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
Friday, July 31, 2009
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.
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.
Another convict fry question?
I read that for the first few days the fry will eat their egg sack but the parents moved the fry from the cave they hatched in and buried them for a day, they have now moved them again into a flower pot.
will they be ok without food until they are free swimming. I was going to feed them on crushed flakes and liquid fry food
Answers:
Dont feed them until they are free swimming they will be fine. Convicts are great parents and they sometimes even chew food up and spit it out for the fry.
Feed them Finley crushed flake food and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp (google this to find out how)
They will also eat the algae of the glass and stuff in your tank they are really not fussy
Yes, they don't finish up their yolk sacks until they are free swimming. Once you see them free swimming, that is when you add food for the babies.
They will absorb their egg sac before they start to eat "regular" food. You can give them the flakes or fry food, or crush up pellets that the adults eat, but When I was raining convicts, I found the fathers would chew up large pellets and spit the food back out for the babies to eat. This works if the pellets soften fairly quickly like brine shrimp pellets or Wardley's. There are also microorganisms in the gravel they'll eat if the tank has been running for any length of time.
will they be ok without food until they are free swimming. I was going to feed them on crushed flakes and liquid fry food
Answers:
Dont feed them until they are free swimming they will be fine. Convicts are great parents and they sometimes even chew food up and spit it out for the fry.
Feed them Finley crushed flake food and freshly hatched baby brine shrimp (google this to find out how)
They will also eat the algae of the glass and stuff in your tank they are really not fussy
Yes, they don't finish up their yolk sacks until they are free swimming. Once you see them free swimming, that is when you add food for the babies.
They will absorb their egg sac before they start to eat "regular" food. You can give them the flakes or fry food, or crush up pellets that the adults eat, but When I was raining convicts, I found the fathers would chew up large pellets and spit the food back out for the babies to eat. This works if the pellets soften fairly quickly like brine shrimp pellets or Wardley's. There are also microorganisms in the gravel they'll eat if the tank has been running for any length of time.
Another betta question...?
Is this enviornment suitable for a betta? I'm mostly concerced about the size. Is it big enogh for the fish to be comfortable. I conditioned the water to remove all the chlorine and stuff not good for the fish. Thanks!
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g157/c...
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g157/c...
Answers:
If you don't want to buy a filter or a heater, your best bet are mysterysnails and ghost shrimp to keep in there
here is a link about ghost shrimp, they're actually pretty to look at
http://www.centralpets.com/animals/fish/...
If you want a betta you need at least a 2.5 gallon tank with filter and heater
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
It's ok. I prefer larger. I like to use at least a gallon or two for mine. But that's me. My current Betta is in a 3 gallon tank with a snail, a ghost shrimp and 2 algae eating shrimp. They have an Azoo palm filter on the back and that works great.
Double the container size
Your tank looks very pretty!
Don't fill the water up near the top because the betta may "jump" out. If you have one betta in there he will be lonely. Get him a female to live with.
They can survive without a heater - I have two bettas (M%26F) in a coldwater tank and they're doing just fine!
If you want to add other fish to the tank, be careful with smaller fish such as white clouds, dandios etc - they will nibble on your bettas tail thinking it's flakes!
Happy fish-keeping!
the environment is ok for bettas.
Your bowl looks pretty and should be suitable for one male betta. Be very dilligent and make daily water changes, light feedings and be sure to remove all uneaten food to help maintain good water quality.
I can't really tell how large it is from the pictures. It looks to be about a gallon to me. That's enough for a betta to survive in, but he's not likely to thrive in such a small space. 1 gallon of water accumulates fish waste pronto and doesn't give your betta that much room to swim and explore. Bettas need at least 2.5 gallons to be truly happy.
Furthermore, it's essential that bettas have heated water. Bettas need a STEADY temperature of about 79 degrees Fahrenheit - anywhere in the high 70s, but it must be kept constant. It's easy to put your fish in a "warm place" to keep the water warm, but the only way to guarantee a steady temperature is by getting a heater.
This is just a side note, but where did you get those shells from? You do want to make sure they are aquarium-safe, so they don't leech minerals and chemicals into the water. If you picked them up from the beach, I wouldn't add them if I were you.
Edit: I just need to add this, because of what a previous answer said about adding a female to keep him company - DON'T! Male bettas should NOT be placed with other bettas, male or female. They should only be placed with females for a very short time when spawning, and even then, they must be conditioned for at least 2 weeks before being placed in the same water. What's more, one gallon of water is barely enough to sustain one betta, let alone two. Also, bettas are tropical fish - they MAY survive in such cold water, but let me assure you, they are not at all happy.
