ALGAE!! Help! - Viewed 4328 times Algae is a very common problem. It's caused by two things: light and excessive waste. If you run lights over an unplanted tank, or you tank gets sunlight, keep them off, cut down on the length of time they're on, or add plants. If you haven't changed water in a while, do so. High levels of nitrat
Can anyone give me product recommendations for my aquarium setup? - Viewed 4163 times Probably the most important and most variable product is the filter. The general consensus on this board is that AquaClear filters are by far the best filters on the market. Whisper filters come highly rated as well. The Penguin Bio-wheels, while they look good, have given members of this board a
Do I have too many fish, or not enough? - Viewed 4942 times For most people, especially beginners, one inch of fish per gallon of tank space is a quite good rule. This means that the total of all the fish in the tank's full grown length equals the number of gallons. This isn't by any means a "rule" though. Read my theory on stocking levels. (
Help me get through the cycle - Viewed 4370 times Cycling is a very important part of setting up any aquarium. It is essential to keeping fish happy and healthy.
If you have a filter and fish, your tank will cycle. The most important part is speeding the cycle up so that you minimize stress on your fish. The only way to do this is to ad
HELP! My fish has something visibly wrong with it!! - Viewed 7426 times If your fish has numerous small white bumps all over it, it probably has Ich, or white spot disease. See http://www.petfish.net/kb/entry/12/163/NOTE: In goldfish, small tubercles can form on the head and gill plates. Do not be alarmed, t
HELP! My fish is acting strange!! - Viewed 8194 times If your fish is hiding too much or is very skiddish, it is probably living in fear of something. Make sure no other fish are harassing it, and that there is not a large amount of movement around the tank. Adding plants will calm the fish. (even fake ones)
If your fish lines itself up wit
HELP! My fish is changing color! - Viewed 9956 times In goldfish, this is quite common. Goldfish have a genetically predetermined colour, but they also have genetically predetermined colour changes throughout life. Don't be concerned if it changes between natural colours. (orange, white, red, gold, black).
In Bettas, AKA Siamese fight
How can I best maintain my tank? - Viewed 4459 times If you don't know the very basics of maintaining your tank, or if you take everything out and wash it about once a month, please read Basic Fishkeeping. (http://www.petfish.net/kb/6/)Generally, the more water you change per month, the better. I genera
How do I breed my Livebearer? (Mollies, Guppies, Platies) - Viewed 7516 times With livebearers, there is really very little to breeding. Most of them just need some gadget to ensure they won't eat their fry. Just keep males and females together, at a ratio of at least 2 females for every male, (having too many males can oversex the female) and let them go at it.
S
How do I spawn my fish? - Viewed 4043 times In this case, a google search is always best. Even if you have some very specific problem, odds are good that someone has had it and written on it. See our articles for some specifics on some fish (http://www.petfish.net/kb/1/) and also see Spawning A
I need to know all about my fish - Viewed 4276 times Here, a google search will tell you everything there is to know about a species. Searching by species name will yield the most hits. To find the species name you want, search for it's common name. Most pages about the fish will have the species name listed. Just copy it, go back, and paste it int
I'm going on vacation. What can I do to keep my fish healthy? - Viewed 4211 times If you're going away for up to a week, they'll be fine. Do a water change about 24 hours before you leave and clean things up a bit, feed them a little extra, (not any more than twice the normal) and they'll do fine.
For up to two weeks, you'll want someone to come in and feed them, mayb
I'm looking into setting up a new tank. What kind of things to I need? - Viewed 4169 times I can give you a quick, general list: Tank, filter, some sort of cover, (cardboard will do for us poor folks) and gravel. That's really it, I run a goldfish tank with less than that. Heaters are a good idea if your tank is in an area where the temperature changes a lot, or it stays too cold
My filter is too bloody loud! - Viewed 9601 times If you've just set up your aquarium, you're going to have to get used to the sound. You should only really be able to hear it when it's totally quiet, like when you're going to sleep. If it splashes excessively, raise the water line until it's silenced. If it makes a loud rattling, groaning, or a
My fish are harassing or attacking one another! - Viewed 5194 times You may have picked the wrong fish. Some fish are very territorial, like the Betta and most Cichlids. Male livebearers, especially Platies and Swordtails, will sometimes hate each other, and one will dominate all the rest and eventually kill them.
If any two fish you have are f
My fish are jumping out! - Viewed 4263 times Many fish jump naturally, such as Bettas, Endlers, Swordtails and Hatchetfish.
Generally, all aquariums should have a cover, because various things like a pH swing, sudden movements near the aquarium or even the lights coming on or going off can make any f
My fish get stuck on/sucked into the filter! - Viewed 12966 times Most filters should have a sort of cage over the intake that will prevent fish from being sucked in. If it's missing, cover the intake with a bit if old pant hose rubber-banded to the intake tube and order a replacement from the filter's manufacturer.
If your fish are too small to be scr
What kind of fish can I add to this tank? - Viewed 5435 times We get this question a lot here at petfish.net. While a very valid question, it's hard to answer. There are at least several hundred possible combinations of fish and plants for any given tank. I strongly advise that you browse some pictures online, or better yet, look around your local fish stor
What should be my first fish? - Viewed 6706 times While opinions vary, there are two fish that are generally considered the best fish to start out on. While you're learning, you'll make mistakes. It's inevitable. You need a fish that will be forgiving enough to survive these. The two best fish are probably the Zebra Danio and the Betta. (aka Sia
Why are my fish dying? - Viewed 16392 times Aquarium keeping is not as simple as it looks. A fish in a bowl is not going to have a good time. If you are suffering from mysterious deaths, and you're just getting started, check out the following links.First, a concise, bare-bones guide to keeping you fish healthy:Basic Fish Keepi
