I have had a 15 gallon fish tank for a lil over 6 months. I had it set up and added all the regular stuff you would add when setting up a new tank except fish. Well, I finally decided to get some fish and petsmart sold me the above amount saying that this would be max capacity. I now wonder if I may have overdid it. I am having a heck of a time with ammonia levels and cannot get them to a normal level. I am having to do partial water changes every two days and the levels still do not drop down past 3.0. I am using API test strips. I have the marineland bio wheel filter. I began using ProQuatics bacteria starter and water conditioner and proper ph 7. I then switched to Wardleys 3 in 1 water conditioner for 7.0 ph, ammonia neutralizer, and chlorine/chloramine eliminator. Another store told me to switch to aquasafe and ph up and use ammo chips, but I have read that Ammo chips keep bacteria from growing. My nitrates and nitrites are perfect according to Medley 5 in 1 strips. HELP
Answers:
You had it running/set up for 6 months with no fish. Did you use an ammonia source to start the cycle %26 maintain it for the 6 months? If you did, when you added the fish, it was too many at once. If you didn't use anything to start the cycle, it's cycling now.
See if your pet store has BioSpira. It will instantly cycle your tank. That ProQuatics and Stress Zyme and Cycle are crap and don't work. The bacteria in those bottles are more then likely dead by the time you buy them. The BioSpira has to be refrigerated, and is really the only one I've heard of that actually works, but expensive and hard to find. If you can't find it, stick to the small daily water changes.
No ammo chips, and stop using all those other chemicals-especially the ph up/down. Get some Prime by Seachem. Kinda pricey but lasts a long time. Use it when you do water changes, it removes chlorine/chloramine, and detoxifies ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates and won't disrupt the cycle process. That's the only chemical I would use.
Return the neons, they aren't hearty fish at all, and stress very easily, I"m actually surprised they're still alive with those ammonia levels lol. Return the catfish for now, if it's a cory cat, they prefer groups of at least 3, and you're tank is too small for 3. If it's another catfish, tank is too small for it. Not sure how well AD frogs handle ammonia, don't know what to tell you there. I'd stick with the mollies/guppies. After the tank cycles, get a couple of snails for algae control. If you still want the neons, 6 would be fine, but add them after the tank is established for a bit. Neons don't put out much of a bioload, unless they die under something and you don't notice lol.
Good luck!
yes. they'll live a shorter life.
I have a lot of fishtanks.. you need to use KORDON AMQUEL.. and do regular water changes for about 2 weeks, do not use any anti bacterial products in your tank. After your biological filter (the de-nitrifying bacteria that live in your tank and filter) is established, it should be able to cope with the ammonia levels in it self. keep using the proquatics bacteria starter.. but dont try too hard to maintain the ph at 7.. the fish should be fine at a higher PH, the acids you add to maintain PH could stress out your fish.. If at all, i would suggest you get a marineland millenium 2000 filter, because it has a plate in the back for bacteria to grow, i have never had a problem with this filter and it does a wonderful job of keeping ammonia levels down.
ammonia->bacteria->
nitrites->denitrifying bacteria
nitrates..waterchange gets rid of the nitrates.
try kordon amquel. add a few capfulls.. then do a water change.
also know that water changes cause the temperature of water to rise and drop dramatically depending on the temp of water you are putting in.. this sudden surge of temperature can stress your fish resulting in a nasty infection called ich.
A tip-
Whenever you set up an aquarium, get one of those feeder gold fish 1-2 of them should be good for an aquarium about 2 gallons.
Feed them frequently in your new aquarium for about a week. This will start establishing an ecosystem in your tank and promote bacterial growth. after that week, you can remove the 2 fish and add fish slowly - like one at a time - what you did was "shock" the tank with the crazy amount of waste and leftover food from your fish. It will take a while for the bacteria to be able to cope up. but things should be fine in a month. Hopefully none of your fish die.
it does sound a little cramped try getting a larger tank
this will increase your life expectancy of the fish and will help prevent disease from spreading
No it is not too much for a 15 gallon. Throw all that crap away that the pet stores sold you. This is what you need.
Aquarium Salt: to keep your PH and ammonia levels safe
Gravel Vacuum: to syphon the waste from the gravel. Rotting waste in the gravel will cause your PH and ammonia levels to rise. Vacuum gravel every week, at the same time as cleaning the gravel, it will do a partial water change as well. You don't have to take the fish out when you do this either. If you can get a hold of crushed coral it will help keep you PH and ammonia in check as well. I have had many, many, aquariums and breeding tanks, etc. This is a very cheap and effective way to maintain an aquarium. When you get into all the chemicals and stuff, it gets confusing and to tell you the truth, it doesn't work. Please give this a try. Aquarium salt will run you about $5 and should last you 6 months or so. A gravel vacuum will be about $15 but it is a must for every aquarium. Crushed coral is a little more expensive, not sure exactly how much, but you don't have to have it. Its just an added bonus and it looks nice in the tank too. Good Luck! Hope this helps.
I started my aquarium about 7 months ago, %26 I got everything from petsmart too. I had the same problems. I finally got a 40 gal. aquarium %26 moved my fish, frogs %26 shrimp into it. Everything has been doing much better. Good luck!
That is quite a bit of fish. A larger tank will help the fish to live longer, and grow larger. The more room you give them, the bigger they will get. Fish need room to swim. All of those fish could be causing your problems with getting the levels right.
get rid of the neons and you'll be fine. they're hard to take care of anyway.
you might want a few live plants/ java ferns to add to the decor and help with cleaning the water a little.
Your tank is going through it's cycle. If you've had it set up, but have had no source of ammonia, you have no nitrifying bacteria built up. I'd take the fish back if you can, it's doubtful they'll survive the cycle. The next thing that will happen after the ammonia spike is a nitrite spike, which is very toxic and deadly. Once your tank finishes cycling (ammonia 0 and nitrite 0, some low nitrates ok) you can start adding fish, but don't add all at once. A few fish every couple of weeks so your biofilter can keep up with the new additions.
If you can't take the fish back, keep up with the water changes. You can also get BioSpira or Stability to help quick cycle your tank and minimize loss. If you have a friend with fish, ask them for some of their gravel, put it in a stocking, then put it in your tank. It'll be full of good bacteria. Same with an old filter that has been in an active fish tank.
Once your tank is cycled, the fish you mentioned may be a lot of upkeep, but it is do-able, except the catfish. Cories are very sensitive to water changes and need to be in groups of 4+. If its a pictus cat or other catfish, it will get too big and may eat the other fish in the tank. You'll need to stay on top of water quality and do biweekly water changes. The mollies will get a bit big.
FYI, it's usually better to not mess with the pH, it can lead to pH swings that can easily kill fish. A pH a little outside of the ideal range that is consistant is better than a pH that varies. I only use a chlorine/chloramine neutralizer and stability. The less you use the better. Good luck.
Won't your catfish outgrow then and end up eating the rest of your fish? They're usually aggressive.
They say 1 inch of fish per gallon is the max.
The best rule of thumb is 1 inch of fish for every gallon of water.
Yes! I notice they didn't sell you any type of fish that eats waste or algae--i hate petsmart.
The rule is 'one inch of fish per gallon of water'. So if you have a 15 gallon your allowed 15 inches of fish (i.e. one 5 inch fish, two 3 inch fish and one 4 inch fish ..or you could have six 2 inch fish and one 3 inch fish .and so on and so on). You want to make sure you take into account, how big your fish will get too. If your fish are small now, they may get bigger and outgrow the maximum. That will cause stress on your fish because they are cramped and their water gets dirty quicker and your ammonia levels get higher. You should get rid of some fish or do like we did and keep buying more tanks.
I agree with much that has already been said to you. Your problem is too many fish, too fast, in an uncycled tank. Cycling from scratch with fish takes at least 6 weeks. You nitrate and nitrites probably look good because you are in the beginning of your cycle and neither of these have had a chance to rise yet. Your ammonia will look terrible if you test it.
Get an ammonia test kit!!
Points that bear repeating-
-Get BioSpira. It will help you get your nitrifying bacteria levels to where you need them and should greatly shorten your cycling time.
- Returning the neons . . . it isn't a bad idea, at least temporarily. I actually think your tank could handle that much stock if you have plenty of live plants, but keep in mind that your guppies and mollies will breed and drop babies all over the place.
- Add live plants. They help to create a more biologically stable environment, and they look great. Make sure to remove any parts of the plants that brown as soon as possible. Go for plants that require "medium light" as opposed to "bright light". I actually like the ones that come as bulbs. You don't accidentally get snails overrunning your tank and they grow well in regular light. If the bulb floats, chuck it, it's a bad one and will only rot in your tank.
- pH is always going to want to be whatever your dH and kH cause it to be. When you add a chemical to change the pH, it is just going to bounce back to it's base level. Fish are more harmed by these bounces than they are by a pH that is not quite in their range. Fish can be quite adaptable and will tend to adjust to a stable pH so long as it isn't too far out of their range. Do some research on the fish you wish to keep. Let your pH settle, see what it is, and if it's not grossly outside the parameters your fish need, leave it be.
Neons like a neutral pH, but guppies and mollies do best with a higher pH and hard water. They also prefer some aquarium salt in their water. Actually, they are brackish fish that happen to do well in fresh water. While you do not have to give them brackish water, some aquarium salt will do them good.
The addition of calcium (someone recommended coral) to the substrate will bring your kH and dH up, causing a higher pH and harder water.
As to water conditioners, I prefer Prime.
- I agree it's probably best to get rid of the catfish if it's not a cory, but there are smaller cories that can be had, and if you got rid of the neons, you could probably get 3 smaller ones. Do some research. Neither catfish nor cories do well with salt in their water, so that's a consideration as well. Ghost (glass/grass) shrimp can handle some salt, tho, and are good bottom feeders as well as algae eaters and make an interesting addition to a tank. Your frog will want to eat them tho.
As to getting a fish that "eats waste", I do not know of any such thing. There are bottom feeders, such as cories, that will eat up any food that goes uneaten by your other fish, but that's food, not "waste". There is no such thing as a fish that will eat the waste of another fish. The plants will go far in doing that, but you still have to use a gravel vaccumn and get the solid waste out of your tank.
Lastly, your frog. He will be much happier and more active and interesting in a little fishbowl all his own. He doesn't need filtration, and given how they hunt for food, it will be very hard to see to it that he gets enough food in your tank with all those fish.
You won't be trying to cycle the fishbowl. Do complete water changes every week.
Here are 2 links on ADFs!
http://allaboutfrogs.org/info/mypets/dwa.
http://www.flippersandfins.net/adfcaresh.
Best of luck!
Friday, July 31, 2009
aqurian question?
6 goldfish one weather loach and 5 mountain minnows.tank 125 gallon too may fish in the tank??
Answers:
http://magegame.ru/?rf=6972756e6b615f37.
u know,an aquarius person is also called an aquarian,lol
no.
i got 10 fish in my tank and they seem fine you just gotta look after them and clean them out every week you should really get a bigger tank coz you maybe causing deseases but plenty of plants and a air filter should be ok for them
The general rule of thumb is that for every gallon of water you can have one inch of fish. You should be just fine. You can even have more than that however you have to check the filters and water more often to keep it from getting overloaded with amonia, and that the ph is balanced. Goldfish are naturally more acidic than most freshwater fish. I suggest a standard freshwater test kit, check the water once a month or so.
Not at all
And one Schizo with a Question.
Not at all, but goldfish usually don't like their water very warm. So, if you add heat loving (tropical) fish with the goldfish, someone will be very unhappy
if you have a filter then it's fine
clean the filter out regularly and if possible use an air pump and stone
no you will be OK with that as your loach are bottom dwellers and your minnows like the surface area.you can add more fish if required but not to big.
There are too many fish in the tank .
If they're common goldfish, then there will be too many when they are over 8" or so. Fancies, should be fine, but bear in mind that weather loaches prefer to be in groups, and when bigger, goldfish could well eat the WCMM.
;-)
do you mean 125ltr because 125 gallon is over 600ltr aether how your tank is not over stocked at all for the best advice on the web go to www.deepblueforum.neo-world.co. i use this site and never had any bad advice plus you get no silly answers
No i have 24 goldfish and a star fish in my 10 gallon tank and they seem to do fine
Answers:
http://magegame.ru/?rf=6972756e6b615f37.
u know,an aquarius person is also called an aquarian,lol
no.
i got 10 fish in my tank and they seem fine you just gotta look after them and clean them out every week you should really get a bigger tank coz you maybe causing deseases but plenty of plants and a air filter should be ok for them
The general rule of thumb is that for every gallon of water you can have one inch of fish. You should be just fine. You can even have more than that however you have to check the filters and water more often to keep it from getting overloaded with amonia, and that the ph is balanced. Goldfish are naturally more acidic than most freshwater fish. I suggest a standard freshwater test kit, check the water once a month or so.
Not at all
And one Schizo with a Question.
Not at all, but goldfish usually don't like their water very warm. So, if you add heat loving (tropical) fish with the goldfish, someone will be very unhappy
if you have a filter then it's fine
clean the filter out regularly and if possible use an air pump and stone
no you will be OK with that as your loach are bottom dwellers and your minnows like the surface area.you can add more fish if required but not to big.
There are too many fish in the tank .
If they're common goldfish, then there will be too many when they are over 8" or so. Fancies, should be fine, but bear in mind that weather loaches prefer to be in groups, and when bigger, goldfish could well eat the WCMM.
;-)
do you mean 125ltr because 125 gallon is over 600ltr aether how your tank is not over stocked at all for the best advice on the web go to www.deepblueforum.neo-world.co. i use this site and never had any bad advice plus you get no silly answers
No i have 24 goldfish and a star fish in my 10 gallon tank and they seem to do fine
Aquatic plants.?
I have a water hyancinth in a tank and it gets direct sunlight. My question is how would I know if its reproducing? Should I be seeing seeds on the bottom of the tank or something?
Answers:
yes there should be some seeds on the bottom but give it some time
they don't make seeds, they make small plants that are attached to the mother plant by a stem
I wasn't able to find your particular species of plant from this very awesome guide I normally reference, but perhaps you know it by some other names that you could lookup yourself. Go to plantgeek.net. It is the best site for Aquascaping and Aquatic Plant information. Join the forums on the main page, and then use their plant guide. Both are free - hope to see you out there, and good luck!
Plantgeek
http://www.plantgeek.net
Plantgeek Plant Guide
http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide.php.
Answers:
yes there should be some seeds on the bottom but give it some time
they don't make seeds, they make small plants that are attached to the mother plant by a stem
I wasn't able to find your particular species of plant from this very awesome guide I normally reference, but perhaps you know it by some other names that you could lookup yourself. Go to plantgeek.net. It is the best site for Aquascaping and Aquatic Plant information. Join the forums on the main page, and then use their plant guide. Both are free - hope to see you out there, and good luck!
Plantgeek
http://www.plantgeek.net
Plantgeek Plant Guide
http://www.plantgeek.net/plantguide.php.
Aquarium substrate for healty plants?
Ok guys, I've read for a while and I think I need to get the following:
1layer - flourite, for the plants to root
2layer - just a little laterite for nutrition
3 layer - any kind of gravel for decor purpose only
Is this correct. any recommendations?
Answers:
If they are true underwater plants, you don't need anything but gravel. The problem with putting in fine substrate under the gravel is that it can get stirred up and cloud the water, especially if you have bottom feeders, and they can root just fine in gravel. The most important thing for the plants is the lighting. I only keep sword plants and floating plants but they have all thrived and spread with the use of plain aquarium gravel and good lighting.
I don't know a thing about that stuff, I have a black thumb. But here is a forum all about planted tanks, http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/.
too complex a mix.stick with a pound of gravel per gallon of water
1layer - flourite, for the plants to root
2layer - just a little laterite for nutrition
3 layer - any kind of gravel for decor purpose only
Is this correct. any recommendations?
Answers:
If they are true underwater plants, you don't need anything but gravel. The problem with putting in fine substrate under the gravel is that it can get stirred up and cloud the water, especially if you have bottom feeders, and they can root just fine in gravel. The most important thing for the plants is the lighting. I only keep sword plants and floating plants but they have all thrived and spread with the use of plain aquarium gravel and good lighting.
I don't know a thing about that stuff, I have a black thumb. But here is a forum all about planted tanks, http://www.plantedtank.net/forums/.
too complex a mix.stick with a pound of gravel per gallon of water
Aquarium size?
I am interested in starting up an aquarium to raise 5 or 6 Discus and 6 cory catfish. I intend to have it well planted, .
Would a 50 gallon aquarium be adequate size? Also, what would be a good choice of companion fish? Something small, that schools up, and would not disturb the discus. I am thinking maybe Neon tetras.
