicon?
Answers:
Just leave them don't try to hard to remove it from the silicone because if you do you can loosen it up and the tank will leak or break.
I had that and couldn't clean it. For the next time, do not use any products like Jungle brand because they don't work and stain. I suggest using CopperSafe.
No, I'm sorry I do not believe that you can remove the stains.
I know that cold cream (like Pond's) can get methalyne green (sp?) off of your hands, and so can vinegar. You could try rinsing your tank with vinegar, or smearing some cold cream on the stained parts, to see if that helps. The cold cream may not be as easy to try, but the vinegar certainly should be easy enough - and safe, I would think, for any future fishes as long as you rinsed it well.
Hope this helps.

Anything special?

I just got a fish tank with 4 little goldfish 2 orange and 2 black and one of those sucker fish. Is there anything special I need to put in the water to keep them healthy and such??
Answers:
Make sure you have a filter, dechlorinator, and a 100 gallon tank. Goldfish each get up to 2 feet long (commonly 1.5 feet). If they are kept in small tanks, they will be stunted and only live a couple of years (normal lifespan is 15-25 years).
Nosoop4u
make sure you have a working filter pump plants help and an air stone that produces bubbles.
keep an eye on your levels in your tank use a test kit to regularly check nitrite ammonia and nitrate,these give a good indication if all is well in your tank.
a filter would help with your cleaning maitnance because the one sucker fish mont be able to clean it all. and your fish could live longer with a filter as well.
NoSoop ain't kiddin'. Goldfish are not bowl fish like the myth leads the innocent to believe. Goldfish aren't even little tank fish. They need a minimum of 10 gallons per fish and as you want to choose a tank for the full grown adult size of the fish so you don't have to keep spending money on ever larger tanks, a 100 gallon is about right. That is of course, unless you don't mind them dying every 6 months because their environment is inadequate. They also need filtration that pumps 10 times the water as the size of the tank. So, if you had a 50 gallon tank, you would need a 500 gph filter. So, yeah, there's a lot you need to do for these fish. In addition to the size of the tank, you need to understand the nitrogen cycle and how to cycle your water with fish. You very well may lose one to all four of them through this process. Goldfish are very sensitive. You can't buy water quality by pouring in store bought chemicals. You need a liquid test kit that tests for ammonia, nitrites and nitrates and you need to test regularly. You also need to know how to properly clean and maintain the tank and filter. Good water comes from patience, hard work and knowledge. Good luck! I hope everything works out okay!

Anything less messy then shrimp pellets?

I just putchased a small school of catfish - and I heard that to suplement the flakes they scour from the bottom it is good to feed them shrimp pellets. Proble with these things are when they hit the bottom the catfish love to eat them but they break into a millin pieces and there is bits of shrimp pellet flying everyhwere. I s there somthing maybe less messy to feed them - also i have wardley shrimp pellets is it possible another brand may be less messy?
Answers:
Whardly shrimp pellets are the chepest food you will get for your cats. If you can tolerate the mess (and the extra algae causing silica) they generate, stick with them. They'll save a ton of money over time and its a nutritious staple food.
If you've got boatloads of cash, you can use hikari sinking carnivore pellets. That's like like feeding a pig fau gras, caviar, and crystal. Unnecessarially expensive.
I suppliment mine with occasional frozen bloodworms %26 beefheart.
They're all about the same. Just don't put that many in, just a few. And I only put them in my tank once every few days. Like you said, they'll eat the flakes as they fall to the ground, or whatever else you feed the other fish.

Anyone selling fish tanks?? i need a 30 or higher?


Answers:
check your local swap sheet or newspaper,you can buy them alot cheaper used. I picked up a 75 gal.and stand for 60 bucks. also try lawn sales
sorry
only a twenty high
try craigslist.com
or get the ads of a newpaper
Try Wal-Mart, Petsmart, or Target they sell fishtanks capable of holding that much water that your asking. Josh from Sarasota, FL USA Have a Fantastic Week

Anyone out there know anything about catfish fingerling production?

i'm facing a problem raisinfg catfish fingerlings in ponds. they are not growing fast enough. please help.
Answers:
Sorry i need more information on stuff like what are you feeding them , and how much ??

Anyone know any good on-line fish stores?

I am looking to get some new fish and the fish stores around here can't get some of the more exotic and rare fish. I have been searching the web and can't find a whole lot of places to buy live fish and look at pictures of them. I am looking for bigger fish, a couple for a 55 gallon tank, maybe cichlids or rare pirahnas. Thanks.
Answers:
Aquabid.com
liveaquaria.com
Those are the only 2 off hand I'm aware of. I've never bought from them, but have heard a lot of positives.
Hello, my name is Donna and I am an aquabid-aholic! LOL Seriously, check out aquabid, i bet you'll find what you are lookign for :)
www.aquariumfish.net

Anyone kept Pyramid fish?

My LFS has some box fish and pyramid fish. I was wanting to research them and I can't find any info on either. I can find pics of the box fish, but every search I do for the pyramid fish only turns up butterfly pyramid angelfish.
I'm looking for the little fish that are shaped like a pyramid. And the box fish that look like this:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/thatdamndog...
I would appreciate any personal experience, latin names, or links to info on keeping them. Thanks!
Answers:
check out this site, maybe you find the fish you're looking for, just click on the names, they have all pics to it
http://www.amonline.net.au/fishes/fishfa...

