ok i have a fish tank thats around 25 gallons (weird shape) its been up for about 7 montsh now after i cleaned it and its doing really well. Currently i have 2 platys and 2 fish i dont know the name of :). Well about a month ago my friends platy had fry the over took her tank so i took 4 from her. 3 of them died in the first week but one survied! and has been still doing good for a month now. But it seems lik him/her is now growing! I mean i know he has grown some cuasehe has got all his/her color now. But not much size.. i want him/her to grow up so it can have fry with my orange/black platy :). Why wont it grow! My platy is pregnant for the first time too and i dont wnt the same thing to happen to her fry!
Answers:
Factors that affect growth rates are ,cleanliness of the water:quality of food; and temperature.
Change 20 to 25 % of the water once or twice a week.
Keep the filters clean.
Try to find some forms of live foods,both plant and animal.
Keep the tank temperature at 78 or 79 degrees F.
All this should begin as soon as possible after the fry are dropped.
The fact that three out of four fry died makes me believe that you do not do frequent water changes and that the Nitrates and possibly also Ammonia numbers are high for your tank.
Also you should try to find out the correct name of your other fish,it's important to know what sort of fish you are trying to take care of.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Platy breeding??
I have a male and female dwarf platy in a 5 gallon tank with a betta and 2 otto cats. will they breed? i really want them to. all my riends with fishtanks really want a couple but cant find them any where. so if you have any advise on getting them to breed PLEASE help!!!
Answers:
Platies will breed, yes. That's almost all they do! LOL The betta will eat the babies, though (as will the platies), so make sure you remove the babies as soon as you see them and put them in a seperate tank or in a breeding net. There isn't anything really special to make a platy breed. Sometimes bumping the temp helps, but they'll breed on their own with no help from you as long as they are both sexually mature.
Your tank is over stocked, if you want them to breed get a 10 gallon tank and put them there, once they lay eggs remove the father and mother and raise the fry.
If you aren't familiar with breeding fish the fry will die after a couple of tires you will get it.
Answers:
Platies will breed, yes. That's almost all they do! LOL The betta will eat the babies, though (as will the platies), so make sure you remove the babies as soon as you see them and put them in a seperate tank or in a breeding net. There isn't anything really special to make a platy breed. Sometimes bumping the temp helps, but they'll breed on their own with no help from you as long as they are both sexually mature.
Your tank is over stocked, if you want them to breed get a 10 gallon tank and put them there, once they lay eggs remove the father and mother and raise the fry.
If you aren't familiar with breeding fish the fry will die after a couple of tires you will get it.
Platie Fry?
Does anyone have pictures of platie fry ?
Answers:
http://static.flickr.com/122/291021846_6...
http://www.fishforever.co.uk/images/fry.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/30496...
http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/livebe35...
~ GG
Fish, I see....
Here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billread/49...
It isn't mine but it is very helpful.
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...
Answers:
http://static.flickr.com/122/291021846_6...
http://www.fishforever.co.uk/images/fry.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/30496...
http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/livebe35...
~ GG
Fish, I see....
Here.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/billread/49...
It isn't mine but it is very helpful.
http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/im...
Platie fry?
Does anyone have pictures of platie fry?
Answers:
http://static.flickr.com/122/291021846_6...
http://www.fishforever.co.uk/images/fry.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/30496...
http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/livebe35...
~ GG
Answers:
http://static.flickr.com/122/291021846_6...
http://www.fishforever.co.uk/images/fry.
http://farm1.static.flickr.com/120/30496...
http://www.aqualandpetsplus.com/livebe35...
~ GG
Platie fry?
I platie fry had between 40 and 60 babies the other day, wednsday, I wasnt expecting so many, I only have a spare 20 gallon (set up and cycled with only 2 apple snails in it, I am planing on puting about 10 in there. Is it true that bigger fish will eat babies? If so, do i just take them out the breeder box and put them in the tank with the big fish or do i put one of the big fish in the box with the babies?
thansk
Answers:
Yes platies can reproduce like rabbits, And have alot of fry (babies) I would suggest asking the pet shop if they want the fry or they may give you a small amount of cash, Or store credit, But if you dont want to do that then the babies provide protein for larger fish,Tasty. I would suggest picking the 10 most heathlyest ones and puting them in your 20 gal with a sponge filter, The power filter will suck them up.
~ GG
It is true. Bigger fish will eat the babies. If you can separate them, it is best, but if you keep them in a tank with bigger fish (or turtles) make sure you provide the fry with some nice floating plants or something to hide in.
Yes, bigger fish WILL eat the babies. Keep them safe by setting up a net in the main tank, or set up another tank, exclusively for the fry. Don't put gravel or plants in the fry tank. Only put a sponge filter in the fry tank. Don't put ANYTHING in a net.
Hope that helps!
Good luck!
thansk
Answers:
Yes platies can reproduce like rabbits, And have alot of fry (babies) I would suggest asking the pet shop if they want the fry or they may give you a small amount of cash, Or store credit, But if you dont want to do that then the babies provide protein for larger fish,Tasty. I would suggest picking the 10 most heathlyest ones and puting them in your 20 gal with a sponge filter, The power filter will suck them up.
~ GG
It is true. Bigger fish will eat the babies. If you can separate them, it is best, but if you keep them in a tank with bigger fish (or turtles) make sure you provide the fry with some nice floating plants or something to hide in.
Yes, bigger fish WILL eat the babies. Keep them safe by setting up a net in the main tank, or set up another tank, exclusively for the fry. Don't put gravel or plants in the fry tank. Only put a sponge filter in the fry tank. Don't put ANYTHING in a net.
Hope that helps!
Good luck!
Plants not growing? Asking again!?
Problem: Bought anacharis and planted them to fish tank a week ago but there are not growing and look unhealthy (yellow leaves, leaves falling off, etc
Facts
-15 gallon fish tank
-Had tank for a year with fish
-15 watts fluorescent lamp made by All-Glass Aquarium
-I have 4 goldfish (tank overstock but goldfish were a gift. I didnt buy them. dont blame me)
-2 apple snails
-Do water changes weekly 20-30 percent.
-Filter for 30 gallons with CARBON
-NO ALGAE the entire time I had the tank.
-Light ONLY received from lamp. No window where I have the tank.
-Turning the lights for 10-14 hours daily AFTER getting the anacharis.
-Used fertilizer YESTERDAY, no effect.
-Water is room temp or cold (goldfish)
Hypothesis
-Activated carbon sucking nutrients / lack of iron
-Light not strong enough
-Not enough CO2
Other facts
- Answers must be from ppl who actually and successfully planted in their aquariums. Why? Im getting too many answers that contradict themselves. I dont know what to believe
Answers:
Thanks for the added info. Now that your tank size is specified, I would go with not enough light and/or iron as the major problems.
The fertilizer you bought should have iron as one of the ingredients, so that will help in the long term, but you won't see any results in a day.
If you can, I'd try upgrading the lighting system. It would help just to add a second hood of the size you already use, although this may make opening the tank for feeding more of a problem. Make the new tube one for plant growth or a full spectrum to be sure you're supplying the plants with the proper wavelengths for photosynthesis. Beyond that, there are double-tube fluorescents you can buy, or you may want to switch to a T-5 or compact fluorescent which will significantly increase your light intensity.
The other choice would be to select plants that have a lower lighting requirement. Three that I would strongly recommend are Java moss, Java fern, and Anubias: http://faq.thekrib.com/plant-list.html...
See below for info on plants and mineral deficiencies and their symptoms - the first mentions lack of nitrate as a cause of yellowing, but with 4 goldfish in a 15 gallon tank, I doubt this is your problem:
It looks like everything is good I think your Hypthesis is about for Not enough CO2 or Activated carbon, Nutrients or lack of Iron. yellow leaves is usually the sign of lacking Nutrients or CO2, other than that I think it could be shock. Also your snails or fish might be eating it.
well it seems like you have everything you need for a good grow maybe with sometime you'll get it
When you take medication is it instant and don't the results build over time?
Keep giving the fertilzer and next time I would go with a bamboo plant because they are cheaper and easier to replace. You have way too many goldfish and so they are tearing your plant apart. I would try getting some more light and give the fertilizer two times a week. Add a bubbler if you can it helps the plants alot, I would think that you are getting enought light.
In the end I would increase the food dosage, get a bubbler and maybe find a way to give away your fish. If they are healthy and good looking some pet stores or maybe some of your friends will take the other 3.
Hope I could help!
P.s. don't remove your carbon or your fish will die! The fish need clean ammonia and nitrate free water more than you plants like I said increase iron dosage and see what happens!
All of those things you mention could be the problem,but before you spend a bunch of money,look up the temperature range for Anacharis,plants are really temperature sensitive.
4 Goldfish should produce tons of CO2,so I wouldn't buy a CO2 system.
The carbon might be removing Nitrates and Phosphates if you are changing it monthly,but I don't think it will remove iron.
Here's something to try: get a piece of nice driftwood,find some Java Fern,gently attach the plant to the driftwood.(I use bands made by cutting the feet out of discarded pantyhose,but any thing that's very gentle will work.)
One more thing,I've got a couple of planted tanks,and I've kept fish for nearly 50 years,and I've never seen Anacharis actually grow anywhere but in my outdoor "ponds"(horse watering tanks,buried in the ground.) So don't be too discouraged with your first attempt.
Don't blame the carbon, it has nothing to do with it. With this new information regarding tank size, the answer is fairly obvious, your plants aren't getting enough light. One watt per gallon from an incandescent light is nothing! Get a 30 watt fluorescent light, problem solved. Also, stop adding fertilizer, the fertilizer is going to lead to algae, and you wouldn't want to break your algae-less streak...
Nosoop4u
EDIT: First of all, a bubbler will reduce the amount of CO2 the plants recieve, therefore, killing them. Secondly, Bamboo isn't an aquatic plant, and will soon rot in the tank, fouling the water.
EDIT 2: If you don't have enough money to support the plants, just get rid of them, or you will continue to have dying filth in your tank.
you can't expect a fertilizer to work in a period of 1 day, that's impossible
you need to keep your water clean, that means 25% weekly partial waterchanges with a gravelsiphon
The carbon has nothing to do with it
Give the fertilizer time to work, at least a week before you will see any changes and improvements
Also leave the light on for 10-12 hours during the day and turn it off for 12-14 hours at nights
you could als give hornwort and cabomba plants a try
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
well i dont have a succeful planted aquarium but i do have a somewhat succesful aquarium. i recently got a plant too, not sure what kind but its broad leaved and pretty so yea... what i did as soon as i got home is i putt it in my aquarium in a small pot with gravel in it, i knew that some how my fish were going to uproot it and i would never put it back and the plant would die, or the fish would eat the roots.
you could have bought a tropical water plant, but you have coldwater fish, look up some coldwater plants.
the goldfish could be producing to much waste, and thus killing the plant.
they could be eating the roots, i have herd of incedints were goldfish (and koi) just randomly shredding peoples plants...
oh and im glad you put all of your tank info, no one does that around here
Facts
-15 gallon fish tank
-Had tank for a year with fish
-15 watts fluorescent lamp made by All-Glass Aquarium
-I have 4 goldfish (tank overstock but goldfish were a gift. I didnt buy them. dont blame me)
-2 apple snails
-Do water changes weekly 20-30 percent.
-Filter for 30 gallons with CARBON
-NO ALGAE the entire time I had the tank.
-Light ONLY received from lamp. No window where I have the tank.
-Turning the lights for 10-14 hours daily AFTER getting the anacharis.
-Used fertilizer YESTERDAY, no effect.
-Water is room temp or cold (goldfish)
Hypothesis
-Activated carbon sucking nutrients / lack of iron
-Light not strong enough
-Not enough CO2
Other facts
- Answers must be from ppl who actually and successfully planted in their aquariums. Why? Im getting too many answers that contradict themselves. I dont know what to believe
Answers:
Thanks for the added info. Now that your tank size is specified, I would go with not enough light and/or iron as the major problems.
The fertilizer you bought should have iron as one of the ingredients, so that will help in the long term, but you won't see any results in a day.
If you can, I'd try upgrading the lighting system. It would help just to add a second hood of the size you already use, although this may make opening the tank for feeding more of a problem. Make the new tube one for plant growth or a full spectrum to be sure you're supplying the plants with the proper wavelengths for photosynthesis. Beyond that, there are double-tube fluorescents you can buy, or you may want to switch to a T-5 or compact fluorescent which will significantly increase your light intensity.
The other choice would be to select plants that have a lower lighting requirement. Three that I would strongly recommend are Java moss, Java fern, and Anubias: http://faq.thekrib.com/plant-list.html...
See below for info on plants and mineral deficiencies and their symptoms - the first mentions lack of nitrate as a cause of yellowing, but with 4 goldfish in a 15 gallon tank, I doubt this is your problem:
It looks like everything is good I think your Hypthesis is about for Not enough CO2 or Activated carbon, Nutrients or lack of Iron. yellow leaves is usually the sign of lacking Nutrients or CO2, other than that I think it could be shock. Also your snails or fish might be eating it.
well it seems like you have everything you need for a good grow maybe with sometime you'll get it
When you take medication is it instant and don't the results build over time?
Keep giving the fertilzer and next time I would go with a bamboo plant because they are cheaper and easier to replace. You have way too many goldfish and so they are tearing your plant apart. I would try getting some more light and give the fertilizer two times a week. Add a bubbler if you can it helps the plants alot, I would think that you are getting enought light.
In the end I would increase the food dosage, get a bubbler and maybe find a way to give away your fish. If they are healthy and good looking some pet stores or maybe some of your friends will take the other 3.
Hope I could help!
P.s. don't remove your carbon or your fish will die! The fish need clean ammonia and nitrate free water more than you plants like I said increase iron dosage and see what happens!
All of those things you mention could be the problem,but before you spend a bunch of money,look up the temperature range for Anacharis,plants are really temperature sensitive.
4 Goldfish should produce tons of CO2,so I wouldn't buy a CO2 system.
The carbon might be removing Nitrates and Phosphates if you are changing it monthly,but I don't think it will remove iron.
Here's something to try: get a piece of nice driftwood,find some Java Fern,gently attach the plant to the driftwood.(I use bands made by cutting the feet out of discarded pantyhose,but any thing that's very gentle will work.)
One more thing,I've got a couple of planted tanks,and I've kept fish for nearly 50 years,and I've never seen Anacharis actually grow anywhere but in my outdoor "ponds"(horse watering tanks,buried in the ground.) So don't be too discouraged with your first attempt.
Don't blame the carbon, it has nothing to do with it. With this new information regarding tank size, the answer is fairly obvious, your plants aren't getting enough light. One watt per gallon from an incandescent light is nothing! Get a 30 watt fluorescent light, problem solved. Also, stop adding fertilizer, the fertilizer is going to lead to algae, and you wouldn't want to break your algae-less streak...
Nosoop4u
EDIT: First of all, a bubbler will reduce the amount of CO2 the plants recieve, therefore, killing them. Secondly, Bamboo isn't an aquatic plant, and will soon rot in the tank, fouling the water.
EDIT 2: If you don't have enough money to support the plants, just get rid of them, or you will continue to have dying filth in your tank.
you can't expect a fertilizer to work in a period of 1 day, that's impossible
you need to keep your water clean, that means 25% weekly partial waterchanges with a gravelsiphon
The carbon has nothing to do with it
Give the fertilizer time to work, at least a week before you will see any changes and improvements
Also leave the light on for 10-12 hours during the day and turn it off for 12-14 hours at nights
you could als give hornwort and cabomba plants a try
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
well i dont have a succeful planted aquarium but i do have a somewhat succesful aquarium. i recently got a plant too, not sure what kind but its broad leaved and pretty so yea... what i did as soon as i got home is i putt it in my aquarium in a small pot with gravel in it, i knew that some how my fish were going to uproot it and i would never put it back and the plant would die, or the fish would eat the roots.
you could have bought a tropical water plant, but you have coldwater fish, look up some coldwater plants.
the goldfish could be producing to much waste, and thus killing the plant.
they could be eating the roots, i have herd of incedints were goldfish (and koi) just randomly shredding peoples plants...
oh and im glad you put all of your tank info, no one does that around here
Plants and aquarium salt?