This is plenty of room for a beta. I would suggest removing it away from the window since this will cause tempt changes, alge growth.
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g157/c...
http://i55.photobucket.com/albums/g157/c...
Answers:
If you don't want to buy a filter or a heater, your best bet are mysterysnails and ghost shrimp to keep in there
here is a link about ghost shrimp, they're actually pretty to look at
http://www.centralpets.com/animals/fish/...
If you want a betta you need at least a 2.5 gallon tank with filter and heater
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
It's ok. I prefer larger. I like to use at least a gallon or two for mine. But that's me. My current Betta is in a 3 gallon tank with a snail, a ghost shrimp and 2 algae eating shrimp. They have an Azoo palm filter on the back and that works great.
Double the container size
Your tank looks very pretty!
Don't fill the water up near the top because the betta may "jump" out. If you have one betta in there he will be lonely. Get him a female to live with.
They can survive without a heater - I have two bettas (M%26F) in a coldwater tank and they're doing just fine!
If you want to add other fish to the tank, be careful with smaller fish such as white clouds, dandios etc - they will nibble on your bettas tail thinking it's flakes!
Happy fish-keeping!
the environment is ok for bettas.
Your bowl looks pretty and should be suitable for one male betta. Be very dilligent and make daily water changes, light feedings and be sure to remove all uneaten food to help maintain good water quality.
I can't really tell how large it is from the pictures. It looks to be about a gallon to me. That's enough for a betta to survive in, but he's not likely to thrive in such a small space. 1 gallon of water accumulates fish waste pronto and doesn't give your betta that much room to swim and explore. Bettas need at least 2.5 gallons to be truly happy.
Furthermore, it's essential that bettas have heated water. Bettas need a STEADY temperature of about 79 degrees Fahrenheit - anywhere in the high 70s, but it must be kept constant. It's easy to put your fish in a "warm place" to keep the water warm, but the only way to guarantee a steady temperature is by getting a heater.
This is just a side note, but where did you get those shells from? You do want to make sure they are aquarium-safe, so they don't leech minerals and chemicals into the water. If you picked them up from the beach, I wouldn't add them if I were you.
Edit: I just need to add this, because of what a previous answer said about adding a female to keep him company - DON'T! Male bettas should NOT be placed with other bettas, male or female. They should only be placed with females for a very short time when spawning, and even then, they must be conditioned for at least 2 weeks before being placed in the same water. What's more, one gallon of water is barely enough to sustain one betta, let alone two. Also, bettas are tropical fish - they MAY survive in such cold water, but let me assure you, they are not at all happy.
This is plenty of room for a beta. I would suggest removing it away from the window since this will cause tempt changes, alge growth.
Another betta fish question!?
I read somewhere that you should skip a day of feeding to help your fishes digestive system. Is this true? (please only answer if you're knowledgeable in the area of Betta fish)
Answers:
it is a new concept, but it is true.
Feeding fish everyday is good and all, but they dont need to eat everyday, it is good to skip a meal as it will help with wieght control and prevent bowel problems.
It is to mimic natural conditions, Fishes arent guaranteed to eat everyday, so this new concept is to mimic that.
Again for bettas, it does depend, as betta pellets tend not to be bad everyday, but some betta keepers use only freezed dried foods, which will cause bowel problems. So if your talking about FD foods, then i would only give it once a week along with pellets.
My bettas eat every day and they get quite persistant if they aren't fed. The key is to give small amounts.They can skip a day or two but I don't think it is really necessary as long as you don't over feed.
Yes this is correct. I have had betta fish for about 10 years now and i have always fed them every other day. That is the best way to keep the full but not to where they will get fat and die. So you can go everyother day with feedings.
Yes, it is true. Many fish keepers practice a day a week of fasting for their fish. This gives them, bettas included, a chance to clean out their digestive system and avoid possible problems such as constipation. Fish can go for several days without being fed, one day with no food is perfectly fine and safe.
I have owned betta's for years, and I feed him everyday. He is always healthy.
The only time I would suggest this is if you overfed your betta, but if you give him small amounts each day, you don't really need to do this. It's optional.
Big Hug,
FishieFin 鈾?
I own two bettas (one M, one F) and I also feed them daily.
If you choose to feed them every other day, it gets confusing as to where you're up to...just feed them small amounts and they'll be fine!