Hope that helps
Good luck

EB
Latin Name- Pyramidius Fishus
Latin Name- Boxius Fishus
To keep alive: Feed them fish flakes daily and restrain your urges to kill them.
P.S.- I just pulled all of that out of my ***, but I could really use the ten points for best answer.

Anyone ever eat a pet tropical fish??

I have never really thought about it until today. My friend saw my six 6" Silver Dollars and my two 8" Albino Oscars and asked me am I building them up to be on my dinner plate. Piranha are hunted for food, Silver Dollars are very much like Piranha and would probably taste the same. I know for a fact that Pacu is on the menu in some restaurants, and at least I know what my fish are eating. But the question is ' Would you do it?'
Answers:
Kevin Kline did in "Wanda" - remember?
Nah, too expensive, and I don't like fish anyway!
i have tropical tank and the answer is no!!
What are you talking about? Of course! I have Neon Tetra kabobs when I have friends over all the time! A little barbecue sauce, and it tastes just like grilled salmon!

No, I wouldn't eat an aquarium fish...
You have issues...and NO, I would not!
i know for a fact that they raise my dojo loaches for food in china and my parents were so interested in seeing that i had gouramis once. i asked why and they said that they ate those in the philippines. i was like really? hmm
I guess the closest thing to pet tropical fish i've eaten is a tilapia, since people do keep them as pets and they are easily harvested for food, but nothing from my tank. Waay too expensive is right! lol
ew no i wouldn't poor cute fish
Whats wrong with you and/or your friend, but I guess i've thought about it too but it sounds gross, after you see how they live what they do, but fish are living decor!!
no, its wrong to eat ur pets. i mean, would u eat ur dog or ur p*ssy? *snigger*
back from the country i came from piranha is quite tasty
just make sure when you catch it its dead before eating it
it leaves a nasty tiny bite otherwise
no unlike certain countries i am not into eating pets
I think a lot of tropical fish are too small to have much meat on them.
No real reason why not I suppose apart from the size of most of them. I tend to go in for the smaller varieties and it would take fair few tetras to fill a sardine tin!!
So No, I haven't and I wouldn't.
i think thats gross
well I've at a fried mosquito fish before
YES IV DONE IT IV EATEN 6 GOLDFISH AT A PARTY I WASNT HUNGRY I JUST DONE IT FOR A LAUGH! I DIDNT CHEW THEM I SWOLLOWED THEM LIVE. I WOULD HAVE HAD 7 BUT AFTER 6 I WAS FULL :)
errrrrr wt are ya on bout a NO i dont fink any one would and if they did they must hav a sick mind ??
no no one will never eat a pet because:

p:praising kind
e:encouraging
t:tiny
now u understand
How funny! I personally wouldnt BUT my father had a cray fish/Blue Lobster in his community tank, it was only about 2 inches when he bought it and it grew and grew and grew, it was huge and one day my father was so fed up with it because it kept uprooting the plants and destoying the tank, that popped it in a pan of boiling water and had it for his lunch, and was very tasty!!

Anyone ever bought fish online?

I would like to add a few discus and exotic plecos to my tank. The local fish stores here sells very sickly looking discus for $40 minimum. An online store, somethingsfishy.com sells the same type of discus I want, plus plecos I can't find anywhere locally, for a fraction of the price. Even w the shipping charges, is still cheaper. Anyone has experience w this site? Can they be trusted?
Here is the site:
http://www.somethingsphishy.com...
Answers:
I buy off of eBay all the time, never had a single issue yet at all. Found some very wonderful sellers too. They are in communication with you for the most part. I have seen some discus sellers in there and I'm sure if you do a refined search under Discus, you'll get alot of hits on that too. Sellers on eBay are not so dangerous like many would like online buying to be. The reality of buying off of eBay is that if you have issues with a seller and they don't wish to cooperate or sell you bad fish, you can rate your buying experience and that's not something that can be covered up. I look at sellers rating and generally buy from someone that has at least 100 transactions and less then 10% reported issues. You'll find many sellers there as well that are willing to work with you on shipping rates if you buy more then one auction they have. Check them out and let me know. I haven't bought discus myself but have seen them listed there.
If you have any other questions feel free to email me anytime via my profile.
JV
nope do u want to buy a shark from me?
Idk there is always a risk in transporting fish And It WOULD BE EASIER TO BUY SOMe FROM A LOCAL SELLER

Sorry about the caps
nope. and if i were you i wouldn't.
No, because it would be just like any other pet shop. You buy the fish today and it dies tomorrow. Or depending how long they deliver it to you it would be dead by then.
try petco or petsmarts website or go on google and search for your type of fish
I've never bought anything online from that store but I've ordered fish, plants and snails online from other sources and never had any trouble. I'd say that if they have what you want at a good price, go for it!
Below are some of the places I've ordered from with good results. Some of them have discus you might want to look at. I've also gotten some great deals on AquaBid.
Well, I've never bought fish online. I've heard horror stories about it, and not always about the store itself. Moreso about the shippers. I've heard from people on my goldfish forum how the boxes come crushed and water leaking out and the fish a piece of half dried leather. But, this won't be everyone all the time. We all have to believe that things aren't always bad and have to trust. The good thing is this company does make an "Alive Arrival Guarantee." http://www.somethingsphishy.com/conditio... And while I would still feel really badly if the fish arrived mangled and dead, at least you would be assured of receiving your fish, one way or the other.
no they would die but look at that lady in the picture a few before me shes nasty.
DON'T BUY FISH FROM THE INTERNET!
I bought pond plants on-line a little while back and was surprised at how well it all went. The package arrived in 2 days and they had a guarantee to arrive alive and last five days from the day it was shipped if not you could send it back. I don't know about ordering live fish. My boyfriend tried to get me too but I didn't like the thoughts of it.
I have purchased many plants, fish, and inverts online. I've never had a problem with anything. All fish arrived alive and stayed alive, unlike many pet stores already mentioned in this thread. If you have a discus or pleco breeder near you, that would be the way to go. If you know of nobody around you with quality fish, then give the internet a try. I've always had great experiences.
No