I'm new to live plants. I want to use aquarium salt in my livebearer tanks, but it will kill the plants in a short time right? Are there any plants that can withstand the salt?
Answers:
Most aquatic plants will tolerate the amount of salt used on a regular basis in freshwater tanks (1 tablespoon per 5 gallons). Some will tolerate even more salinity. This link gives a list with symbols for various environmental requirements, and one symbol indicates brackish/alkaline conditions: http://faq.thekrib.com/plant-list.html...
Another article: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brackishsubwe...
There are plants in the ocean -- so, surely there must be some plants that can withstand the salt -- ask the people at your local friendly aquarium place -- surely, they'll have the answer . . . it's their job (and, if they tell you something, and the plant dies, anyway . . . you could feasibly return it, under the warranty of merchantability . . . look that up online).
be careful, the two do not combine very well and i learned it from experience, i had a sick oscar and i was healing him with some salt and plants in the tank. well he didnt make it but if you do a good amount of water changes the plant comes back to life as quick as it dies.
Some plants, like Java Moss, Java Fern, Hornwort, Amazon Sword, and Annubias, tend to do rather well in salted freshwater to brackish type tanks.
Answers:
Most aquatic plants will tolerate the amount of salt used on a regular basis in freshwater tanks (1 tablespoon per 5 gallons). Some will tolerate even more salinity. This link gives a list with symbols for various environmental requirements, and one symbol indicates brackish/alkaline conditions: http://faq.thekrib.com/plant-list.html...
Another article: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/brackishsubwe...
There are plants in the ocean -- so, surely there must be some plants that can withstand the salt -- ask the people at your local friendly aquarium place -- surely, they'll have the answer . . . it's their job (and, if they tell you something, and the plant dies, anyway . . . you could feasibly return it, under the warranty of merchantability . . . look that up online).
be careful, the two do not combine very well and i learned it from experience, i had a sick oscar and i was healing him with some salt and plants in the tank. well he didnt make it but if you do a good amount of water changes the plant comes back to life as quick as it dies.
Some plants, like Java Moss, Java Fern, Hornwort, Amazon Sword, and Annubias, tend to do rather well in salted freshwater to brackish type tanks.
Plants + Activated Carbon = Dead plants?
I have a fish tank with anacharis under a fluorescent 15 watt lamp The plants dont look that good. I bought fertilizer yesterday and so far I havent seen any improvement. Do you think that the activated carbon inside my power filter is sucking all the nutrients + the fertilizer out of the water thus starving my plants?
Answers:
It's hard to say what the problem might be without knowing more about your tank.
To begin with, you mention that you have a 15 watt lamp, but what's the size of your tank? Given that you should have at least 3 watts per gallon for "high" lighting, is it a 5 gallon tank? If so, that might be okay. If it's a 55 gallon, you're seriously under the amount of wattage you need.
Along with the wattage, what's the spectrum? Plants use a little light from all wavelengths, but need more in the 450-500 and 680-700 namometer range for photosynthesis (red and blue colors). If tour fluorescents produce light mostly in other wavelengths, it doesn't do your plants any good no matter how high the wattage.
How heavily stocked is the tank? If you have enough fish, they will be providing most of the nitrate, phosphate, and carbon dioxide needed by your plants already, but there are trace elements like iron which is usually deficient in aquaria that would be needed. If the tank is heavily planted, you may need to supplement CO2 as well (also, if the tank is heavily planted, light may not reach lower leaves, and these will die).
At any rate, a day isn't enough time to see any recovery of the plants from fertilizer - this is something you may only see in new growth. It's possible that the carbon would be adsorbing some of the fertilizer ingredients, especially elements that are metals like iron. If you don't have a specific need for the carbon (removing medication, tannins from driftwood, etc.) it may be better to leave it out for now.
No way on the carbon. Don't put ferelizer in the water. You'll just get algae from the excess iron. You only need fertelizer if your plants suck all the nutrients out of the water. Unless you can see bubbles rolling off of your plants from the intense respiration they're undergoing, then they're not respirating enough to suck all the nutrients out of the water. I guanratee you this isn't happening under 15 watts of light.
You need more co2 or more light for anything to grow in your tank. 15 watts is not enough for anything but java moss. Try another light bulb %26 some flourish excell liquid carbon.
Anacharis also benifits from a little bit of clalcium in the water. a small handfull of crushed coral will do this well.
It has nothing to do with the filter media (the carbon). It is more likely that the Anacharis (a cold water plant) is rotting in water that is too warm. Do you have fish in the tank? The fish will provide more than enough nutrients for the plants (you don't need fertilizer, it is just a supplement for more nutrient-hungry plants). Just be patient and give the Anacharis a chance. Email me if you have any questions.
Nosoop4u
you can't expect a fertilizer to work in a period of 1 day, that's impossible
you need to keep your water clean, that means 25% weekly partial waterchanges with a gravelsiphon
The carbon has nothing to do with it
Give the fertilizer time to work, at least a week before you will see any changes and improvements
Also leave the light on for 10-12 hours during the day and turn it off for 12-14 hours at nights
you could als give hornwort and cabomba plants a try
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
Answers:
It's hard to say what the problem might be without knowing more about your tank.
To begin with, you mention that you have a 15 watt lamp, but what's the size of your tank? Given that you should have at least 3 watts per gallon for "high" lighting, is it a 5 gallon tank? If so, that might be okay. If it's a 55 gallon, you're seriously under the amount of wattage you need.
Along with the wattage, what's the spectrum? Plants use a little light from all wavelengths, but need more in the 450-500 and 680-700 namometer range for photosynthesis (red and blue colors). If tour fluorescents produce light mostly in other wavelengths, it doesn't do your plants any good no matter how high the wattage.
How heavily stocked is the tank? If you have enough fish, they will be providing most of the nitrate, phosphate, and carbon dioxide needed by your plants already, but there are trace elements like iron which is usually deficient in aquaria that would be needed. If the tank is heavily planted, you may need to supplement CO2 as well (also, if the tank is heavily planted, light may not reach lower leaves, and these will die).
At any rate, a day isn't enough time to see any recovery of the plants from fertilizer - this is something you may only see in new growth. It's possible that the carbon would be adsorbing some of the fertilizer ingredients, especially elements that are metals like iron. If you don't have a specific need for the carbon (removing medication, tannins from driftwood, etc.) it may be better to leave it out for now.
No way on the carbon. Don't put ferelizer in the water. You'll just get algae from the excess iron. You only need fertelizer if your plants suck all the nutrients out of the water. Unless you can see bubbles rolling off of your plants from the intense respiration they're undergoing, then they're not respirating enough to suck all the nutrients out of the water. I guanratee you this isn't happening under 15 watts of light.
You need more co2 or more light for anything to grow in your tank. 15 watts is not enough for anything but java moss. Try another light bulb %26 some flourish excell liquid carbon.
Anacharis also benifits from a little bit of clalcium in the water. a small handfull of crushed coral will do this well.
It has nothing to do with the filter media (the carbon). It is more likely that the Anacharis (a cold water plant) is rotting in water that is too warm. Do you have fish in the tank? The fish will provide more than enough nutrients for the plants (you don't need fertilizer, it is just a supplement for more nutrient-hungry plants). Just be patient and give the Anacharis a chance. Email me if you have any questions.
Nosoop4u
you can't expect a fertilizer to work in a period of 1 day, that's impossible
you need to keep your water clean, that means 25% weekly partial waterchanges with a gravelsiphon
The carbon has nothing to do with it
Give the fertilizer time to work, at least a week before you will see any changes and improvements
Also leave the light on for 10-12 hours during the day and turn it off for 12-14 hours at nights
you could als give hornwort and cabomba plants a try
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
Planting a 10 gallon tank?
I would like to plant a 10 gallon tank, but I've never had live plants before. The tank is already set up and has been for about 8 months. I've had fish in the tank for the full 8 months but I need to move them into a biger tank (in about a week). The tank has an undergravel filter and a Whisper Filter.
I would like to change the gravel that is in it.
And I would also like to make it a home for 3 or 4 dwarf puffers...?
Do I need any special gravel?
Will I be able to keep the undergravel filter?
Answers:
I am not sure why infoman would suggest what he did, but it would seem that he is guessing.
In order to have a successful planted tank you need to consider what the plants need to live. They need light to photosynthesize. No way around that. Not just any light will work. We are talking about 2-4 watts of 6500k-8000k spectrum light per gallon. This gets costly, quickly. Also, they need CO2. Fish exhalation is nowhere near enough. CO2 injection can be quite expensive, or quite cheap depending on if you use compressed CO2, or DIY CO2 injection. Both types require equipment used to dissolve the gas into the water. Keep in mind that by agitating the water surface, like with bubble stones, you are allowing most of the dissolved CO2 to escape back into the air. Additionally, plants thrive best with special substrates. A product called 'Eco-Complete' works well here. Some people even swear by under-gravel heaters. This causes convection, pulling nutrients down to the roots. Also, consider the cost of the plant packages (retail bundles of aquatic plants) available. Planting a tank is not simply putting live plants into an aquarium.
I am not trying to scare you away from planting your tank. Hopefully, my post will prevent some frustration and/or wasted money! While it can get costly, I feel that by planting your aquarium, you are creating a healthy, beautiful home for your fish. The following are some links to references which I found helpful when planting my tank.
dont need anything special most under water plants will grow anywhere just read up on the kind of plants your are planting . heres a great site ask many answer to fish and tanks http://www.ocsarfish.com
Jason is right as far as everything about plants and lighting and I won't even try to improve on that, but your question also was about whether you could make a 10 gallon tank home to 3-4 dwarf puffers, and the answer to that is no. Dwarf puffers, dwarf though the name may say, can still grow to 1 foot long and one puffer alone needs 30 gallons of water. So, you are either going to need to re-think your choice of fish, or invest in a 60-75 gallon tank for those 3-4 puffers. Good luck with everything!
you need to buy a hornwort plant. I got one of those and some anacharis for my tank and the hornwort has grown a foot in a month. i didn't use any kind of substrate for it i just dropped it in the water and it is growing wonderfully.
Now I don't know anything about the puffers but I suggest you research it some before you put them in the tank.
no need for anything special. most plants grow in regular gravel. you can keep the filter and the gravel. the fish will be great for this tank. for these fish any plant will be good just make sure you know how much light and how to care for them.
I would like to change the gravel that is in it.
And I would also like to make it a home for 3 or 4 dwarf puffers...?
Do I need any special gravel?
Will I be able to keep the undergravel filter?
Answers:
I am not sure why infoman would suggest what he did, but it would seem that he is guessing.
In order to have a successful planted tank you need to consider what the plants need to live. They need light to photosynthesize. No way around that. Not just any light will work. We are talking about 2-4 watts of 6500k-8000k spectrum light per gallon. This gets costly, quickly. Also, they need CO2. Fish exhalation is nowhere near enough. CO2 injection can be quite expensive, or quite cheap depending on if you use compressed CO2, or DIY CO2 injection. Both types require equipment used to dissolve the gas into the water. Keep in mind that by agitating the water surface, like with bubble stones, you are allowing most of the dissolved CO2 to escape back into the air. Additionally, plants thrive best with special substrates. A product called 'Eco-Complete' works well here. Some people even swear by under-gravel heaters. This causes convection, pulling nutrients down to the roots. Also, consider the cost of the plant packages (retail bundles of aquatic plants) available. Planting a tank is not simply putting live plants into an aquarium.
I am not trying to scare you away from planting your tank. Hopefully, my post will prevent some frustration and/or wasted money! While it can get costly, I feel that by planting your aquarium, you are creating a healthy, beautiful home for your fish. The following are some links to references which I found helpful when planting my tank.
dont need anything special most under water plants will grow anywhere just read up on the kind of plants your are planting . heres a great site ask many answer to fish and tanks http://www.ocsarfish.com
Jason is right as far as everything about plants and lighting and I won't even try to improve on that, but your question also was about whether you could make a 10 gallon tank home to 3-4 dwarf puffers, and the answer to that is no. Dwarf puffers, dwarf though the name may say, can still grow to 1 foot long and one puffer alone needs 30 gallons of water. So, you are either going to need to re-think your choice of fish, or invest in a 60-75 gallon tank for those 3-4 puffers. Good luck with everything!
you need to buy a hornwort plant. I got one of those and some anacharis for my tank and the hornwort has grown a foot in a month. i didn't use any kind of substrate for it i just dropped it in the water and it is growing wonderfully.
Now I don't know anything about the puffers but I suggest you research it some before you put them in the tank.
no need for anything special. most plants grow in regular gravel. you can keep the filter and the gravel. the fish will be great for this tank. for these fish any plant will be good just make sure you know how much light and how to care for them.
Planted 1 gallon ???'s?
Hello to all...i need to ask a few questions...so if you could help me i would be most appreciaive!! okay...so i have a 1 gallon hawkeye aquaview plus aquarium with 1 female betta and soon 2 ghost(glass,etc.) shrimp.i put the UG filter into storage.and am thinging of buying 1 whisper 2-10 intank filter...i nee to know if these specs are good:
Water: Declorinated tapwater; black water
Fish: 1 Female betta, and 2 glass shrimp...maybe an otto affinilas (sp?)
Filter: whisper 10i internal filter
Soil:Shlutz Aquatic Plant Soil (SAP)
Gravel:natural brown w/ river rocks
Lighting: 7 watt hawkeye light
heater: 25 watt Wal*Mart heater (Junior) i know overkill but i stop at nothing for my fishies health(Bettas LOVE warmth; THEY ARE TROPICALS!!)
Plants: Anubias, aponogetons, crypt?, java fern, water sprite(BIG and stuff that floats at the top (light layer! NOT THICK), and water lilys
Extras: driftwood and a digital thermometer. thanks for all responses and help!!
Answers:
dats one sik high tek 1 gallon
all is good in your specs and you have done a good job
the shrimp will be ok only 2 or 3 ghosties
but no oto because they require an 10 gallon or they will die
you can try it but in a month it will be dead.
good luck
In all honesty even a one gallon tank is too little for a betta. Yes they do live in small puddles in rice paddies that dry up in the wild, but take into consideration that this is Temporary. At best try to give him 3 or 5 gallon tank. If you really do care for your fish's health. Plus with plants already in the tank you really have less than a gallon. Your betta is only surviving not necessarily happy. Your specs are good except get a bigger tank. Don't add any more fish to your 1 gallon.
Good luck.
How are you managing to cram all of this into a one gallon?! That's my question. By the time you put all of this stuff in that tiny tank, it seems it's not going to leave much room for the fish and shrimp. They're just going to have to sit there and not move. It's a great bunch of extras that you're putting into things and is very nice, but if you really like spoiling your betta, I would suggest buying him a larger tank. 2.5 to 5 gallons would be lovely.
By the time you add all the gravel,deco,plants,heater,filt... etc Thats not going to be a 1 gal in volume fish tank, Try maybe 1/2 gal of water? If you love your fish so much then as suggested get a bigger tank, 2.5 gallons. And i dont suggest adding the oto cat as it could introduce a disease and kill off your fish you have now. And more to the point that the tank is allready overstalked.