Answers:
For that many discus - no. They can get dinner plate sized! If you really need that many in one tank you are going to have to get 75 and preferably 100. I don't know how many full grown discus you've seen but they are really huge. I don't see that many being happy in 55 gallons. Neon tetras are a good choice to pair with the discus though the discus might eat them if they are small enough - just a warning! But I've seen those paired up quite a bit in tanks.
go w/a 75 gallon tank.
I had Discus %26 Angel Fish in mine.
I agree, a 75 gallon is in order for that many discus + other fish. I have 1 Oscar and 1 bichir in my 50 gallon, and I feel so guilty they have such little space.
At least 75g tank, and quite frankly if you plan to add more than that I would suggest a 90g All-Glass Aquarium. They are priced right!
All-Glass Aquarium
http://www.all-glass.com
Are you setting up an Aquarium for the first time if yes then it would be advisable to start with a small tank and hardy live bearers to gain experience.
A 50 gallon tank is a massive tank and needs a lot of space and effort, the normal yard stick for the size of the tank will be 90 sq cms (14 sq inch) for every 2.5 cm (1 inch) of body length of the fish, also take advise from the local pet shop or an experinced person in your area.
A little bigger maybe for the discus. The cories are fine. You may actually want to get a 75 gallon, plus about 10 cories %26 5 discus. Mollies and tetras are fine, except tetras live ony like a month, so I'd get mollies, guppies, maybe a female betta, barbs.. go to the petstore and see some more.
50 gallons would be fine. Here is a good compatibility chart so you can decide what other fish you would like to add.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcom.
A
Would a 50 gallon aquarium be adequate size? Also, what would be a good choice of companion fish? Something small, that schools up, and would not disturb the discus. I am thinking maybe Neon tetras.
Answers:
For that many discus - no. They can get dinner plate sized! If you really need that many in one tank you are going to have to get 75 and preferably 100. I don't know how many full grown discus you've seen but they are really huge. I don't see that many being happy in 55 gallons. Neon tetras are a good choice to pair with the discus though the discus might eat them if they are small enough - just a warning! But I've seen those paired up quite a bit in tanks.
go w/a 75 gallon tank.
I had Discus %26 Angel Fish in mine.
I agree, a 75 gallon is in order for that many discus + other fish. I have 1 Oscar and 1 bichir in my 50 gallon, and I feel so guilty they have such little space.
At least 75g tank, and quite frankly if you plan to add more than that I would suggest a 90g All-Glass Aquarium. They are priced right!
All-Glass Aquarium
http://www.all-glass.com
Are you setting up an Aquarium for the first time if yes then it would be advisable to start with a small tank and hardy live bearers to gain experience.
A 50 gallon tank is a massive tank and needs a lot of space and effort, the normal yard stick for the size of the tank will be 90 sq cms (14 sq inch) for every 2.5 cm (1 inch) of body length of the fish, also take advise from the local pet shop or an experinced person in your area.
A little bigger maybe for the discus. The cories are fine. You may actually want to get a 75 gallon, plus about 10 cories %26 5 discus. Mollies and tetras are fine, except tetras live ony like a month, so I'd get mollies, guppies, maybe a female betta, barbs.. go to the petstore and see some more.
50 gallons would be fine. Here is a good compatibility chart so you can decide what other fish you would like to add.
http://www.liveaquaria.com/general/fwcom.
A
Aquarium sand question?
I'm planning on using sand in my freshwater aquarium, I have some Kaleidoscope Colored Play Sand from Texas Agri Products, I asked the company, but they haven't replied. Is it okay to use this sand with a lot of rinsing? Has anyone used it?
Answers:
just so long as it is not too fine, you don't want to plug your filters. If it is for playing with by children then there should be nothing toxic in it.
I ve used play sand just wash it. The bottom feeders will prefer
it clown loach etc.
Yep u can..just make sure u rinse it well
I would definitely stay away from any sort of colored sands. They have dyes in them that could potentially do a great deal of damage.
Go to the hardware store and just get run-of-the-mill lot sand. Rinse it - dry it out - and put it in. I would probably also consider mixing it with another form of clay or laterite substate (if you are planning to making a planted tank).
Good luck!
As long as it contains no silica, you should be okay. It wouldn't be kid-safe if the dye ran out of it.
A
Sand is terrible! It screws up your filter and makes cleaning the tank a chore!
Answers:
just so long as it is not too fine, you don't want to plug your filters. If it is for playing with by children then there should be nothing toxic in it.
I ve used play sand just wash it. The bottom feeders will prefer
it clown loach etc.
Yep u can..just make sure u rinse it well
I would definitely stay away from any sort of colored sands. They have dyes in them that could potentially do a great deal of damage.
Go to the hardware store and just get run-of-the-mill lot sand. Rinse it - dry it out - and put it in. I would probably also consider mixing it with another form of clay or laterite substate (if you are planning to making a planted tank).
Good luck!
As long as it contains no silica, you should be okay. It wouldn't be kid-safe if the dye ran out of it.
A
Sand is terrible! It screws up your filter and makes cleaning the tank a chore!
aquarium salt?
finally i know what happen with my fish, i have planaria in my tank , now i know how to treat them but i need to buy aquarium salt, it is realy necesary that salt or can be the normal salt the one that does not supply iodine. MORTON SALT
Answers:
I'm not sure what Mortan salt is, but you need a pure salt that has no iodine in it. Freshwater salt at pet stores is extremely cheap (I paid $2 at my pet store in Canada), but you can use pure sea salt or Kosher salt. Dissolve it in a cup of tank water before adding it to your aquarium, Use about one level tablespoon per 5 gallons of tank water and don't worry about being absolutely correct as long as all the fish in you tank have scales. If you have things without scales err on the side of caution.
The planaria will be eaten by your fish over the next couple of days if you don't feed them. Treating with salt is not absolutely necessary, but you should do a water change as they mean that you have been feeding double of what you should have and the water is probably polluted.
A
Morton salt and table salt are not the same as aquarium salt.
Wally World* has the correct salt for you, near the fish. It has very clear directions and is reasonably priced. (You are going to go there in a day or two anyway) lol Best whishes for you and your fishes.!. *[Wal-Mart]
yes walmart carries the salt you need its made by doc wellfish and its cheap a box that treats 100 gallons is only 3 bucks
The Iodine in Mortons is so low that I would not think it to be dangerous, but I'd recommend getting some API Evaporated Sea Salt.
http://pet-guys.stores.yahoo.net/-317163.
You will not go wrong with this stuff.
Good luck!
In the "old days" iodized salt contained an anti-caking agent that would harm your fish. Today's salts iodized or not are aquaria safe. You will hear from others that you cannot use iodized salt, you must use Aqquarium or Kosher salt, but I have used Morton's iodized without ill effect. I actually prefer to use a marine salt like instant ocean as it provides trace minerals.
Answers:
I'm not sure what Mortan salt is, but you need a pure salt that has no iodine in it. Freshwater salt at pet stores is extremely cheap (I paid $2 at my pet store in Canada), but you can use pure sea salt or Kosher salt. Dissolve it in a cup of tank water before adding it to your aquarium, Use about one level tablespoon per 5 gallons of tank water and don't worry about being absolutely correct as long as all the fish in you tank have scales. If you have things without scales err on the side of caution.
The planaria will be eaten by your fish over the next couple of days if you don't feed them. Treating with salt is not absolutely necessary, but you should do a water change as they mean that you have been feeding double of what you should have and the water is probably polluted.
A
Morton salt and table salt are not the same as aquarium salt.
Wally World* has the correct salt for you, near the fish. It has very clear directions and is reasonably priced. (You are going to go there in a day or two anyway) lol Best whishes for you and your fishes.!. *[Wal-Mart]
yes walmart carries the salt you need its made by doc wellfish and its cheap a box that treats 100 gallons is only 3 bucks
The Iodine in Mortons is so low that I would not think it to be dangerous, but I'd recommend getting some API Evaporated Sea Salt.
http://pet-guys.stores.yahoo.net/-317163.
You will not go wrong with this stuff.
Good luck!
In the "old days" iodized salt contained an anti-caking agent that would harm your fish. Today's salts iodized or not are aquaria safe. You will hear from others that you cannot use iodized salt, you must use Aqquarium or Kosher salt, but I have used Morton's iodized without ill effect. I actually prefer to use a marine salt like instant ocean as it provides trace minerals.
Aquarium question?
Hi there to all!
I just got my self a new aquarium and I have put real plants in it.
When I purchased the plants two of them came in pots, the ones with the long holes by the sides. Should I take the pots out and put the plant's roots in the gravel or leave them there?
Thanks!
Answers:
hi, those pots are simply used to faciliate easy transfer of plants when sold. alternatively, some aquarium use thin lead strips to bind the plants together. the potted plants are stuffed with cotton and/or stones, metal strips to make them sink.
please do not keep them in your tank because over time, these "pots" or more specifically the cotton will accumulate debris and degrade water rapidly. if you want, keep the plants planted in the gravel. or alternatively (this is what i did), remove the cotton and the lead strips, use the smallest cable ties (about 2-3mm width) you can find at hardware stores and fasten the plants to the pots. beware not to bruise the stems of the plants. then you can place pea gravels or marbles into the pots to make them sink. the roots of the plants will anchor around these weights and stabilise the plants. this method only applies to stem plants.
Most aqaurium plants need to be rooted in a peaty medium for a few weeks or months before the fish waste becomes part of their fertilizer, so I'd leave them alone for a while first.
no u dont have to
As a multiple aquarium fish owner, I say to leave them in the pot temporarily til they get established to the environment. Depending on the fish you get, (some like to move gravel around and some will eat the plants altogether) put small rocks around it so they cant be pulled out or moved by the fish.
Generally you want to take them out of the pots, and plant them in the gravel. It's hard to say what exactly you should do as it differs for different plants. Some plants like java fern like to grow on wood or stone. Some plants grow better in some sort of substrate which provides minerals. If you know the name of the plants you should likely punch it into a search engine, or ask another question here.
With proper light and a decent amount of time passed you'll find that the pot is restricting the roots and limiting how big your plant can grow. Even over a short period of time, roughly two months, it's easy to see how cramped a plant can become if left in it's pot. Like a tree kept in a pot will never get as big as one planted in your front lawn.
Now if it has some padding wrapped around the roots I'd suggest keeping that there. If you're really interested in having your plants grow look into plant friendly substrates. But many hardy ones sod in petstores will grow in almost anything.
Take them out so that the roots can spread if not the pot can actually "choke" the plant and it will slowly die off.
Either way.. I leave them in the pot until they get more mature and to give the roots a chance to develop say about six months to a year. It can be difficult to anchor plants down when they are small especially when you add the fish which will pull at them and uproot them. Have fun and enjoy.
I just got my self a new aquarium and I have put real plants in it.
When I purchased the plants two of them came in pots, the ones with the long holes by the sides. Should I take the pots out and put the plant's roots in the gravel or leave them there?
Thanks!
Answers:
hi, those pots are simply used to faciliate easy transfer of plants when sold. alternatively, some aquarium use thin lead strips to bind the plants together. the potted plants are stuffed with cotton and/or stones, metal strips to make them sink.
please do not keep them in your tank because over time, these "pots" or more specifically the cotton will accumulate debris and degrade water rapidly. if you want, keep the plants planted in the gravel. or alternatively (this is what i did), remove the cotton and the lead strips, use the smallest cable ties (about 2-3mm width) you can find at hardware stores and fasten the plants to the pots. beware not to bruise the stems of the plants. then you can place pea gravels or marbles into the pots to make them sink. the roots of the plants will anchor around these weights and stabilise the plants. this method only applies to stem plants.
Most aqaurium plants need to be rooted in a peaty medium for a few weeks or months before the fish waste becomes part of their fertilizer, so I'd leave them alone for a while first.
no u dont have to
As a multiple aquarium fish owner, I say to leave them in the pot temporarily til they get established to the environment. Depending on the fish you get, (some like to move gravel around and some will eat the plants altogether) put small rocks around it so they cant be pulled out or moved by the fish.
Generally you want to take them out of the pots, and plant them in the gravel. It's hard to say what exactly you should do as it differs for different plants. Some plants like java fern like to grow on wood or stone. Some plants grow better in some sort of substrate which provides minerals. If you know the name of the plants you should likely punch it into a search engine, or ask another question here.
With proper light and a decent amount of time passed you'll find that the pot is restricting the roots and limiting how big your plant can grow. Even over a short period of time, roughly two months, it's easy to see how cramped a plant can become if left in it's pot. Like a tree kept in a pot will never get as big as one planted in your front lawn.
Now if it has some padding wrapped around the roots I'd suggest keeping that there. If you're really interested in having your plants grow look into plant friendly substrates. But many hardy ones sod in petstores will grow in almost anything.
Take them out so that the roots can spread if not the pot can actually "choke" the plant and it will slowly die off.
Either way.. I leave them in the pot until they get more mature and to give the roots a chance to develop say about six months to a year. It can be difficult to anchor plants down when they are small especially when you add the fish which will pull at them and uproot them. Have fun and enjoy.
aquarium problems?
It seems that since I did my partial water change last weekend problems in my aquarium started to surface. Water parameters are all ok including temperature. Just last night one of my male guppy died.
- Since last weekend my guppies doesnt swim to the bottom and only stays at the surface on one side of the aquarium.
- This morning when I turn the light on, I saw some small insect looking with white color jumping in the aquarium from stones to the glass. It's a cotton like but very small. Also, I saw one insect shrimp looking swimming near the bottom. Is my water contaminated by any bacteria or parasite?
- One of female guppies have a teared fin and have long thing attached to her anal. Also her belly is in reddish color.
After the water change I didn't put anything new, all the plants and decor are the same. The only solutions I put is the water conditioner, bacteria supplement (I've been using this almost a month ago), and algae destroyer (I just recently use this, first time)
Answers:
Sounds like you have a few things going on here that are not good.
First - you say your parameters are all good (I assume this to mean that your Nitrogen Cycle is fully completed - Ammonia reads 0, Nitrites read 0, etc.). Why are you putting a bacteria suppliment into your tank if in fact the cycle is complete? Do you not have any kind of mechanical/biological filter on this tank? Also - how big is the tank, and how many Guppies/other fish are in it?
The insect looking white thing and the one swimming at the bottom of your tank do not sound like the same thing. My fear is that you have Ich in your tank's gravel bottom (and the free swimmer you saw is a rarely sited instances of it - it will seek out a host (a fish) to attach itself to, and then goes into a 3 stage process before it's back to that free swimming stage you saw it in).
As for the insect and the red belly - it sounds like you have some sort of bug (Gnat) that had gotten into the tank's lid, and the red belly could be irratation from either water parameters not being fully cycled, or from her rubbing it on gravel/plants/sides of the tank which is an indicator of a parasite (most likely).
First - if your tank is not fully cycled - for future reference if you end up starting over again - I recommend doing a fishless cycle. Here is an absolutely perfect article on how that is achieved.
Fishless Cycling.
http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/fish.
The other article I would recommend you read through completely is probably the best publication on the Internet regarding "Ich" and how to treat it (and how not to treat it). I urge you to read this through when you have time. It will save you more time and money in the long run.
Ich.
http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/ich.
Best of luck to you
You've definitely got a parasite problem. You need to do a full water change, clean all the surfaces, plants and decorations, and then once you refill the tank, treat the water and fish with antibiotics. There are very detailed in instructions on the antibiotic label, follow them completely or else all the fish in the tank will perish as well. Act fast, or the fish will only get worse!
- Since last weekend my guppies doesnt swim to the bottom and only stays at the surface on one side of the aquarium.
- This morning when I turn the light on, I saw some small insect looking with white color jumping in the aquarium from stones to the glass. It's a cotton like but very small. Also, I saw one insect shrimp looking swimming near the bottom. Is my water contaminated by any bacteria or parasite?
- One of female guppies have a teared fin and have long thing attached to her anal. Also her belly is in reddish color.
After the water change I didn't put anything new, all the plants and decor are the same. The only solutions I put is the water conditioner, bacteria supplement (I've been using this almost a month ago), and algae destroyer (I just recently use this, first time)
Answers:
Sounds like you have a few things going on here that are not good.
First - you say your parameters are all good (I assume this to mean that your Nitrogen Cycle is fully completed - Ammonia reads 0, Nitrites read 0, etc.). Why are you putting a bacteria suppliment into your tank if in fact the cycle is complete? Do you not have any kind of mechanical/biological filter on this tank? Also - how big is the tank, and how many Guppies/other fish are in it?
The insect looking white thing and the one swimming at the bottom of your tank do not sound like the same thing. My fear is that you have Ich in your tank's gravel bottom (and the free swimmer you saw is a rarely sited instances of it - it will seek out a host (a fish) to attach itself to, and then goes into a 3 stage process before it's back to that free swimming stage you saw it in).
As for the insect and the red belly - it sounds like you have some sort of bug (Gnat) that had gotten into the tank's lid, and the red belly could be irratation from either water parameters not being fully cycled, or from her rubbing it on gravel/plants/sides of the tank which is an indicator of a parasite (most likely).
