E-Mail Questions And Answers About Aqauriums And Fish
My wife has a thirty gallon tank with, 6 mollies 4 hatchet fish 4 head to tail fish 2 gouramis 1 catfish We can change the water and in 2 to 3 days the water starts to cloud up and the tank start to get a lot of algae. We have been changing the water regularly and the same thing keeps happening. There is also a big monster filter on the back (aquatech double filter 60) plus a 20 gallon filter. Nothing seems to be working, do you have any suggestions? Also what is the proper temperature to keep the tank, right now it is 78 degrees. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks D~
Hi, D~The (Molly-Hatchet) tank is not over stocked. Sounds like there might be some minerals in your tap water that the algae find to their liking. Also try cutting their food amount in half, hungry fish = healthy fish. I hate to sound like a salesman but there are several products that will cure this problem. One is a additive that makes all the small particles in the water bind together, it is sold by several different name brands "Crystal Clear", "Trans Clear" etc, it will having something like "polymeric flocculent" as one of the ingredients, it's perfectly safe. The other product that I highly recommend is call "ChemiPure" it's a carbon replacement thing for the filter, it lasts about 5-6 months and really does work, it's about 12.00 US in petshops, a lot less by mail order. Hope I don't sound like a salesman, and I hope this helps.
Clint
PS Your temperature is perfect.
Hi, I am an aquarist beginner and am not very familiar with the names of live plants. I currently have 5 clown loaches in my 29-gallon tank with some live plants.
My question is: Do you use floating plants, and if so, which ones would you recommend. My loaches seem not to like the aquarium light too much, and it is sometimes difficult to get them to eat. They just hide in the caves.
Thank you for your help.
H
Hi H,
An excellent floating plant is called "Water Sprite", it's fast growing and easy to keep. But your loaches should not be all that afraid of the light. Is there any other fish in the tank? If not you might try adding something like a few Zebra Danios. They will be unfazed by the lights and might help the loaches to be more comfortable.
Good Luck,
Clint
I have one more question I hope you can help me with: I've found out the water in my area is extremely hard (around 400ppm) and alkaline (ph of at least 7.6) and may be that is why my loaches are not very active. I have tried the "PH Down" solution many times to no avail. My water still remains alkaline. Should I make deionized water and adjust the PH and minerals back to the new water using commercial preparations? Or do I simply need to make instant PH adjustment with solutions such as Wardley Bullseye? I want to bring the PH back to around 7.0 and may be to soften the water a bit. Any suggestion you give me will be greatly appreciated.
H~~~~
Yes the alkalinity may be causing the loaches some problems. If you've tried "PH down" with no success, then there is probably something in the tank that is making the water alkaline, the gravel or rocks maybe. Check the contents of any PH adjusting chemicals and make sure it does NOT contain phosphate or phosphoric acid or you will have a lot of trouble with algae. Deionized or reverse osmosis will definately cure the ph problem, tho at some exspense. Also there is something about "water sprite and another (but, not floating) plant called java fern, they both tend to acidify the water down to a round 6.5. Both are really good, easy to keep plants.
Good Luck
Clint
comment nourrit on les alevins des aphyo.austral.?
what do you feed Aphyosemion Australe fry?
Vers et crevette micro de saumure de bébé
Microworms and baby brine shrimp
Hi, I have just started keeping cold water fish, I have a hexagonal tank with an under water filter, after a week or so the water went cloudy and my fish died of white spot ?.My local aquarist gave me a pad to kill bacteria etc in the water which I placed under the gravel, I also bought stress coat for my tank. After a week I added two fish but within 4 days my water is cloudy again, I am wondering if you can give me any advise on this.
Regards
K~~~~~~~
Hi K~~~~,
An undergravel filter uses bacteria (good bacteria) to remove ammonia from the water. So if you kill all the bacteria in the water the under gravel filter won't work. If I were you I'd remove the bateria killer pad, and let the tank "cycle" (run without fish) for about a week or 2, then add a few (very few) small fish and let the filterbed build up. If the water still gets cloudy, even if you don't overfeed your fish, then you might have a gravel that is leaching some water soluble chemicls and causing the cloudiness. If you suspect this, take a little of the gravel you have and put it in a cup, add some vinegar, and if you see any kind of fizz or other reaction you'll know it's bad gravel.
I hope this helps. Good luck.