~ GG
Water: Declorinated tapwater; black water
Fish: 1 Female betta, and 2 glass shrimp...maybe an otto affinilas (sp?)
Filter: whisper 10i internal filter
Soil:Shlutz Aquatic Plant Soil (SAP)
Gravel:natural brown w/ river rocks
Lighting: 7 watt hawkeye light
heater: 25 watt Wal*Mart heater (Junior) i know overkill but i stop at nothing for my fishies health(Bettas LOVE warmth; THEY ARE TROPICALS!!)
Plants: Anubias, aponogetons, crypt?, java fern, water sprite(BIG and stuff that floats at the top (light layer! NOT THICK), and water lilys
Extras: driftwood and a digital thermometer. thanks for all responses and help!!
Answers:
dats one sik high tek 1 gallon
all is good in your specs and you have done a good job
the shrimp will be ok only 2 or 3 ghosties
but no oto because they require an 10 gallon or they will die
you can try it but in a month it will be dead.
good luck
In all honesty even a one gallon tank is too little for a betta. Yes they do live in small puddles in rice paddies that dry up in the wild, but take into consideration that this is Temporary. At best try to give him 3 or 5 gallon tank. If you really do care for your fish's health. Plus with plants already in the tank you really have less than a gallon. Your betta is only surviving not necessarily happy. Your specs are good except get a bigger tank. Don't add any more fish to your 1 gallon.
Good luck.
How are you managing to cram all of this into a one gallon?! That's my question. By the time you put all of this stuff in that tiny tank, it seems it's not going to leave much room for the fish and shrimp. They're just going to have to sit there and not move. It's a great bunch of extras that you're putting into things and is very nice, but if you really like spoiling your betta, I would suggest buying him a larger tank. 2.5 to 5 gallons would be lovely.
By the time you add all the gravel,deco,plants,heater,filt... etc Thats not going to be a 1 gal in volume fish tank, Try maybe 1/2 gal of water? If you love your fish so much then as suggested get a bigger tank, 2.5 gallons. And i dont suggest adding the oto cat as it could introduce a disease and kill off your fish you have now. And more to the point that the tank is allready overstalked.
~ GG
Plant help?
I need to know were to buy java moss can you get it at petsmart or petco?I really need to know this
Answers:
The chain pet stores near me always have a terrible selection of plants, and most of their plants are terrestrial plants that will soon rot under water... You will have better luck finding the Java Moss at a local fish store...
Nosoop4u
Edit: By buying Java Moss (about $4 for a baseball sized clump) online, you are going to pay way more than you would in a store because of shipping. In the store, you aren't paying extra for shipping, so you will save $2-$3... If you check all your local fish stores and they don't have any, then use online sources as a last resort...
hi there, you could try ebay!
lots of plants for sale on aquabid.com
Answers:
The chain pet stores near me always have a terrible selection of plants, and most of their plants are terrestrial plants that will soon rot under water... You will have better luck finding the Java Moss at a local fish store...
Nosoop4u
Edit: By buying Java Moss (about $4 for a baseball sized clump) online, you are going to pay way more than you would in a store because of shipping. In the store, you aren't paying extra for shipping, so you will save $2-$3... If you check all your local fish stores and they don't have any, then use online sources as a last resort...
hi there, you could try ebay!
lots of plants for sale on aquabid.com
Planning on a 30-40gallon tank..i dont want to mess up.?
ok right now i have a 1.77gallon fish tank with a goldfish and every one tells me is a very bad idea and it'll die really fast. so im planning to buy a 30-40 gallon tank. now what i need to know is what kind of fish should i put in there and how many.i would like to put gold fish, catfish, guppies, mollies and any other ones that look cool...so please can any one tell me if i can put these to gether and any other cooler ones? oh and last thing does mother guppies eat babies or just fathers? thanks
Answers:
A 30-40 gallon tank has tons of possibilities and you are playing it very smart to play well ahead of getting the tank. The only think I see wrong with your list of fish is a few details. It's better not to mix goldfish with most other fish as they have quite different requirements. Also, some catfish will easily outgrow your 30-40 gallon tank, so be sure to research the adult size of any fish that you are interested in keeping.
Both parents will eat baby guppies, in fact, almost any other fish will eat them if they can catch them.
If I can help more, feel free to email me.
MM
Before you add any other fish to your aquarium in addition to your goldfish, you may want to research fish or ask the store personnel about the specific fish you are interested in. Goldfish are cool water fish, and some other fish, such as the mollies, are tropical fish, meaning they require warmer water temperatures than goldfish. Also, keep in mind that goldfish grow to be pretty big, so if you purchase small fish, in the long run they will be eaten by the goldfish.
Good luck!
Answers:
A 30-40 gallon tank has tons of possibilities and you are playing it very smart to play well ahead of getting the tank. The only think I see wrong with your list of fish is a few details. It's better not to mix goldfish with most other fish as they have quite different requirements. Also, some catfish will easily outgrow your 30-40 gallon tank, so be sure to research the adult size of any fish that you are interested in keeping.
Both parents will eat baby guppies, in fact, almost any other fish will eat them if they can catch them.
If I can help more, feel free to email me.
MM
Before you add any other fish to your aquarium in addition to your goldfish, you may want to research fish or ask the store personnel about the specific fish you are interested in. Goldfish are cool water fish, and some other fish, such as the mollies, are tropical fish, meaning they require warmer water temperatures than goldfish. Also, keep in mind that goldfish grow to be pretty big, so if you purchase small fish, in the long run they will be eaten by the goldfish.
Good luck!
Pictus cat fish , tiger barbs and black widow tetra can i add??
can i add some neon tetras i have a big tank and it looks bare water conditions are spot on and the fish i have live really well together , i like the look of the neons but will they go ok with the other fish , i will get about 6 or 7 of them because i know they like to scool im just worried that the cat fish might eat them any suggestions??
Answers:
I have kept neons, serpae, head and tail light, and skirt tetras with a pictus catfish for many months and I have never had a problem with the combination. True, pictus have the potential to eat neons when the pictus is large and the neons very small. My pictus is young yet and my neons are older and quite large. Also my pictus gets plenty of flakes and pellets to eat as it is and I couldn't see him having an appetite for one of the neons, nor being able to catch one. Having a larger tank that is fairly heavily planted to create seperate areas helps as well.
you can put neons in with them. they are community fish and should live happy together
the pictus is a preditory catfish if his mouth is big enough and he can catch them he will eat them
i know this happened to me
I would not add neon's as they will become lunch for your pictus eventually.Anything under an inch is a sure meal for your catfish once it's fully grown so if you want more fish try something larger.
tiger barbs are ok with the cat fish but not ok for your tetras.
Cat fish are predatory fish anyway, so will eat anything they can.
Maybe try some Congo tetra as they are slightly bigger, and neon tetra tend to resemble bloodworm, which is why they get eaten so much!
Good luck!
Answers:
I have kept neons, serpae, head and tail light, and skirt tetras with a pictus catfish for many months and I have never had a problem with the combination. True, pictus have the potential to eat neons when the pictus is large and the neons very small. My pictus is young yet and my neons are older and quite large. Also my pictus gets plenty of flakes and pellets to eat as it is and I couldn't see him having an appetite for one of the neons, nor being able to catch one. Having a larger tank that is fairly heavily planted to create seperate areas helps as well.
you can put neons in with them. they are community fish and should live happy together
the pictus is a preditory catfish if his mouth is big enough and he can catch them he will eat them
i know this happened to me
I would not add neon's as they will become lunch for your pictus eventually.Anything under an inch is a sure meal for your catfish once it's fully grown so if you want more fish try something larger.
tiger barbs are ok with the cat fish but not ok for your tetras.
Cat fish are predatory fish anyway, so will eat anything they can.
Maybe try some Congo tetra as they are slightly bigger, and neon tetra tend to resemble bloodworm, which is why they get eaten so much!
Good luck!
Picking out tetras for 29 gallon?
I'm deciding to pull all of my guppies out of my 29 to put in my 55 gallon. I want to set up a community tank in my 29 but I am not sure which fish to go with. I was thinking a few species of tetras, some rasboras, and some cory cats. I'm looking for a low aggression level in the fish, some aggression is okay as long as it's temporary. I'm also looking for a low bio coming from the fish so that I will be able to stock the tank with at least 5 or 6 of each kind of fish. Any suggestions?
Answers:
In a 29 gallon your options are wide open and you can go with any smaller sized tetra. Stick to smaller ones like neons, cardinals, head-tail lights, glowlights, rosy, etc. and you can fit more in and give them more space. Just avoid known nippers like Black Widows and Serpaes. Go with larger numbers of less species though, and the tank will look much nicer - one group of 12 tetra's look way better then 2 groups of 6.
I think a group of neon tetras (about 6), a small group of cory cats (3), and some rasboras (sorry, I am not sure how many should be kept together, depends on the breed) would be nice.
BTW, Ghappy, 1 school of 12 or 2 schools of 6 is the same! They would probably school together.
Actually - they won't school together.
I have a 38 galloon with Tetras and some others - and among the tetras I have Neons, Black Neons, Emperor Tetras and Blue Tetras.
They all school separately.
The neons at the bottom, the Blacks at the top, and the Blues and Emperors sort of just dart all over the place in no particular order.
Although I do agree that one huge school of Neons is much more impressive than a small school of 6 of them :)
Here are some Tetras that I'm particularly fond of (in no particular order):
Gold
Cardinal
Blue
Lamp Eye
Emperor
Rummy Nose and Bloodfin
Lemon
Congo
check the link below. this is where i get most of my fish information that i require.
Answers:
In a 29 gallon your options are wide open and you can go with any smaller sized tetra. Stick to smaller ones like neons, cardinals, head-tail lights, glowlights, rosy, etc. and you can fit more in and give them more space. Just avoid known nippers like Black Widows and Serpaes. Go with larger numbers of less species though, and the tank will look much nicer - one group of 12 tetra's look way better then 2 groups of 6.
I think a group of neon tetras (about 6), a small group of cory cats (3), and some rasboras (sorry, I am not sure how many should be kept together, depends on the breed) would be nice.
BTW, Ghappy, 1 school of 12 or 2 schools of 6 is the same! They would probably school together.
Actually - they won't school together.
I have a 38 galloon with Tetras and some others - and among the tetras I have Neons, Black Neons, Emperor Tetras and Blue Tetras.
They all school separately.
The neons at the bottom, the Blacks at the top, and the Blues and Emperors sort of just dart all over the place in no particular order.
Although I do agree that one huge school of Neons is much more impressive than a small school of 6 of them :)
Here are some Tetras that I'm particularly fond of (in no particular order):
Gold
Cardinal
Blue
Lamp Eye
Emperor
Rummy Nose and Bloodfin
Lemon
Congo
check the link below. this is where i get most of my fish information that i require.
Phosphates?
i've been trying to lower my phosohate levels for about 2 weeks now. my tap water has about 1 ppm and i tested some bottled water and some distilled water and they were 1.5ppm and 2.0 (or above)ppm respectively. phosphate sponges are a good temporary fix but i am looking for a permenant fix. reverse osmosis isnt really an option for me any suggestions?
Answers:
I feel obliged to answer, seeing my name mentioned here. Yes, you can get RO at SuperWalMarts. It's the Culligan water dispenser somewhere in the store. You'll have to buy their refillable containers, and I use the gallon sized, which cost about $1 each, then you fill them at the self-serve station. The jugs come in different sizes, but the containers get more expensive the larger you go (I think it's about $15 for the 5 gallon container!). The price of the water varies around the US, and I actually only pay $0.25 for mine, but other users have mentioned $0.33 in their areas, so I use the higher figure - I don't think anyone will complain if something ends up less expensive than expected!
Are you having a problem with algae in the tank? That's about all the phosphate will influence. I find it odd though, that you got a measurable amount in distilled water. That shouldn't have any in it.
It is almost mandatory to keep a health reef to have an RO/DI filter. they do make a tap water filter that is cheaper but if you really look at it in the long run those need the membrane replaced much more often so within a few months youll be spending more than just the initial $150 minimum for the RO/DI in your last post you said you were thinking of going with plants but as someone said its the plants growth that will remove the phosphates. So youll amost need to overgrow your reef for that method to work. I know my local fish store sells RO water for 50 cents a gallon but then you gotta lug the buckets home every week. Phosphate sponges are def a temporary fix so honestly i dont know anyone that will tell you that there is a better way than to just use RO/DI water, its like someone saying that you dont need to use any method to remove chlorine from your tap water. coralife makes an RO/DI filter thats $150 and there are many others that are in that price range. Thats really the only way to keep a reef.
oh yeah i forgot copperhead saying that walmart had the RO water for like 33 cents a gallon or something. But either way the only way is to use RO whether you have your own RO unit or keep buying water for your changes.
Copperhead told me about this one - Go to Walmart. They have R/O water there. Apparently, they sell it in large containers. This is the best option for you if buying a R/O unit is out of the question.
Answers:
I feel obliged to answer, seeing my name mentioned here. Yes, you can get RO at SuperWalMarts. It's the Culligan water dispenser somewhere in the store. You'll have to buy their refillable containers, and I use the gallon sized, which cost about $1 each, then you fill them at the self-serve station. The jugs come in different sizes, but the containers get more expensive the larger you go (I think it's about $15 for the 5 gallon container!). The price of the water varies around the US, and I actually only pay $0.25 for mine, but other users have mentioned $0.33 in their areas, so I use the higher figure - I don't think anyone will complain if something ends up less expensive than expected!
Are you having a problem with algae in the tank? That's about all the phosphate will influence. I find it odd though, that you got a measurable amount in distilled water. That shouldn't have any in it.
It is almost mandatory to keep a health reef to have an RO/DI filter. they do make a tap water filter that is cheaper but if you really look at it in the long run those need the membrane replaced much more often so within a few months youll be spending more than just the initial $150 minimum for the RO/DI in your last post you said you were thinking of going with plants but as someone said its the plants growth that will remove the phosphates. So youll amost need to overgrow your reef for that method to work. I know my local fish store sells RO water for 50 cents a gallon but then you gotta lug the buckets home every week. Phosphate sponges are def a temporary fix so honestly i dont know anyone that will tell you that there is a better way than to just use RO/DI water, its like someone saying that you dont need to use any method to remove chlorine from your tap water. coralife makes an RO/DI filter thats $150 and there are many others that are in that price range. Thats really the only way to keep a reef.
oh yeah i forgot copperhead saying that walmart had the RO water for like 33 cents a gallon or something. But either way the only way is to use RO whether you have your own RO unit or keep buying water for your changes.
Copperhead told me about this one - Go to Walmart. They have R/O water there. Apparently, they sell it in large containers. This is the best option for you if buying a R/O unit is out of the question.
Petco or Petsmart?
what do you think? what pet store is better: petco or petsmart? do you know of any other quality pet stores??
Answers:
Answers to this can and should be taken as differences in local management.
I shop at both chains, myself, depending on what part of town I'm in and what direction I'm going. And they're both nice stores. But there's an awful Petsmart a little west of here. There aren't as many Petcos but I'm sure some of them are bad too.
It depends on who is running them at any given time what kind of service you'll get and how well the animals are being taken care of.
I do like mom n pop stores and shop there as often as I can. I will NOT however, ever patronize a store where they sell live kittens and puppies, or dyed fish.
I like petsmart, they have many different services for your pet as well as supplies.
"the store that smells the best, sells the best." This applies only to restaurants and pet shops. I choose Applebees and Petco.
I'd say Petsmart! Everyone's talking about Petsmart, and saying it's better then Petco! Good petstores in my area are: Petland, Aardvark pets, etc. Search around, and you may find a decent one!
Good luck!
I used to work at Petco and I personally thought that the service they told us to offer, sucked.