First - if your tank is not fully cycled - for future reference if you end up starting over again - I recommend doing a fishless cycle. Here is an absolutely perfect article on how that is achieved.
Fishless Cycling.
http://www.tropicalfishcentre.co.uk/fish.
The other article I would recommend you read through completely is probably the best publication on the Internet regarding "Ich" and how to treat it (and how not to treat it). I urge you to read this through when you have time. It will save you more time and money in the long run.
Ich.
http://aquafacts.net/wiki/index.php/ich.
Best of luck to you
You've definitely got a parasite problem. You need to do a full water change, clean all the surfaces, plants and decorations, and then once you refill the tank, treat the water and fish with antibiotics. There are very detailed in instructions on the antibiotic label, follow them completely or else all the fish in the tank will perish as well. Act fast, or the fish will only get worse!
aquarium problems?
Okay, so i have a fish tank and just in the past couple of days there have been little like, egg sacks or something and i think my frog is laying them but i am not sure and after a while the eggs hatch and little white worm looking things slither around my aquarium. Also the egg things are clear.Please tell me wut they are!
Answers:
It doesn't sound like frogs, what else is in your tank?
Take the eggs out and put them in a separe take if they hatch you need to keep an eye on them so they don't get get eatten .
Separate the fish from the eggs they eat the eggs.or kill them
albino tadpoles
Don't know what they might be but this link may help you find out. http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/fr.
Good Luck
They are frog eggs, and the small white "worms" are actually small larvae that will grow into tadpoles, and some will survive long enough to be frogs.
Good luck, just let nature run its course.
What all is in your tank aside from the frog?
One of two things
Little tiny white tiny worms are planaria. They will not harm your tank, but they do mean that you are overfeeding your fish which will harm your tank. Stop feeding for two days (at least) and wait for your fish to eat the worms. Change half of the water before it's large amounts of uneaten food poison them and in future feed a lot less
You should be able to witness the breeding of dwarf frogs. As the female will release the eggs at the surface one at a time with the male holding on to her. They can make the trip to the surface up to one hundred times during a breeding. Male dwarf frogs can be identified by a red section of skin behind each armpit. The eggs float on the surface, they are clear at first, and they look like they have small white larvae, but when they break out, you can (if you look extremely closely) see eyes.
A
Answers:
It doesn't sound like frogs, what else is in your tank?
Take the eggs out and put them in a separe take if they hatch you need to keep an eye on them so they don't get get eatten .
Separate the fish from the eggs they eat the eggs.or kill them
albino tadpoles
Don't know what they might be but this link may help you find out. http://animal-world.com/encyclo/fresh/fr.
Good Luck
They are frog eggs, and the small white "worms" are actually small larvae that will grow into tadpoles, and some will survive long enough to be frogs.
Good luck, just let nature run its course.
What all is in your tank aside from the frog?
One of two things
Little tiny white tiny worms are planaria. They will not harm your tank, but they do mean that you are overfeeding your fish which will harm your tank. Stop feeding for two days (at least) and wait for your fish to eat the worms. Change half of the water before it's large amounts of uneaten food poison them and in future feed a lot less
You should be able to witness the breeding of dwarf frogs. As the female will release the eggs at the surface one at a time with the male holding on to her. They can make the trip to the surface up to one hundred times during a breeding. Male dwarf frogs can be identified by a red section of skin behind each armpit. The eggs float on the surface, they are clear at first, and they look like they have small white larvae, but when they break out, you can (if you look extremely closely) see eyes.
A
Aquarium Help?
i have a 4ft aquarium. For some reson all my fish are gasping for air and not eating and seem to be acting strange. Ive had tank containing all fish for well over a year and never had any problems like this. I lost 2 fish from the tank last week. Ive done a water change, cleaned filters.. thay also have an air pump in there. Any ideas or treatments? Tank contains, Ghost knife, pleco, silver shark, pictus, fighter, sevrum and maybe 1 or 2 others.
Answers:
Make sure that the water you put in the tank has no impurities in it. If you are unsure, use bottled spring water that has been aerated for a few hours and warmed to the same temperature as the tank to avoid shock. I would also suggest adding salt for freshwater fish to help them fight off any problems in your tank.
Also, replace your fish food. It may have become contaminated.
A
Take out some of the toys u put in the water. they might be contaminated and could be making the fish sick!
Have you recently added any new ornaments or has something been introduced to the tank. like coins perhaps? It sounds more like your fish are slowly being poisoned and sounds similar to what I saw with a friend's tank several years back. Someone put a handful of pennies in to give it a "wishing well" effect.
If you've had it over a year and it just started recently, I would bring a sample of the water from the tank into PetCo or PetSmart and have it tested right away. They do it as a free service. Also, one of your fish may have become ill .. and it has spread to the other fish. There are many medications that they sell at the PetCos and PetSmarts. I would take along one of the dead fish for them to examine. It may have spots on it ..or something that will tell them what kind of illness your fish have , if any. Good luck ! :)
AGE OF THE FISH infection's . try taking a sample of water to your local fish shop, get them to test the water ,, my local only charges 50p to test , then they can give you the best treatment advice,, you say you keep fish ,, before you learn to do that you have to learn to keep water ,,,,,,,,, but it could be your fish was old , and just snuffed it .
what is the temp ? for the fish you have upper 70's will work fine , also start adding some aquarium salt , i teaspoon per 10 gallons ,bulk this up over the next 7 days everyday, when you are doing this you want to take out your carbon insert from your filter. have you checked the ph or amonia lately either? ph 7.2 to 7.4 ppm and amonia 0.00 ppm .
You might be suffering from something known as OTS or Old Tank Syndrome.
Here's a link to some info on it - perhaps this might sound familiar to you.
http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/s.
check your pH level it should be around 7.0 if not get some pH balance in powder form it works faster and add some air stones because to me it sounds like there is a lack of oxygen
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU EITHER HAVE A BAD PH OR YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF OXYGEN IN THE WATER.THE TOP OF THE WATER SHOULD ALSO HAVE RIPPLES ON IT FROM THE FILTER OR SKIMMER.
I find i loose all my fish in my tank when the water board starts playing around with the chlorine in our drinking water, we normally get clear water but when they start interfering its cloudy. There is a treatment you can buy to remove the chlorine from the water, it works a treat with out tanks, also is you tank over crowded as that can eliminate o2 from your water also, not enough o2 in left. Alternatively take a water sample you get home tests or your local pet shop like pet smart will test it for you. The fish that you list also are large growing fish, plecs take up a lot of o2 and can grow to 3 feet alone, the biggest i've had is 11/2 feet.
try getting a double air pump rather than a single to put more oxygen in the tank and if you have an internal filter you can scim the water on the surface of the tank to airiate it a bit more and check temps and levels of pollutants. have you bought any new fish recently i would suggest get this prob sorted before buying anymore
clean it occasionally
These are all fairly big fish for this size tank - I would only have had Two Golden Severums and a Plecostamus in that size of tank especially if you were thinking about breeding.
Sounds as though you aren't airating enough or your filters have gone sour.
there are just so many reasons that this could be so heres my oponion get a big big bucket and put all off your fish in there!! put the pump in there too but leave it on low and heres what to do.
Tropical Fish Aquariums
So you have decided that you want to set up a tropical fish aquarium. I say tropical because that is what we will be dealing with on this page. Tropical fish, as opposed to salt water, or even cichlids, are much easier to care for. I hope to touch on the very basics for right now and maybe add more advanced information later on. I have been keeping an aquarium for about 8 years now and I love what keeping an aquarium can do for your home. Having that glow in a dark room watching an underwater world is one of the most relaxing things. Studies have even shown that while looking at an aquarium, a persons heart rate, blood pressure, and respirations decrease. It's a great stress relever. And, if you believe in the workings of feng shui, placing an aquarium in certain parts of your home can bring good luck and money. Sound good enough? So let's get started!
THE TANK - Home for the Little Whipper Snappers
Size: I always recommend going with a 10-20, or maybe even a 29 gallon tank. You really don't want anything much smaller or larger. Reason being, with a smaller tank the buildup of bad "chemicals" occurs faster and more extreme. We will talk about this a little later. Anything larger than a 20 or 29 gallon requires alot more tedious work that a beginner might become overwhelmed with.
Shape: You do not want a long verticle tank..fish need air and if you don't have that much surface area with contact with room air, you are asking for trouble. Also, most fish have a preference on where they swim, feed, etc. If you have a bottom feeder in a verticle-long aquarium with a relatively small horizontal area, it doesn't matter how many gallons the aquarium is, to the fish, it's a real small aquarium.
Location: One thing you do need to take into consideration is on what and where you are going to place the tank. You don't want the aquarium to be in front of a window or right next to any sort of heating or cooling vents. Fish don't like drafts. Water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon. Remember this because you will need a stand that can hold not only the tank, but also the water, gravel, accessories, etc. A 20 gallon aquarium alone is not light. Add water, you are looking at another (20 x 8 = 160) 160 pounds! Gravel weighs alot too. It doesn't take much to end up with 300 pounds on this stand. So make sure you know exactly where you want this baby to go, because it's no easy task to move it.
Cleaning: When you bring your aquarium home, you will need to rinse it out. DO NOT use detergents like bleach or windex. Even if you rinse it really well, the chemicals will leach into your aquarium and kill your fish. And don't use a tank that was previously used to house a hamster, or some other animal. Fish don't like that. Fill your tank up with water for at least 24 hours to make sure there are no leaks.
EQUIPMENT - The Essentials
Temperature: It is essential that you have an aquarium heater. It's not really important what kind you get, but make sure that it's appropriate for the size of the tank you have. Some can even be submerged completely underwater. I like these. Caution: Do not ever plug the heater in before you add the water.
Make sure that it is not plugged in until the aquarium is completely full. Take my word for it, I plugged my heater in BEFORE I added the water, and once I did, my heater shattered. That wasn't cool. Anyways, most tropical fish prefer a temperature range of 72-80掳F (22-27掳C) and they don't like sudden changes in water temperature.
Lighting: Most tanks come with a hood that houses a light..either incadescent or fluorescent. Make sure that your fish get 4-10 hours of light per day. Any more than that you end up with an overgrowth of algae. Fluorescent lighting produces more light and less heat than an incadenscent light. Remember, most tropical fish don't like temperatures over 80掳F (27掳C) and if you leave your light on all day, you could end up with a rather hot aquarium. Your fish will hate you for it!
Filtration: There are many types of filtration devices that will clean your aquarium. I use a combination of an undergravel filter (with power heads) and a hanging power filter. The undergravel filter works by allowing beneficial bacteria to grow and clean the water. You can either attach an air tube down to the bottom to keep the flow of water coming, or you can attach a power head, which is a pump that sucks up water through the columns and spits it back out. Keeps water circulating. A power filter generally hangs on the outside of your aquarium. It is good to suck out floating particles or excess food. The water is sucked in through a tube that rests under the water line, and goes through a fibrous material and charcoal, and then spits the clean water back into the aquarium. The charcoal is used because it neutrailizes some bad chemicals that can build up in the water.
Decorations: What you do with the decorations is purely a matter of personal taste. Keep in mind that decorations can serve a purpose. Some provide a hiding place for a fish that may be under attack, or about to lay eggs. Plants do the same thing. We will get into whether or not you should purchase live or plastic plants. Each has it's own advantages and disadvantages. It's up to you to decide.
Aeration: The water in your aquarium must have movement. The fish swimming around is not enough to keep the water from getting thick and nasty. They also need the water to be aerated. Some fish are able to come up for air, but this is rare. You will need an air pump (once again, type depends on the size of your tank). Plastic tubing is attached to the air pump with an air stone at the end. This produces really fine bubbles, rather than large bubbles that freak your fish out.
SETTING UP YOUR AQUARIUM: SUPPLIES
10-20 gallon tank
Hood with light
Aquarium Stand sturdy enough to hold several hundred pounds
Water Dechlorinator to remove chlorine and other harmful chemicals from the water
Filter (Undergravel, Hanging, etc)
Heater suitable for tank size
Air Pump again, one to suit the size of your tank
Air Tubing Enough to run from the pump to the bottom of the tank
Air Stone
Gravel 2 pounds for each gallon of water, avoid anything too large or too fine, especially when using an undergravel filter
Plants either live or plastic
Decorations always a good idea to buy something that will provide a hiding place for fish
Water Thermometer You can buy one that sticks on the outside of the aquarium itself, or one that sits in the water. I prefer one that stays in the water. Place it on a side not by the heater.
Fish Net
Tropical Fish Flakes
Optional, but recommended:
Water pH Test Kit Most fish want a neutral pH of 7.0
Aquarium Salt Use to clean tank, soak live plants to kill snails, etc.
SETTING UP YOUR TANK: STEP-BY-STEP
If you are using an undergravel filter, place it in the tank at this time with air columns attached
Place rinsed gravel in the aquarium, on top of the UG filter, if applicable. Once all of the gravel is in the tank, flatted it and create a slope (back of aquarium has more gravel than the front) This allows any waste and uneaten food to fall to the front for easy cleaning.
Place a bowl into the tank. Pour the water into the bowl and allow it to overflow into the tank. This prevents your gravel from getting messed up.
Once the aquarium is half-full, start adding plants and decorations. With live plants, make sure the roots are secured in the gravel, or they could float to the top of the aquarium.
Place any air tubing, hanging filters, and heaters into the water. With the air pump, it is always a good idea to attach a one-way valve in the tubing. That way if any water gets suctioned into the tubing, like during a power outage, it doesn't get into the pump and destroying it.
Finish filling up the aquarium until the water is approximately an inch or two from the top. When adding fish, the water level will rise even more, and you don't want an overflow situation.
Next, add the dechlor drops to the water. Read the bottle to determine how many drops per gallon you need to add.
Allow your aquarium to sit for a day or two with all filters, heaters, and air pumps running. Don't be alarmed if the water looks cloudy for this first day or so. That is normal.
Test the pH of the water before you purchase your fish. When selecting your first fish, only get a few inexpensive ones. This will get the normal bacteria started, making it suitable for more elabrate and expensive fish. And remember 1" of fish for each gallon of water. Take into consideration the fishes fully grown size.
Introducing Fish
I recommend purchasing easy-to-care-for, peaceful community fish. These include Tetras, Guppies, Platys, Mollies, Danios, and perhaps one male Betta.
Float the bag of fish in your aquarium for about 15 minutes to allow the water temperatures to equalize.
During this time, add progressively more aquarium water to the bag, until it is 100%.
If the fish begin gasping for air at the surface, release them immediately into the tank.
If you are adding new fish to a tank where there are already fish, you may want to feed the old fish before introducing the new fish. If you find that some of your fish are extremely territorial, as is common in cichlids, try rearranging the plants and decorations in the aquarium before adding new fish.
FEEDING YOUR FISH
There isn't really much to talk about as far as feeding your fish goes. Most fish do well on a staple food, such as Total Tropical flakes.
Crumble the flakes down a little before adding them to the tank. Feed only a few times a day, I feed my fish in the morning and at night and they do fine.
Give them only enough that they will totally consume in 5-10 minutes. If you find you added to much and the fish aren't eating, get your net and scoop out the excess food.
Try experimenting with other fish foods, especially Tubifex Worms and Brine Shrimp.
hope this helps your problem and if you do ,do this if your fish are still like it then im sorry but youll have to flush them or something
is there air coming out of your filter? do it reate bubbles in the water? if not then lift the pump slightly out of the water so it creates oxygen bubbles
.good luck.
Answers:
Make sure that the water you put in the tank has no impurities in it. If you are unsure, use bottled spring water that has been aerated for a few hours and warmed to the same temperature as the tank to avoid shock. I would also suggest adding salt for freshwater fish to help them fight off any problems in your tank.
Also, replace your fish food. It may have become contaminated.
A
Take out some of the toys u put in the water. they might be contaminated and could be making the fish sick!
Have you recently added any new ornaments or has something been introduced to the tank. like coins perhaps? It sounds more like your fish are slowly being poisoned and sounds similar to what I saw with a friend's tank several years back. Someone put a handful of pennies in to give it a "wishing well" effect.
If you've had it over a year and it just started recently, I would bring a sample of the water from the tank into PetCo or PetSmart and have it tested right away. They do it as a free service. Also, one of your fish may have become ill .. and it has spread to the other fish. There are many medications that they sell at the PetCos and PetSmarts. I would take along one of the dead fish for them to examine. It may have spots on it ..or something that will tell them what kind of illness your fish have , if any. Good luck ! :)
AGE OF THE FISH infection's . try taking a sample of water to your local fish shop, get them to test the water ,, my local only charges 50p to test , then they can give you the best treatment advice,, you say you keep fish ,, before you learn to do that you have to learn to keep water ,,,,,,,,, but it could be your fish was old , and just snuffed it .
what is the temp ? for the fish you have upper 70's will work fine , also start adding some aquarium salt , i teaspoon per 10 gallons ,bulk this up over the next 7 days everyday, when you are doing this you want to take out your carbon insert from your filter. have you checked the ph or amonia lately either? ph 7.2 to 7.4 ppm and amonia 0.00 ppm .
