Recent content by aptom203

How big is decent sized? this is what I'm asking. So I can figure out if we have enough space or if we'll have to rehome them.

My mom recently bought a pair of comets for my little brother and sister, and until recently has refused to hear it when I tell her the 2 gallon bowl they have is not even remotely enough space for them- or even that it needs a filter! I'd like to rescue these goldfish, so I was wondering what...

Looks somewhat like bacterial bloom, like you see in a tank that is cycling. It's likely that in taking out the under gravel filter, the good bacteria in your gravel has been starved of ammonia and died, resulting in an ammonia spike in the rest of your tank. The ammonia is what's killing the...

Well, tried this and it didn't go so well. the netting was as flush as I could get it to the back and within minutes not one but two fish had managed to get themselves wedged behind it, so I pulled it out. Settled for tying the Java moss to my driftwood and a couple of rocks, will have to think...

It's worth noting that you should always boil anything (that isn't alive!) before adding it to your tank- or run it through a clean dishwasher without soap if it's too big to boil. This is doubly true for stuff you find laying around, but even items from very reputable fish stores can contain...

Diatoms thrive in bad light, but are readily out competed by higher plants and algae. I know Cichlids like to uproot plants, but you could consider Java Moss or Java Ferns which will attach themselves directly to rocks and ornaments (Just tie them on with fishing line, or even use cotton string...

Plecos and Tetras cannot tolerate salt for extended periods of time, so if the salt isn't doing the trick (Or even if it does) you will need to do a series of large water changes and thorough gravel vacs to get rid of the salt or it will eventually kill them. Adding salt too quickly can make the...

Some fish like to beg, livebearers seem especially fond of this. My mollies like to nibble my fingers when my hands are in the tank. Overfeeding is ultimately worse for your fish than under feeding, so long as all the fish are getting a fair share some feed less aggressively than others. Keep an...

If the eye is bulging, it is likely due to mechanical damage (from roughhousing) or an infection from a wound on or near the eye. A mild antiseptic like Melafix might do the job of returning it to normal, but if the fish's eye has clouded like that as a result it's possible that even once the...

Shelled, crushed/finely chopped peas are also an effective laxative for fish.

If you love the fish, why do you insist on slowly and painfully killing him? I will never understand why people come here for advice and then ignore it, or worse, argue with the people who give it.

Finally managed to get a decent close-up photo of one of the two affected plecos. He is still active and eating well- The pale patch I'm concerned about runs from the start to about halfway down his dorsal fin, and down the side of his body almost to his pectoral fins. He also has a similar pale...

Closeups of specimens in my tropical freshwater tank.

Ammonia poisoning doesn't 'catch' but it can do permanent damage to a fishes liver and gills- and generally speaking more than one fish gets it because they're all in teh same ammonia rich water. Of course, remove fish that die as soon as possible, as they will add even more ammonia to your tank...