I've been to PetSmart and the service and knowledge they have is way beyond the service and knowledge that Petco has.
Neither.
I'll play along though. If those were the only two places to get my pet supplies, I'd go with petco.
In real life, I would look around for smaller, independent stores that only sell supplies, not animals. They usually have better products, better service, and better advice.
my friend and i both have had bad experiences with petco. she bought anoles, all of them died before the little warrenty thing on the recipit was up, and they wouldnt honor it, even though she brought all their poor little dead bodys in with the recipt. they acknowleged the anoles had some weird skin thing, and that several others in the tank had the same issue, but they still wouldnt do anything for my friend to honor the warrenty dealy. i had similar issues with fish i bought there. ive had betas, so i know how to take care of them. i got one from pet co, it died two days later, and they wouldnt refund me or even offer me a new fish.
petsmart though, ive never had an issue with
PETSMART!!! Cheaper and Cleaner. Take better care of the fish
True fully I don't shop at either, I have found Pet Supplies Plus the best locally but in your area Petco may be the best, it really differs place by place!! But locally private owned pet store are Best they are the most knowledgeable!!
For Freshwater i would go to petsmart
but for marine i would go to petco, it seems like they take better care of them then the freshwater
At least in my area
I would also check out any local private owned aquarium/petstores if you have any near you
hope that helps
Good luck
EB
I think it just depends. I personally hate both of them now, but those 2 by me really suck. When I lived in Florida, the PetSmart I went to was great! The employees were all friendly, and in the fish section the employees kept their own fish tanks-so they actually had a clue what they were doing. Then I moved here to Tennessee, and the store is absolutely dreadful and the employees are completely clueless. Petco here is even worse. At Petsmart, I've actually talked and helped customers about certain fish because the employee had no clue what the fish was even called, much less any info about it. I think a lot may have to do with the manager of the stores/departments as well.
But, I do shop at Petsmart for supplies as much as I hate it, they're the cheapest, and I've found that Petco and other small mom and pop stores don't carry the stuff I use. But I will never buy a fish or other live animal from either of those stores. I would ideally love to shop online, like at drs. foster and smith, but their shipping charges make it almost not worth it unless you're buying a bunch of stuff at one time.
You're best bet is to shop around and compare price and more importantly quality. Some mom and pop stores are awful too, so you should always do your research on what you're buying before hand so you know what to expect.
I've had better experiences in petsmart. the petco in my area is pretty dirty. but you have to check them out invidually, as I can't say the same for your area.
depends on the indiviual store, some locations are better than others.
Example, there is a petco in Ny that is in the richest area(oyster bay area) where the owner spent more than 5-10 petcos combined.
Some petcos who dont realy care, have poor fish and animal ..items, and stock.
Example about petsmart: the petsmarts around me are fairly good.
I went to one in florida, and it was poor.
POINT is that it varys on location, so you cant really class one worest and one better.
On my prefrence? you will see me go to my local petsmart more often then my petco. It isnt base on location as my nearest petco is about 5 minutes away, and my nearest petsmart is 15 minutes away.
Personaly i like petsmart better, but that is just from my location.
I got my fish from Petsmart. Just make sure to put the right chemicals in the water before you add the fish so that they don't die... And if you're adding fish to an already established tank, then make sure that you add the new fish correctly. They're all still swimming around after 7 months (and are getting huge).
Answers:
Answers to this can and should be taken as differences in local management.
I shop at both chains, myself, depending on what part of town I'm in and what direction I'm going. And they're both nice stores. But there's an awful Petsmart a little west of here. There aren't as many Petcos but I'm sure some of them are bad too.
It depends on who is running them at any given time what kind of service you'll get and how well the animals are being taken care of.
I do like mom n pop stores and shop there as often as I can. I will NOT however, ever patronize a store where they sell live kittens and puppies, or dyed fish.
I like petsmart, they have many different services for your pet as well as supplies.
"the store that smells the best, sells the best." This applies only to restaurants and pet shops. I choose Applebees and Petco.
I'd say Petsmart! Everyone's talking about Petsmart, and saying it's better then Petco! Good petstores in my area are: Petland, Aardvark pets, etc. Search around, and you may find a decent one!
Good luck!
I used to work at Petco and I personally thought that the service they told us to offer, sucked.
I've been to PetSmart and the service and knowledge they have is way beyond the service and knowledge that Petco has.
Neither.
I'll play along though. If those were the only two places to get my pet supplies, I'd go with petco.
In real life, I would look around for smaller, independent stores that only sell supplies, not animals. They usually have better products, better service, and better advice.
my friend and i both have had bad experiences with petco. she bought anoles, all of them died before the little warrenty thing on the recipit was up, and they wouldnt honor it, even though she brought all their poor little dead bodys in with the recipt. they acknowleged the anoles had some weird skin thing, and that several others in the tank had the same issue, but they still wouldnt do anything for my friend to honor the warrenty dealy. i had similar issues with fish i bought there. ive had betas, so i know how to take care of them. i got one from pet co, it died two days later, and they wouldnt refund me or even offer me a new fish.
petsmart though, ive never had an issue with
PETSMART!!! Cheaper and Cleaner. Take better care of the fish
True fully I don't shop at either, I have found Pet Supplies Plus the best locally but in your area Petco may be the best, it really differs place by place!! But locally private owned pet store are Best they are the most knowledgeable!!
For Freshwater i would go to petsmart
but for marine i would go to petco, it seems like they take better care of them then the freshwater
At least in my area
I would also check out any local private owned aquarium/petstores if you have any near you
hope that helps
Good luck
EB
I think it just depends. I personally hate both of them now, but those 2 by me really suck. When I lived in Florida, the PetSmart I went to was great! The employees were all friendly, and in the fish section the employees kept their own fish tanks-so they actually had a clue what they were doing. Then I moved here to Tennessee, and the store is absolutely dreadful and the employees are completely clueless. Petco here is even worse. At Petsmart, I've actually talked and helped customers about certain fish because the employee had no clue what the fish was even called, much less any info about it. I think a lot may have to do with the manager of the stores/departments as well.
But, I do shop at Petsmart for supplies as much as I hate it, they're the cheapest, and I've found that Petco and other small mom and pop stores don't carry the stuff I use. But I will never buy a fish or other live animal from either of those stores. I would ideally love to shop online, like at drs. foster and smith, but their shipping charges make it almost not worth it unless you're buying a bunch of stuff at one time.
You're best bet is to shop around and compare price and more importantly quality. Some mom and pop stores are awful too, so you should always do your research on what you're buying before hand so you know what to expect.
I've had better experiences in petsmart. the petco in my area is pretty dirty. but you have to check them out invidually, as I can't say the same for your area.
depends on the indiviual store, some locations are better than others.
Example, there is a petco in Ny that is in the richest area(oyster bay area) where the owner spent more than 5-10 petcos combined.
Some petcos who dont realy care, have poor fish and animal ..items, and stock.
Example about petsmart: the petsmarts around me are fairly good.
I went to one in florida, and it was poor.
POINT is that it varys on location, so you cant really class one worest and one better.
On my prefrence? you will see me go to my local petsmart more often then my petco. It isnt base on location as my nearest petco is about 5 minutes away, and my nearest petsmart is 15 minutes away.
Personaly i like petsmart better, but that is just from my location.
I got my fish from Petsmart. Just make sure to put the right chemicals in the water before you add the fish so that they don't die... And if you're adding fish to an already established tank, then make sure that you add the new fish correctly. They're all still swimming around after 7 months (and are getting huge).
Pet stores?
I live in woodbridge,ON does anyone know any petstores in the area.Any store exept walmart. I want a petstore with employees that know what they are talking about.
Answers:
Petsmart. or petco, they are very great stores %26 every question i ask they know.
-DFK
petsmart.
Try Maps.Google.com
Good Luck
I personally have had horrible experience at ALL pet stores.. They hire teenagers who don't know what they are talking about.. they even think that there such things as teacup dogs! Now that is hilarious.. Your best bet is getting fish from a place like aqua bid OR find a forum and a breeder who will send you what you want.
Answers:
Petsmart. or petco, they are very great stores %26 every question i ask they know.
-DFK
petsmart.
Try Maps.Google.com
Good Luck
I personally have had horrible experience at ALL pet stores.. They hire teenagers who don't know what they are talking about.. they even think that there such things as teacup dogs! Now that is hilarious.. Your best bet is getting fish from a place like aqua bid OR find a forum and a breeder who will send you what you want.
Pet Shark question??
I am thinking of getting some little sharks like bala, red tail, or rainbow. can u put like two of each in a tank together? how big of a tank would i need for 6 of these fish? sharks are soooo cool but i dont have the money for a saltwater shark so i have to go the broke guy way. one last thing can i put other freshwater fish in the same tank as the sharks or wat?
Thanks
Answers:
If your looking at getting freshwater sharks for pets you have many options. There are Bala Sharks, Red Tailed Sharks,
Rainbow Sharks, Black Sharks, Iridescent Sharks and more. Your tank size will be the factor that determines what shark you can get.
Bala Sharks will need a minimum of 75 gallons and are shoaling fish so you would need 3 or more. They get to be about 14" long and can quickly out grow a small tank.
Red Tailed or Rainbow Sharks get to be between 5" and 6" long and will be fine in a tank of 29 gallons or larger. They are aggressive towards other Red Tailed or Rainbow Sharks. They also can show aggression towards Bala Sharks. If you chose one of these you would want to only get one and not one of each.
The other ones I mentioned, the Black Shark and the Iridescent Shark both get very large. They are not a good choice unless you have a very large tank (over 100 gallons). Iridescent Sharks like to live in shoals when young but then become loners when they get older. In the wild they have been known to get to be about 2 1/2 feet long. Black Sharks are similar to Red Tailed and Rainbow Sharks. They however grow much larger, sometimes up to 2 feet long.
Hope this helps with your decision.
a 55 gallon tank will do and yes you can put them together coz they are peacfull fish that get very big in size...Good luck
For Bala Sharks, you would need to get about 5 of them, and they each get about 14 inches long, so you would need a tank that is about 125 gallons, to go with the 5 Balas, you could add one Redtailed Shark (6 inches). Redtailed Sharks are aggressive towards their own species, and there should either be only one Redtailed Sharks, or 5+. If you get 5 of each, you would need about 150 gallons. If you are so crunched for money, fish are not for you because you would still need to buy the filter ($50), the heater ($20), the tank ($50) and then, all the other decorations ($30). Maybe you should just get a potted plant.
Nosoop4u
By restricting a large fish like a Bala Shark to a small environment like a 55 gallon tank, you are stunting it. Stunting is when the fish appears not to grow, but the organs continue to grow, causing organ failure and death.
eww 1st of all why would some one get a pet shark?!
come on no one will.!
nd 2nd good luckk hope yhu dont get eaten.!
%26lt;3333333
I have a bala and a rainbow that live in a 55gal tank with about 10 fish total. they seem to leave each other alone but i have a lot of live plants and rocks for them to hide and be safe.
yout need to get at least 3 of each shark because they will fight if it is just two. a 55 gallon or larger tank will be fine. most sharks love clown loaches you should get 4 of them because they are very playful and need alot of friends
you would need a minimum of about 100gallons for 6 bala shark and about 55 gallons for red tailed and rainbow but don't mix them because they'll fight and put them all in th tank at the same time
Thanks
Answers:
If your looking at getting freshwater sharks for pets you have many options. There are Bala Sharks, Red Tailed Sharks,
Rainbow Sharks, Black Sharks, Iridescent Sharks and more. Your tank size will be the factor that determines what shark you can get.
Bala Sharks will need a minimum of 75 gallons and are shoaling fish so you would need 3 or more. They get to be about 14" long and can quickly out grow a small tank.
Red Tailed or Rainbow Sharks get to be between 5" and 6" long and will be fine in a tank of 29 gallons or larger. They are aggressive towards other Red Tailed or Rainbow Sharks. They also can show aggression towards Bala Sharks. If you chose one of these you would want to only get one and not one of each.
The other ones I mentioned, the Black Shark and the Iridescent Shark both get very large. They are not a good choice unless you have a very large tank (over 100 gallons). Iridescent Sharks like to live in shoals when young but then become loners when they get older. In the wild they have been known to get to be about 2 1/2 feet long. Black Sharks are similar to Red Tailed and Rainbow Sharks. They however grow much larger, sometimes up to 2 feet long.
Hope this helps with your decision.
a 55 gallon tank will do and yes you can put them together coz they are peacfull fish that get very big in size...Good luck
For Bala Sharks, you would need to get about 5 of them, and they each get about 14 inches long, so you would need a tank that is about 125 gallons, to go with the 5 Balas, you could add one Redtailed Shark (6 inches). Redtailed Sharks are aggressive towards their own species, and there should either be only one Redtailed Sharks, or 5+. If you get 5 of each, you would need about 150 gallons. If you are so crunched for money, fish are not for you because you would still need to buy the filter ($50), the heater ($20), the tank ($50) and then, all the other decorations ($30). Maybe you should just get a potted plant.
Nosoop4u
By restricting a large fish like a Bala Shark to a small environment like a 55 gallon tank, you are stunting it. Stunting is when the fish appears not to grow, but the organs continue to grow, causing organ failure and death.
eww 1st of all why would some one get a pet shark?!
come on no one will.!
nd 2nd good luckk hope yhu dont get eaten.!
%26lt;3333333
I have a bala and a rainbow that live in a 55gal tank with about 10 fish total. they seem to leave each other alone but i have a lot of live plants and rocks for them to hide and be safe.
yout need to get at least 3 of each shark because they will fight if it is just two. a 55 gallon or larger tank will be fine. most sharks love clown loaches you should get 4 of them because they are very playful and need alot of friends
you would need a minimum of about 100gallons for 6 bala shark and about 55 gallons for red tailed and rainbow but don't mix them because they'll fight and put them all in th tank at the same time
Pet piranhas question?
ok, so i have 15 oscars, 10 jack dempseys, and had 14 angel fish but had to give them back because they were being mean. now i just added 15 female piranhas in my 200 gallon tank with my oscars and dempseys. its been a few hours and they all seem to be not getting along. did i do something wrong?
Answers:
You left the Oscars and Dempseys in? What are you thinking? Do some research, take back all the Oscars and all the Dempseys. They will beat up the Pirhanas in no time. Pirhanas are actually quite timid and prefer a tank with subdued lighting, many plants, many other Pirhanas (like you have), and no aggressive, hyper inhabitants. After 15 Pirhanas, you don't have any more room in your tank. I bet you didn't think about this, but, how are you going to clean your tank now? Chain mail? Do some research before you kill a bunch of fish!
Nosoop4u
Yes you did. Piranhas are supposed to be placed in a species tank because they'll eat anything else in their tank (besides other piranhas). Either return the piranhas or put them in their own tank.
~ZTM
First of all, you have way to many fish in that tank. Oscars get very big. 15 of them? they will fill your whole tank alone when they are bigger. Piranhas get big also! You need to downsize badly. So I'm going to assume that all your fish are young!? Are they all the same size? Better off if they are! Oscars are agressive and so are pirhanas. If not the same size, the biggest ones will take over and eventually kill off the little guys. You would need to supply ALOT of feed for them and Pirhanas prefer live fish. If not fed enough, they will eventually wipe each other out. Even though they will eat flake food, they won't get enough. Oscars are great off of feeding the pellet food but they are also predators and can and will eat littlier fish. You need to be a very experienced fish person to make it work in your tank and caus eyou asked this question and cause you have the wrong fish together, then your not. Good Luck
first off its impossible to tell male and female till they are full grown. and even then its very hard. piranha are a fish that likes to live with other piranha in odd groups. if you put any other fish in this tank they will eventually be eatten. my advice would be to either switch over and go with all pirahna or get the pirahna out.