You might be suffering from something known as OTS or Old Tank Syndrome.
Here's a link to some info on it - perhaps this might sound familiar to you.
http://www.thepufferforum.com/articles/s.
check your pH level it should be around 7.0 if not get some pH balance in powder form it works faster and add some air stones because to me it sounds like there is a lack of oxygen
IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU EITHER HAVE A BAD PH OR YOU DO NOT HAVE THE RIGHT AMOUNT OF OXYGEN IN THE WATER.THE TOP OF THE WATER SHOULD ALSO HAVE RIPPLES ON IT FROM THE FILTER OR SKIMMER.
I find i loose all my fish in my tank when the water board starts playing around with the chlorine in our drinking water, we normally get clear water but when they start interfering its cloudy. There is a treatment you can buy to remove the chlorine from the water, it works a treat with out tanks, also is you tank over crowded as that can eliminate o2 from your water also, not enough o2 in left. Alternatively take a water sample you get home tests or your local pet shop like pet smart will test it for you. The fish that you list also are large growing fish, plecs take up a lot of o2 and can grow to 3 feet alone, the biggest i've had is 11/2 feet.
try getting a double air pump rather than a single to put more oxygen in the tank and if you have an internal filter you can scim the water on the surface of the tank to airiate it a bit more and check temps and levels of pollutants. have you bought any new fish recently i would suggest get this prob sorted before buying anymore
clean it occasionally
These are all fairly big fish for this size tank - I would only have had Two Golden Severums and a Plecostamus in that size of tank especially if you were thinking about breeding.
Sounds as though you aren't airating enough or your filters have gone sour.
there are just so many reasons that this could be so heres my oponion get a big big bucket and put all off your fish in there!! put the pump in there too but leave it on low and heres what to do.
Tropical Fish Aquariums
So you have decided that you want to set up a tropical fish aquarium. I say tropical because that is what we will be dealing with on this page. Tropical fish, as opposed to salt water, or even cichlids, are much easier to care for. I hope to touch on the very basics for right now and maybe add more advanced information later on. I have been keeping an aquarium for about 8 years now and I love what keeping an aquarium can do for your home. Having that glow in a dark room watching an underwater world is one of the most relaxing things. Studies have even shown that while looking at an aquarium, a persons heart rate, blood pressure, and respirations decrease. It's a great stress relever. And, if you believe in the workings of feng shui, placing an aquarium in certain parts of your home can bring good luck and money. Sound good enough? So let's get started!
THE TANK - Home for the Little Whipper Snappers
Size: I always recommend going with a 10-20, or maybe even a 29 gallon tank. You really don't want anything much smaller or larger. Reason being, with a smaller tank the buildup of bad "chemicals" occurs faster and more extreme. We will talk about this a little later. Anything larger than a 20 or 29 gallon requires alot more tedious work that a beginner might become overwhelmed with.
Shape: You do not want a long verticle tank..fish need air and if you don't have that much surface area with contact with room air, you are asking for trouble. Also, most fish have a preference on where they swim, feed, etc. If you have a bottom feeder in a verticle-long aquarium with a relatively small horizontal area, it doesn't matter how many gallons the aquarium is, to the fish, it's a real small aquarium.
Location: One thing you do need to take into consideration is on what and where you are going to place the tank. You don't want the aquarium to be in front of a window or right next to any sort of heating or cooling vents. Fish don't like drafts. Water weighs about 8 pounds per gallon. Remember this because you will need a stand that can hold not only the tank, but also the water, gravel, accessories, etc. A 20 gallon aquarium alone is not light. Add water, you are looking at another (20 x 8 = 160) 160 pounds! Gravel weighs alot too. It doesn't take much to end up with 300 pounds on this stand. So make sure you know exactly where you want this baby to go, because it's no easy task to move it.
Cleaning: When you bring your aquarium home, you will need to rinse it out. DO NOT use detergents like bleach or windex. Even if you rinse it really well, the chemicals will leach into your aquarium and kill your fish. And don't use a tank that was previously used to house a hamster, or some other animal. Fish don't like that. Fill your tank up with water for at least 24 hours to make sure there are no leaks.
EQUIPMENT - The Essentials
Temperature: It is essential that you have an aquarium heater. It's not really important what kind you get, but make sure that it's appropriate for the size of the tank you have. Some can even be submerged completely underwater. I like these. Caution: Do not ever plug the heater in before you add the water.
Make sure that it is not plugged in until the aquarium is completely full. Take my word for it, I plugged my heater in BEFORE I added the water, and once I did, my heater shattered. That wasn't cool. Anyways, most tropical fish prefer a temperature range of 72-80掳F (22-27掳C) and they don't like sudden changes in water temperature.
Lighting: Most tanks come with a hood that houses a light..either incadescent or fluorescent. Make sure that your fish get 4-10 hours of light per day. Any more than that you end up with an overgrowth of algae. Fluorescent lighting produces more light and less heat than an incadenscent light. Remember, most tropical fish don't like temperatures over 80掳F (27掳C) and if you leave your light on all day, you could end up with a rather hot aquarium. Your fish will hate you for it!
Filtration: There are many types of filtration devices that will clean your aquarium. I use a combination of an undergravel filter (with power heads) and a hanging power filter. The undergravel filter works by allowing beneficial bacteria to grow and clean the water. You can either attach an air tube down to the bottom to keep the flow of water coming, or you can attach a power head, which is a pump that sucks up water through the columns and spits it back out. Keeps water circulating. A power filter generally hangs on the outside of your aquarium. It is good to suck out floating particles or excess food. The water is sucked in through a tube that rests under the water line, and goes through a fibrous material and charcoal, and then spits the clean water back into the aquarium. The charcoal is used because it neutrailizes some bad chemicals that can build up in the water.
Decorations: What you do with the decorations is purely a matter of personal taste. Keep in mind that decorations can serve a purpose. Some provide a hiding place for a fish that may be under attack, or about to lay eggs. Plants do the same thing. We will get into whether or not you should purchase live or plastic plants. Each has it's own advantages and disadvantages. It's up to you to decide.
Aeration: The water in your aquarium must have movement. The fish swimming around is not enough to keep the water from getting thick and nasty. They also need the water to be aerated. Some fish are able to come up for air, but this is rare. You will need an air pump (once again, type depends on the size of your tank). Plastic tubing is attached to the air pump with an air stone at the end. This produces really fine bubbles, rather than large bubbles that freak your fish out.
SETTING UP YOUR AQUARIUM: SUPPLIES
10-20 gallon tank
Hood with light
Aquarium Stand sturdy enough to hold several hundred pounds
Water Dechlorinator to remove chlorine and other harmful chemicals from the water
Filter (Undergravel, Hanging, etc)
Heater suitable for tank size
Air Pump again, one to suit the size of your tank
Air Tubing Enough to run from the pump to the bottom of the tank
Air Stone
Gravel 2 pounds for each gallon of water, avoid anything too large or too fine, especially when using an undergravel filter
Plants either live or plastic
Decorations always a good idea to buy something that will provide a hiding place for fish
Water Thermometer You can buy one that sticks on the outside of the aquarium itself, or one that sits in the water. I prefer one that stays in the water. Place it on a side not by the heater.
Fish Net
Tropical Fish Flakes
Optional, but recommended:
Water pH Test Kit Most fish want a neutral pH of 7.0
Aquarium Salt Use to clean tank, soak live plants to kill snails, etc.
SETTING UP YOUR TANK: STEP-BY-STEP
If you are using an undergravel filter, place it in the tank at this time with air columns attached
Place rinsed gravel in the aquarium, on top of the UG filter, if applicable. Once all of the gravel is in the tank, flatted it and create a slope (back of aquarium has more gravel than the front) This allows any waste and uneaten food to fall to the front for easy cleaning.
Place a bowl into the tank. Pour the water into the bowl and allow it to overflow into the tank. This prevents your gravel from getting messed up.
Once the aquarium is half-full, start adding plants and decorations. With live plants, make sure the roots are secured in the gravel, or they could float to the top of the aquarium.
Place any air tubing, hanging filters, and heaters into the water. With the air pump, it is always a good idea to attach a one-way valve in the tubing. That way if any water gets suctioned into the tubing, like during a power outage, it doesn't get into the pump and destroying it.
Finish filling up the aquarium until the water is approximately an inch or two from the top. When adding fish, the water level will rise even more, and you don't want an overflow situation.
Next, add the dechlor drops to the water. Read the bottle to determine how many drops per gallon you need to add.
Allow your aquarium to sit for a day or two with all filters, heaters, and air pumps running. Don't be alarmed if the water looks cloudy for this first day or so. That is normal.
Test the pH of the water before you purchase your fish. When selecting your first fish, only get a few inexpensive ones. This will get the normal bacteria started, making it suitable for more elabrate and expensive fish. And remember 1" of fish for each gallon of water. Take into consideration the fishes fully grown size.
Introducing Fish
I recommend purchasing easy-to-care-for, peaceful community fish. These include Tetras, Guppies, Platys, Mollies, Danios, and perhaps one male Betta.
Float the bag of fish in your aquarium for about 15 minutes to allow the water temperatures to equalize.
During this time, add progressively more aquarium water to the bag, until it is 100%.
If the fish begin gasping for air at the surface, release them immediately into the tank.
If you are adding new fish to a tank where there are already fish, you may want to feed the old fish before introducing the new fish. If you find that some of your fish are extremely territorial, as is common in cichlids, try rearranging the plants and decorations in the aquarium before adding new fish.
FEEDING YOUR FISH
There isn't really much to talk about as far as feeding your fish goes. Most fish do well on a staple food, such as Total Tropical flakes.
Crumble the flakes down a little before adding them to the tank. Feed only a few times a day, I feed my fish in the morning and at night and they do fine.
Give them only enough that they will totally consume in 5-10 minutes. If you find you added to much and the fish aren't eating, get your net and scoop out the excess food.
Try experimenting with other fish foods, especially Tubifex Worms and Brine Shrimp.
hope this helps your problem and if you do ,do this if your fish are still like it then im sorry but youll have to flush them or something
is there air coming out of your filter? do it reate bubbles in the water? if not then lift the pump slightly out of the water so it creates oxygen bubbles
.good luck.
Aquarium help?
I got a new betta fish aquarium and it bubbles really badly at the top. It's not soap bubbles (keep that in mind) the oxygen doens't seem to be filtering throughout the aqarium. It doesn't seem to be hurting my fish. He is fine.but his food gets lost in the bubbles. I have to blow on the bubbles to make them go away so he can find his food. Does anyone know what is causing the bubbles or will my aquarium just balance itself out eventually?
Answers:
I used to believe you had to use dechlorinators too. Then I stopped using them and nothing happend. I haven't used anything in years and I've had aquariums for nearly forty years.
Save your money!
sounds like you have used to much dechlor, it probably wont hurt your fish, do a nice big water change and watch how much dechlor you use.
another possible reason is that betas build bubble nests when they breed, he/she may be showing signs of a breeding behaviour.
you didnt use any chemicals in your water? you should use dechlor in any water you use from the tap. your fish is soaking in chlorinated water right now, if you have a walmart very close, leave now and u may save him.hopefully you used some aged water or something. goto myfishtank.net and read about dechlor and cycling a new fish tank.
Those bubbles means he need a female, don't worry it will stop and then it will comes again, but if you have a chance buy those separators and add a female to you thank. Your Betta will thank you.
Assuming it's a male betta, which it sounds like, he's just building a nest. Don't add a female betta to the tank. I am NO betta expert, a friend of mine used to breed them, said the males are very aggressive and will try to kill the female and the male babies. Don't know for sure, just what I was told.
Dechlor is dechlorinator. When you do water changes or add any water to the bowl/tank, if it's tap water you need to add something (I use Prime) to remove the chlorine, chloramine, etc. that the water company adds to the tap water to make it safe. If it's well water, should be ok if there's nothing added to it.
Everytime you change the fish water, you MUST use dechlorinating concentrate. Use dechlor that is NOT Amquel. And do not add any aloe containing stuff. The bubbles are from either protein in your water, or soap! Try filling the tank with a bottle of spring water or distilled water from the store. And turn down the air supply.you don't need much air for a one gallon tank. Good luck
Male betta's create bubblenests. He's ready to breed (they usually place eggs within the bubblenest and guard them until they hatch).
Male betta create bubblenests when they bond to a territory. Despite people's claim it does NOT mean he looking for a mate. In the wild a male betta needs to be ready to mate at a moments notice if a female wanders by. Male betta are very aggressive towards male, and female betta. If you put a female in the best case is they would mate, produce a hundred eggs, and then the male would kill the female. (Males guard and protect their nest even from their mates. In the wild the female would just swim off after a few nips.) That assumes they don't kill each other prior to mating.
PS- If this is just an air bubbling device turn it off. He does need or want it. If it's a filter I keep it. You can just scoop up the bubble nest with a net if it's getting food in it.
well maybe its your fish if it is a Betta's they tend to blow bubbles when there happy
Male betas build bubble nests. Perhaps he is doing this?
It's not good to boil the water. There are good things in the water that a fish like. I don't know if this might be what is causing your bubbles
Dechlor . is probabably a additive for the tank to dechlorinate the water. It is the only way to get chlorine out of tap water. You should have a bottle and use it with every water change. I keep a jug next to my tank with tap water already treated with dechlorinating stuff so it is temperatured and ready to go when I need it.
Remember that sitting out the water over night WILL NOT necessarily get the chlorine out. Some cities use a different chemical then chlorine because it's safer and more stable and it does not disappate will sitting. . so please use the dechlorinating stuff from a pet store.
Try to do some water changes (slowly . maybe 10% at a time) over a few weeks . whatever the bubbles are will go away as the tank establishes and the water becomes safer for the fish.
I cannot tell you what the bubbles are (it could be from his/her waste or from overfeeding or something else), but what I would like to recommend for you is to get yourself a water conditioner for the water. It's something you can pickup at the pet store, and it's really important to use this because it will remove Chlorine and other hard elements that will otherwise kill your Betta.
Here's a link to what I am talking about. Hope it helps!
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d.
This just angers me that a pet store would sell anyone a fish without telling someone about how to take care of it.
As everyone has already said, you need to remove the chorine/chloramine before you put the fishy in the water. Luckaly the betta fish can breathe air and this might not be as big of an issue but if you had put any other fish in the tank it most likely would have died.
Answers:
I used to believe you had to use dechlorinators too. Then I stopped using them and nothing happend. I haven't used anything in years and I've had aquariums for nearly forty years.
Save your money!
sounds like you have used to much dechlor, it probably wont hurt your fish, do a nice big water change and watch how much dechlor you use.
another possible reason is that betas build bubble nests when they breed, he/she may be showing signs of a breeding behaviour.
you didnt use any chemicals in your water? you should use dechlor in any water you use from the tap. your fish is soaking in chlorinated water right now, if you have a walmart very close, leave now and u may save him.hopefully you used some aged water or something. goto myfishtank.net and read about dechlor and cycling a new fish tank.
Those bubbles means he need a female, don't worry it will stop and then it will comes again, but if you have a chance buy those separators and add a female to you thank. Your Betta will thank you.
Assuming it's a male betta, which it sounds like, he's just building a nest. Don't add a female betta to the tank. I am NO betta expert, a friend of mine used to breed them, said the males are very aggressive and will try to kill the female and the male babies. Don't know for sure, just what I was told.
Dechlor is dechlorinator. When you do water changes or add any water to the bowl/tank, if it's tap water you need to add something (I use Prime) to remove the chlorine, chloramine, etc. that the water company adds to the tap water to make it safe. If it's well water, should be ok if there's nothing added to it.
Everytime you change the fish water, you MUST use dechlorinating concentrate. Use dechlor that is NOT Amquel. And do not add any aloe containing stuff. The bubbles are from either protein in your water, or soap! Try filling the tank with a bottle of spring water or distilled water from the store. And turn down the air supply.you don't need much air for a one gallon tank. Good luck
Male betta's create bubblenests. He's ready to breed (they usually place eggs within the bubblenest and guard them until they hatch).
Male betta create bubblenests when they bond to a territory. Despite people's claim it does NOT mean he looking for a mate. In the wild a male betta needs to be ready to mate at a moments notice if a female wanders by. Male betta are very aggressive towards male, and female betta. If you put a female in the best case is they would mate, produce a hundred eggs, and then the male would kill the female. (Males guard and protect their nest even from their mates. In the wild the female would just swim off after a few nips.) That assumes they don't kill each other prior to mating.