Clint
Hello I was wondering if you could give me information on java moss. I am having difficulty finding anything. Thank you for your time (and great site)
S~~~
Hi S~~~,
Java Moss is very easy to grow in an aquarium. It's not picky about ph andwater hardness. It likes moderate lighting, actually it likes a lot of light but algae will start covering it up with too much light. Java moss does'nt have roots, you just have to hold it down with a rock or a little gravel or even use a pin or thumb tack to put it where you want it to stay. If you attach it to wood or porous rocks it will start clinging to them after a few days. It's an easy to keep plant that looks good and the fish love it. Grows fast too. Check the Java Moss page for more info
Clint
Thank you for the information on the bala sharks, but could you give some some more information on them. What size tank would you recommend I put them in? I also have an empty 10 gallon tank am I was thinking of getting 2 kuhli loaches. Would a 10 gallon aquarium be ok for them? If so what kind of fish could I put with them?
Thanks for your time.
The bala sharks do eventually get pretty big. A ten gallon tank would do for acouple of them for about six months maybe. A 20 would be a fine permanent home for them. They eat just about all regular aquarium foods and I think they prefer soft acidic water, but any normal fresh water aquaium should be ok with them, they're not picky. I don't think they are easy to spawn, I haven't heard of any hobbyist ever breeding them. The kuhli loaches are really easy to keep. A 2 gallon bowl with adequate filtration would be large enough for them, but a larger tank never hurts. Again kulhis are easy to keep and feed but breeding them in captivity is rare, tho I think they are now mass produced (bred) in Asia, using hormones.
Clint @ Petfish
I was wondering what is the best lighting to have for my plants and fish I have a 33 gallon tank with lots of plants and i also have sharks and angelfish.
The best in terms of value and usefulness would be a double flourescant light strip with 1 triton bulb and 1 full spectrum vitalite.
Clint
I have a new 30gallon aquarium. I added live plants to it. I set it up about two days ago. Today noticed some kind of film floating on the top? Do you know what it is and how I can get rid of it?
Thanks for you time.
Q~~
Hi Q,
I don't really know what it is, but I've had the same thing happen to me. I have to keep my tanks covered to stop it from coming back. To get rid of it you spread a paper towel or 2 (or more) on the surface and let it soak just a second and then quickly pull it out. Most of the film will adhere to the towels. You might have to repeat this a few times.
Hope this helps.
Clint
When I get the fry, is it enough just to put some live plants in their container so I could get infusiora for them to feed on ?
That depends on how many fry you have. If you have just a few it would work. If you have a lot of fry with no immediate source of food for them you can hard boil an egg, get just the yolk part and break off a tiny piece and shake it up in a small bottle or something and then feed this to the fry. Go easy on it, it's highly polluting. I'm not personally aquanted with any Betta breeders in NY, try an internet search for "Betta Barracks", it has tons of links to betta breeders all over. Hope this helps.
Clint @ Petfish
I have a 30 gallon aquarium with one pearl gourami, one blue gourami, 5 cardinal tetras, and 2 swords. I was thinking of getting a red tailed shark. Would this be a good idea? Could you give me some infomation on this fish?
Thanks for your time
Hi Q,
According to my books on Red Tail sharks they are very agressive only to other redtail sharks. So most of your fish should do fine with him/her. You might watch the Cardinals, because of their size (might get et). Sounds like a nice tank.
Clint
Petfish
I bought a couple of freshwater frogs along with some crabs, They were in a water filled freshwater tank when I bought them. Could you give me some information on what to feed them, and how to maintain them. The frogs are about a inch long, the frogs stay in the bottom of the tank and float up when they need air. Do i need any type of lilly pad for them to stay on? Do you know a web site that could give us any information on this.and what type of frogs they are.
Thanks, R~~~~
Hi R~~~~~~,
I used to have some dwarf african frogs. They were totally aquatic and hardly ever came up for air. They were about an inch long also, very easy to keep, I even managed to raise a few tadpoles to adulthood. Here's an excellent website about frogs http://www.xenopus.com/
Hope you have good luck with the frogs
Clint @ Petfish
D~~~ wrote:
hi i need help right away!!! I have a female Zebra Danio who is about to lay her eggs. She is in a ten gallon tank, water is at about 80 degrees. In my town no one knows anything about them. Do i need marbles in the bottom for the eggs to go to the bottom of them so the male doesn`t eat them. How do i know what the male or femele is? i have about 15 in my other tank and i can`t find the difference. When do i take the female out and the male. Please help as soon as possible!!!
Thanks
Sue
Hi D~~~~~,
The males are ususally more slender and have more of a gold sheen in the stripes. It is common to use 2 or more males with the female hen she's scattering the eggs. Yes you need marbles or some kind of netting with big enough holes for the eggs to fall thru, but too small for the fish to get thru. I would lower the water level so the eggs dont have as far to fall, even the mother will eat them if she has a chance. After they are through mating you can put the breeders back with the rest of your fish and cover the egg tank with a dark towel, light is not good for developing eggs.
Good luck.