STOP ADDING FISH!
I DON'T KNOW MANY TIMES SOMEONE HAS TO FREAKIN' TELL YOU!
YOUR TANK IS FAR TOO OVER-STOCKED!
Answers:
You left the Oscars and Dempseys in? What are you thinking? Do some research, take back all the Oscars and all the Dempseys. They will beat up the Pirhanas in no time. Pirhanas are actually quite timid and prefer a tank with subdued lighting, many plants, many other Pirhanas (like you have), and no aggressive, hyper inhabitants. After 15 Pirhanas, you don't have any more room in your tank. I bet you didn't think about this, but, how are you going to clean your tank now? Chain mail? Do some research before you kill a bunch of fish!
Nosoop4u
Yes you did. Piranhas are supposed to be placed in a species tank because they'll eat anything else in their tank (besides other piranhas). Either return the piranhas or put them in their own tank.
~ZTM
First of all, you have way to many fish in that tank. Oscars get very big. 15 of them? they will fill your whole tank alone when they are bigger. Piranhas get big also! You need to downsize badly. So I'm going to assume that all your fish are young!? Are they all the same size? Better off if they are! Oscars are agressive and so are pirhanas. If not the same size, the biggest ones will take over and eventually kill off the little guys. You would need to supply ALOT of feed for them and Pirhanas prefer live fish. If not fed enough, they will eventually wipe each other out. Even though they will eat flake food, they won't get enough. Oscars are great off of feeding the pellet food but they are also predators and can and will eat littlier fish. You need to be a very experienced fish person to make it work in your tank and caus eyou asked this question and cause you have the wrong fish together, then your not. Good Luck
first off its impossible to tell male and female till they are full grown. and even then its very hard. piranha are a fish that likes to live with other piranha in odd groups. if you put any other fish in this tank they will eventually be eatten. my advice would be to either switch over and go with all pirahna or get the pirahna out.
STOP ADDING FISH!
I DON'T KNOW MANY TIMES SOMEONE HAS TO FREAKIN' TELL YOU!
YOUR TANK IS FAR TOO OVER-STOCKED!
Pet alert need help on my fish?
my fish is swiming upside downhow can i do and whats cuasing it PLS! i dont my pet wanna die! crycry :(
Answers:
it may die my fish did that and my dad got anotyher one just for it to survive,lol but just leave it be if it is breathing heavily that means its slowly dieing
It is possible that it is sick, but usually this is a result of poor water conditions. Test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Eliminate those 3 possibilities first. If they all come back good, then you might want to consider treating for internal infections.
what kind of fish is it? how long have you had it? what size tank/bowl is it in? does it have filtration? does it have heating? what is the water temp? have you checked the water parameters? does it have tank mates?
please provide this info or else no one can give accurate answers.
I heard there's a type of fish that swims upside down, or um on its side i believe. What kind of fish do you have?
Answers:
it may die my fish did that and my dad got anotyher one just for it to survive,lol but just leave it be if it is breathing heavily that means its slowly dieing
It is possible that it is sick, but usually this is a result of poor water conditions. Test for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate. Eliminate those 3 possibilities first. If they all come back good, then you might want to consider treating for internal infections.
what kind of fish is it? how long have you had it? what size tank/bowl is it in? does it have filtration? does it have heating? what is the water temp? have you checked the water parameters? does it have tank mates?
please provide this info or else no one can give accurate answers.
I heard there's a type of fish that swims upside down, or um on its side i believe. What kind of fish do you have?
Perch Aquarium?
Alright, lets say im interested in setting up a Sun Perch Aquarium, and have no supplies for the tank at all yet. I am interested in having 2-3 Baby Perch in my future tank. Could anybody reccomend me all/some of the items i will need to purchase for my tank, like how powerful of a filter and how big of a tank? (Also i need to know what they eat besides worms.)
Thanks.
(P.S. It is legal where i live to keep them by the way so no worries there.)
Answers:
First off, you need a very large tank. I would suggest at least 75 gal. Second, they will be much more dirty than your average aquarium fish. I would recommend a filter at least big enough for a 100 to 150 gal tank.
As far as food, they will eat many things. Small minnows/goldfish (as they get bigger), worms, crickets, grasshoppers, flies... basically anything around the size of a quarter or smaller is fair game for adults. It just depends on their size. If it fits in their mouth, they will go for it. They will also eat human food like bread, cheese and meat, although that may not be the best thing for them in the long run.
Didn't you ask this question yesturday? If that wasn't you, you should search for the answers to a similar question last night.
I would use a 6' long tank which start at 100 gallons and go up from there. I would get a Hagen Fluval FX5 canister filter. I would add a large piece of driftwood for the bottom and one to float on the top. I would add some live plants, pea sized gravel in most of the tank though much smaller gravel just barely larger than sand in the areas I want the live plants that aren't floating varieties. Perch will eat a wide variety of things and since they're babies you can eventually switch them over to commercial foods. Goto www.nanfa.org and take a look at articles they have about yellow perch. NANFA is the North American Native Fish Association and they are an excellent group. They probably have a chapter in your area. There are some good books I think Native Fish for the Home Aquarium is one I have that talks about Yellow Perch. Enjoy
Thanks.
(P.S. It is legal where i live to keep them by the way so no worries there.)
Answers:
First off, you need a very large tank. I would suggest at least 75 gal. Second, they will be much more dirty than your average aquarium fish. I would recommend a filter at least big enough for a 100 to 150 gal tank.
As far as food, they will eat many things. Small minnows/goldfish (as they get bigger), worms, crickets, grasshoppers, flies... basically anything around the size of a quarter or smaller is fair game for adults. It just depends on their size. If it fits in their mouth, they will go for it. They will also eat human food like bread, cheese and meat, although that may not be the best thing for them in the long run.
Didn't you ask this question yesturday? If that wasn't you, you should search for the answers to a similar question last night.
I would use a 6' long tank which start at 100 gallons and go up from there. I would get a Hagen Fluval FX5 canister filter. I would add a large piece of driftwood for the bottom and one to float on the top. I would add some live plants, pea sized gravel in most of the tank though much smaller gravel just barely larger than sand in the areas I want the live plants that aren't floating varieties. Perch will eat a wide variety of things and since they're babies you can eventually switch them over to commercial foods. Goto www.nanfa.org and take a look at articles they have about yellow perch. NANFA is the North American Native Fish Association and they are an excellent group. They probably have a chapter in your area. There are some good books I think Native Fish for the Home Aquarium is one I have that talks about Yellow Perch. Enjoy
Penny in the tank to kill snails?
I have heard that a penny in the tank sterilizes snails... Does it work? Will it kill or sterilies my fish? I have a 50 gallon long tank how many pennies will it take?
Answers:
I would personally not do that, I would go with the natural way, the vegetable bait
Here is a site that explains it in detail
http://www.fishfriend.com/articles/getti...
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
I have never really heard about this method of sterilizing aquatic creatures...
I would not put copper pennies in a fish tank, it does not seem to be the right thing to do. As a penny corrodes, it might give off other things that not only kill the snail it will contaminate your tank too. Ask at the pet store, how to rid your tank of snails. It may be you will have to take the whole tank apart, clean, throw away any plants, live or artificial. Clean the ornamental with a salt solution, and rinse well, no bleach. Live plants are usually the source where the snails come from in the first place.
http://www.usc.edu/cssf/current/projects...
This is a science project some kid did that supposedly shows that 12 pennies will kill or repel snails. Take it for what it's worth.
50g tank with a snail problem, get 5 Zebra Loaches and then there will be no more snails. Only get loaches if they are compatible with what you already have.
i do know that most medications for fish contain high doses of copper which is in fact poisonous to inverts such as snails. i have heard of the penny thing befor but not sure if there is any real research that can validate this as true. a penny is made of copper so i guess it makes sense but i dont know if this is a good idea. I cant really say what it will do to your fish or the snails. I guess what you could do is put all of your fish and snails you wish to keep in a seperate tank and dose the tank with any medication that is high in copper to get rid of the snails in your main tank. That will work, i dont reccomend it but it will work. once the snails are gone then do a large water change on your main tank befor adding the fish back in. good luck and hope this helps.
Dunkelfalke, exactly what i was thinking
high amounts of copper in water would kill all aquatic invertebrates.
fishes don't like copper in water, but they can tolerate it for a while.
it is a very bad idea, though, to kill snails in such a way because many of them can dig into the ground or just hide somewhere and when they die they'll rot, which causes an explosive reproduction of aerob bacteria, which eat all the oxygen in the tank so the fishes would suffocate.
Buy a Cichlid they are agressive but they LOVE snails. Even the giant magic snails
Answers:
I would personally not do that, I would go with the natural way, the vegetable bait
Here is a site that explains it in detail
http://www.fishfriend.com/articles/getti...
Hope that helps
Good luck
EB
I have never really heard about this method of sterilizing aquatic creatures...
I would not put copper pennies in a fish tank, it does not seem to be the right thing to do. As a penny corrodes, it might give off other things that not only kill the snail it will contaminate your tank too. Ask at the pet store, how to rid your tank of snails. It may be you will have to take the whole tank apart, clean, throw away any plants, live or artificial. Clean the ornamental with a salt solution, and rinse well, no bleach. Live plants are usually the source where the snails come from in the first place.
http://www.usc.edu/cssf/current/projects...
This is a science project some kid did that supposedly shows that 12 pennies will kill or repel snails. Take it for what it's worth.
50g tank with a snail problem, get 5 Zebra Loaches and then there will be no more snails. Only get loaches if they are compatible with what you already have.
i do know that most medications for fish contain high doses of copper which is in fact poisonous to inverts such as snails. i have heard of the penny thing befor but not sure if there is any real research that can validate this as true. a penny is made of copper so i guess it makes sense but i dont know if this is a good idea. I cant really say what it will do to your fish or the snails. I guess what you could do is put all of your fish and snails you wish to keep in a seperate tank and dose the tank with any medication that is high in copper to get rid of the snails in your main tank. That will work, i dont reccomend it but it will work. once the snails are gone then do a large water change on your main tank befor adding the fish back in. good luck and hope this helps.
Dunkelfalke, exactly what i was thinking
high amounts of copper in water would kill all aquatic invertebrates.
fishes don't like copper in water, but they can tolerate it for a while.
it is a very bad idea, though, to kill snails in such a way because many of them can dig into the ground or just hide somewhere and when they die they'll rot, which causes an explosive reproduction of aerob bacteria, which eat all the oxygen in the tank so the fishes would suffocate.
Buy a Cichlid they are agressive but they LOVE snails. Even the giant magic snails
Pearlscale goldfish care??
how hard is it to take care of pearlscale goldfish? i have 7 questions:
1. Do they need a filter?
2. What is the minimum tank size for 2 of them?
3. Can a plecostomus go in with them?
4. How big will they get?
5. Do they need a heater?
6. Will they be ok with fake plants?
7. what is the temperature range for their water?
PLEASE any suggestions or tips would be great!
thanx!
Answers:
Pearlies are just like other goldfish, they need 10 gallons each, and get to be 8 inches long, and also very wide of course since theyre round. They definitely need a very strong filter, stronger than for the aquarium since tehyre goldfish. For two I would get a 20 gallon. If theyre small you can possibly start witha 10 or 15 gallon, but they will get sick and die if you dont upgrade in a year, and their growth will be stunted. Dont get goldfish if yu want small fish -- balloon mollies are cute.
Anyway, no they dont need a heater. A pleco can harm goldfish by sucking on their sides. Fake platns are OK as long as they arent sharp. good luck!
Here we go:
1. Yes, Golds are very dirty and need fiter airation
2. 20
3. plecos prefer warmer temps, catfish can usually do well.
4.4-5 in. some even larger
5.no
6.yes
7. 65-70 is fine
Hope this helps!
1. Yes
2. 30-gallons for one, 40-gallons for two
3. Yes if you have a 40-gallon tank since that is the minimum tank size requirement as they grow larger in size.
4. Goldfish (any kind) can grow between 6" to 1' long.
5. Yes
6. No. Decorate tank with aquatic silk plants.
7. 65 to 75 degrees.
1. It is best for them to have a filter, but they do not absolutely have to have one. Just do water changes weekly
2. The minimum for two is 20 gallons
3. I wouldn't advise keeping a pleco with a pearlscale.
4. They can get pretty big- up to about 10 inches. However, it depends mostly on the kind of pearlscale.
5. They will need a heater if you can't keep the temperature above 57 degrees F or 14 C
6. As long as the plants don't have any sharp edges that can scrape off the fish's scales.
7. 57-89 F
1. Yes, all fish need a filter, but especially goldfish. Goldfish require more filtration than any other fish. The requirements are that the filter pump 10 times the water per hour as the size of the tank. So, if you have a 50 gallon tank, you need a 500 gph filter.
2. Pearlscale are the largest of all fancy goldfish. They can easily reach 8-10 inches in size and girth of 6 inches. As such, as adults, they will require approximately 40-50 gallons of water per fish. As small juveniles under 3 inches, you can get away with 10 gallons per fish, but, be prepared to move up to larger and larger tanks if you don't buy the largest from the beginning.
3. Yes, Bristlenose and Rubbernose Plecos are compatible with goldies, but, plecos also get huge and they must be considered in the water-to-fish ratio. You need to allow 30-50 gallons of water for each pleco.
4. Size previously answered.
5. No, goldfish do not need a heater.
6. Yes, goldies will be fine with fake plants, just two things. One, make sure there are no rough or sharp edges to cut the fish and two, goldies love fruits and veggies, so supplement their diet 2-3 times a week with various produce.
7. The ideal temperature for goldies is 70 degrees F, however, they are comfortable up to around 76, but high temps should not persist for extended periods of time as it will weaken them. Pearlscale are fancy goldies and as such, can handle water down to 40 degrees F easily. You do need to be careful with fancies below 40 degrees F.
TIP: Don't forget to cycle!
1. Do they need a filter? yep
2. What is the minimum tank size for 2 of them? 20
3. Can a plecostomus go in with them? only if you have a 50gallon tank, but even then I wouldn't because they often such on large fish like goldfish, and when pearlscales lose scales they grow back normal scales.
4. How big will they get? 8" to 10"
5. Do they need a heater? nope
6. Will they be ok with fake plants? silk, but I'd avoid plastic or anything sharp or hard because of their scales.
7. what is the temperature range for their water? low 70's high 60's is ideal, high 70's and above is not good for long period of time and the water should not go bellow 55掳F
definitely cycle the tank first. other than being careful about their scales, they're really just like any other goldfish, except maybe a little more prone to swim bladder problems because of their large bellies. for this I suggest only feeding pellets and soaking the pellets for 2-5mins before giving them to your fish. I also recommend twice a month giving them a slice of orange and once a week giving them pieces the inside of a pea.
good luck :) email me if you have anymore questions,like how to cycle your tank or anything.
1. Do they need a filter?
2. What is the minimum tank size for 2 of them?
3. Can a plecostomus go in with them?
4. How big will they get?
5. Do they need a heater?
6. Will they be ok with fake plants?
7. what is the temperature range for their water?
PLEASE any suggestions or tips would be great!
thanx!
Answers:
Pearlies are just like other goldfish, they need 10 gallons each, and get to be 8 inches long, and also very wide of course since theyre round. They definitely need a very strong filter, stronger than for the aquarium since tehyre goldfish. For two I would get a 20 gallon. If theyre small you can possibly start witha 10 or 15 gallon, but they will get sick and die if you dont upgrade in a year, and their growth will be stunted. Dont get goldfish if yu want small fish -- balloon mollies are cute.
Anyway, no they dont need a heater. A pleco can harm goldfish by sucking on their sides. Fake platns are OK as long as they arent sharp. good luck!