PS- If this is just an air bubbling device turn it off. He does need or want it. If it's a filter I keep it. You can just scoop up the bubble nest with a net if it's getting food in it.
well maybe its your fish if it is a Betta's they tend to blow bubbles when there happy
Male betas build bubble nests. Perhaps he is doing this?
It's not good to boil the water. There are good things in the water that a fish like. I don't know if this might be what is causing your bubbles
Dechlor . is probabably a additive for the tank to dechlorinate the water. It is the only way to get chlorine out of tap water. You should have a bottle and use it with every water change. I keep a jug next to my tank with tap water already treated with dechlorinating stuff so it is temperatured and ready to go when I need it.
Remember that sitting out the water over night WILL NOT necessarily get the chlorine out. Some cities use a different chemical then chlorine because it's safer and more stable and it does not disappate will sitting. . so please use the dechlorinating stuff from a pet store.
Try to do some water changes (slowly . maybe 10% at a time) over a few weeks . whatever the bubbles are will go away as the tank establishes and the water becomes safer for the fish.
I cannot tell you what the bubbles are (it could be from his/her waste or from overfeeding or something else), but what I would like to recommend for you is to get yourself a water conditioner for the water. It's something you can pickup at the pet store, and it's really important to use this because it will remove Chlorine and other hard elements that will otherwise kill your Betta.
Here's a link to what I am talking about. Hope it helps!
http://www.walmart.com/catalog/product.d.
This just angers me that a pet store would sell anyone a fish without telling someone about how to take care of it.
As everyone has already said, you need to remove the chorine/chloramine before you put the fishy in the water. Luckaly the betta fish can breathe air and this might not be as big of an issue but if you had put any other fish in the tank it most likely would have died.
Aquarium help!?
Ok, I got my self a new aqurarium three weeks ago, and I am really frustrated to see that information regarding aquariums is different depending on the source. In the pet shop I was told that I should wait for 4 weeks without adding any fish, and they would insist, until the nitrite levels drop. In other place I was told to add some hardy fish so ammonia will be produced and the cycle will begin. In other places they recommend a 10% water change every now and then to help the nitrite levels go down and others say that a water change would only slow it down.what the hell? what am I supposed to do here??
Answers:
First off are you starting a salt water tank or a fresh water tank. Usually you can get away with a week to two weeks for a fresh water tank but you have to wait a month for a salt water tank. You don't want to add fish in a new tank without it going through the nitrogen cycle first because you could end up with "new tank syndrome" which isn't good. Now since this is a new tank only add a few fish at a time (depends on the size of the tank). Again it depends on the size of the tank (I'm suppose to clean 10%-20% of my water every week to two weeks; but I do it every month but I also check my water quality to) you only need to change 10%-20% of the water and no more unless you tank is really bad but don't go below 50%. You want to keep a living bacteria in your tank (good bacteria). You basically use a siphon to clean the gravel and that will take the 10%-20% water out. But having a tank set up without fish for more than a week is also okay you just know by now that bacteria has finally grown in your tank. By the way fish need this type of bacteria it helps with the nitrogen cycle basically. Going back to cleaning tanks. don't go beyond a month for cleaning tanks you want to get that fish waste out. And remember only add a few fish at a time you don't want to add too many at once (again "new tank syndrome"). Like for a 10-gallon I'll only add 2 fish, 20-gallon I'll only add 3-4 fish, 50-gallon I'll only add 6 fish, and so forth. After putting those few fish in the tank you want to wait a week before adding any other fish in the tank. Remember 1 inch per gallon (fresh water community tank), 1 inch per 3 gallons (goldfish), 1 inch per 5 gallons (juveniles fish-saltwater), 1 inch per 3 gallons (adult fish-saltwater). So if you have a fresh water community tank you you purchased a fish that is only an inch big but it will grow to 6 inches that's 6 gallons gone. You need to go by how big the fish will get so you know for sure you won't overcrowd you tank.
Here is a website I have used in the past..Good Luck
http://www.thefunplace.com/house/pets/aq.
It's best to take the fish and put then in an alternate container about every 2 to 3 months so you can change out about 90 percent of the water. After the fish are out and before you change the water, you should vacuum the bottom of the tane to reduce the amount of waste. That is probably the best way to keep a healthy tank.
test the water they now have chemical to regulate the water. i just add good water to my tank (30 gal and not changed in a year.but clean gravel weekly have a variety of different fish and good rooted live plants ,dont overfeed it works for me
Your cycle has already started as the bacteria turns the ammonia into nitrites. The only part of the cycle that is left is the bacteria that turns the nitrites into nitrates.
I have always found it more helpful to 'seed' my new tanks with a bit of gravel from a well established tank so that the cycling takes only a week. No matter what you do, the bio-load will increase with every fish that you put in your tank and the number of bacteria will have to increase to cope. If your tank has been running for three weeks and you still have a spike in our nitrites you only have two choices. You can do a partial water change to lower the nitrites and add a fish, or wait until it subsides.
Salt for freshwater aquariums can be used to prevent nitrite poisoning, if the chloride ions are 30 times the concentration of nitrite ions (add one level teaspoon for every 5 gallons).
Cycling your tank for four weeks or so with no fish is ultimately the least stressful on both you and your fish.
If you add fish before the tank is cycled, there is not enough "good" bacteria available to convert ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate. Fish do not need to be added to start producing ammonia, and in fact, if you do add fish right away, they will become stressed and possibly get sick (even the hardy ones). You CAN kick-start the process by adding a little bit of fish food to the water so that ammonia producing bacteria have something to feed on (I wouldn't add a lot though). Water changes before cycling is finished WILL slow down the process, but you need to do changes of between 10-20 percent every week or so on a healthy, cycled tank.
At three weeks, you are nearing the time that the cycling will be completed. Get some tests for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and you will have a more complete idea of where you stand. You'll want ammonia and nitrite levels to be at zero, and nitrate levels to be at 20 ppm at the HIGHEST (if you have between 5 and 15 ppm, that's preferable)
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/index.html. is a GREAT site for any questions you could POSSIBLY have. EVER. I've never found a more inclusive site (on any topic). They have an extensive article base and lot's of FAQ's-and are willing to accept new FAQ's (and the three that I've sent in were answered within five hours).
Good luck and congratulations on your (future) pets!
i have had fish tanks for about 6 years now and every time i get a new one what i do is i set it up with water and all in it, wait about a week or a week and a half and add some cheap fish like feeder guppies or something so they can set the levels up i guess you can say and after a couple days i slowly add the actual fish that i want
Nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle in an aquarium.Of primary concern to the aquarist is management of the biological waste produced by an aquarium's inhabitants. Fish, invertebrates, fungi, and some bacteria excrete nitrogen waste in the form of ammonia (which may convert to ammonium, depending on water chemistry) which must then pass through the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia is also produced through the decomposition of plant and animal matter, including fecal matter and other detritus. Nitrogen waste products become toxic to fish and other aquarium inhabitants at high concentrations.
A well-balanced tank contains organisms that are able to metabolize the waste products of other aquarium residents. The nitrogen waste produced in a tank is metabolized in aquaria by a type of bacteria known as nitrifiers (genus Nitrosomonas). Nitrifying bacteria capture ammonia from the water and metabolize it to produce nitrite. Nitrite is also highly toxic to fish in high concentrations. Another type of bacteria, genus Nitrospira, converts nitrite into nitrate, a less toxic substance to aquarium inhabitants. (Nitrobacter bacteria were previously believed to fill this role, and continue to be found in commercially available products sold as kits to "jump start" the nitrogen cycle in an aquarium. While biologically they could theoretically fill the same niche as Nitrospira, it has recently been found that Nitrobacter are not present in detectable levels in established aquaria, while Nitrospira are plentiful.) This process is known in the aquarium hobby as the nitrogen cycle.
In addition to bacteria, aquatic plants also eliminate nitrogen waste by metabolizing ammonia and nitrate. When plants metabolize nitrogen compounds, they remove nitrogen from the water by using it to build biomass. However, this is only temporary, as the plants release nitrogen back into the water when older leaves die off and decompose.
Although informally called the nitrogen cycle by hobbyists, it is in fact only a portion of a true cycle: nitrogen must be added to the system (usually through food provided to the tank inhabitants), and nitrates accumulate in the water at the end of the process, or become bound in the biomass of plants. This accumulation of nitrates in home aquaria requires the aquarium keeper to remove water that is high in nitrates, or remove plants which have grown from the nitrates.
Aquaria kept by hobbyists often do not have the requisite populations of bacteria needed to detoxify nitrogen waste from tank inhabitants. This problem is most often addressed through two filtration solutions: Activated carbon filters absorb nitrogen compounds and other toxins from the water, while biological filters provide a medium specially designed for colonization by the desired nitrifying bacteria.
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Cycling
New aquaria also do not usually have the required populations of bacteria for the handling of nitrogen waste. In a process called cycling, aquarists cultivate these bacteria as fish and other producers of nitrogen waste are gradually added to the tank over the course of several weeks. Aquarists use several different methods to jump start this process, including the use of water additives containing small populations of the bacteria, or "seeding" a new tank with a mature bacterial colony removed from another aquarium (such as can be found on gravel or biological filter media).
Other cycling methods that have gained popularity in recent years are the fishless cycle and the silent cycle. As the name of the former implies, no fish are kept in a tank undergoing a fishless cycle. Instead, small amounts of ammonia are added to the tank to feed the bacteria being cultured. During this process, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are tested to monitor progress. The silent cycle is basically nothing more than densely stocking the aquarium with fast-growing aquatic plants and relying on them to consume the nitrogen products rather than bacteria. According to anecdotal reports of aquarists specializing in planted tanks, the plants can consume nitrogenous waste so efficiently that the spikes in ammonia and nitrite levels normally seen in more traditional cycling methods are greatly reduced, if they are detectable at all.
Improperly cycled aquaria can quickly accumulate toxic concentrations of nitrogen waste and kill their inhabitants.
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Other nutrient cycles
Nitrogen is not the only nutrient that cycles through an aquarium. Dissolved oxygen enters the system at the surface water-air interface or through the actions of an air pump. Carbon dioxide escapes the system into the air. The phosphate cycle is an important, although often overlooked, nutrient cycle. Sulfur, iron, and micronutrients also cycle through the system, entering as food and exiting as waste. Appropriate handling of the nitrogen cycle, along with supplying an adequately balanced food supply and considered biological loading, is usually enough to keep these other nutrient cycles in approximate equilibrium.
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Biological loading
19 Liter Aquarium, seems to be overcrowdedBiological loading is a measure of the burden placed on the aquarium ecosystem by its living inhabitants. High biological loading in an aquarium represents a more complicated tank ecology, which in turn means that equilibrium is easier to perturb. In addition, there are several fundamental constraints on biological loading based on the size of an aquarium. The surface area of water exposed to air limits dissolved oxygen intake by the tank. The capacity of nitrifying bacteria is limited by the physical space they have available to colonize. Physically, only a limited size and number of plants and animals can be fit into an aquarium while still providing room for movement.
In order to prevent biological overloading of the system, aquarists have developed a number of rules of thumb. Perhaps the most popular of these is the "7mm per liter of water" which dictates that the sum in cm of the lengths of all fish kept in an aquarium (excluding tail length) should not exceed the capacity of the tank measured in Liters (one inch of fish per U.S. gallon). This rule is usually applied to the expected mature size of the fish, in order to not stunt growth by overcrowding, which can be unhealthy for the fish. (Note that this rule of thumb breaks down for thick bodied fishes like some catfish, and aggressive fish like most Cichlids.) For goldfish and other high-waste fish, many aquarists recommend doubling the space allowance to one inch of fish per every two gallons and others even debate the usefulness of the "inch per gallon" rule because if fails to consider other important issues such as fish temperament, activity, compatibility with other tank mates(i.e. two male bettas shouldn't be kept together) dimensions of aquarium, and the filtration capabilities of the aquarium. The safest method of determining the stocking limits and compatibility is to talk to an experienced aquarist or group of aquarists at a local organization or a dedicated online forum.
The true maximum or ideal biological loading of a system is very difficult to calculate, even on a theoretical level. To do so, the variables for waste production rate, nitrification efficiency, gas exchange rate at the water surface, and many others would need to be determined. In practice this is a very complicated and difficult task, and so most aquarists use rules of thumb combined with a trial and error approach to reach an appropriate level of biological loading.
I have a 120 gallon tank started off with fresh water and moved to salt water (which I reccomend) - I put the water in my 120, got the filters running and threw the fish in and had NO PROBLEMS and I had 4 good size arrowana's in it that cost $40 a piece
Answers:
First off are you starting a salt water tank or a fresh water tank. Usually you can get away with a week to two weeks for a fresh water tank but you have to wait a month for a salt water tank. You don't want to add fish in a new tank without it going through the nitrogen cycle first because you could end up with "new tank syndrome" which isn't good. Now since this is a new tank only add a few fish at a time (depends on the size of the tank). Again it depends on the size of the tank (I'm suppose to clean 10%-20% of my water every week to two weeks; but I do it every month but I also check my water quality to) you only need to change 10%-20% of the water and no more unless you tank is really bad but don't go below 50%. You want to keep a living bacteria in your tank (good bacteria). You basically use a siphon to clean the gravel and that will take the 10%-20% water out. But having a tank set up without fish for more than a week is also okay you just know by now that bacteria has finally grown in your tank. By the way fish need this type of bacteria it helps with the nitrogen cycle basically. Going back to cleaning tanks. don't go beyond a month for cleaning tanks you want to get that fish waste out. And remember only add a few fish at a time you don't want to add too many at once (again "new tank syndrome"). Like for a 10-gallon I'll only add 2 fish, 20-gallon I'll only add 3-4 fish, 50-gallon I'll only add 6 fish, and so forth. After putting those few fish in the tank you want to wait a week before adding any other fish in the tank. Remember 1 inch per gallon (fresh water community tank), 1 inch per 3 gallons (goldfish), 1 inch per 5 gallons (juveniles fish-saltwater), 1 inch per 3 gallons (adult fish-saltwater). So if you have a fresh water community tank you you purchased a fish that is only an inch big but it will grow to 6 inches that's 6 gallons gone. You need to go by how big the fish will get so you know for sure you won't overcrowd you tank.
Here is a website I have used in the past..Good Luck
http://www.thefunplace.com/house/pets/aq.
It's best to take the fish and put then in an alternate container about every 2 to 3 months so you can change out about 90 percent of the water. After the fish are out and before you change the water, you should vacuum the bottom of the tane to reduce the amount of waste. That is probably the best way to keep a healthy tank.
test the water they now have chemical to regulate the water. i just add good water to my tank (30 gal and not changed in a year.but clean gravel weekly have a variety of different fish and good rooted live plants ,dont overfeed it works for me
Your cycle has already started as the bacteria turns the ammonia into nitrites. The only part of the cycle that is left is the bacteria that turns the nitrites into nitrates.
I have always found it more helpful to 'seed' my new tanks with a bit of gravel from a well established tank so that the cycling takes only a week. No matter what you do, the bio-load will increase with every fish that you put in your tank and the number of bacteria will have to increase to cope. If your tank has been running for three weeks and you still have a spike in our nitrites you only have two choices. You can do a partial water change to lower the nitrites and add a fish, or wait until it subsides.
Salt for freshwater aquariums can be used to prevent nitrite poisoning, if the chloride ions are 30 times the concentration of nitrite ions (add one level teaspoon for every 5 gallons).
Cycling your tank for four weeks or so with no fish is ultimately the least stressful on both you and your fish.
If you add fish before the tank is cycled, there is not enough "good" bacteria available to convert ammonia into nitrite and then into nitrate. Fish do not need to be added to start producing ammonia, and in fact, if you do add fish right away, they will become stressed and possibly get sick (even the hardy ones). You CAN kick-start the process by adding a little bit of fish food to the water so that ammonia producing bacteria have something to feed on (I wouldn't add a lot though). Water changes before cycling is finished WILL slow down the process, but you need to do changes of between 10-20 percent every week or so on a healthy, cycled tank.
At three weeks, you are nearing the time that the cycling will be completed. Get some tests for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, and you will have a more complete idea of where you stand. You'll want ammonia and nitrite levels to be at zero, and nitrate levels to be at 20 ppm at the HIGHEST (if you have between 5 and 15 ppm, that's preferable)
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/index.html. is a GREAT site for any questions you could POSSIBLY have. EVER. I've never found a more inclusive site (on any topic). They have an extensive article base and lot's of FAQ's-and are willing to accept new FAQ's (and the three that I've sent in were answered within five hours).