Anymore room in my tank?

I have a 10 gallon tank with a tetra whisper powerfilter. I do 25% water changes weekly and my amonia/nitrate/nitrite levels are acceptable. I have 6 zebra danios, 1 comet goldfish (2-3 inches) and 1 cory catfish. I would like to add another cory or otocinclus but am afraid that the tank is already pushing the envolope. thanks
Answers:
No its over crowded already and the comet goldfish will get around 6-8inches.
Even if the comet goldfish gets around 6-8inches they still atleast need a 12-20gallon tank each because of bioload and size. But mainly all goldfishes need atleast 25-30gallon tank with a good proper filter.
And at the same time goldfishes are coldwater, but you still need a atleast 24 to 30gallon tank for the tropical fish you have now and have your new cory and/or oto that you want or a 45gallon for a nice school of cory(6)(They are best kept in this number or more).
10 gallons per three inches of goldfish is a good rule. What do you consider an acceptable level? Ammonia and nitrites should be at a constant 0 to be acceptable, anything above that means the tank is not fully cycled. Once the tank is cycled you should never see these chemicals spike again, unless you overclean. Nitrates should be under 10 ideally. Corys and otos are schooling fish, so if anything, add another cory to your existing one rather than getting a single oto.
overstocked now,
that goldfish is movng to another tank soon right? something like a 55 gallon with a canister filter.
Im petty sure that your water parameters arent correct either with that many fish and that filter.
So you will need to move that goldfish asap, but then you still cant add anything else as your still alittle overstocked.
Goldfish will get big, comets are the second largest type of goldfish, they will reach over 24 inches. and you will need at least 55 gallons with a canister filter.

edit: there are no stocking rules. 1 goldfish per 10 gallon isnt correct and the 1 inch per gallon for tropicals isnt correct.
All of those "rules" have been outdated, please stop passing it along, as it is outdated..
Yes, get rid of the gold fish - not only are they very messy, and grow huge (way too big for the tank, the above mentioned 8" is very conservative - any common goldfish can get well over a foot in the right environment), and not only are they cold water fish that and will likely cause problems for your other fish at some point, but getting rid of that one fish will also open up lots of room for other, more suitable types to your tank.
Once you lose the goldfish, you can add 3 or 4 more cory catfish without any issues and have them in an appropriate school, and you can even add a couple of otos too - but since you already have a cory, more of them should be your prime objective.
When you say nitrite and ammonia levels are acceptable - you mean 0 right? Only 0 is acceptable for these.
No, there is no more room in your tank. Remove the goldfish because he'll grow to over a foot long. Goldfish are also coldwater, and your other fish are tropical. If you remove the goldfish, then you can get another cory or Otocinclus.
~ZTM
No! You have no room, in fact you're overstocked as it is. That goldfish needs to come out of there and go into a minimum 20 gallon tank all of its own (and you will need bigger later). The 10 gallon is fully stocked as it is with just the danios and cory. Goldfish are coldwater fish and danios are tropicals and they have different water requirements, but even if this weren't an important issue, that goldfish needs a lot more room or it's going to kill itself and everyone else in that tank.
Your tank is already well overstocked. 10 gallons is a tiny home. The comet will out grow it just by itself.
First of all you are going to have to make a tank change if you keep the goldfish and you could get another cory but don't get an oto because they are territorial. But no matter what you need at least a 20 gallon tank for the goldfish by itself because it will grow 8 inches to a foot.
EK

Anybody used these bulbs for their aquariums?

Anybody used this bulbs for their aquariums?
http://www.petco.com/product/11440/coral...
Btw, what does 50/50 mean and what is the difference between this and the regular ones part from the price?
One more thing, what kind of hood would I need to house a couple of these bulbs. say... 5 of them
Answers:
10,000 kelvin is correct. The 50/50 means it is 50% normal fluorescent ligh, 50% "special" light to give the plants an increased color spectrum. You would only need about 3 of those bulbs for your 15 gallon tank, but I'm sure Petco has the hood for it as well. If they don't you can ask the store manager to order it with their next shipment (they may request that you pay up front).
Nosoop4u
ok well 50/50 is saying its 50% 10k 50% true blue actinic. The compact PC lights are VHO lights (very high output). the kelvin scale is the overall spectrum of light and certain aquatic species are partially photsynthetic so you need to have more of the spectrum of visible light in your tank. Plants to are photosynthetic so having these bulbs would benefit you more so in a planted tank than a regular aquarium hood light. If you were to spend the money on keeping housing 5 of those lights i would reccomend something more on the line of these
http://www.bedding.com/product/aquarium/...
this will give you a true blue actinic light and a seperate 10k white light and still more wattage than 5 of those 10watt bulbs you showed.
they are coated specially to provide a specific bandwidth of light.
that is what the 10,000K and the actinic blue refer to, they are coated so that they put out light at 10,000K and actinic blue spectrums, unlike normal bulbs which often have a spectrum rating of around 3000K %26 no actinic blue. Full spectrum lights usually start around 5000K and approximate natural daylight.
Will if u don't have fish i would go to a story like wal-mart and get a stared kit for $30 i t come with every thing even food and light bulbs