Here we go:
1. Yes, Golds are very dirty and need fiter airation
2. 20
3. plecos prefer warmer temps, catfish can usually do well.
4.4-5 in. some even larger
5.no
6.yes
7. 65-70 is fine
Hope this helps!
1. Yes
2. 30-gallons for one, 40-gallons for two
3. Yes if you have a 40-gallon tank since that is the minimum tank size requirement as they grow larger in size.
4. Goldfish (any kind) can grow between 6" to 1' long.
5. Yes
6. No. Decorate tank with aquatic silk plants.
7. 65 to 75 degrees.
1. It is best for them to have a filter, but they do not absolutely have to have one. Just do water changes weekly
2. The minimum for two is 20 gallons
3. I wouldn't advise keeping a pleco with a pearlscale.
4. They can get pretty big- up to about 10 inches. However, it depends mostly on the kind of pearlscale.
5. They will need a heater if you can't keep the temperature above 57 degrees F or 14 C
6. As long as the plants don't have any sharp edges that can scrape off the fish's scales.
7. 57-89 F
1. Yes, all fish need a filter, but especially goldfish. Goldfish require more filtration than any other fish. The requirements are that the filter pump 10 times the water per hour as the size of the tank. So, if you have a 50 gallon tank, you need a 500 gph filter.
2. Pearlscale are the largest of all fancy goldfish. They can easily reach 8-10 inches in size and girth of 6 inches. As such, as adults, they will require approximately 40-50 gallons of water per fish. As small juveniles under 3 inches, you can get away with 10 gallons per fish, but, be prepared to move up to larger and larger tanks if you don't buy the largest from the beginning.
3. Yes, Bristlenose and Rubbernose Plecos are compatible with goldies, but, plecos also get huge and they must be considered in the water-to-fish ratio. You need to allow 30-50 gallons of water for each pleco.
4. Size previously answered.
5. No, goldfish do not need a heater.
6. Yes, goldies will be fine with fake plants, just two things. One, make sure there are no rough or sharp edges to cut the fish and two, goldies love fruits and veggies, so supplement their diet 2-3 times a week with various produce.
7. The ideal temperature for goldies is 70 degrees F, however, they are comfortable up to around 76, but high temps should not persist for extended periods of time as it will weaken them. Pearlscale are fancy goldies and as such, can handle water down to 40 degrees F easily. You do need to be careful with fancies below 40 degrees F.
TIP: Don't forget to cycle!
1. Do they need a filter? yep
2. What is the minimum tank size for 2 of them? 20
3. Can a plecostomus go in with them? only if you have a 50gallon tank, but even then I wouldn't because they often such on large fish like goldfish, and when pearlscales lose scales they grow back normal scales.
4. How big will they get? 8" to 10"
5. Do they need a heater? nope
6. Will they be ok with fake plants? silk, but I'd avoid plastic or anything sharp or hard because of their scales.
7. what is the temperature range for their water? low 70's high 60's is ideal, high 70's and above is not good for long period of time and the water should not go bellow 55掳F
definitely cycle the tank first. other than being careful about their scales, they're really just like any other goldfish, except maybe a little more prone to swim bladder problems because of their large bellies. for this I suggest only feeding pellets and soaking the pellets for 2-5mins before giving them to your fish. I also recommend twice a month giving them a slice of orange and once a week giving them pieces the inside of a pea.
good luck :) email me if you have anymore questions,like how to cycle your tank or anything.
Peacock gudgeon?
i have two combined with 6 neon tetras, 6 guppies, 2 dwarf gouramis, and three african dwarf frogs. will they be okay? i dont want the gudgeons to pick on my guppies or neons.
Answers:
i found this article that might help you --
http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/car...
Answers:
i found this article that might help you --
http://www.fishkeeping.co.uk/modules/car...
Peacock bass wont eat!!?
Hello. I have a peacock bass that is from 5-6 inches...i had him for a couple months...he is in a 55 gallon tank for now...the other day my tank got really green(gradually got like this) so i removed him from his tank and changed all the water and cleaned the gravel from his tank.water is crystal clear and at 80 degrees...not sure bout my ph because my tester isnt the greatest.anyway now my peacock bass wont eat anymore...he chases them but wont eat them...he looks perfectly healthy...colors are fine and his spikes stay up most of the time.i got him to eat one tiny rosi red but thats it...he didnt even try to grab it he waited for it to come in front of him.what can be my problem?please help me if you can! thank you!
Answers:
it is normal as you moved the fish and stressed him out. It happens.
He will start eatting within a usual of 4-5 days. Remember that fishes dont need to eat everyday, it is a new concept that is comming out from Fishprofiles.com, but it makes sense.
THey recomend to even skip a meal or two to mimic natural conditions of not eatting everyday.
But anyway, he will be fine, alittle stressed out. He will start eatting soon.
Leaving the minnows in there is just fine, they should be gone within a few days.
Your problem is that you didn't care for the water properly,or the Nitrifying bacteria that control the ammonia. The algae was caused by the same thing. The fish is probably suffering from shock due to the drastic changes in the tank.
Don't worry about the pH,you should be watching the ammonia and Nitrite numbers. When they start to increase you've got to do small frequent water changes to control these levels. The goal is to have enough ammonia to regrow the bacteria colonies,but not so much that you kill the fish.
Then get some books or do some inter-net research to learn how to keep your fish alive.
It definatly sounds like your fish is stressed out from being moved. Most fish will start eating again in about a week or less. If it still hasn't you can try buying a few glass shrimp. I have had a lot of luck getting fish to start eating again with them. if he doesn't eat them right away he will eventually and in the mean time.free cleaning.
Answers:
it is normal as you moved the fish and stressed him out. It happens.
He will start eatting within a usual of 4-5 days. Remember that fishes dont need to eat everyday, it is a new concept that is comming out from Fishprofiles.com, but it makes sense.
THey recomend to even skip a meal or two to mimic natural conditions of not eatting everyday.
But anyway, he will be fine, alittle stressed out. He will start eatting soon.
Leaving the minnows in there is just fine, they should be gone within a few days.
Your problem is that you didn't care for the water properly,or the Nitrifying bacteria that control the ammonia. The algae was caused by the same thing. The fish is probably suffering from shock due to the drastic changes in the tank.
Don't worry about the pH,you should be watching the ammonia and Nitrite numbers. When they start to increase you've got to do small frequent water changes to control these levels. The goal is to have enough ammonia to regrow the bacteria colonies,but not so much that you kill the fish.
Then get some books or do some inter-net research to learn how to keep your fish alive.
It definatly sounds like your fish is stressed out from being moved. Most fish will start eating again in about a week or less. If it still hasn't you can try buying a few glass shrimp. I have had a lot of luck getting fish to start eating again with them. if he doesn't eat them right away he will eventually and in the mean time.free cleaning.
Partial water change...how do you do it?
How exactly do you do a partial water change?
1) do you use warm tap water or cold tap water?
2) do you leave it to stand overnight?
3) how do you "maintain" the same temp as in the tank?
4) does the pH flutuate when you add the water into the tank?
ADDITIONAL NOTES: warm, boiling water is said to destroy the oxygen molecules in water...leaving the water to stand overnight will be "cold" the next day.
Answers:
To do a partial water change you should use a syphon gravel vac, these can be bought at pet shops or you can even buy them online. Do you test your tank for PH and NITRITES OR AMMMONIA? If so and your ph is to your fishies liking already then you shouldn't need any ph up or down formula's, all you should need to do is take out 25% of your water volume using the gravel vac, tap water is normally ok, I use it here in tassie and our water is pretty bad for chlorine atm, I use a GOOD QUALITY tap conditioner in the water, I have never stood water overnight before and I keep alot of different types of fishy friends and they are fine. As long as you know what the quality of your water is (for this information you should be able to go to your local council website or make a phone call, ask around, does your water have a METALLIC SMELL OR TASTE, if so, chances are your water is treated with too much chlorine to just stand over-night anyway, I use twice the recommended dose for water conditioner as our water is heavily treated with chlorine and my tanks are healthy. Never just pour or squirt it in, everything you put in your tank should be measured properly.
If your nitrite and ammonia are very high you may need to do a water change of 25% every couple of days, but if everything is good then you should do this once to maybe twice a week, especially if you have alot of fish in the tank, how messy they are, etc. Hope that helps
Oh and...DO NOT BOIL THE WATER, you remove all the trace elements out of it, don't use bottled water either, same reason.
Tyr to judge the temp of the water you take out and get it the same (near enough as you can) before you put it in, add tap conditioner first before putting water back into the tank. Temp change of a couple of degrees doesn't really do anything to freshwater/tropical fish.
1) do you use warm tap water or cold tap water?
Cold after letting it run a few minutes to lower copper content.
2) do you leave it to stand overnight?
I let it stand 5 days in open distilled-water-bottles as the chlorine is bad here.
3) how do you "maintain" the same temp as in the tank?
Standing at room temperature it is the same temperature after 5 days.
4) does the pH flutuate when you add the water into the tank?
Yes, generally the ammonia levels will drop. (No problem for fresh water fish.)
http://www.kushaiah.com/fish/underwater/...
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_wate...
Second one is probably better
1) do you use warm tap water or cold tap water?
I pull the thermometer out of my tank and make the water about 2 degC warmer than the tank. (If I鈥檓 putting the water straight in, I match the temp exactly.)
2) do you leave it to stand overnight?
I put all my water treatments in (kH powder, gH crystals, and a water conditioner that neutralises chlorine and all the other crap in our water) then I let the water cool to the tank temperature while I siphon some water out of my tank.
(I use 5 litre buckets, so my chemical does is always the same. If I need, say, 7 litres, I mix 2 buckets of water up. It makes measuring all the treatments out much easier.)
3) how do you "maintain" the same temp as in the tank?
I test the tank water, then the fresh water, and adjust the fresh water accordingly.
4) does the pH flutuate when you add the water into the tank?
The only way to find this out is to check your tap water鈥檚 pH and your tank鈥檚 pH.
I鈥檓 lucky, our tap water鈥檚 pH is the same as what I need in my tank, so the only reason I use kH powder is to keep the water stable.
If your tank鈥檚 pH is different from your tap鈥檚 pH, treat the water to match the pH (preferably through kH powder, not the pH up/down drops) and test it to see if the pH matches before you put it in the tank.
not at all actually in my main tank.
in a sufficent large tank (300 liters and more) with excellent biological filtering, lots of plants and not too many fishes there is no need to change the water because all waste byproducts will be used by plants.
in my shrimp tank i do partial water changes (it is too small to be maintained without) i do water changes
1) i use cold tap water because copper from the pipes is easier washed out by warm water and copper would kill the shrimp.
2) i don't let it to stand overnight. it only makes sense when the water is chlorated but there are almost no places in germany where water is chlorated. also there is no added fluoride in german water.
3) there is no need to maintain the same temperature because in the nature there are always fluctuations in the water temperature, so adding cold water actually benefits the fishes because it emulates a real rain. a cold water change can even trigger the spawning for corys.
4) yes, a bit, but not much. again, slight pH fluctuations are okay.
1) Do you use warm tap water or cold tap water?
It doesn't matter what temperature your tap water starts out at. New water should never go straight from the tap to the tank. It should at least be treated with water conditioner. Before pouring the new water in to your tank, leave it to stand for about 20 minutes (depending on the volume of water). This will help equalize the temperature of the water in your tank to the water you are about to add.
2) Do you leave it to stand overnight?
You can, but this is optional. You still need to use a water conditioner to remove chloramine and trace metals; standing overnight only removes chlorine.
3) How do you "maintain" the same temp as in the tank?
Leave the new water to stand for about 20 minutes before adding it.
4) Does the pH fluctuate when you add the water into the tank?
No, not unless you have used chemicals like pH Up or pH Down on the water already in your tank. If you have, you should add these chemicals to your water before pouring it into your tank. Otherwise, as long as you are using water from the same tap as before, the pH should not fluctuate too much.
1) do you use warm tap water or cold tap water?
2) do you leave it to stand overnight?
3) how do you "maintain" the same temp as in the tank?
4) does the pH flutuate when you add the water into the tank?
ADDITIONAL NOTES: warm, boiling water is said to destroy the oxygen molecules in water...leaving the water to stand overnight will be "cold" the next day.
Answers:
To do a partial water change you should use a syphon gravel vac, these can be bought at pet shops or you can even buy them online. Do you test your tank for PH and NITRITES OR AMMMONIA? If so and your ph is to your fishies liking already then you shouldn't need any ph up or down formula's, all you should need to do is take out 25% of your water volume using the gravel vac, tap water is normally ok, I use it here in tassie and our water is pretty bad for chlorine atm, I use a GOOD QUALITY tap conditioner in the water, I have never stood water overnight before and I keep alot of different types of fishy friends and they are fine. As long as you know what the quality of your water is (for this information you should be able to go to your local council website or make a phone call, ask around, does your water have a METALLIC SMELL OR TASTE, if so, chances are your water is treated with too much chlorine to just stand over-night anyway, I use twice the recommended dose for water conditioner as our water is heavily treated with chlorine and my tanks are healthy. Never just pour or squirt it in, everything you put in your tank should be measured properly.
If your nitrite and ammonia are very high you may need to do a water change of 25% every couple of days, but if everything is good then you should do this once to maybe twice a week, especially if you have alot of fish in the tank, how messy they are, etc. Hope that helps
Oh and...DO NOT BOIL THE WATER, you remove all the trace elements out of it, don't use bottled water either, same reason.
Tyr to judge the temp of the water you take out and get it the same (near enough as you can) before you put it in, add tap conditioner first before putting water back into the tank. Temp change of a couple of degrees doesn't really do anything to freshwater/tropical fish.
1) do you use warm tap water or cold tap water?
Cold after letting it run a few minutes to lower copper content.
2) do you leave it to stand overnight?
I let it stand 5 days in open distilled-water-bottles as the chlorine is bad here.
3) how do you "maintain" the same temp as in the tank?
Standing at room temperature it is the same temperature after 5 days.
4) does the pH flutuate when you add the water into the tank?
Yes, generally the ammonia levels will drop. (No problem for fresh water fish.)
http://www.kushaiah.com/fish/underwater/...
http://www.aquahobby.com/articles/e_wate...
Second one is probably better
1) do you use warm tap water or cold tap water?
I pull the thermometer out of my tank and make the water about 2 degC warmer than the tank. (If I鈥檓 putting the water straight in, I match the temp exactly.)
2) do you leave it to stand overnight?
I put all my water treatments in (kH powder, gH crystals, and a water conditioner that neutralises chlorine and all the other crap in our water) then I let the water cool to the tank temperature while I siphon some water out of my tank.
(I use 5 litre buckets, so my chemical does is always the same. If I need, say, 7 litres, I mix 2 buckets of water up. It makes measuring all the treatments out much easier.)
3) how do you "maintain" the same temp as in the tank?
I test the tank water, then the fresh water, and adjust the fresh water accordingly.
4) does the pH flutuate when you add the water into the tank?
The only way to find this out is to check your tap water鈥檚 pH and your tank鈥檚 pH.
I鈥檓 lucky, our tap water鈥檚 pH is the same as what I need in my tank, so the only reason I use kH powder is to keep the water stable.
If your tank鈥檚 pH is different from your tap鈥檚 pH, treat the water to match the pH (preferably through kH powder, not the pH up/down drops) and test it to see if the pH matches before you put it in the tank.
not at all actually in my main tank.
in a sufficent large tank (300 liters and more) with excellent biological filtering, lots of plants and not too many fishes there is no need to change the water because all waste byproducts will be used by plants.
in my shrimp tank i do partial water changes (it is too small to be maintained without) i do water changes
1) i use cold tap water because copper from the pipes is easier washed out by warm water and copper would kill the shrimp.