Good luck and congratulations on your (future) pets!
i have had fish tanks for about 6 years now and every time i get a new one what i do is i set it up with water and all in it, wait about a week or a week and a half and add some cheap fish like feeder guppies or something so they can set the levels up i guess you can say and after a couple days i slowly add the actual fish that i want
Nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle in an aquarium.Of primary concern to the aquarist is management of the biological waste produced by an aquarium's inhabitants. Fish, invertebrates, fungi, and some bacteria excrete nitrogen waste in the form of ammonia (which may convert to ammonium, depending on water chemistry) which must then pass through the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia is also produced through the decomposition of plant and animal matter, including fecal matter and other detritus. Nitrogen waste products become toxic to fish and other aquarium inhabitants at high concentrations.
A well-balanced tank contains organisms that are able to metabolize the waste products of other aquarium residents. The nitrogen waste produced in a tank is metabolized in aquaria by a type of bacteria known as nitrifiers (genus Nitrosomonas). Nitrifying bacteria capture ammonia from the water and metabolize it to produce nitrite. Nitrite is also highly toxic to fish in high concentrations. Another type of bacteria, genus Nitrospira, converts nitrite into nitrate, a less toxic substance to aquarium inhabitants. (Nitrobacter bacteria were previously believed to fill this role, and continue to be found in commercially available products sold as kits to "jump start" the nitrogen cycle in an aquarium. While biologically they could theoretically fill the same niche as Nitrospira, it has recently been found that Nitrobacter are not present in detectable levels in established aquaria, while Nitrospira are plentiful.) This process is known in the aquarium hobby as the nitrogen cycle.
In addition to bacteria, aquatic plants also eliminate nitrogen waste by metabolizing ammonia and nitrate. When plants metabolize nitrogen compounds, they remove nitrogen from the water by using it to build biomass. However, this is only temporary, as the plants release nitrogen back into the water when older leaves die off and decompose.
Although informally called the nitrogen cycle by hobbyists, it is in fact only a portion of a true cycle: nitrogen must be added to the system (usually through food provided to the tank inhabitants), and nitrates accumulate in the water at the end of the process, or become bound in the biomass of plants. This accumulation of nitrates in home aquaria requires the aquarium keeper to remove water that is high in nitrates, or remove plants which have grown from the nitrates.
Aquaria kept by hobbyists often do not have the requisite populations of bacteria needed to detoxify nitrogen waste from tank inhabitants. This problem is most often addressed through two filtration solutions: Activated carbon filters absorb nitrogen compounds and other toxins from the water, while biological filters provide a medium specially designed for colonization by the desired nitrifying bacteria.
[edit]
Cycling
New aquaria also do not usually have the required populations of bacteria for the handling of nitrogen waste. In a process called cycling, aquarists cultivate these bacteria as fish and other producers of nitrogen waste are gradually added to the tank over the course of several weeks. Aquarists use several different methods to jump start this process, including the use of water additives containing small populations of the bacteria, or "seeding" a new tank with a mature bacterial colony removed from another aquarium (such as can be found on gravel or biological filter media).
Other cycling methods that have gained popularity in recent years are the fishless cycle and the silent cycle. As the name of the former implies, no fish are kept in a tank undergoing a fishless cycle. Instead, small amounts of ammonia are added to the tank to feed the bacteria being cultured. During this process, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels are tested to monitor progress. The silent cycle is basically nothing more than densely stocking the aquarium with fast-growing aquatic plants and relying on them to consume the nitrogen products rather than bacteria. According to anecdotal reports of aquarists specializing in planted tanks, the plants can consume nitrogenous waste so efficiently that the spikes in ammonia and nitrite levels normally seen in more traditional cycling methods are greatly reduced, if they are detectable at all.
Improperly cycled aquaria can quickly accumulate toxic concentrations of nitrogen waste and kill their inhabitants.
[edit]
Other nutrient cycles
Nitrogen is not the only nutrient that cycles through an aquarium. Dissolved oxygen enters the system at the surface water-air interface or through the actions of an air pump. Carbon dioxide escapes the system into the air. The phosphate cycle is an important, although often overlooked, nutrient cycle. Sulfur, iron, and micronutrients also cycle through the system, entering as food and exiting as waste. Appropriate handling of the nitrogen cycle, along with supplying an adequately balanced food supply and considered biological loading, is usually enough to keep these other nutrient cycles in approximate equilibrium.
[edit]
Biological loading
19 Liter Aquarium, seems to be overcrowdedBiological loading is a measure of the burden placed on the aquarium ecosystem by its living inhabitants. High biological loading in an aquarium represents a more complicated tank ecology, which in turn means that equilibrium is easier to perturb. In addition, there are several fundamental constraints on biological loading based on the size of an aquarium. The surface area of water exposed to air limits dissolved oxygen intake by the tank. The capacity of nitrifying bacteria is limited by the physical space they have available to colonize. Physically, only a limited size and number of plants and animals can be fit into an aquarium while still providing room for movement.
In order to prevent biological overloading of the system, aquarists have developed a number of rules of thumb. Perhaps the most popular of these is the "7mm per liter of water" which dictates that the sum in cm of the lengths of all fish kept in an aquarium (excluding tail length) should not exceed the capacity of the tank measured in Liters (one inch of fish per U.S. gallon). This rule is usually applied to the expected mature size of the fish, in order to not stunt growth by overcrowding, which can be unhealthy for the fish. (Note that this rule of thumb breaks down for thick bodied fishes like some catfish, and aggressive fish like most Cichlids.) For goldfish and other high-waste fish, many aquarists recommend doubling the space allowance to one inch of fish per every two gallons and others even debate the usefulness of the "inch per gallon" rule because if fails to consider other important issues such as fish temperament, activity, compatibility with other tank mates(i.e. two male bettas shouldn't be kept together) dimensions of aquarium, and the filtration capabilities of the aquarium. The safest method of determining the stocking limits and compatibility is to talk to an experienced aquarist or group of aquarists at a local organization or a dedicated online forum.
The true maximum or ideal biological loading of a system is very difficult to calculate, even on a theoretical level. To do so, the variables for waste production rate, nitrification efficiency, gas exchange rate at the water surface, and many others would need to be determined. In practice this is a very complicated and difficult task, and so most aquarists use rules of thumb combined with a trial and error approach to reach an appropriate level of biological loading.
I have a 120 gallon tank started off with fresh water and moved to salt water (which I reccomend) - I put the water in my 120, got the filters running and threw the fish in and had NO PROBLEMS and I had 4 good size arrowana's in it that cost $40 a piece
aquarium filtration?
what would be the best kinda filtration for a 125 gallon tank with 3-4 oscars and feeder fish with live plants
Answers:
You need 2 power filters, and probably another Oscar, too. Three will fight with each other and live miserable lives, five would form a "social unit" and function better.
A combination of power filters and a canister.
Maybe something like 2 aquaclear 500/110 and an Eheim canister.
Having Oscars-go w/a back tank power filter-2 of them in a large tank as yours.
u better put a flush and a flush tank in them(which r used in toilets)
You'll want something that puts out a minimum 1250 gph, but with oscars in the tank, more than that. I'd check into a cannister filter and a large hob(hang on the back) filter, maybe even 2 hobs for each side w/ the cannister-oscars are really messy.
I have an aquaclear 500, a fluval 404 and an Emperor 400 on mine. I had two Oscars, two green Severum and a few other fish and never had any problems. The Oscars were about ning inches and the Severum were about six. All are easy to maintain. I might change to two aquaclear just to make it easier when buying new filter media. Only one brand to keep track of instead of two.
I use 3 Canister Filters in my 125 gallon tank. 2 that pump water through there regular output sleeves and then one I made a spray bar for our of clear tubing with holes drilled in it so it curculates the water better. I have never had a problem with this set up.
The morefiltration you have for oscars the better, they are mesy critters.
Answers:
You need 2 power filters, and probably another Oscar, too. Three will fight with each other and live miserable lives, five would form a "social unit" and function better.
A combination of power filters and a canister.
Maybe something like 2 aquaclear 500/110 and an Eheim canister.
Having Oscars-go w/a back tank power filter-2 of them in a large tank as yours.
u better put a flush and a flush tank in them(which r used in toilets)
You'll want something that puts out a minimum 1250 gph, but with oscars in the tank, more than that. I'd check into a cannister filter and a large hob(hang on the back) filter, maybe even 2 hobs for each side w/ the cannister-oscars are really messy.
I have an aquaclear 500, a fluval 404 and an Emperor 400 on mine. I had two Oscars, two green Severum and a few other fish and never had any problems. The Oscars were about ning inches and the Severum were about six. All are easy to maintain. I might change to two aquaclear just to make it easier when buying new filter media. Only one brand to keep track of instead of two.
I use 3 Canister Filters in my 125 gallon tank. 2 that pump water through there regular output sleeves and then one I made a spray bar for our of clear tubing with holes drilled in it so it curculates the water better. I have never had a problem with this set up.
The morefiltration you have for oscars the better, they are mesy critters.
Aquarium Decor question. Read on.?
Does anyone know of a website where I can get a very large aquarium rock? Something in the area of 20 inches tall, 12 wide, and 18 long? Thanks!
Answers:
Garden center, then bake it.
A
If you should live close to a lake or ocean why not try walking the shore lines for this size of stone for your fish tank..if not, well then you probably go to any fish store and they maybe able to supply you with this information your asking for on line ooor why not go to ASK Yahoo or those other places..
blurb, blurb Good Luck blurb
try big als
Do you want live rock or just something to decorate the aquarium? Let it be known that either choice will probably cost you an arm and a leg for shipping alone.
Live rock - http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/liverock/pro.
Decorative rocks -
http://www.thatpetplace.com/products/kw/.
Your best bet would probably be to go to one of your local chain pet stores (PetSmart, Petco, etc) and see if they have anything to your liking there. You won't have to pay shipping, and you'll be able to see what it looks like before you buy it.
I have seen some pretty big rocks for aquariums, or reptile cages at PetSmart. They might could also order bigger ones if these are not big enough. That is really big. You must have a really big aquarium. If it is a pond, go to a concrete place, that makes bricks, and stones. They make these kind of things, and they are not really heavy, but some are. You would have a better selection. If this is for a pond. I think personally if it is for an aquarium, you would have to stick to made for aquariums type of a rock, you never know what is on another kind of rock. Of course wash it really good, but good luck.
www.aquariumbeauty.com
Aquaria Central
http://www.aquariacentral.com
AquariumBoard
http://www.aquariumboard.com
Join the forums out on both sites. People give stuff like that away all the time!
Answers:
Garden center, then bake it.
A
If you should live close to a lake or ocean why not try walking the shore lines for this size of stone for your fish tank..if not, well then you probably go to any fish store and they maybe able to supply you with this information your asking for on line ooor why not go to ASK Yahoo or those other places..
blurb, blurb Good Luck blurb
try big als
Do you want live rock or just something to decorate the aquarium? Let it be known that either choice will probably cost you an arm and a leg for shipping alone.
Live rock - http://www.liveaquaria.com/product/scate.
http://www.thatpetplace.com/liverock/pro.
Decorative rocks -
http://www.thatpetplace.com/products/kw/.
Your best bet would probably be to go to one of your local chain pet stores (PetSmart, Petco, etc) and see if they have anything to your liking there. You won't have to pay shipping, and you'll be able to see what it looks like before you buy it.
I have seen some pretty big rocks for aquariums, or reptile cages at PetSmart. They might could also order bigger ones if these are not big enough. That is really big. You must have a really big aquarium. If it is a pond, go to a concrete place, that makes bricks, and stones. They make these kind of things, and they are not really heavy, but some are. You would have a better selection. If this is for a pond. I think personally if it is for an aquarium, you would have to stick to made for aquariums type of a rock, you never know what is on another kind of rock. Of course wash it really good, but good luck.
www.aquariumbeauty.com
Aquaria Central
http://www.aquariacentral.com
AquariumBoard
http://www.aquariumboard.com
Join the forums out on both sites. People give stuff like that away all the time!
Aquarium Calculators?
Anyone know of any sites that have on-line calculators to determine both liquid volume and weight when full for Aquariums?
Answers:
Yeah there are a few sites out there, but I like this one the best. It gives you both capacity and weight when full, but this will only measure in inches.
http://www.aquariumlife.net/galcalc.asp.
everyone uses the same standards when making aquariums, if you will give us the dimensions, we can tell you the capacity
Length X Breadth X Height (Cms) divided by 1,000 gives you capacity of the tank in litres.
1 litre = 1 Kg or 8.3 pounds per gallon.
Capacities of common tanks
18x10x10 = 30 litres or 6 gallons. with gravel and other accessories weighs nearly 60 Kgs.
24x12x12 = 60 litres or 11 gallons. (85 to 90 kgs)
24x12x15 = 72 litres or 15 gallons. 110 to 120 kgs).
Never try and move a tank with water inside it will break.
Answers:
Yeah there are a few sites out there, but I like this one the best. It gives you both capacity and weight when full, but this will only measure in inches.
http://www.aquariumlife.net/galcalc.asp.
everyone uses the same standards when making aquariums, if you will give us the dimensions, we can tell you the capacity
Length X Breadth X Height (Cms) divided by 1,000 gives you capacity of the tank in litres.
1 litre = 1 Kg or 8.3 pounds per gallon.
Capacities of common tanks
18x10x10 = 30 litres or 6 gallons. with gravel and other accessories weighs nearly 60 Kgs.
24x12x12 = 60 litres or 11 gallons. (85 to 90 kgs)
24x12x15 = 72 litres or 15 gallons. 110 to 120 kgs).
Never try and move a tank with water inside it will break.
Aquapod 29 gallon HQI 70 watt.Is it any good?
Thinking of getting an aquapod but am kinda scared i guess. Is it enough light for corals and anemones? I am thinking of getting some clowns and an anemone for them to live in maybe some corals Also is the filtration enough i have never had a wet dry filter like this before..PLEASE HELP!
Answers:
I have a 29 gallon marineland eclipse tank with three stage filter and heater for my salt water tank. Other then need to change the filter a lot and the lights every six months the tank works well. I found a small skimmer that fits well in it.
http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/fis.
A
You are fine I would say yes you can keep corals but I would no SPS corals. Everything else is fine with the exception of water flow inside the tank you will have to add some pumps to move water around. other then that you are fine good luck and best wishes.
Answers:
I have a 29 gallon marineland eclipse tank with three stage filter and heater for my salt water tank. Other then need to change the filter a lot and the lights every six months the tank works well. I found a small skimmer that fits well in it.
http://www.marineandreef.com/shoppro/fis.
A
You are fine I would say yes you can keep corals but I would no SPS corals. Everything else is fine with the exception of water flow inside the tank you will have to add some pumps to move water around. other then that you are fine good luck and best wishes.
Aquairium Live Plant blubs.?
I put 2 Live Plant Blubs in my Aquairium a few of my fish have nibbled on them.
My question is this.If my fish nibble on the plant bulbs will it hurt the fish and will it hurt the bulbs?
Answers:
it doesn't hurt anything. the fish will not get any problems and the bulb will still grow. but i suggest taking the bulb out of the fish tank and putting it in a bucket full of fresh water. keep changing the water everyday from tap and when it grows big enough you can plant it back in the fish tank. the fish will not nibble on the plant, unless it is soft and fury.
what fish do you have?
gold fish, and barbs will nibble the plant to nothing.
ps. lily needs a rich substrate.
Definately won't hurt the fish, a lot of fish eat plants as part of their diets. However, I have a large tank with about 25 different fish in it and getting plants to grow from bulbs is almost impossible as they are quick to eat it down to nothing! Try planting a more established plant in the aquarium so the fish don't level it!
My question is this.If my fish nibble on the plant bulbs will it hurt the fish and will it hurt the bulbs?
Answers:
it doesn't hurt anything. the fish will not get any problems and the bulb will still grow. but i suggest taking the bulb out of the fish tank and putting it in a bucket full of fresh water. keep changing the water everyday from tap and when it grows big enough you can plant it back in the fish tank. the fish will not nibble on the plant, unless it is soft and fury.
what fish do you have?
gold fish, and barbs will nibble the plant to nothing.
ps. lily needs a rich substrate.
Definately won't hurt the fish, a lot of fish eat plants as part of their diets. However, I have a large tank with about 25 different fish in it and getting plants to grow from bulbs is almost impossible as they are quick to eat it down to nothing! Try planting a more established plant in the aquarium so the fish don't level it!
Aprox. How Long Does It Take For A Male Betta to Start Building A Nest?
Aprox. How Long Does It Take For A Male Betta to Start Building A Nest? I admit I am not a very patient person. But I have tried to breed 3 males to 2 females -- so it must be something I am doing. But anyway, I need a time frame, say, 1 hour - 5 days or whatever. I just need to know how long to wait before I know the male WONT build a nest. And why. I've tried everything. I had two vieltail males (One recently died, one left) and one Crowntail male. One blue, and one red female.
I also would like to know how long it takes for a female to get vertical bars, and if the bars show up on dark blue, and red colored females, for I have not seen it on them yet. (Trust me, I have everything they could possibly need and want for breeding, it's just not working! Help!)
