SpaceButler
Aquarium Advice Freak
Hi. My name's Mike. I'm new to fish and brand new to the forum here.
Brief history: I got a 10 gallon tank on a whim in mid-October, with it I got some painted glass fish (4). It wasn't till after I bought then that I learned what "painted" meant (yeah, I'm an idiot) and was appalled by the thought of the painted fish genre. To no great surprise, those fish died and I made a new start with a pleco and 2 oscars.
Another tidbit of information I missed was that O's grow to about 12-14"... But don't think I'm a sadist! I'm searching everyday for a good deal on a 55 gallon (at least); as for now, neither Oscar is over 2 inches, and they seem quite comfortable. If I'm not able to move them by the time I think they need it, I'll see they get to a comfortable tank even if it means selling them.
The important thing is that aquaria (proper term?) has become an instant obsession with me, and I would like some help with tank care.
The main question I have is on possible harms of too-frequent water changes. I use a dechlor and let the water sit for hours before adding it to my tank. I don't find the changes a chore, in fact, the idea of getting my little guys fresh water makes me want to change water all the time. My fear is that changing too often could be harmful. I can understand the harm of changing too much at once, if I were to change, say, 10% every day, is that just way too much?
In addition, my water will get cloudy for no apparent reason, fix it self in about a week and a half, then get cloudy again. Am I maybe cleaning too much and making it recycle? Do I need to do something chemically to the tank? I'm going to have the parameters checked today, so I can post those later.
Let's see... I have lots of hiding places for the fish, a heater that I keep at 78 degrees... and I think that's it.
Any advice, tips, or comments would be so appreciated. I want this aquarium to be as enjoyable for the fish as it is for me.
Thanks.
Brief history: I got a 10 gallon tank on a whim in mid-October, with it I got some painted glass fish (4). It wasn't till after I bought then that I learned what "painted" meant (yeah, I'm an idiot) and was appalled by the thought of the painted fish genre. To no great surprise, those fish died and I made a new start with a pleco and 2 oscars.
Another tidbit of information I missed was that O's grow to about 12-14"... But don't think I'm a sadist! I'm searching everyday for a good deal on a 55 gallon (at least); as for now, neither Oscar is over 2 inches, and they seem quite comfortable. If I'm not able to move them by the time I think they need it, I'll see they get to a comfortable tank even if it means selling them.
The important thing is that aquaria (proper term?) has become an instant obsession with me, and I would like some help with tank care.
The main question I have is on possible harms of too-frequent water changes. I use a dechlor and let the water sit for hours before adding it to my tank. I don't find the changes a chore, in fact, the idea of getting my little guys fresh water makes me want to change water all the time. My fear is that changing too often could be harmful. I can understand the harm of changing too much at once, if I were to change, say, 10% every day, is that just way too much?
In addition, my water will get cloudy for no apparent reason, fix it self in about a week and a half, then get cloudy again. Am I maybe cleaning too much and making it recycle? Do I need to do something chemically to the tank? I'm going to have the parameters checked today, so I can post those later.
Let's see... I have lots of hiding places for the fish, a heater that I keep at 78 degrees... and I think that's it.
Any advice, tips, or comments would be so appreciated. I want this aquarium to be as enjoyable for the fish as it is for me.
Thanks.