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A 55 gallon fresh
water aquarium will cost on average between $200 and $1,000. For each,
prices vary depending on the quality of the tank, stand, filtration and other
variables.
Q.
We don't come into our office on the weekends. Will the fish be okay without
food?
Luckily, your fish can survive the weekend without
a regular feeding. As long they are fed normally during the week, they will
be just fine.
Q.
I have white cloudy aquarium water, what is it?
If you have white cloudy water or gray cloudy
water in your fish tank and you have just set it up, it could be the dust
from the gravel or sand. Be sure to thoroughly rinse your substrate before
adding it to your aquarium. This can be difficult to do with sand but the
dust particles should settle in a day or two.
If your tank has been setup for a short time this
may be the result of a bacterial bloom that happens in a newly setup tank or
when too many tropical fish were added too soon. This situation will correct
itself when a sufficient amount of bacteria establishes on your biological
filter. You can help keep your tropical fish from getting stressed by
performing 25% water changes daily and feeding them less until the nitrogen
cycle has finished.
Q.
I have green cloudy aquarium water
Usually the result of an algae bloom. The green
water will not harm your fish but it is not the most pleasant thing to look
at. This happens because of the amount of nutrients and the amount of light
entering the aquarium. Your tank water is nutrient rich, which may mean that
you're feeding too much, your tank may be overstocked or you're not doing
enough water changes or a combination of all the above. Avoid placing your
aquarium where it could receive direct sunlight. Direct sunlight will cause
not only algae problems but temperature fluctuations as well.
To correct this problem, perform 25 percent water
changes daily, rinse out or replace the filter media to reduce the amount of
nitrates, feed your fish a little less and leave your tank light off for
a few days or until the water clears up. If you do practice good aquarium maintenance
and still have algae problems, look into testing your tap water. You may be
introducing nitrates and possibly phosphates into your tank via the water
changes and not even know it. Also look into keeping live aquarium plants
which will compete with the algae for available nutrients.
Pond keepers sometimes use a UV Sterilizer on
their outdoor ponds to help control algae growths. While we agree that these
sterilizers can have a positive effect on the algae growth in your tank,
there are better, less expensive methods to use for controlling algae in the
aquarium and we recommend you try some of the ideas presented above.
If that doesn't work, as a last resort, you could
use Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Algae Destroyer. The algae destroyer should
clear up the algae problem quickly. Please use as directed on the bottle.
This is just a quick fix and we recommend that you figure out what's causing
the algae problem in the first place.
Q
I have yellow cloudy water, what is it?
Yellow aquarium water can be the result of several
factors. Fish waste, driftwood, decaying plant matter and other dissolved
organic carbons (DOC). This often happens in tanks that have new driftwood
and it is because of the tannins in the wood being released into the water.
This should subside after the driftwood has been in the aquarium for a couple
of months.
To best way to fix the yellow coloration of your
tank water is to perform more frequent partial water changes along with the
use of activated carbon. Activated carbon has many uses in an aquarium filter
including removing small amounts of DOC, removing water smells and making the
water look cleaner or polished. Try to change out the carbon on a regular
basis, at least every couple of months if not sooner.
Q. How do you pronounce the word 'cichild'?
It sounds like SICK lid. Not like
chiclets-the little gum from Mexico.
Q.Is is true that fish grow to the size of the tank?
Yes and no. Some fishes' growth will
be stunted if the aquarium is too small. This is not a healthy environment
for them and they will not flourish in cramped quarters. Fish generally grow
larger and faster in bigger tanks due to superior water conditions.
Q. The guy at the pet shop says if I buy his filter system I
will never have to do maintenance again. Is this really true?
Ah contraire monfrair...If this were
true we would have left the service business long ago.
Q. I have lots of little cone-shaped snails in my freshwater
tank. How do I get rid of them?
These little guys can reach plague
proportions in your tank. The best solution we have found is to add a few
clown loaches. Clown loaches are compatible with most community-type
freshwater fish. They will eat these types of snails and control them. You
can also remove the adults by hand to control them faster.
Q. My water is cloudy. My fish are dying. What gives?
Usually this is due to a combination
of three factors: Lack of filtration, too many fish, and too much food. The
first few months are critical as the beneficial bacteria needed to support
your tank are developing. Have patience. Feed less. Make sure your filter is
working and adequate. Try to develop a relationship with a "real"
fish store in your area. Nothing against the big chains-they have great deals
on dog food.
Q. My water is green. What causes this?
This is almost always caused by too
much light. If your tank is near a window this may be why (try keeping the
blinds shut or moving the tank). You should only run the lights about 8-10
hours per day. I use a timer to make sure the lights don't stay on too long.
If the problem persists you might also add a micron filter unit such as a Diatom
filter.The micron cartridge will clear the water quickly. Ultraviolet filters
can also work, but these are usually more expensive and cumbersome.
Q. When I add new fish they always die. Are the fish at the
pet shop sick?
Possibly. But this could also be due
to poor water conditions in your tank. Have your water checked, especially
for ph, nitrite, and ammonia. Sometimes the fish in your tank will adapt to
poor water conditions while the newest additions will not survive due to the “shock”
of the bad water quality.