Any websites or stores for cheap 55 - 70 gall fish tanks?

please give me links to sites with prices EXPECT EBAY
Answers:
If you're looking for something new, WalMart will probably be the cheapest for their tank "kit". In my area, the 55 gallon would run about $160. The equipment you get with these isn't always the greatest, and you'll still need to purchase a heater and gravel. If you buy a new tank and equipment online, you'll probably have to pay shipping, which can get expensive, considering the weight of a 55 gallon glass tank. If you want new and good quality at a reasonable price, you may just want to compare prices at local pet stores around your area.
If you don't mind buying used, try one of these websites:
http://www.craigslist.org/about/cities.h... - regional/city listings
http://www.freecycle.org/group/... - state listings - find local groups within each state - all items listed are free
http://www.aquabid.com/ - online auction (you'll need to pay shipping unless you can find something near you, or are will ing to make the trip and pick it up yourself)
i dont know any
Wal-mart has 55 gallon tanks with everything you need in it for about $150.
i am also trying to find a 55 gallon tank. i have 4 goldfish that live in a 10 gallon and they are growing really fast so... i think i am just going to get a 55 gallon tank from wall-mart.
It's tough using a website as they can be from all over the country, and the cost of shipping a large tank can be more than the tank itself. I've had luck checking the local newspapers, and possibly try www.craigslist.com. They have people selling stuff in all different areas of the country. Your other option could be to sign up to a fish discussion forum. They will often have an area where users can list items they are selling.
You are buying a glass box; to fill with water and set in your living room or bed room,are you sure that you want the cheapest you can get? The water will weigh between 400 and 600 #'s.
Look for a reputable,knowlegeable pet store and save money some other way.
For 55-70 gal a 4 ft tank would be standard length. From time to time you will find tanks of this size in some stores at perhaps $20-$25 lower than another store .Be caucious sometimes these tanks will be made with a thinner glass and thats why they are cheaper. These tanks can bow out when filled with water. They do not burst but if you are setting them up in a place in your house where a broken tank would be disastorus then you have less of a safty factor

Any tips on lowering my betta's stress level when cleaning his tank?

Every time I clean my betta's tank it seems like he's going to have a heart attack or di from stress! It pains me to see my little fish so afraid! Any tips of how I can make "tank cleanig day" as stress-free as possible for my fish and me?
Answers:
I used to put net inside the tank for few min so my betta would swim next to it, around it and then slowly would try to fish him out. I would put tank water in a plastic cup and then move him there while cleaning the tank. I would put stress coat in new water as well as few rocks ( small ones ) of tank salt. ( very cheap at the pet store and last forever )
I had 5 gallon tank so I didnt have to change water as often, I put alot of nice plants and other gadgets so it looks nice.
Awww i used to have four betas! their awesome pets. Well..when you put him in a diff bowl fill it with his old water. And when your netting him, be patient. Dont corner him just be gentle, it will help with the transaction. Use warm water when filling his tank, betas love that!!
I take mine out of the tank and put him in a plastic cup (in his tank water), then you can clean away without freaking him out.
I didnt know fish get stressed! Its a $2 fish..just get a new one when this one has a heart attack from his clean tank.
hi so what if it cost only $2 its a pet and some people care about fish there living animals. anyway to your question i would say about getting some stress coat and put that in there about 2 hrs before cleaning the tank its suppost to calm them down while you mess the tank around, netting him and taking him out will stress him more i would leave him and clean around him maybe clean half of tank so he has the other half and then do other half so he can still hide or leave a plant in there so he can hide while you clean. but dont listen to the person who said get a new one if it dies that why i put what i did at the beggining of this answer. fish are pets and are alive as much as us and any other animal. i love my fish and hate it when one gets picked on by the other i remove the bully fish. well any way i hope this helps.
feed him while your cleaning the tank
Try filling a different bowl with water, and put a few food pellots in there. It should only take about 10-15 min. to clean the tank, I think your betta will be fine in there for that long. That's what I do with my betta and he's always calm when it's
"tank cleaning day!"
gently scoop him up in the net and let him stay in the net for a few minutes. Take a opaque plastic cup and fill it with water from the tank so that he cannot see anything. Clean your tank like you usually do and put warm water in. Put a few drops of stress coat in the water depending on your gallon-age and slowly acclimatize your fish to the new water temp. Finally gently let your fish swim out the cup into his new clean home.
It also can help to feed your fish half of his daily food in the cup and half once he is in his clean tank again.
Hope that this helps make tank cleaning day as stress free as possible.
Are you talking about heavy-duty cleaning here? Most of the time, unless you're scrubbing out algae, you just do a partial (twenty to thirty percent) water change, the more often the better. Your fish can stay in the tank, and if you move slowly, your fish should be fine.