2) i don't let it to stand overnight. it only makes sense when the water is chlorated but there are almost no places in germany where water is chlorated. also there is no added fluoride in german water.
3) there is no need to maintain the same temperature because in the nature there are always fluctuations in the water temperature, so adding cold water actually benefits the fishes because it emulates a real rain. a cold water change can even trigger the spawning for corys.
4) yes, a bit, but not much. again, slight pH fluctuations are okay.
1) Do you use warm tap water or cold tap water?
It doesn't matter what temperature your tap water starts out at. New water should never go straight from the tap to the tank. It should at least be treated with water conditioner. Before pouring the new water in to your tank, leave it to stand for about 20 minutes (depending on the volume of water). This will help equalize the temperature of the water in your tank to the water you are about to add.
2) Do you leave it to stand overnight?
You can, but this is optional. You still need to use a water conditioner to remove chloramine and trace metals; standing overnight only removes chlorine.
3) How do you "maintain" the same temp as in the tank?
Leave the new water to stand for about 20 minutes before adding it.
4) Does the pH fluctuate when you add the water into the tank?
No, not unless you have used chemicals like pH Up or pH Down on the water already in your tank. If you have, you should add these chemicals to your water before pouring it into your tank. Otherwise, as long as you are using water from the same tap as before, the pH should not fluctuate too much.
Parrot Fish?
I have a 55 gallon tank and i have 6 fish in it. 4 of the fish are parrot fish. Sometimes the parrot fish will stick a part of their head ( right above their mouth) out of the water and stay like that for like 10 minutes. Here's a pic of one of the fish.http://www.mylivingtree.com/5102pic/381/...
Is that normal behavior?
Answers:
Probably. It sounds cute, i wouldnt worry about it.
oooooooooooooo they're so cute. IDK IF ITS NORMAL.
pretty pretty, shiney shiney!
Is that normal behavior?
Answers:
Probably. It sounds cute, i wouldnt worry about it.
oooooooooooooo they're so cute. IDK IF ITS NORMAL.
pretty pretty, shiney shiney!
Pampering fish?
My fish are very cute and I am trying to find ways to give them treats, however I don't know what I can do to let them feel special. Can you please give em a few tips? Thanks
Answers:
more common fish treats would be frozen foods you can get at the pet store -- blood worms, brine shrimp and stuff like that -- they sell brine shrimp hatcheries so you can grow your own too.
i boil a leaf of lettuce or spinach and feed that to them -- they might not go for it right away but once they do they are crazy about it -- fish tend to be creatures of habit so if you feed them food that looks a certain way (like floating food) they might not recognize other things (like the lettuce) even if they like the taste better.
a big favorite is the middle part of zucchini boiled until its just a little soft -- like 2 minutes. i cut it up in thin strips that look like zucchini spaghetti.
Well maybe you should get a kitten, you can't really pamper fish.
That would be a wonderful thing to do if fish actually had emotional feelings. You can provide them with better care, but they are pretty much incapable of showing appreciation and happiness for your extra efforts. What kind of fish do you have? There are somethings you can do but varies by species.
JV
They sell fishy treats at pet stores =)
its hard to say when i dont know what kind of fish but you could try to get them some kind of fishy treat eg frozen brine shrimp or something else that that particular species of fish may like but not get on a daily basis
Fish are not very intelligent, nor do they react well to changes in their environment, so treats might not always be healthy for them and even if they are the fish may not have the mental ability to consider them as treats the way a dog or cat would. For one thing, you want to make sure you never overfeed them. Probably the best idea is just to improve their everyday environment, for example many fish seem to like live food, and sprucing up the aquarium with some plants might make them feel more at home.
Answers:
more common fish treats would be frozen foods you can get at the pet store -- blood worms, brine shrimp and stuff like that -- they sell brine shrimp hatcheries so you can grow your own too.
i boil a leaf of lettuce or spinach and feed that to them -- they might not go for it right away but once they do they are crazy about it -- fish tend to be creatures of habit so if you feed them food that looks a certain way (like floating food) they might not recognize other things (like the lettuce) even if they like the taste better.
a big favorite is the middle part of zucchini boiled until its just a little soft -- like 2 minutes. i cut it up in thin strips that look like zucchini spaghetti.
Well maybe you should get a kitten, you can't really pamper fish.
That would be a wonderful thing to do if fish actually had emotional feelings. You can provide them with better care, but they are pretty much incapable of showing appreciation and happiness for your extra efforts. What kind of fish do you have? There are somethings you can do but varies by species.
JV
They sell fishy treats at pet stores =)
its hard to say when i dont know what kind of fish but you could try to get them some kind of fishy treat eg frozen brine shrimp or something else that that particular species of fish may like but not get on a daily basis
Fish are not very intelligent, nor do they react well to changes in their environment, so treats might not always be healthy for them and even if they are the fish may not have the mental ability to consider them as treats the way a dog or cat would. For one thing, you want to make sure you never overfeed them. Probably the best idea is just to improve their everyday environment, for example many fish seem to like live food, and sprucing up the aquarium with some plants might make them feel more at home.
Painted pots?
so i changed the rocks for flower pots for the fish to breed but it just hit me the pot is painted i got it at kmart did not think about it but the paint is really hard is this gonna be a preblem?
Answers:
If it's from Kmart it's probably made in China so there are likely nasty chemicals in the paint. I don't think I'd trust it.
If the pot has a glazed finish( shiney like dinnerwhare ) it should be ok .If it is not you are taking a chance on leaching chemicals into the tank that could be deadly to your fish
you might be safe as long as the paint doesnt have lead in it
Answers:
If it's from Kmart it's probably made in China so there are likely nasty chemicals in the paint. I don't think I'd trust it.
If the pot has a glazed finish( shiney like dinnerwhare ) it should be ok .If it is not you are taking a chance on leaching chemicals into the tank that could be deadly to your fish
you might be safe as long as the paint doesnt have lead in it
Pacu and Cichlid owners!?
What kind of live food is safe to feed Pacus and Cichlids? The fish in question are only about 3 inches right now and i was wondering what kind of live foods and how much live food and how many times a day i can safely feed them please help and thanks in advance.
Answers:
Just wondering if you knew that you will ultimately need 2,000 gallons of water to house a pair of Pacus. My sister bought a pair and I didn't know exactly how big they get, but let's just say that she just returned them to the fish store because they were nearly the size of dinner plates. I told her when they were 2 inches and she just brought them home to take them back, but she didn't. Take them back for store credit, or swap them for more Cichlids. I'm not sure that Pacus and Cichlids are compatible anyway. What type of Cichlids do you have? I have Black Convict Cichlids and they aren't too picky. They eat Cichlid flake food, pellets, sinking vegie pellets, frozen Daphnia, frozen Blood worms, Brine Shrimp, etc. etc. Basically just a varied diet is best.
Pacu's are vegetarians,Cichlids are world wide,so we need more information about them,like species names.
Also do you know what the adult size of a Pacu is? They need very large tanks(most public aquariums won't take them because they use too much space).
Pacus are vegetarians, even though they look like pirahnas. They are part of the same family, tetras. Do not feed your pacus live food, they will get along fine with flakes and pellets while they are small but will need lots of veggies when they get to adult size (around 2 feet).
Most cichlids do not eat a lot of live food, the ones who do vary their diet with many kinds of larvae, flies and crustaceans. Many cichlids will develop the "Malawi Bloat" if fed too much live food. Many times this is fatal.
You should know what kind of cichlids you have and research them online (google, ask...) to see what they eat.
There are many kinds of high protein frozen foods that are much safer than live feeder fish (if that is what you are considering). Keeping live food on hand for just one or two tanks is very labor intensive, although many aquarists breed brine shrimp, micro worms and vinegar eels for their fry, and white worms for their smaller (2-4") fish. Red worms and black worms are also good for most fish.
Do not start feeding feeder fish from the pet store, they carry many parasites and diseases from being spawned and raised in outdoor ponds. Many prize fish have been killed by diseases and parasites brought into their tanks by feeder goldfish, guppies and rosy reds.
Your fish can grow large and healthy without feeder fish.
8
Pacus eat almost anything you throw in the tank. They are not choosy and grow at an incredible rate. They are known to reach 2 feet in home aquariums and even bigger in the wild. My Pacus eat all types of cichlid pellets and flakes. I would not mix them only because Pacu sometimes take off in the tank, like a bullet knocking everything in its way when spooked. They will eat as long as there is light on the tank or around them. They have giant appetites.
Answers:
Just wondering if you knew that you will ultimately need 2,000 gallons of water to house a pair of Pacus. My sister bought a pair and I didn't know exactly how big they get, but let's just say that she just returned them to the fish store because they were nearly the size of dinner plates. I told her when they were 2 inches and she just brought them home to take them back, but she didn't. Take them back for store credit, or swap them for more Cichlids. I'm not sure that Pacus and Cichlids are compatible anyway. What type of Cichlids do you have? I have Black Convict Cichlids and they aren't too picky. They eat Cichlid flake food, pellets, sinking vegie pellets, frozen Daphnia, frozen Blood worms, Brine Shrimp, etc. etc. Basically just a varied diet is best.
Pacu's are vegetarians,Cichlids are world wide,so we need more information about them,like species names.
Also do you know what the adult size of a Pacu is? They need very large tanks(most public aquariums won't take them because they use too much space).
Pacus are vegetarians, even though they look like pirahnas. They are part of the same family, tetras. Do not feed your pacus live food, they will get along fine with flakes and pellets while they are small but will need lots of veggies when they get to adult size (around 2 feet).
Most cichlids do not eat a lot of live food, the ones who do vary their diet with many kinds of larvae, flies and crustaceans. Many cichlids will develop the "Malawi Bloat" if fed too much live food. Many times this is fatal.
You should know what kind of cichlids you have and research them online (google, ask...) to see what they eat.
There are many kinds of high protein frozen foods that are much safer than live feeder fish (if that is what you are considering). Keeping live food on hand for just one or two tanks is very labor intensive, although many aquarists breed brine shrimp, micro worms and vinegar eels for their fry, and white worms for their smaller (2-4") fish. Red worms and black worms are also good for most fish.
Do not start feeding feeder fish from the pet store, they carry many parasites and diseases from being spawned and raised in outdoor ponds. Many prize fish have been killed by diseases and parasites brought into their tanks by feeder goldfish, guppies and rosy reds.
Your fish can grow large and healthy without feeder fish.
8
Pacus eat almost anything you throw in the tank. They are not choosy and grow at an incredible rate. They are known to reach 2 feet in home aquariums and even bigger in the wild. My Pacus eat all types of cichlid pellets and flakes. I would not mix them only because Pacu sometimes take off in the tank, like a bullet knocking everything in its way when spooked. They will eat as long as there is light on the tank or around them. They have giant appetites.
Pacu and Cichlid owners!?
I have 2 Red Bellied Pacus and four assorted Cichlids in a 14 gallon tank and i was wondering how big and how fast they will grow in such a small tank? Also i feed them tropical fish flakes and at present none of them are over 3 inches long. Thank you for any advice or guesses!
Answers:
This is getting to be an old joke...
Your gonna have to get a really big tank! Cichlids get really big and then they get very aggresive and territorial you may end up putting your two different types of fish in seperate tanks when they get bigger. Flakes are ok for them but you can try giving them pellets, spiralina tabs, frozen fish food, brine etc.
I'm not an owner of either, but I can tell you that 6 of these large fish, that are already 3 inches in size, in a 14 gallon tank is outrageously overcrowded. I'll leave details to the keepers of such fish.
They probably won't get any bigger. The fish only grow to as big as the tank will allow them. So with a fourteen gallon tank, your fish probably won't get any bigger, especially with six of them in the same tank, if you want them to get bigger, you need to get a bigger tank.
do not get anymore fish, 14 gallons is already kind of small for what you have...as for cichlids i have seen some that get to about 3-4 inches but none bigger, Pacus no idea.as they get bigger though the need to have more room will be evident in the agressiveness of the fish which will stress the tank.and then fishies dies...start looking into a larger tank...
Your dead I have a 55 gallon tank and ther wasnt enough room for 2 so we had to get rid of 1 red belly pacus. So in 2 years ide either get a 55 gallon tank and get rid of 1 pacu, or get a 100 gallon tank and keep them all. Thats basicly your only choices
I LOVE CRAYFISH!
You will be having serious crowding issue within a month. Pacu grow very quickly and very, very large. When I kept 2 I had them for about 6 years before they outgrow a 885 gallon tank. I donated them to a public aquarium at that point.
MM
They're already too crowded!
Generally, it's only 1 inch of fish to 1 gallon of water. You have 6, 3 inch fish. 6x3=18 18 is bigger than 14.
Get nothing smaller than 150 gallons. Get it SOON!
That's just while their babies. Pacus get to be 15 inches EACH!
EDIT:
It's a myth that they "grow to the size of the tank". Absolutely FALSE! They will grow until they die in that tiny little tank.
They should be eating cichlid pellets! They are found right next to the flakes at the store. I own a red bellied pacu and an oscar. Both are about 7 inches long right now. I got them at the beginning of the summer during which they grew about 2 inches. A fourteen gallon tank for all those fish is too small now! If you are commited to keeping the fish you need to upgrade. My TWO fish are in a 55g right now because I can't afford larger yet. I suggest you read about Pacu size:
A lot of people think that a fish will only grow as big as the aquarium their in, That is false. If the water quality is good,(good filtration, pH levels,etc..) these fish will get huge. Its hard to determine how fast but if you feed them live food it will speed the growth process dramatically.
I'd say GOOGLE it. You'll find everything you need to know there.
That is already overcrowded. The size of the tank will slightly slow the rate of growth of the fish, but they will still grow and as they mature, they will become more aggressive and territorial, especially the cichlids. Eventually, you will have to purchase a much larger tank or the cichlids will systematically kill off the pacus by bullying them. Make sure you put Stress-zyme in the water when you do regular water changes until you get the new tank and when you transfer them into the new tank. It replenishes the slimy coat on their skin which will extend their lives in a stressfully cramped aquarium and as they adjust to a new environment.
Pacus grow to enormous sizes in short periods of time. Some people try to give them away but are unable due to the dying popularity.
Do you love Cichlids?
Come to my newly made forums, complete non-profit www.cichlid-board.tk and become part of the community!
Answers:
This is getting to be an old joke...
Your gonna have to get a really big tank! Cichlids get really big and then they get very aggresive and territorial you may end up putting your two different types of fish in seperate tanks when they get bigger. Flakes are ok for them but you can try giving them pellets, spiralina tabs, frozen fish food, brine etc.
I'm not an owner of either, but I can tell you that 6 of these large fish, that are already 3 inches in size, in a 14 gallon tank is outrageously overcrowded. I'll leave details to the keepers of such fish.
They probably won't get any bigger. The fish only grow to as big as the tank will allow them. So with a fourteen gallon tank, your fish probably won't get any bigger, especially with six of them in the same tank, if you want them to get bigger, you need to get a bigger tank.
do not get anymore fish, 14 gallons is already kind of small for what you have...as for cichlids i have seen some that get to about 3-4 inches but none bigger, Pacus no idea.as they get bigger though the need to have more room will be evident in the agressiveness of the fish which will stress the tank.and then fishies dies...start looking into a larger tank...
Your dead I have a 55 gallon tank and ther wasnt enough room for 2 so we had to get rid of 1 red belly pacus. So in 2 years ide either get a 55 gallon tank and get rid of 1 pacu, or get a 100 gallon tank and keep them all. Thats basicly your only choices
I LOVE CRAYFISH!