Q. My fish always seem hungry. Am I feeding enough?
A wise man once told me: if you
think you are feeding your fish enough that is probably too much. They should
eat all of the food in a few minutes. Once a day is fine for almost all
fish-large predators might even need food less frequently. Fish will almost
always eat, but this does not mean they still need food. Remember to feed the
fish and not the tank. A guppy in a 200 gallon tank eats the same amount as a
guppy in a fish bowl.
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Q.
What types of fish help me with algae?
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- Siamese Algae Eater (SAE) Do not be confused with
Flying Fox which looks similar but with different characteristics which
makes them less desirable for your community tanks. SAEs are peaceful and
are good algae eaters. They grow up to 6 inches so you will need a decent
sized tank - at least 30x12 inch footprint. Once they hit around 4 inches,
they will not eat algae as well. Most stores will sell them at 2 inches in
size, so if you are looking for a long term solution, this may not work for
you. They will eat variety of algae’s but I have never seen them eat long
strands of hair algae. If they are hungry, they will eat black beard algae.
They are often suggested as a schooling fish, and if you have more than
one, they often swim together. But unlike most schooling fishes, SAE can be
kept in singles.
- Bristlenose PlecoThese species of plecos are
popular due to their limited size. Common pleco often exceeds 12 inches in
size hence they are not suitable in most aquariums. Bristlenose plecos
rarely exceed 6 inches and often less hence much more suitable to be kept
in smaller aquariums. I kept them in a tank as small as 30x12 inch
footprint and was successful at breeding them alongside other peaceful
species. They will do a great job in eating most algae that grows on hard
surfaces and flat leaves of plants. I've never seen them eat hair algae or
black bearded algae. There is a myth that Bristlenose plecos need driftwood
in their diet. I'm not sure if this is true or not, but all of my tanks
that held Bristlenose plecos had driftwoods in my case.
- Otocinclus (also known as "Oto")Otos are very peaceful and
stays small (2 inches). They do a great job in eating algae but
unfortunately only really soft early form of algae. Diatoms (brown) are one
of their favorite meals. If your tank is infested with hair or black beard
algae, do not buy this fish to clean those - Otos don't touch those algae’s.
Just about every specimen in the store are wild caught and due to the way
they are caught in the wild, they are very very sensitive during the first
month or two. Don't be surprised if you lose a large percentage of Otos
after a month. Once you manage to keep them alive for few months, most
likely you have a healthy specimen and will keep your tank clean for many
years to come. They can be kept in a small tank such as 5g.
- Rosy BarbThis species is good for hair algae. They are
schooling species, hence you should keep at least 6 of them in the same
tank. Don't let the small size fool you at the store; these guys will grow
to at least 3 inches, often exceeding 4 inches, so plan accordingly. They
will become much larger than your cute little tetras. If they are kept in
smaller numbers, they can become nervous and become more aggressive against
other fishes in your tank. Not a good idea to keep them with slow moving
fishes featuring long fins.
- American Flag Fish (also known as Florida Flag
Fish)Similar
to Rosy Barb, they are great for hair algae. Unfortunately, they are also
more aggressive and have tendency to fin nip other species with long fins,
so you should keep this in mind. Also some AFF are known to eat variety of
plants, especially young plants so you should keep your eye on these guys
after introducing them into your tank. Will work better in a tank with more
aggressive species.
- Amano ShrimpThis is the best algae eating
shrimp known to the aquarium hobby. They will grow close to 2 inches.
Unfortunately, they are shrimps - they will malt as they grow. This means
there will be times when their skin will be soft and most semi-aggressive
fishes will eat them easily. If you have a lot of plants in your aquarium,
you will be ok. They can be kept in a small tank such as 5g. They are great
at finding any form of food including fish food! Don't overfeed aquarium
tanks with these shrimps as they will excel at finding those and consume
them. Then, they will not eat algae as much! These guys do not breed in
cold water, so that could be either plus or minus depending on what you
need.
- Red Cherry ShrimpAlthough not as good as Amano
shrimps, they still do a pretty good job. A bit smaller than Amano shrimps,
at just over 1 inch when mature. Once again, presence of lots of plants is
desirable. They can be kept in a small tank such as 5g. These guys will
breed easily in your aquarium tanks. If you have lots of hiding places for
the little hatchlings, they will survive. These are one of the easiest
shrimps to keep in the aquariums.
- Ramshorn SnailThis snail species stay
small, rarely reaches 3/4 inches in size. Both fish and shrimp eggs are
safe hence it can be kept in most tanks where natural predators of snails
don't exist. Variation includes black/brown and red. Red snails have
recessive genes so if you mix them with more common brown/black kinds,
offspring will also feature common colors. They can be kept in a small tank
such as 5g. They will breed easily and if you overfeed, they will take over
your aquarium. You have been warned!
- Nerite SnailOne of my favorite algae
eating species. These snails only eat algae, mostly diatoms (brown) and
micro-algae, although some have reported that theirs eat hair type algae as
well. My Nerite ate the dreaded Black Bearded algae. If they run out of
algae to eat, they will slowly die so do not introduce them in a new tank.
For this reason, it is not wise to overstock the tank with these snails.
Tank with lots of existing algae would be ideal. They are plant safe - not
known to harm any plants. They will grow to around 1.5 inches. They are
extremely hard to breed in fresh water - so it is not likely that you will
end up with many of these just by keeping them in your aquarium. They can
be kept in a small tank such as 5g.
Your hands, fingers and tooth brush!
Believe it or not, this is
one of your best means to get rid of algae!
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Please submit questions to us here!
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