Search results

Hello Brush... Yes. It appears your lighting isn't strong enough. The leaves on top may be shading those below. Anyway, it would be a good idea to research the lighting needs of the plants you have to see if you're giving it to them. Most plants that need to be planted in the bottom...

Hello Rhe... I'm not into high tech tanks, but I can tell you from my limited experience that oxygen will drive off carbon dioxide, which as you know is an important plant nutrient. B

Hello Sorg... Welcome. I'm with you on a lot of your interests. I keep a lot of tanks from 20 to 300 gallons and am always looking for simpler ways of tank keeping. I'm old school and keep my tanks the old fashioned way. I don't go in for a lot of gizmos and chemicals. Hope we have some...

Outdoor Tank Thanks Autumn. The Water lettuce was some I got from you a couple of summers ago. Remember? By the way, I still have the Goldfish and Minnows you gifted me. They're getting pretty big. B

Hi Maz... Actually cloudy water is a sign that a form of less than beneficial bacteria is trying to develop in the tank. A larger water change is always a good idea if you notice something out of the ordinary is going on in your tank. The best thing for your tank is removing and replacing...

Hello erik... Can you tell me if you have strong lighting? If you dose CO2, you're essentially telling the plants you want faster growth. However, the plants won't respond unless you give them very bright light to go with the CO2. B

Outdoor Tank Hello AA... Attached is a picture of my 300 gallon tank from last summer. I'm hoping it will be just as nice this summer. B https://i.imgur.com/uunez4i.jpg

Hello again... Marineland and Exo-Terra brands are the least spendy canisters. I would recommend a couple of sponge filters if your aim is to aerate and filter the water. If you're interested in saving money on filters and media, look at the sponge filters from Aquarium Solutions. I use the...

Hello Fin... Vacuuming isn't necessary. If you remove and replace half the tank water weekly, you'll remove everything that has dissolved in the water. If you want to vacuum, then wave the siphon back and forth just above the sand to clean the organic material from the bottom. You can also...

Hello DC... Just curious. Why do you need a canister filter? B

Hello Nomad... You can put chemicals in the tank, but you don't know how your fish will react to something foreign in their water. I really wouldn't do it. You need to clean up the water, so start removing and replacing half the water a couple of times a week and add a couple of teaspoons of...

Hello JPA... Sounds to me like you could rid yourself of the tank and not be too concerned. If there's the slightest doubt about keeping the tank, then I'd opt for selling it. If you're not 100 percent committed to keeping it, then don't. B

Hello tris... This Guppy doesn't look healthy to me. What's your tank maintenance routine? In particular, your water change routine. A 20 gallon tank needs half the water removed and replaced every few days. B

Hello Bof... As long as your main tank is extremely clean, you can introduce your new fish. The chances of a virus or parasite infecting a healthy fish in pure water conditions is very remote. B

Hello rl... If you feed a small variety daily, the fish will be fine. Most have a stomach the size of one of their eyes, so they don't require much food. A fasting day is fine, but if you change half or more of the tank water weekly, you'll remove any waste material that's dissolved in the...

Hello liv... You have too many fish planned for such a small tank. A 55 gallon or more is needed. Have you done your research to make sure all these fish will live together peacefully? B

Hello ska... Some algae is a good thing. It helps filter the nitrogen from the tank water. Some is unavoidable. I only scrape it from the front glass and let it grow on the other sides. B

Hello DC... If you want the specific numbers for the mineral content of your water, you can check with a few places. Your local water department will have it. Some pet stores have the means to give you those numbers, as will your local high school chemistry departments. Take your pick. B

Hello Thomas... If you're in doubt about the health of your fish, perform a little larger water change than usual. You can add a bit of standard aquarium salt too. A standard teaspoon or a bit more in every five gallons of treated tap water will discourage the growth and reproduction of a...

Feeding Hello Bof... The typical aquarium fish has a stomach the size of one of its eyes. So, that may tell you how much to feed. An adult fish that's fed a little variety once a day is fine. You can even include a fasting day once a week. This will encourage the fish to forage around the...

Hello Thomas... The fish in cycle has some specific steps to follow in order to grow the biofilter and keep the water chemistry safe for the fish. The process shouldn't take more than a month. You add some floating plants to help steady the water chemistry. You feed the fish a little every...

Hello lux... A couple of things: Do you treat your well water? And, any attempt to change your water chemistry is never a good idea. Because, you can't maintain that change. B

Hello Jared... Livebearing females can hold off dropping their fry until they feel conditions are right for their fry to survive. Pure water conditions and the right foods will help. Fish need at least half their tank water changed weekly. This will guarantee a steady water chemistry. Also...

Hello Morgs... Those are Corydoras eggs. These haven't been fertilized. Fertilized eggs turn an amber color. If you have fish in this tank large enough, the eggs will be lunch. Good luck. B

Hello Fish... If you believe the fish is having trouble passing it's food, start feeding a little Spirulina. It's high nutrient and a good source of fiber. You can also gradually increase your water changes to half the tank's volume every week. I would recommend using water that's a bit...