Clint @ Petfish
I have a 55 gallon long with an underground filter with two power heads. I also have a Fluval 202 to support the undergravel filtration with chemical filtration. I change 25-30% of the water religiously every three weeks, however, after the 2nd week I notice a yellowish tinge in the water. What is causing this and what can I do to eliminate the "tinge".
Your assistance is appreciated,
G~~~~~
Hi G~~~~~~,Sounds like your carbon isn't working in the filter. Or maybe it's a yellow-green type of suspended algae. Or maybe you have some uncured driftwood or some bad rocks. It's hard to diagnose from here. But if it isnt algae, driftwood or rocks/gravel, I would switch carbon or chemical filtration media to another brand.
Hope this helps.
Clint @ Petfish
Our corys have just reached sexual maturity. They have really put on a show today. They are in a community tank so we will probably not get any fry from their efforts. We are planning to set up a breeding tank. How long will it be before we could expect the corys to be ready to breed again?
K~~~~~~
Within 2 weeks to a month. I'd give them another week or 2 and then change about 2 gallons or 20% of their water and add some cooler water, this simulates rain and sometimes activates their spawning instincts. You'll need to remove the adults after you see the eggs, and keep the eggs in the dark. I usually just throw a dark towel over the tank. The fry are really easy to raise. They'll even take ground up or crushed flake food.
Hope this helps.
Clint @ Petfish
Hi Clint,
Thanks for responding. So far, my fish have survived. I just wanted to ask you one more thing. What should I do if there's algae starting to grow especially on the plants (plastic) and on the gravel?
Hope to hear from you soon.
R~~~
Hi R~~~,
If the algae is green, it's a good sign. But if you don't want any algae you'll have to cut down on the lights or add some live plants. If it's ablack or brown algae that means you'll need to cut down on the food and do some more frequent water changes, and possibly reduce the number of fish inthe tank.
Good Luck,
Clint
what's the best fighting fish you know of?
The meanest, baddest and most evil fish I've ever seen was called a "Red Devil", some kind of cichlid, but I can't remember it's scientific name.
what do those shark look alike fish eat?
Just about any regular fish food
what's the most aggressive cichlid?
The Red Devil as mentioned above, but as a rule I've found the Africans can beat up on any South American Cichlid.
what's the best food to feed cichlids (jewel, convict, dempsey).
Chopped earthworms
what's an equal in aggressiveness to a triggerfish but lives in freshwater?
Nothing freshwater could beat a trigger, maybe a snapping turtle
Just my opinions
Clint
1.)What kind of fish food is best?
Earthworms, chopped
2.)What egglayer is easiest to breed?
White Clouds, just put them in a planted (live or plastic) tank and wait for some fry
3.)What livebearer is easiest to breed?
Guppies
4.)Are Tiger Barbs bullies to livebearers such as guppies?
Yes, very much so
5.)Are they bullies to egglayers?
Yes, any that are small, slow or have long fins
6.)What kind of fishes can be crossbred with zebra danios?
Any of the other fish called danios, except for the "giant danio"
7.)What kind of rocks are best?
8.)What kind of gravel?
Any that are inert, that means that it doesn't leach any minerals or pollutants. You can test it by pouring a little vinegar on a rock, it it fizzes at all, it's not good.
9.)Can guppies be bred with Platies?
No, but Platies and Swordtails will interbreed
10.)Do Siamese fighting fishes get along with other species?
Yes, they are gentle with other fish, only 2 male Bettas will fight.
11.)Are long fin white clouds bullies and are they worth buying?
Nope not bullies, they are worth buying. I don't know what the weather is like where you live, but here in south Alabama you can put White Clouds in a garden pond and they will live and breed all year long.
12.)Do angelfishes get along with guppies, mollies, swordtails or platies?
A big Angelfish would eat the Guppies and the fry of the other species, but they would get along with the Mollies and Platies and Swords, although Angelfish prefer soft acidic water whereas the livebearers generally like moderately hard alkaline water
13.)Are Rasboras worth buying?
Yes definately, very pretty and somewhat rare around here.
Thank You Clint.
Dear Clint I have a few more questions:
1.)Where can i get the earthworms?
At a fishing bait shop
2.)Do white clouds eat their fry at a given chance?
Hardly ever
3.)Do guppies eat their fry?
Yes if they can catch them, and it depends on how hungry and fast they are
4.)Are tiger barbs bullies to other kinds of barbs?
All Tiger barbs are pretty mean, even to each other
5.)What kind of barb is easiest to breed and keep?
Probably the Cherry Barb
6.)Do fish like white clouds protect themselves viscously?
They can be bullied because they are small
Thanks Clint,J~~~~~
1.)Is it possible to mate swordtails with mollies?
No, swordtails and platies can interbreed because they are closely related species, some killifish can interbreed too, but other than those most species of fish can't interbreed.
2.)Do the offspring of a long fin and short fin danio have long or short fins?