Any one know what freshwater fish can live in saltwater?

i know guppies can live in saltwater and some mollys i believe but are there other ones
Answers:
salmon
glass eels dusky panther goby's dragon goby's
and some archer fish but they are ostly brackish
The ever Large Bull Shark
a bunch of fresh water eels, puffers, somealready said bullsharks. and salmon. Pretty much any fish that lives near the mouth of a river where it feeds into the ocean can be slowly acclimated to saltwater.
rainbow trout/steelhead
definately mollies and angel fish, but they must be very slowly acclimated to the new water condition

Hope that helps
Good luck

EB
Sorry i had to correct person above me. No angelfish are cichlids. cichlids are freshwater fish. (With the exception of Orange chromides which are slightly brackish water cichlids)No Angelfish!! you'll kill them.
Anyhow Gobies should be fine. Fan Dancer Gobies and even Wasp Fish.. Although technically they're brackish water. most puffers need brackish to marine conditions. Even if they sell them as freshwater. These include figure 8 puffers. Scats and Mono Sebaes start out in freshwater but eventually need saltwater.
I have 3 angelfish and I add salt to my aquarium and they do very well. As well as my Gouramis. They have never been sick nor have had any problems. I add 1tbs every 10 gallons and I was told this by a few fish stores.

Any information on fiddler crabs?

I recently baught a fiddler crab, and i was just wondering if anyone has any information they can share? tHANKS
Answers:
http://www.fiddlercrab.info/
I used to keep a few of them myself, and I will tell you that no fiddler crabs are freshwater - they are either brackish or saltwater, and they need some time above the water.
Here is an awesome page about care and housing:
http://exoticpets.about.com/cs/rarespeci...
Have you ever tried putting thoes things on your privates?

Any good fish names?? I need names for two fish and two snails.any ideas?


Answers:
well for a goldfish.goldy!! And for an angelfish...halo!!
The fish can be named Jaws, and Jaws the revenge..the snails, lickidy split.and speedy
good names come from the heart.
anyway, here are some ideas
fish:
speedy
star
angel
shadow
snails:
basil
gary
lilly
I like sebastian and nemo for the fish even though sebastian was a crab. And the snails. And for the snails. Marathon and Nike. hahahah!
you should name it
George W. Bush
and George Bush Senior
Fernando
Periwinkle
Huburt
Gloria
eddie
steve
nemo
lola
Fish: Bubbles, Sunshine
Snails: Lilly, Speed
I named my fish after celebrities/movie characters. I have Mooby the Golden Fishie, "The Twins" aka Dante and Randall, and Chico the catfish. I also used to have a beta named Triton after "The Little Mermaid."
I also have a platy named Rosalina (Rosie for short).
name your fish blubber

Any good aquariums to visit?

looking for very nice aquariums to visit with the family.I am looking for ones like you see in the movies.I went to the one in pittsburgh,Pa and I did not really like that one.
Answers:
Chattanooga TN and the one in Georgia and the one in Chicago
Three of the best are the Shedd Aquarium in Chicago, the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta, and the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga
If you are ever in Louisiana. The New Orleans aquarium has a large assortment of Southern aquatic species that you can't find anywhere else.
I say the aquarium in dallas, tx because they have fish alligators manatee penguin sloth birds reptiles and a panther
The New Orleans aquarium is supposed to be really nice. And even if you dont like it, there is always something to do in New Orleans!!
The Georgia Aquarium is THE best one i hav ever been to it is the largest in the world AND has a pretty decent gift shop
: ) I loved the beluga whale exhibit,but its mating season and i dont enjoy watching whales gettin freaky.
They have really cute beavers(i love beavers.)There is this 4D movie,(4D meens its is 3 dementional and there extra stuff like water splashing u and windJust a lot of special efects and it was pretty scary for kids.Most left crying.
It is in Atlanta GA
And if ur gonna be there u should go to the aquarium.Great place to spend ur day!
http://www.georgiaaquarium.org/...
You can go to Singapore. Underwater world.. Its the best..

ANY FiSH EXPERTS?

what happened to this fish? :(
http://i62.photobucket.com/albums/h83/am...
Answers:
Was this a sudden change in the shape? It looks as though the jaw as injured/dislocated. You fish may have tried to eat something too large or may have been picking a fight with a tankmate.
If this was more gradual, I would suspect a problem with water quality/calcium availability. These fish are picivores, so if you're feeding primarily pellets, he may not be getting enough calcium in the diet for good bone strength. The same may be true if the water you use is soft, or too low of a pH. Also be careful of general water quality as too much waste can lower the pH level.
My first guess, and this is not my strong point, that's either a tumor, or a fluke lodged in there. Will pass this around.
JV
Is the fish still alive in the second picture. If so it looks as though it hurt its jaw. Lock jaw on fish is a possibility. Since it is hurt and most likely having a hard time eating the whitish discoloration is due to the fish being stressed and losing its slime coat. Like JV said im not 100% on this one but thats my best guess.
its a fungus. when water temperature is not right for the fish, fungus forms. you should separate the fish from other fish because its contagious. its usually a bad sign. you should put the fish on the separate tank and look for what temperature it should be in. adjust it and put medication. after the fungus disappears, put it in with a group.
I'm with Jon, it could be a tumor, but could also be a injury to the upper jaw causing it to sag.
MM
pollution?