Answers:
You must first separate them and condition them while they cannot see each other.
When the female gets fat with eggs, usually about 2-3 weeks, then float her in a jar in his tank. He will then start his nest.
When it is about 2-3 inches in diameter, you slowly release the female so as not to disturb his nest.
Now you watch them for about 2-3 hours. If she is ready, she will go to him and they will spawn. If she is not ready, she will run from him and he will chase her to the point that he may kill her. She must be removed and re-conditioned.
Don't pull her out right away thinking that he is going to kill her, give them an hour or so to figure it out.
Sometimes the male just doesn't get it and you will need to try another male. It is not usually the female's fault unless she is not in good condition with eggs.
I remember seeing this really cool website on bettas, but I can not remember it at the moment. I suggest researching the web for your information.
Have you conditioned the males and females? If you havn't then sometimes the male is stuburn or tierd and doesn't want to build one. There is no aprox. time that a male makes a bubblenest or a female gets vertical bars. :-) The bars do show up on all females. ;-) What kind of atmosphere are the fish in? Is the breeding tank cycled? How young are the fish, because if they are under 7 months, then they are too young for breeding yet. You probably already know this. so sorry if I'm telling you something you already know. :-( But in order for the fish to be happy, they have to feel safe in their atmosphere, be fed live foods, and most importantly, the fish have to have a "conection" in order to want to breed. You just have to be very patient even though it's hard sometimes. Some males never build nests, and I've had a couple of those! :-P Just try to make the fish as comfortable and happy while breeding. Try not to rush things and it takes "time" for breeding. Don't worry, nature will take it's course sometime. :-)
I have never personally bred bettas but I doubt all bettas blow bubble nest and get their stripes in a certain amount of time. When you say you have tried 3 males to 2 females, you are trying them all one at a time right? Are you conditioning them as well?
I wouldn't try to breed veiltails either, I heard they are the hardest to get rid of since people usually want the fancier types. Do you plan on keeping all of them, even if it's hundreds?
Did you get your bettas from a store or a breeder? Usually they are too old and I guess not in the mood anymore if they were bought from a store.
i just bought a crown tail a few days ago and the next day he started building a bubble nest. It's in the food and the water.
the male is easy to condition. with the females, it more time consuming.
this site is good for reference
http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/h.
I also would like to know how long it takes for a female to get vertical bars, and if the bars show up on dark blue, and red colored females, for I have not seen it on them yet. (Trust me, I have everything they could possibly need and want for breeding, it's just not working! Help!)
Answers:
You must first separate them and condition them while they cannot see each other.
When the female gets fat with eggs, usually about 2-3 weeks, then float her in a jar in his tank. He will then start his nest.
When it is about 2-3 inches in diameter, you slowly release the female so as not to disturb his nest.
Now you watch them for about 2-3 hours. If she is ready, she will go to him and they will spawn. If she is not ready, she will run from him and he will chase her to the point that he may kill her. She must be removed and re-conditioned.
Don't pull her out right away thinking that he is going to kill her, give them an hour or so to figure it out.
Sometimes the male just doesn't get it and you will need to try another male. It is not usually the female's fault unless she is not in good condition with eggs.
I remember seeing this really cool website on bettas, but I can not remember it at the moment. I suggest researching the web for your information.
Have you conditioned the males and females? If you havn't then sometimes the male is stuburn or tierd and doesn't want to build one. There is no aprox. time that a male makes a bubblenest or a female gets vertical bars. :-) The bars do show up on all females. ;-) What kind of atmosphere are the fish in? Is the breeding tank cycled? How young are the fish, because if they are under 7 months, then they are too young for breeding yet. You probably already know this. so sorry if I'm telling you something you already know. :-( But in order for the fish to be happy, they have to feel safe in their atmosphere, be fed live foods, and most importantly, the fish have to have a "conection" in order to want to breed. You just have to be very patient even though it's hard sometimes. Some males never build nests, and I've had a couple of those! :-P Just try to make the fish as comfortable and happy while breeding. Try not to rush things and it takes "time" for breeding. Don't worry, nature will take it's course sometime. :-)
I have never personally bred bettas but I doubt all bettas blow bubble nest and get their stripes in a certain amount of time. When you say you have tried 3 males to 2 females, you are trying them all one at a time right? Are you conditioning them as well?
I wouldn't try to breed veiltails either, I heard they are the hardest to get rid of since people usually want the fancier types. Do you plan on keeping all of them, even if it's hundreds?
Did you get your bettas from a store or a breeder? Usually they are too old and I guess not in the mood anymore if they were bought from a store.
i just bought a crown tail a few days ago and the next day he started building a bubble nest. It's in the food and the water.
the male is easy to condition. with the females, it more time consuming.
this site is good for reference
http://www.bettysplendens.com/articles/h.
Apple snails?
Where can I get Apple snails of different colours in England. I know there are different colours but the only place I can find them is on ebay. Is there any where else?
Answers:
you need to go to a rather big pet store and ask them to place an order for you; they are not easy to transport.
what the hell are apple snails, are they similar to banana spiders amd tangerine moths/
What are apple snails?
Are they pets or food?
http://www.rainbowsnails.com/bridgesii.h.
Try here, they seem to specialise in snails and send them by post.
They have several different colour varieties available according to their catalogue - haven't used myself so can't vouch for their service.
http://www.snailshop.co.uk/html/common_a.
i've seen only white ,yellow, and orange
in india only these r available
i'll help u with links
Answers:
you need to go to a rather big pet store and ask them to place an order for you; they are not easy to transport.
what the hell are apple snails, are they similar to banana spiders amd tangerine moths/
What are apple snails?
Are they pets or food?
http://www.rainbowsnails.com/bridgesii.h.
Try here, they seem to specialise in snails and send them by post.
They have several different colour varieties available according to their catalogue - haven't used myself so can't vouch for their service.
http://www.snailshop.co.uk/html/common_a.
i've seen only white ,yellow, and orange
in india only these r available
i'll help u with links
Aplle snail feeding help?
My apple snail appears to have trouble finding the food I leave in the tank (altho maybe thats just the way it looks to me).
He seems hungry to me because he goes around looking for food in the daytime even tho hes supposed to be mostly noctournal.
I have a ten gallon tank and I have two small goldfish in there. The goldfish bother his food while its floating around. not to mention the current created by the airpump seems to make it impossible for him to go up to the top and suck the food over to him by making his little foot funnel.
Almost everything I try to feed him winds up floating on the surface. I've given him lettuce. that floated but he managed to get some of it. I gave him a peice of tomato. that seemed to work because it sank, but it turned the water a little orange and I had to change some of it out. I've given him cucumber wedges today but the fish wont stop mouthing them around.
Answers:
Try weighting down the food. That way he can get it on the bottom, and the goldies can't snatch it away.
Feed him where the goldies can't get him, under something maybe.
Give the goldies their own. A bigger portion will ensure enough for all.
Chances are, the snail is fine. Think how well they do in the wild and realize they're survivors. He will get plenty to eat when he wants it, don't worry.
Because I have outside pond snails who feed on algae, I cannot relate to your question with respect to snails in a tank, but perhaps you can check at the following link for apple snails: http://www.applesnail.net/
There are clips that you can use, like the ones people use to close bags of chips, most pet stores carry them. Goldfish are greedy though and will still try to eat the food. But usually it holds the bigger pieces of food long enough for the snail to grab on and eat enough before the fish get it all. Another thing you can do if your worried is just take the snail out once a week or so and place him in a bowl with some food, let him eat then put him back in the tank. Just make sure he can't climb out, cause they will, or just keep your eye on him while he's eating.
He seems hungry to me because he goes around looking for food in the daytime even tho hes supposed to be mostly noctournal.
I have a ten gallon tank and I have two small goldfish in there. The goldfish bother his food while its floating around. not to mention the current created by the airpump seems to make it impossible for him to go up to the top and suck the food over to him by making his little foot funnel.
Almost everything I try to feed him winds up floating on the surface. I've given him lettuce. that floated but he managed to get some of it. I gave him a peice of tomato. that seemed to work because it sank, but it turned the water a little orange and I had to change some of it out. I've given him cucumber wedges today but the fish wont stop mouthing them around.
Answers:
Try weighting down the food. That way he can get it on the bottom, and the goldies can't snatch it away.
Feed him where the goldies can't get him, under something maybe.
Give the goldies their own. A bigger portion will ensure enough for all.
Chances are, the snail is fine. Think how well they do in the wild and realize they're survivors. He will get plenty to eat when he wants it, don't worry.
Because I have outside pond snails who feed on algae, I cannot relate to your question with respect to snails in a tank, but perhaps you can check at the following link for apple snails: http://www.applesnail.net/
There are clips that you can use, like the ones people use to close bags of chips, most pet stores carry them. Goldfish are greedy though and will still try to eat the food. But usually it holds the bigger pieces of food long enough for the snail to grab on and eat enough before the fish get it all. Another thing you can do if your worried is just take the snail out once a week or so and place him in a bowl with some food, let him eat then put him back in the tank. Just make sure he can't climb out, cause they will, or just keep your eye on him while he's eating.
Anyone where the cheapest place to buy Almond leaves online?
Answers:
try to google your search may help
http://majesticbettas.com/supplyshop/alm.
I bought from this person before. http://www.aquabid.com/cgi-bin/auction/a. That is their auction on aquabid.com great price they also sell on ebay. Best leaves you can find. Does not pick green leaves (which can be toxic to fish) and let them dry, but waits for the leaves to natrually fall and become brown. EXCELLENT.
nope sure dont, and who cares!
Anyone out there have a featherback fish/clown knife fish?
I just bought an aquaruim that has, among other fish, 2 clown knife fish in it. They were being fed frozen bloodworms once a day, and I was wondering if they should be fed anything else. I don't think that would be a complete diet for them. If any of you have clown knife fish, I would LOVE to know what you feed them, and any special care requirements they have. Oh, and they are about 7 and 5 in long.
Answers:
Do you know how big clown knife fish get? You're gonna need a 300+ gallon tank for that baby. I really wish they would ban the selling of those kind of fish and pacus etc. Then they wonder why they find those fish in lakes and rivers. Read the link for their care, and good luck.
I had a ghost knife fish that I inherited and had for several years. My brother had it before me and the poor guy got used to and only lived on flake food. I researched him a while back and learned that they much prefer bloodworms/live food. I think he'll be okay!
Read this website: http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/. THIS IS A GOOD WEBSITE
Answers:
Do you know how big clown knife fish get? You're gonna need a 300+ gallon tank for that baby. I really wish they would ban the selling of those kind of fish and pacus etc. Then they wonder why they find those fish in lakes and rivers. Read the link for their care, and good luck.
I had a ghost knife fish that I inherited and had for several years. My brother had it before me and the poor guy got used to and only lived on flake food. I researched him a while back and learned that they much prefer bloodworms/live food. I think he'll be okay!
Read this website: http://badmanstropicalfish.com/profiles/. THIS IS A GOOD WEBSITE
Anyone know why.?
Fish food smells of fish!
Answers:
You could of taken a look at the ingredients and figured that one out yourself.
Sounds fishy to me.
because thats wat they make it out of ( almost)
Because its made of fish!
Because it's fish food
Coz its made out of other fish bits
nope
no, but i wish i did.maybe fish are happier as vampires- its probably just cheaper to make though. :)
maybe coz fish eat other fish and its so if the fish food smells of fish they will remember to eat?
Good question! Human food doesn't smell of humans!
NOpe sorry. i cant help u on that one
Yes because fish food is made from dried fish. That is what fish eat. other fish. Did you think they were vegetarians?
Because its made of fish!
LOL
It's the fish content of the food mainly tiny shrimp to small to sell.
Most fish are cannibals, so in order to trick the fish into eating, they manufacture the fish food with small pieces of fish, than add fillers to inject vitamins and minerals, from cheap china importers
Some of the ingredients in fish food are ground up remains of fish or smashed up shrimps etc.
That's why it tends to have a characteristic smell.
Funny it smells like stilton cheese to me
OMG yes it smells rotten but i tryed to find out why but i can't
Maybe to make it appealing?
Answers:
You could of taken a look at the ingredients and figured that one out yourself.
Sounds fishy to me.
because thats wat they make it out of ( almost)
Because its made of fish!
Because it's fish food
Coz its made out of other fish bits
nope
no, but i wish i did.maybe fish are happier as vampires- its probably just cheaper to make though. :)
maybe coz fish eat other fish and its so if the fish food smells of fish they will remember to eat?
Good question! Human food doesn't smell of humans!
NOpe sorry. i cant help u on that one
Yes because fish food is made from dried fish. That is what fish eat. other fish. Did you think they were vegetarians?
Because its made of fish!
LOL
It's the fish content of the food mainly tiny shrimp to small to sell.
Most fish are cannibals, so in order to trick the fish into eating, they manufacture the fish food with small pieces of fish, than add fillers to inject vitamins and minerals, from cheap china importers
Some of the ingredients in fish food are ground up remains of fish or smashed up shrimps etc.
That's why it tends to have a characteristic smell.
Funny it smells like stilton cheese to me
OMG yes it smells rotten but i tryed to find out why but i can't
Maybe to make it appealing?
Anyone know why my goldfish after 2 years have turned white/silver they are still very healthy?
Answers:
Goldfish are brown when young, they change color as they mature, some more then others. Make sure you are feeding them a variety of food, like small earthworms, boiled egg yolk and the inside of peas
A
mine have done the same and I don't know either although someone said they do change colour as they get older or it could be the type of food you give them?
Maybe they're just getting old? you know, grey hair, grey fins, pretty much the same isn't it? Try some orange dye in the fish bowl! ; )
IT MEANS THEY ARE OLD ENOUGH TO BREED.
I guess they finally swam the spray paint off
erm, has it something to do with entering a different stage of life?
yea thats normal. there just getting older. it happen to almost all of them.
i dunno probaly because they change colour when they get older i dont know never had goldfish for 2 years they dont last that long in my house
Normal goldfish do that sometimes if you want one that stays gold then buy a Golden Orf.
Like us all, they are getting old, darling! Time to break open the Botox!
think its as they mature ,my pond goldfish have changed colour .
i think it means they are ready to start having baby fish, but not sure. sorry I'm not much help xxxxx
maybe got a magic goldfish
http://kathysgarden.blogspot.com/.
fish do change colour as they get older
Goldfish often change color as they age. This is a very common and normal thing. I have an 8000 gallon pond with several varieties of goldfish. My babies from the comet goldfish are almost always greenish black when fry, but change color as they age. The don't have to be breeding age either. I have fish that are several years old and all the sudden went from black to gold--It kind of nice really--like getting a new fish without buying one.
By the way, if your fish is just 2 years old it is not 'old'. Goldfish can live more than 20 years as long as they have enough room in the environment and you keep your water healthy.
goldfish and koi sometimes change colors as they
age (it's not turning gray) some are affected by the
water temperature
one of my fish has gone white, nothing to worry about, it,s age. it,s like us going grey.
Mine too! I started off with 2 reddish orange Orandas and 2 pure white [literally, almost transparent] Orandas. Almost overnight, Squeak lost all of his orangy colour. He only has a few streaks of orange on his tail fins now. His brother Pip is still orange but has now developed a silver patch on his right side, so maybe he is getting on now.
Sugar, the only remaining pure white fish, is just fine and doesn't seem to be having any odd changes, but then again, I don't suppose they'd be noticeable anyway! Other than that, they are all healthy and apparently happy.
No.
Anyone know of a tropical fish that has a pattern on them that looks like a flower?
We were told it was a parrot fish, however, I can not find anything on the net that shows a parrot fish with these markings. The body is light yellow and on the sides the markings look like a flower with stem.
Answers:
I have seen hugely expensive flowerhorns with those kind of markings. There were two of them at $175.00 each.
I would imagine that pattern is unique to that fish. Not all fish will have the same pattern.
try luohan, it is said that sumtimes lucky numbers may appear on their bodies..
It's called "FLOWER HORN". There are many various breeds of it. Try the website for the picture..
i dont know
i don't know
sorry!
yap. it's not a flowerhorn but it is a cross breed of flowerhorn and parrot fish. No specific name for this fish though..
it has the body shape of a parrot fish and spots of a flower horn.
different fish have different patterns. you may never see this pattern again.
look that up on google or go to a pet place
Answers:
I have seen hugely expensive flowerhorns with those kind of markings. There were two of them at $175.00 each.
I would imagine that pattern is unique to that fish. Not all fish will have the same pattern.
try luohan, it is said that sumtimes lucky numbers may appear on their bodies..
It's called "FLOWER HORN". There are many various breeds of it. Try the website for the picture..
i dont know
i don't know
sorry!
yap. it's not a flowerhorn but it is a cross breed of flowerhorn and parrot fish. No specific name for this fish though..
it has the body shape of a parrot fish and spots of a flower horn.
different fish have different patterns. you may never see this pattern again.
look that up on google or go to a pet place
anyone know about pink kissing gourami?
got one 5 days ago and he has not eaten any food. there other gourami in the tank but he is the only pink kisser. he swims about the tank ok with his mouth opening and closing but he just not going for the food. any ideas?
