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.
Friday, July 31, 2009
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.:)
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.
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".
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!
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
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.
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.
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