Any Cool Freshwater Fish Recommendations?

I'm new to this fish stuff. But so far I have 6 tiger barbs, 3 zebra somethings and 3 gold swordtail fish and of course the algea fish eater. In a month I plan on getting a bala shark, any other fish you might recommend to me? I have a 60 gallon tank.
Answers:
You have zebra danios probably. ;)
Do the tiger barbs nip at the swordtails or the danios?
You can try red tailed sharks, pictus catfish, gouramis, cherry barbs, rasboras, or platies. Bala sharks are shoaling fish and they get pretty big and might eat the swordtails or the danios.
oscars are cool, they even learn who you are and will learn to eat from your hand.
I think your tank is going to be pretty crowded with the fish you already have.
Your tank sounds full, if you get anymore they will either die or get eaten by your territorial fish, like your barbs!
Check out the compatibility chart at www.peteducation.com under Fresh water fish species. It is a perfect tool to figure out what fish can be put with which other ones. There is tons of info for the beginner on this site.
Angel Fish are a good sturdy fish, just stay away from the all black ones they seem to be more sensative but the other ones are pretty sturdy. They should ge along well with your other fish.
i would leave the bala out, they like to school and they will get over a foot each.
they will need at least 125 gallon for a school.
But try looking into african butterfly fish, they are smaller and fine in a 60, look cool. is a predator but more timid.
Also look into a gourami, they will be a nice addition as the center piece of the tank.
Your tank is stocked with the bala shark they grow 12"
DONT GET AN OSCAR he will eat the rest of the first, try smaller fish under 8" do a google search on the fish first before you go off buying it.

Any catfish farm nearby? Orange County, California!?

I want to buy a couple of big catfishes, but i don't know of any farm nearby that has them... help me!
Answers:
i dont know catfish farm!but i know where you can buy a chopper!lol.ask your petshop..they will surely know where.

Any Body Want To Buy 4 Red Belly Pacus?

ok , so , i have these 4 red belly pacus that i need to sell . i don't want to give them away because they were expencive fish when i got them small . now they are about 1 foot each and i have 4 of them . i want to make sure they go to a good home so of anyone would like to buy them , just let me know . i will sell them individually but i'd like to sell them as a group though . again , i WILL sell them individually . i heard they sell from $125-$200 but i will sell them at $50 or around that price hapilly . i just need to sell them so that they can live . i am selling them for thier benifit , not for proffit .
please please please . i am running out of ideas . if you decide that you would like the fish , post here then we will descuss the details . please post how many you want (i have 4 total) and please put in the price you will buy them for also . ty .
consider this an auction . please and thank you = )
Answers:
No one will buy a pacu for so much money You can buy a small one for $ 4 and 6 months later it will be a foot long and weigh 3 pounds and be very strong and wild. Bring them to your local pet shop and get some store credit for them,like $ 40.for all 4. I have one and it is huge, I have another in another tank.They may die from shock if the buyer doesn't acclimate them properly. They are very hard to transfer.They also slowly kill other fish in their tank. Each one needs a 100 gallon tank. Good luck.
50 ea is too much.
1 foot pacus arent worth much as anyone can get them large.
They should be sold for 10 ea on aquabid or ebay.
i want them but i live very far a way and i can buy pacus at big als for 20$i aint payyin anything over 20$$so sorry
i would buy one but 50 buckerroos sound too much..
people give away huge pacus to my fish store for free.
its hard to sell them because you can buy them small and cheap as hell and then they grow to a foot in literally a few months. 50 is way too much

Any aquarium experts ?