What are you feeding them.if flakes/dried food you should feed them live brine shrimp once a week. It's a real treat for them and good for their health too! (don't put the brine shrimp water into your tank tho - filter it off through a net and add the brine shrimp that way!)
I feed mine once a day, how would you like to be fed every other day?
Answers:
it is a new concept, but it is true.
Feeding fish everyday is good and all, but they dont need to eat everyday, it is good to skip a meal as it will help with wieght control and prevent bowel problems.
It is to mimic natural conditions, Fishes arent guaranteed to eat everyday, so this new concept is to mimic that.
Again for bettas, it does depend, as betta pellets tend not to be bad everyday, but some betta keepers use only freezed dried foods, which will cause bowel problems. So if your talking about FD foods, then i would only give it once a week along with pellets.
My bettas eat every day and they get quite persistant if they aren't fed. The key is to give small amounts.They can skip a day or two but I don't think it is really necessary as long as you don't over feed.
Yes this is correct. I have had betta fish for about 10 years now and i have always fed them every other day. That is the best way to keep the full but not to where they will get fat and die. So you can go everyother day with feedings.
Yes, it is true. Many fish keepers practice a day a week of fasting for their fish. This gives them, bettas included, a chance to clean out their digestive system and avoid possible problems such as constipation. Fish can go for several days without being fed, one day with no food is perfectly fine and safe.
I have owned betta's for years, and I feed him everyday. He is always healthy.
The only time I would suggest this is if you overfed your betta, but if you give him small amounts each day, you don't really need to do this. It's optional.
Big Hug,
FishieFin 鈾?
I own two bettas (one M, one F) and I also feed them daily.
If you choose to feed them every other day, it gets confusing as to where you're up to...just feed them small amounts and they'll be fine!
What are you feeding them.if flakes/dried food you should feed them live brine shrimp once a week. It's a real treat for them and good for their health too! (don't put the brine shrimp water into your tank tho - filter it off through a net and add the brine shrimp that way!)
I feed mine once a day, how would you like to be fed every other day?
Anole egg found?
Hi everyone,
Today I found what I think is an anole egg. It was under the log I have put in their tank. One of the male lizards was laying on it to keep it warm. I called Petco to see if I should take it out...and they said yes. So I did and it is under the light on a tupperware cover with mulch that is wet. It is night time now, and I am wondering if I should turn the light off for the night. Or lower the light and put the egg directly under the lamp?
And if you have any other advise on how to care for this egg and to keep it safe and alive...I would greatly appreciate it. Also, once it's hatched, should I get another tank while it is still little?
Thank you!
Answers:
wrong section mate.
Try reptiles. but congrats if it is an egg, i have only one green anole so i dont expect eggs anytime soon.
Today I found what I think is an anole egg. It was under the log I have put in their tank. One of the male lizards was laying on it to keep it warm. I called Petco to see if I should take it out...and they said yes. So I did and it is under the light on a tupperware cover with mulch that is wet. It is night time now, and I am wondering if I should turn the light off for the night. Or lower the light and put the egg directly under the lamp?
And if you have any other advise on how to care for this egg and to keep it safe and alive...I would greatly appreciate it. Also, once it's hatched, should I get another tank while it is still little?
Thank you!
Answers:
wrong section mate.
Try reptiles. but congrats if it is an egg, i have only one green anole so i dont expect eggs anytime soon.
Animal Care at Marine World?!?
How can I get a job just taking care of the animals at sea world, or at an aquarium? Just feeding, etc. That is not the same as a trainer right?
Answers:
You will need a degree in biology just to get your application for such a slot seen. I would really suggest an advanced degree in marine biology in the case of a place that house mainly marine fish or in Ichthyology for a place that houses mainly freshwater animals.
MM
I agree. They have such high demand for people who want to be handlers (not even trainers) that they take people with bachelors degrees in biology. Many have also attended a special school for exotic animal training/handling that I believe is located in Moorpark CA. Even then, it is competitive.
Answers:
You will need a degree in biology just to get your application for such a slot seen. I would really suggest an advanced degree in marine biology in the case of a place that house mainly marine fish or in Ichthyology for a place that houses mainly freshwater animals.
MM
I agree. They have such high demand for people who want to be handlers (not even trainers) that they take people with bachelors degrees in biology. Many have also attended a special school for exotic animal training/handling that I believe is located in Moorpark CA. Even then, it is competitive.
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