Answers:
Kissing Gourami like most gourami prefer to be with others of their own kind. Generally they do best in pairs. Note that the only kissing that occurs is generally male on male. (This establishes domince by pushing.)
Like most gourami these guys are omnivores, but kissers tend to eat more vegs than most gourami. They will happily clean the aquarium glass, as well as eat your plants. It may be your kisser is just full from eating plants/algae, but he should be showing some interest in food.
Also like most other gourami they are not highly tolerant to high ammonia, and nitrates. (They can be subject to a wide range of pH and water hardness, but not ammonia, and nitrites.) I'd test your ammonia, and nitrate levels. This may be the most likely issue as mouth opening and closing sound like a stressed fish.
I really thought at first you were refering to the singer.
oh,i thought u meant the singer, pink =]
Kissers accept a variety of foods, including; flake, frozen, freeze-dried, and small live foods, such as Tubifex and Brine Shrimp. They also will accept any kind of vegetable matter, and should be provided with plenty of Spirulina-based foods, as well as fresh vegetables when possible.
Periodically providing fresh romaine lettuce, cooked zucchini or peas, will keep your Kissers in optimal health. Take care when providing fresh vegetables, as uneaten portions will quickly foul the water.
He might be sad, sick, or he is being bullied by the other fish since he is the new one in the tank, try to find out if he is being bullied and if he is, you should try to remove him to a new aquarium. Some fish do get sad when introduced to a new aquarium with new fish that he doesnt knows, maybe he missed a friend from the last aquarium he was in.
kissing i know xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
you should of got a pair, or even three fish
It`s sounds as if you have just got one, have at least two or more if you have the room, on there own he could be shy best in pairs when i kept them i had them in pairs
they taste great breaded and pan-fried
my mother in law owns 2 of these fish. They are social fish with their own species (slightly expensive I know). She keeps them with a variety of other fish that some fish experts might say would "bully" the kissing fish, but I think because there is two of them it hasn't happened. Also occaissionally she gives them blood worm. She also owns a parrot fish who turns very pink when he/ she eats the blood worm. The kissing fish also go slightly darker shade of colour when it comes to eating the blood worm and they make sure they get the lions share.
Try out some bloodworm on your kissing fish and maybe get another fish for it to "kiss"
If you think though it may be ill watch for signs of staying close to the top of the tank "gulping" air, having trouble staying steady or leaning like its gonna float upside down, crashing blindly into the sides of the tank, really really quick darting around constantly, white spots, or fins that look frayed. Most of those signs can be treated with a liquid treatment that can easly be purchased from your local fish store, and some larger pet stores.
I would just see for another couple of days whether it perks up, if not you might be best to isolate the fish in its own compartment with some clear plastic sheeting and feed it with high quality frozen or live bloodworm etc. This should allow the fish to recuperate and gives the fish the opportunity to settle in full view of the other fish and hopefully acclimatise with the them in the same tank. If there is no improvement I would suggest taking the fish back (it wouldn't be fair otherwise)
I had 2 pink gouramis. They are very delicate. Mine didn't accept food either. What you can do is feed them every once a day in once in every 2 days, giving them enough time to clean themselves. If they are tiny then you may want to give them small particles of food as they may spit out the big ones.
Answers:
Kissing Gourami like most gourami prefer to be with others of their own kind. Generally they do best in pairs. Note that the only kissing that occurs is generally male on male. (This establishes domince by pushing.)
Like most gourami these guys are omnivores, but kissers tend to eat more vegs than most gourami. They will happily clean the aquarium glass, as well as eat your plants. It may be your kisser is just full from eating plants/algae, but he should be showing some interest in food.
Also like most other gourami they are not highly tolerant to high ammonia, and nitrates. (They can be subject to a wide range of pH and water hardness, but not ammonia, and nitrites.) I'd test your ammonia, and nitrate levels. This may be the most likely issue as mouth opening and closing sound like a stressed fish.
I really thought at first you were refering to the singer.
oh,i thought u meant the singer, pink =]
Kissers accept a variety of foods, including; flake, frozen, freeze-dried, and small live foods, such as Tubifex and Brine Shrimp. They also will accept any kind of vegetable matter, and should be provided with plenty of Spirulina-based foods, as well as fresh vegetables when possible.
Periodically providing fresh romaine lettuce, cooked zucchini or peas, will keep your Kissers in optimal health. Take care when providing fresh vegetables, as uneaten portions will quickly foul the water.
He might be sad, sick, or he is being bullied by the other fish since he is the new one in the tank, try to find out if he is being bullied and if he is, you should try to remove him to a new aquarium. Some fish do get sad when introduced to a new aquarium with new fish that he doesnt knows, maybe he missed a friend from the last aquarium he was in.
kissing i know xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx.
you should of got a pair, or even three fish
It`s sounds as if you have just got one, have at least two or more if you have the room, on there own he could be shy best in pairs when i kept them i had them in pairs
they taste great breaded and pan-fried
my mother in law owns 2 of these fish. They are social fish with their own species (slightly expensive I know). She keeps them with a variety of other fish that some fish experts might say would "bully" the kissing fish, but I think because there is two of them it hasn't happened. Also occaissionally she gives them blood worm. She also owns a parrot fish who turns very pink when he/ she eats the blood worm. The kissing fish also go slightly darker shade of colour when it comes to eating the blood worm and they make sure they get the lions share.
Try out some bloodworm on your kissing fish and maybe get another fish for it to "kiss"
If you think though it may be ill watch for signs of staying close to the top of the tank "gulping" air, having trouble staying steady or leaning like its gonna float upside down, crashing blindly into the sides of the tank, really really quick darting around constantly, white spots, or fins that look frayed. Most of those signs can be treated with a liquid treatment that can easly be purchased from your local fish store, and some larger pet stores.
I would just see for another couple of days whether it perks up, if not you might be best to isolate the fish in its own compartment with some clear plastic sheeting and feed it with high quality frozen or live bloodworm etc. This should allow the fish to recuperate and gives the fish the opportunity to settle in full view of the other fish and hopefully acclimatise with the them in the same tank. If there is no improvement I would suggest taking the fish back (it wouldn't be fair otherwise)
I had 2 pink gouramis. They are very delicate. Mine didn't accept food either. What you can do is feed them every once a day in once in every 2 days, giving them enough time to clean themselves. If they are tiny then you may want to give them small particles of food as they may spit out the big ones.
anyone have a female betta fish?
i just got my 2 days ago and the first night it's body was all blue but the next night i trasfered it to a bigger tank but in a place with more noise and i heard if i has brownish stripes its unhappy.
do female betta fish not like noise? should i move it to somewhere quiter?
Answers:
Brown stripes don't necessarily mean unhappy. In your case- a fish that changes from bright vibrant colors to dull- not good.
Fish are very sensitive to noise. It causes vibrations in the water.
I would give it a day or two. It may just be adjusting to the water conditions and not feelin so hot.
I have 11 females- they are my girls. My three old ladies are 4inches long and they are all beautiful. The stigma that the males are prettier is completely inaccurate.
My original 3 started out in a five gallon bowl. They are much happier in their large filtered aquarium. If you can- keep your little lady in the larger space.
Note: None of my girls have brown stripes on a regular basis. The stripes came out once when they came down with a case of dropsy. Everyone survived *smile* and are back to their beautiful selves.
well i think u answered your own question (i have a betta fish but i dont no if its a boy or girl)
Move the fish to a place where there is less traffic and noise. Fish can become stressed and it can be seen in the look of the fish, behavior, etc. Add plant to create a hiding spot also and reduce stress a little.
I don't believe that it is true that brown stripes mean its unhappy. My female betta has brown stripes and she is over 5 years old. If she was unhappy I don't think she would have lived this long. Unless people are tapping on the tank or pounding on the floor causing a lot of bumping and movement in her tank I doubt that sound is an issue. Bettas like still water however so if there is a filter in the tank that could be why. Where they are from they live in stagnant still shallow rice patties. So really a plain bowl would make them happier than a big tank. As a matter of fact if there is a filter in the tank they say bettas don't live as long because they get so tired from having to swim to stay away from the current. Hope this helps. I've had over 20 bettas and their average life span has been 5 years so I'm doing something right.
Well the stripes could mean a few things.
If they're horizontal stripes thats a sign that she's ready to mate.
But normally when a betta changes color that rapidly and bars appear (I'm assuming they are vertical) it means that they're most likely stressed out.
She could just be adjusting to the new house.
Also, is she in with other female bettas? Or just other fish. If it's other female bettas she might also be displaying the stripes as a sign of being submissive because female bettas have to work out a pecking order.
If it's just other fish again she might be stressed out, it's best that female bettas are kept in at LEAST groups of 3 or more.
And last but not least, what size home was she in before and what is she in now?
It's entirely possibly that she doesn't like the bigger tank and would prefer her smaller world.
All fish like quiet places because fish scare easily and it would be much less stress on them if they were in a quiet place so move her back to the quiet place.
I'm not sure,but if you want an answer, you can research on Betta Placat too, they look a lot like female Betta Splendens
Your Betta is a girl. I keep all of my female bettas in one tank. I have noticed that when they challenge each other they are vibrantly dark colored and when one is being submissive it shows horizontal stripes and it's body color go's lite. The only female in my tank that stays vibrantly colored is my dominate female. She's definitely the bossLOL
do female betta fish not like noise? should i move it to somewhere quiter?
Answers:
Brown stripes don't necessarily mean unhappy. In your case- a fish that changes from bright vibrant colors to dull- not good.
Fish are very sensitive to noise. It causes vibrations in the water.
I would give it a day or two. It may just be adjusting to the water conditions and not feelin so hot.
I have 11 females- they are my girls. My three old ladies are 4inches long and they are all beautiful. The stigma that the males are prettier is completely inaccurate.
My original 3 started out in a five gallon bowl. They are much happier in their large filtered aquarium. If you can- keep your little lady in the larger space.
Note: None of my girls have brown stripes on a regular basis. The stripes came out once when they came down with a case of dropsy. Everyone survived *smile* and are back to their beautiful selves.
well i think u answered your own question (i have a betta fish but i dont no if its a boy or girl)
Move the fish to a place where there is less traffic and noise. Fish can become stressed and it can be seen in the look of the fish, behavior, etc. Add plant to create a hiding spot also and reduce stress a little.
I don't believe that it is true that brown stripes mean its unhappy. My female betta has brown stripes and she is over 5 years old. If she was unhappy I don't think she would have lived this long. Unless people are tapping on the tank or pounding on the floor causing a lot of bumping and movement in her tank I doubt that sound is an issue. Bettas like still water however so if there is a filter in the tank that could be why. Where they are from they live in stagnant still shallow rice patties. So really a plain bowl would make them happier than a big tank. As a matter of fact if there is a filter in the tank they say bettas don't live as long because they get so tired from having to swim to stay away from the current. Hope this helps. I've had over 20 bettas and their average life span has been 5 years so I'm doing something right.
Well the stripes could mean a few things.
If they're horizontal stripes thats a sign that she's ready to mate.
But normally when a betta changes color that rapidly and bars appear (I'm assuming they are vertical) it means that they're most likely stressed out.
She could just be adjusting to the new house.
Also, is she in with other female bettas? Or just other fish. If it's other female bettas she might also be displaying the stripes as a sign of being submissive because female bettas have to work out a pecking order.
If it's just other fish again she might be stressed out, it's best that female bettas are kept in at LEAST groups of 3 or more.
And last but not least, what size home was she in before and what is she in now?
It's entirely possibly that she doesn't like the bigger tank and would prefer her smaller world.
All fish like quiet places because fish scare easily and it would be much less stress on them if they were in a quiet place so move her back to the quiet place.
I'm not sure,but if you want an answer, you can research on Betta Placat too, they look a lot like female Betta Splendens
Your Betta is a girl. I keep all of my female bettas in one tank. I have noticed that when they challenge each other they are vibrantly dark colored and when one is being submissive it shows horizontal stripes and it's body color go's lite. The only female in my tank that stays vibrantly colored is my dominate female. She's definitely the bossLOL
Anyone have a betta?
I've had my betta for about 4 months now, but each month, the tank seems more have more and more algae build-up. What the heck is causing this?!
Answers:
I have a betta too, pls go to the pet shop and ask for a bottle of Algae- controller. (mine is a bottle of Tetra Algae Control鈩? Every time after washing the tanks and before putting the fish in, I put a bottlecapful of anti-chlorine and another bottlecapful of Tetra Algae Control鈩? Wait till the blackish brown liquid's disappear and put your betta in. Check out the link below.
Well, you say "tank"? Bettas need to be in a little bowl or Betta Bowl. There are actually special little holders called Betta Bowls. You probably have your fish in something too large, they like small areas. Over the last few years I've had several Bettas throughtout my home in their little Betta Bowls, even in my bathroom. I do have colored rocks on the bottom of the little holders, but nothing else.
Bettas don't like anything in their "little" space other than themselves. Also, the "Betta tank" which you can find at Wal-Mart, Target (whatever is in your area) should always have a lid. They are very inexpensive, about $4.00. Dust will cause problems for Bettas, always use the top. Don't overfeed your Betta, it only needs to be fed about every 3 days, if you are overfeeding, left over food could cause Bacteria and Algea. Good luck!
if the tank is in the sun then thats the cause, if not, i do not know, get some algae killer at the pet store, and if your little beta is alone please give him a friend, betas dont do well with other betas but they are perfectly fine with other fish. my betas have always been the sweetest fish.
betas dont need a special bowl, i have no idea why ppl think that, they really are the sweetest little guys, be nice to your beta! how would you like to be in a tiny bowl all by yourself?
I use to breed bettas :)! Get an algae controller. However, are you sure it is algae? Male bettas, the pretty ones do make bubbles at the top, which is used for breeding weather or not there is a female around. What those bubbles are for is to put the eggs in after they have been fertilized. If there is not a female around it will just get bigger and bigger, because in his mind he is trying to build a good nest to attract a female.
Means you probably have phosphates in your water. Switch to bottled spring water and make sure you are doing weekly water changes to remove excess nitrates. You could also try adding a small live plant which will out-compete the algae, or a large snail (they add only a small increase in bio-load and can fit in well).
A
Betta don't bother by algae in tanks. Your tank is probably receiving sunlight cos algae can only grow with sunlight. Try to shift your tank to somewhere cosy. Changing a portion of the tank water regularly will also help to reduce algae.
Answers:
I have a betta too, pls go to the pet shop and ask for a bottle of Algae- controller. (mine is a bottle of Tetra Algae Control鈩? Every time after washing the tanks and before putting the fish in, I put a bottlecapful of anti-chlorine and another bottlecapful of Tetra Algae Control鈩? Wait till the blackish brown liquid's disappear and put your betta in. Check out the link below.
Well, you say "tank"? Bettas need to be in a little bowl or Betta Bowl. There are actually special little holders called Betta Bowls. You probably have your fish in something too large, they like small areas. Over the last few years I've had several Bettas throughtout my home in their little Betta Bowls, even in my bathroom. I do have colored rocks on the bottom of the little holders, but nothing else.
Bettas don't like anything in their "little" space other than themselves. Also, the "Betta tank" which you can find at Wal-Mart, Target (whatever is in your area) should always have a lid. They are very inexpensive, about $4.00. Dust will cause problems for Bettas, always use the top. Don't overfeed your Betta, it only needs to be fed about every 3 days, if you are overfeeding, left over food could cause Bacteria and Algea. Good luck!
if the tank is in the sun then thats the cause, if not, i do not know, get some algae killer at the pet store, and if your little beta is alone please give him a friend, betas dont do well with other betas but they are perfectly fine with other fish. my betas have always been the sweetest fish.
betas dont need a special bowl, i have no idea why ppl think that, they really are the sweetest little guys, be nice to your beta! how would you like to be in a tiny bowl all by yourself?
I use to breed bettas :)! Get an algae controller. However, are you sure it is algae? Male bettas, the pretty ones do make bubbles at the top, which is used for breeding weather or not there is a female around. What those bubbles are for is to put the eggs in after they have been fertilized. If there is not a female around it will just get bigger and bigger, because in his mind he is trying to build a good nest to attract a female.
Means you probably have phosphates in your water. Switch to bottled spring water and make sure you are doing weekly water changes to remove excess nitrates. You could also try adding a small live plant which will out-compete the algae, or a large snail (they add only a small increase in bio-load and can fit in well).
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Betta don't bother by algae in tanks. Your tank is probably receiving sunlight cos algae can only grow with sunlight. Try to shift your tank to somewhere cosy. Changing a portion of the tank water regularly will also help to reduce algae.
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