I have just bought a cold water aquarium (small 34 Ltrs) %26 introduced my first fish a ( betta splended (saimese fighting fish)) please can anyone advise which other fish are suitable to live with him ? - preferably coldwater fish.
Thanks
Answers:
I'm honestly not sure why you were being told to house your Male betta with other Betta's because that is a recipe for death. Betta's cannot be housed with other Betta's from a male's prespective. You could house more then one female togeather, but male Betta's cannot be housed with other Betta's period.
There are other fish you could add that would not cause over crowding as well. White clouds are a good solid option. Some Tetra's could work, just research them for being fin nippers. Cory catfish, 2-3 will stay on the bottom and not disturb your Betta much. You have alot of options here really, and what you want to focus your attention on are two things really. Avoid fish that have long flowing fins or tails, a Male Betta may mistake that as another male and become aggressive towards it. And two, consider the adult size of fish you want to add. If they go over 3 to 4 inches, they would not do well in your tank.
If you need further help you can get better answers at fishless cycling.com or just use the link on my profile.
And yes, the others are correct that your Betta is a tropical fish, which means you need to keep him in a heated filtered tank.
JV
Well, it sounds as if you have been misinformed because bettas are not coldwater fish. They are tropical fish and need heaters. Next, your tank is too small to add anymore fish except for maybe a couple of female bettas or 3 tetras or other similarly small fish.
none they kill everthing in sight
yes
the person above me mislead you, betas can be placed in cold water. I had one and it lived for about 4 years in cold water. for other fish i am not too sure it is pretty small..You could get a bottom feeder. Almost any kind of bottom feed goes with a betta. For every gallon of water you can have one inch of fish.
Well, first, a betta is NOT a coldwater fish, despite what some posters have said. They will be stressed if the water is below 74 degrees, and they are easier to keep healthy in water between 78 and 82 degrees, so you should get a heater. Good on you, though, for getting an actual tank with at least 5 gallons of water. It will be much easier to keep your betta healthy in that size tank.
Good tankmates for a betta in a tank the size you mention would be maybe a SMALL school of cory cats - maybe 2-3 of the smaller kinds. Don't stock any heavier than that, as smaller tanks can be a bear to keep stable. And I suggest you hold off on adding new fish for at least a month or so, to let the tank cycle.
Bettas sometimes do OK in communities with other fish, particularly schooling fish, but I suggested cory cats because they seem most able to cope with bottom feeders. Bettas tend to like keeping the higher strata of the tank (near the surface) to themselves.
Enjoy your tank!
Whoa, you have been missold your fighter! they are tropical fishes and need a temp of around 80 degrees F. you can only mix them with peaceful fish and those not inclined to nibble fins(no angels/kissing gouramis etc) but I would go out and buy a heater asap! they are quite sensitive little chaps and he won't like the cold.
Compatible Fish of Other Species: Before co-housing bettas with other species, their compatibility should be carefully researched, and the owner should prepare a back-up plan. Common tankmates include mollies, catfish, or loaches. Amano Shrimp also provide good tankmates, and provided with sufficient natural plant cover will keep the tank clean without causing the betta any stress.
I don't know where you live but Betta splendens is not a cold water fish in the UK. It's a tropical fish.
Cold water fish are basically limited to goldfish-including fancy goldfish-shubunkins, carp some catfish etc although, if you acclimatise them fairly slowly White Cloud Mountain Minnows and Guppies will also live quite happily in a cold water tank.
I have a male and 2 female fighters in my community tank and they get along fine with all, i have with them corys, tetras, a red finned shark (although he is very bossy), shrimp, underwater frogs,an elephant nose and a few others.
I also had tiger barbs but took those out as they are known to nip longer tailed fish as are some others.
In a smaller tank a male fighter would probably do well with females for company but be careful if you don't want baby fighters- keep the water moving as there will be less chance of the male being able to build his bubble nest sucessfully.
most of all enjoy your fish and good luck with choosing tank mates.
First of all you NEED a heater, because bettas are NOT coldwaterfish, they can be kept without a heater if the roomtemperature stays always the same, like around 76-82 degrees
You have a 8us gallon tank and need a heater before you buy the following fish
6 rasboaras (schooling fish)
2-3 cory cats like a pepper cory (bottom feeder)
6 zebra danios (schooling fish)
But don't add all these fish at once, only 4-6 at a time
And If your betta is a female, you could actually get 2-3 more of them, they will be fine with each other when they have chosen their so called peckingorder

Hope that helps
Good luck

EB
I have a male betta in my tropical (heated) community tank and he shows no aggression whatsoever to the other fish...
In with my Betta are 4 wagtail platys and 4 cardinals.
But these are all tropical fish which need a heater - maybe you should just spend a few pounds and purchase a heater, your tank is small so it won't cost a lot, and you will have a much healthier, happier Betta - they are a wonderful fish to watch..!!
You can only put cold water fish in a coldwater tank and you can put tropical fish in a tropical heated tank but you cannot expect both species of fish to live in the same enviroment. You can sleep in your nice warm bed but you cannot sleep with a cat on the rooftop.

Any advice on raising a green spotted puffer fish?

I bought a green spotted puffer before, but it kept spazzing out, and died within a week. I'm going to get another one, but I'm going to get different things to keep it in and entertained with. I wanna make sure it lives longer than the first one.
Answers:
First, find out if the store is keeping it in fresh water or brackish water(most sell them as freshwater fish). GSP's are brackish water fish, and if they're sold as a fresh water, they'll need to slowly over time be acclimatized to brackish. They need great water quality %26 a tank that's already cycled, and a tank that's at least 20-30 gallons. Mine loved frozen blood worms and frozen or live brine shrimp, and cut up pieces of cocktail shrimp. Here's a great site with loads of info on puffers:
http://www.thepufferforum.com/forum/ug.p...
Click on the brackish puffers picture and it'll give you a profile of GSP's. There's also a good forum there. I'd read up on them a lot before buying it. They can be a bit of work if you're not used to it.
i also rase green spotted puffer fish.
buy lot of green plants and
green puffer fish also help to keep clean by eating the water snails in the tank or landscape.
Green spotted puffers do well in salt water

Any advice for changing filter types in an aquarium?

I have a 2.5 gallon acrylic Hex tank with a male Betta and a mystery snail. The tank has been completely cycled for quite some time now. The tank came as a package (TopFin AquaScene 2) with an undergravel filter. The filter seems to be working ok, but I keep hearing so many negative things about UGF filters. Plus, there seems to be a lot of surfarce agitation from the air pump bubbles and my Betta can't create bubble nests. I would like to replace the UGF with a small 3 gallon in-tank filter that I have in a different 2.5 gallon tank.
Is it ok to change fitler types in a cycled tank? If I do, do I have to re-cycle the tank? Do I need to completely clean out the bottom of the tank, below the UGF plate? Or just remove the plate?...
Answers:
UGF do suck in my opinion lol. I'm not real familiar with their set up, it's been over 10 years since I had one, but is there any kind of filter pad in them? If so, add that to the new filter. Beneficial bacteria grows all over the tank, in the gravel(so be sure you only rinse that in a bucket of used tank water, not tap water), any decorations in the tank, and the filter media. So, if there is no filter pad in the UGF to move to the new filter, there will still be some beneficial bacteria in the tank. It may go through a mini cycle, just monitor the levels and increase the water changes if you need to.
I would completely clean the bottom of the tank, because those UGF have a tendency to trap uneaten food and waste under there, which can cause an ammonia spike. I'd do a good gravel vac, remove the fish and about 1/2 the water and put the gravel in the bucket with the used tank water, then remove the UGF.
Also, is that new filter on an established tank that's been running? If so, then don't change the filter pad in that one, keep it on and it should be ok-no cycle.
Good luck!
No, you don't have to do the cycle again, just take out the ugf and replace it with the other one