The short fin is dominant, so if one of the parents is short finned all the fry will be short finned , Except, if the short finned one had a parent that was a long fin then it would carry a recessive gene for long fins, so then half the fry of a long fin and a short fin (with a long fin parent) would be long finned. Whew!!!, did you under stand that?
3.)Can a Dwarf Gourami and a pygmy gourami mate?
Are their offspring sterile?
Nope, can't mate
4.)Is a lyretail worth buying? Is it a bully or a fin nipper?
No it's fairly gentle.
5.)What kind of fishes can a Siamese Fighter fish mate with?
Only siamese fighters
6.)Can a White Cloud mate with a Siamese Fighting fish?
Nope
7.)Can a sunset platy and a blue platy mate?
Yes they are the same species, just a different color
8.) (which isn't really about fish) Do you have a nickname?
No, but many people used to call me "Eastwood", a joke with my real name. It quit being funny around 1969.
Do you have a dog?
Yes we (my family) have a dog, Buffy, a toy poodle.
See ya J~~
1.)What is the best way to chop the earthworms?
I use a pair of sciccors, I put the worms in a small plastic freezer container and add a little water and snip em up to a very small size, I put the worms in the freezer to kill them first, it's more humane I think
2.)What kind of platy is easiest kept and bred?
All about the same, all are easy to keep and spawn
3.)Do angelfish eat their fry?
Most do, but sometimes a good pair will come along
4.)What kind of catfish is best and how many should be purchased?
Corydorus about 2 for a 10 gallon tank
5.)Can a LARGE cleaned out mayonnaise jug be used as a substitute for a spawning tank?
Not really, maybe for some guppies. It would make an excellent betta jar
6.)Are loaches worth buying for a community tank?
Yes, Clowns or Coolies
7.)What kind of plant is best for a freshwater tank?
Java Fern or Java Moss or Water Sprite, all are easy to keep
8.)How do you know if a livebearer such as a guppy is pregnant?
Just by the size of her stomach, and sometimes it will darken up some
9.)Should livebearers be put in a seprate spawning tank?
You might save a few extra fry by doing that
10.)What is the maximum number of fish for a community tank?
It depends on the size, for a 10 gallon it would be about 8 medium sized fish such as Platies
11.)Are cichlids bullies?
Most are, unless the fish are the same size or larger
12.)Are pencilfish bullies or worth buying?
Very gentle, hard to find, but worth buying if you can find them
What is the best tank size for a beginner?
A 10 gallon should give you a good taste of what keeping an aquarium is all about. Larger wouldn't hurt if you have the spare cash.
How do you keep the water in the tank crystal clear like at the petshops?
If your filter has been running for a week or 2 and your water is not clear then you can worry. If that's the case then it's either over stocked or polluted or there is something in the gravel, rocks or driftwood that is leaching into the water.
Hope this helps. If you have any more quetions don't hesitate to ask. Be more specific and I can give you a better answer.
Clint
Dear Clint,
I have questions:
1.)How long are pearl gouramis(trichogaster leeri)?
maximum of about 6 inches
2.)How long are choclate gouramis (sphaerichthys osphromenoides)?
About 2 inches or less, I'm not really sure. These are suppose to be hard to keep and really hard to spawn.
3.)How long are honey gouramis (colisa chuna)?
Around 2 inches, maybe a tad less
4.)What about the thick lip(colisa labiosa)?
4 inches long, I read up on it. Peaceful and easy to keep and spawn. A community fish. Looks nice too!
5.)How do you feed the worms to the fish?
I chop em up with scissors in a small plastic cup (with a little water) and use a turkey baster to feed them out.
6.)Do you give the worms live or dead?
I clean the worms and then freeze them and chop em up right before I feed them to the fish.
happy holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!thanks Clint, J~~~
Happy Holidays to you too J~~~ !
Do you have a tank and if so what kind of fish do you have?
I don't have as many tanks now as I used to, kids and such, bills and space. But I have become interested in having very small type aquariums. Right now I have a lot of tanks in storage and loaned out. But my current tanks are a 10 gallon salt water tank with just a Clownfish and a bunch of hermit crabs and snails. Another salt tank, a 5 gallon with a yellowtail damsel , crabs, snails and liverock. A 5 gallon plant tank, just started. A 5 gallon dwarf cichlid tank with the fish Telmatochromis bifreneatus, you can read about it on my webpage. And 2 more 5 gallon tanks with Platies in them , I was given the Platies and and I haven't found a way to get rid of them yet. Anyway I just recently went thru a real tank rearrangement and sold off a bunch of fish and plants and equipment and I'm redoing it all. Thanks for your interest.
General Aquarium Questions Part 2
Other E-Mail Achives are available:
Kribensis Questions
Salt Water Questions
Betta Questions