EB

Thursday, July 30, 2009

Answer it answer?

i just bot a 12 gallon starter kit from petco i have a 12 gallon with bio wheel filter a heater 20lbs sand 3lbs of live rock a back ground for the tank a tank light chemechls bio coat helps maintain ph level stress relife for fish hydro meterit has the right ph level marine flakes 2 fake plants one reaches to the surface of the water and the other one is under water a net and i want to no if their is anything alse i need because im going to get fish
Answers:
You should get about 10 or so more lbs of live rock. the rule of thumb for a marine tank is 1-1.5lbs of live rock per gallon. You should get a master test kit for pH amonia nitrite and nitrate. the live rock and live sand will help maintain the pH at the right level. As for fish i would reccomend green chromis. get like 3 of them and they are great fish to cycle the tank with. 12 gallons isnt much and 3 green chromis wont be able to stay in there for their entire lives but once the tank has cycled most places will take them back so you can get nicer fish that you will want on a more long term basis. They are very hardy and arent agressive so if it were a larger tank id say keep them but im sure you had other fish in mind. You will want more live rock and i like having a lot of little pieces so you have more surface area in the tank. When the tank is almost through cycling you will get algae blooms and thats where the surface area will pay off and it also allows better water flow through the rocks. there is a lot to know about marine aquariums and id be happy to help so if you have any other questions feel free to email me
oh and do yourself a favor and stay away from damsels especially if they dont take fish back after your tank cycles. They are extremely agressive and make it near impossible to add any delicate fish in the future.
Addition: there are many little things living in there that you havent discovered yet they hitch hike there way into the system via the live rock and live sand. No need to worry these creatures are harmless for the most part. It is important however to get familiar with anything new you find in the tank for some may be condisered parasitic. You will find worms of many shapes and sizes and a list of many other things growing in the tank the best thing do is not freak out and try a sundry assortment of chemicals to erradicate them all befor IDing them. most of these thing will be beneficial to the system the worms will provide food for some species of fish that you may keep and they also stir up the sand bed which is good to keep a healthy tank. Again feel free to email me if you have any questions or concerns. You will have problems that will arrise and there are always methods of dealing with them. Hope this helped and good luck,
Well, for starters, you need some periods and commas in your sentences.LOL!! Then, to answer your question, I think you need some Dechlorinization liquid? Did you get that? It takes the chlorine out of the water. If you did, then you are set. Oh, go and buy some of those little aquarium books they sell at Petco. They are worth the money for all the answers they have in there for you.
Set your tank up and wait two weeks before you get the fish. The tank needs time to stabilize before fish are added!!
sounds like you got everything covered.have fun with your new pets.
Sounds like you got everything covered. When you buy fish, just ask the people selling the fish, they usualy know what each fish needs. Tell them what you have, and see if they tell you that you need anything else. Just be careful and don't let them do a sales job on you...
One, it sounds like you're starting a saltwater tank, but two and more importantly, it doesn't sound like you know very much at all about starting up an aquarium in general, let alone a saltwater tank. Be advised that saltwater is the most difficult of aquariums and it not recommended as a beginner project. Before you ever buy any fish, you need to do a lot more research on what you're getting into, starting with how to cycle the water. Saltwater fish are very, very expensive and if you go into this without a full knowledge of what you're doing, you are going to lose some very expensive pets.
first of live rock is saltwater so ill assume that's the kind of tank you need more live rock like 9 lbs. You need to let the live rock sit for at least 4 weeks then take your water to get tested.this is a great web site for research or questionshttp://www.wetwebmedia.com
Do you have a hydrometer to measure the salinity? Saltwater should be mixes so that its between 1.024-1.026 specific gravity.
I'm not sure what pH the bio coat is meant to produce (this is usually to relieve stress by adding minerals and vitamins), so before you add any thing else, I would suggest that you get a saltwater testing kit to make sure the pH is 8.2-8.4, or the stars, organisms on the live rock, and fish could do very poorly. You should also test the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate in the water. Some of the organisms on the live rock will die, and this isn't any fault of yours, it's just something that happens from shipping and being moved. As these die and decompose, the tank will cycle, meaning it will produce ammonia, then nitrite, both of which are toxic. You'll need to monitor both of these to see when the ammonia and nitrite both go down (they should be zero before you put ANY animals in the tank) and the nitrates start to go up. That's when you should add animals, about 1 per week in a small tank like yours.
See this link about the nitrogen cycle and using live rock:
http://www.fishlore.com/nitrogencycle.ht...
test kits fr ammonia nitrate ph etc.