You will be having serious crowding issue within a month. Pacu grow very quickly and very, very large. When I kept 2 I had them for about 6 years before they outgrow a 885 gallon tank. I donated them to a public aquarium at that point.
MM
They're already too crowded!
Generally, it's only 1 inch of fish to 1 gallon of water. You have 6, 3 inch fish. 6x3=18 18 is bigger than 14.
Get nothing smaller than 150 gallons. Get it SOON!
That's just while their babies. Pacus get to be 15 inches EACH!
EDIT:
It's a myth that they "grow to the size of the tank". Absolutely FALSE! They will grow until they die in that tiny little tank.
They should be eating cichlid pellets! They are found right next to the flakes at the store. I own a red bellied pacu and an oscar. Both are about 7 inches long right now. I got them at the beginning of the summer during which they grew about 2 inches. A fourteen gallon tank for all those fish is too small now! If you are commited to keeping the fish you need to upgrade. My TWO fish are in a 55g right now because I can't afford larger yet. I suggest you read about Pacu size:
A lot of people think that a fish will only grow as big as the aquarium their in, That is false. If the water quality is good,(good filtration, pH levels,etc..) these fish will get huge. Its hard to determine how fast but if you feed them live food it will speed the growth process dramatically.
I'd say GOOGLE it. You'll find everything you need to know there.
That is already overcrowded. The size of the tank will slightly slow the rate of growth of the fish, but they will still grow and as they mature, they will become more aggressive and territorial, especially the cichlids. Eventually, you will have to purchase a much larger tank or the cichlids will systematically kill off the pacus by bullying them. Make sure you put Stress-zyme in the water when you do regular water changes until you get the new tank and when you transfer them into the new tank. It replenishes the slimy coat on their skin which will extend their lives in a stressfully cramped aquarium and as they adjust to a new environment.
Pacus grow to enormous sizes in short periods of time. Some people try to give them away but are unable due to the dying popularity.
Do you love Cichlids?
Come to my newly made forums, complete non-profit www.cichlid-board.tk and become part of the community!
Our fish died, what's the reason for it?
i cleaned the tank last night and put the anti chlorine and dr. wonder (fish disease specialist) then i found our fishes dead this morning and when i took them out their fins and tails are almost melting and some of their body parts are falling like leaves, what's wrong?
Answers:
What is the Dr. Wonder stuff. Too much of the wrong thing could kill a fish instantly like that. I suspect the Dr Wonder. I do not beleive in medicating the tank with water additives. Anti-biotic food is best. All meds added to the water kill the biological filter, for one. You really need the use of a microscope to diagnose exactly what ails your fish, so you don't medicate with the wrong stuff. If you do not know the exact amount of water in the tank you are likely overdosing. For example my 55 gallon tank actually holds about 47 gallons of water, the rest is taken up by substrate and large river rocks. If I dosed for all 55 gallons I would be putting in too much medication.
The trick to keeping any fish is consistancy. Consistant regular water changes that also keep the water temperture consistant as well as Ph (to some degree). Keep the ammonia and nitrite at zero and Nitrates under 20 ppm at all times. Consistant filter cleanings (about once a month) and refurbish carbon regularly. Keep everything the same as you can and the fish will live long happy lives.
If fish get sick the first thing you do is change water. 99% of the time the illness is water related. Fish health is totally dependant on the health of the water. Foul water equals stressed or sick fish. Learn to watch the fish's behaviour when they are healthy. If they stop acting that way and start acting differently then suspect the water needs a big changing. Hope this has shed some light.
How was the temperature of the water? Sometimes, if it's to hot, they will just float to the top- and they won't be able to swim.
And maybe you put to much chemicals in the tank and didn't let it circulate long enough. I think you are suppose to wait a few hours before you put the fish back in their tank. After a few hours or so, the temperature of the water and the chemicals will even out.
Sorry about your fish.
first never use tap water, use disteled water? i think i miss Spelled it but i hear it works best for fish... and get Sucker Fish to clean bowl. and learn how to clean from pet store before taking on such projects.. they can leave resdue that will hurt fish.
If the water is to hot your fish will look like they have been boiled. My Aunts fish died from that. Also it could be a chemical burn. Or if you used a certain chemical to clean it like i know i use dish soap and you have to make sure that all the soap is out of the tank and the tank is dried before you start adding water to it. Then when you do put chemicals in the tank you have to let them filter through for about a half hour to 45 minutes. But with that amount of time and with their body parts falling off and stuff. I would have to say either the water was to hot or they got a chemical burn. I know Ich is a huge factor in fish too. The scales will start falling off like nothing else. I had a African Cichlid that had that quite often.
there something called the circle of life... honey welcome to it.
fish are sensitve to water temp. and chemical changes you could have done too much of something while cleaning the tank, it sounds like you overdosed on the chloring and dr. wonder and it killed him.
~bye
did you over dose them with your dr. wonder ?
and what was the reason you put the medication in , in the first place?? that might be the reason there dieing in the forst place
Its must have been a side effect of the chemical you added.
Do not Put Fish immediately After Cleaning the tank. leave it for sometime with for about half an hour with pump on.
He/she may of died from being fed too muh, to less, old age, too much bacteria in the tank, too less bactaria in the tank,
or shock. And if theresany other fish in the tank he may have died from nother fish. Oer a sickness. And dont do tis, I took my betta of his bowl and put him in another one and wen i woke up he was dead.
Answers:
What is the Dr. Wonder stuff. Too much of the wrong thing could kill a fish instantly like that. I suspect the Dr Wonder. I do not beleive in medicating the tank with water additives. Anti-biotic food is best. All meds added to the water kill the biological filter, for one. You really need the use of a microscope to diagnose exactly what ails your fish, so you don't medicate with the wrong stuff. If you do not know the exact amount of water in the tank you are likely overdosing. For example my 55 gallon tank actually holds about 47 gallons of water, the rest is taken up by substrate and large river rocks. If I dosed for all 55 gallons I would be putting in too much medication.
The trick to keeping any fish is consistancy. Consistant regular water changes that also keep the water temperture consistant as well as Ph (to some degree). Keep the ammonia and nitrite at zero and Nitrates under 20 ppm at all times. Consistant filter cleanings (about once a month) and refurbish carbon regularly. Keep everything the same as you can and the fish will live long happy lives.
If fish get sick the first thing you do is change water. 99% of the time the illness is water related. Fish health is totally dependant on the health of the water. Foul water equals stressed or sick fish. Learn to watch the fish's behaviour when they are healthy. If they stop acting that way and start acting differently then suspect the water needs a big changing. Hope this has shed some light.
How was the temperature of the water? Sometimes, if it's to hot, they will just float to the top- and they won't be able to swim.
And maybe you put to much chemicals in the tank and didn't let it circulate long enough. I think you are suppose to wait a few hours before you put the fish back in their tank. After a few hours or so, the temperature of the water and the chemicals will even out.
Sorry about your fish.
first never use tap water, use disteled water? i think i miss Spelled it but i hear it works best for fish... and get Sucker Fish to clean bowl. and learn how to clean from pet store before taking on such projects.. they can leave resdue that will hurt fish.
If the water is to hot your fish will look like they have been boiled. My Aunts fish died from that. Also it could be a chemical burn. Or if you used a certain chemical to clean it like i know i use dish soap and you have to make sure that all the soap is out of the tank and the tank is dried before you start adding water to it. Then when you do put chemicals in the tank you have to let them filter through for about a half hour to 45 minutes. But with that amount of time and with their body parts falling off and stuff. I would have to say either the water was to hot or they got a chemical burn. I know Ich is a huge factor in fish too. The scales will start falling off like nothing else. I had a African Cichlid that had that quite often.
there something called the circle of life... honey welcome to it.
fish are sensitve to water temp. and chemical changes you could have done too much of something while cleaning the tank, it sounds like you overdosed on the chloring and dr. wonder and it killed him.
~bye
did you over dose them with your dr. wonder ?
and what was the reason you put the medication in , in the first place?? that might be the reason there dieing in the forst place
Its must have been a side effect of the chemical you added.
Do not Put Fish immediately After Cleaning the tank. leave it for sometime with for about half an hour with pump on.
He/she may of died from being fed too muh, to less, old age, too much bacteria in the tank, too less bactaria in the tank,
or shock. And if theresany other fish in the tank he may have died from nother fish. Oer a sickness. And dont do tis, I took my betta of his bowl and put him in another one and wen i woke up he was dead.
Oscar wounded pretty bad by Texas Ciclid, how do I help him heal?
We bought two new Oscars and put them in with our Jack Dempsy and Texas Ciclid. Everything has been fine then all of a sudden the Ciclid started attacking one of the Oscars. Over night, his sides were all chewed up and most of his top and tail fins. We put a divider in the tank to keep him serperate while he healed, but now it looks like he has fuz all over him. I tried to tell my husband that it is a fungus/mold, but he says it is part of his skin healing. HELP!
Answers:
It is probably a secondary fungal infection. You will first need to sipon the tank to get the water nice and clean. Take about 50% of the water out and replace with fresh declorinated water. Try not to bother the injured oscar too much. You will want to get some Maracyn Two, and you need to do it soon. You are going to need a very large tank to prevent this sort of thing from happening again.
if you want some quick healing to happen buy some melafix. It is in most fish stores, and walmart has it too. Melafix is a made of a natural plant called melaleuca. somewhat like aloe vera . But better. It heals half bitten fins and repairs tears on the fish's body. please try it.
Answers:
It is probably a secondary fungal infection. You will first need to sipon the tank to get the water nice and clean. Take about 50% of the water out and replace with fresh declorinated water. Try not to bother the injured oscar too much. You will want to get some Maracyn Two, and you need to do it soon. You are going to need a very large tank to prevent this sort of thing from happening again.
if you want some quick healing to happen buy some melafix. It is in most fish stores, and walmart has it too. Melafix is a made of a natural plant called melaleuca. somewhat like aloe vera . But better. It heals half bitten fins and repairs tears on the fish's body. please try it.
Oscar with ICK!?
i need an easy way to get rid of ick, i already tried ick gone from wal mart. he still has it. how should i go about getting rid of it, i dont have a quarantine tank. my other fish dont have it at the moment, and i really love my oscar. please help.
Answers:
Don't just take out the sick fish,if one has ich it's in the tank and the whole thing must be treated or your other fish will soon be sick to.I am not really familiar with treating ich but if you have a local fish or pet store try going there to ask for help,many times they are quite knowledgeable.Some one else may also answer this question that can recommend an appropriate medication.
In the long run, it is cheaper and easier to flush your oscar and replace it. You can spend a lot of time, grief and money trying to cure it. When raising fish, it is best not to get to emotionally attached, unless you have the funds to play the expensive game of fish doctor. Meanwhile, as soon as you can get the sick oscar out of the tank and replace all the water and change the filters, the better off the survivors will be. If you don't do this, you may lose the entire community and have to start over with new fish.
With ich, you need to treat the tank, not the fish. So, you don't want to QT a fish with ich. Usually you have to use the meds or treatment for at least 3 weeks. That's probably why you haven't seen an improvement. I'd recommend-if you don't have tetras, loaches, catfish, plecos, or any scaleless fish in the tank, to use the heat and salt method. Here's a few links, it talks about ich and different ways to treat it, but again the most important thing is to continue the treatment for about 3 weeks:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ichthyophth...
.
Answers:
Don't just take out the sick fish,if one has ich it's in the tank and the whole thing must be treated or your other fish will soon be sick to.I am not really familiar with treating ich but if you have a local fish or pet store try going there to ask for help,many times they are quite knowledgeable.Some one else may also answer this question that can recommend an appropriate medication.
In the long run, it is cheaper and easier to flush your oscar and replace it. You can spend a lot of time, grief and money trying to cure it. When raising fish, it is best not to get to emotionally attached, unless you have the funds to play the expensive game of fish doctor. Meanwhile, as soon as you can get the sick oscar out of the tank and replace all the water and change the filters, the better off the survivors will be. If you don't do this, you may lose the entire community and have to start over with new fish.
With ich, you need to treat the tank, not the fish. So, you don't want to QT a fish with ich. Usually you have to use the meds or treatment for at least 3 weeks. That's probably why you haven't seen an improvement. I'd recommend-if you don't have tetras, loaches, catfish, plecos, or any scaleless fish in the tank, to use the heat and salt method. Here's a few links, it talks about ich and different ways to treat it, but again the most important thing is to continue the treatment for about 3 weeks:
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ichthyophth...
.
Oscar tank mates?
I have an 8 inch oscar in a 55 gallon tank and it looks so lonley in there can I put anything in there with him to liven up the tank. He won't eat feeders and more, only ghost shrimp so i can't put the feeders in there because they get to big and the tank starts getting cloudy.
Answers:
A 55g is really the bare minimum for a single oscar, so another oscar mate would be out of the question and also being 8inches he mighten take to lightly on another bigger fish being thrown into his territory and might bash it.
You could try a decent size pleco or something like that? An adult bristlenose even?
not alot of them will take to a new fish that size but ive had a gold fish in with mind he didnt eat him so anyway try this site maybe they can help thousands of your questions have already been ask and answer there and you could try another oscar i know the tank is not big enough but mine didnt seem to matter i just clean it every weekend
http://www.oscarfish.com
i would only put in like two more south american cichlids in there. I have a love for my Jack Dempsey but he is considered aggresive. I would put in another oscar maybe albino, pleco, and a green terror
try red belly pacu they will also eat feeder fish and that might liven him up
I agree with jo_funk
a 55gal tank is just the right size for 1 adult oscar. Oscars would rather be alone the only time they seek out other fish is to eat them or to mate other than that they dont care.
One oscar needs about 55 gallons. You can get him a pleco, but it must relative in size. Maybe a pair of Green Terrors would suit you.
Answers:
A 55g is really the bare minimum for a single oscar, so another oscar mate would be out of the question and also being 8inches he mighten take to lightly on another bigger fish being thrown into his territory and might bash it.
You could try a decent size pleco or something like that? An adult bristlenose even?
not alot of them will take to a new fish that size but ive had a gold fish in with mind he didnt eat him so anyway try this site maybe they can help thousands of your questions have already been ask and answer there and you could try another oscar i know the tank is not big enough but mine didnt seem to matter i just clean it every weekend
http://www.oscarfish.com
i would only put in like two more south american cichlids in there. I have a love for my Jack Dempsey but he is considered aggresive. I would put in another oscar maybe albino, pleco, and a green terror
try red belly pacu they will also eat feeder fish and that might liven him up
I agree with jo_funk
a 55gal tank is just the right size for 1 adult oscar. Oscars would rather be alone the only time they seek out other fish is to eat them or to mate other than that they dont care.
One oscar needs about 55 gallons. You can get him a pleco, but it must relative in size. Maybe a pair of Green Terrors would suit you.
Oscar help fast!?
I bought 2 oscars about 2 weeks ago..They were doing all fine and eating chiclid pellets.. these 2 days one of my oscar lost alot of scales from his side and now there is white were there was orange...(its not itch...the fish looks week and is not eating(when i threw food it was the first to come the fastest and eat)Now shes barely moving...What can i do for my poor fish??Thanks...could it be internal parrasites caused by stress?
Answers:
The white patch you describe sounds like a classic case of cichlid aggression. It sounds like the other oscar isn't too happy about having a tank mate. Oscars are often very aggressive as juvinies, but usually mellow out with age. The best thing for this injured fish is to separate with a divider or to put it in a quarantine tank. A larger tank almost always reduces aggression. You should have them in nothing smaller than a 55 gallon, although a 125 would be much better. Please email me if you have any questions.
It could be dropsy. Have a look at the website below for more information.
Have you tested the water for chemicals? Do you use a tapsafe chemical in the water at all when you do a water change? It may just be that the fish is stressed if it is now eating again. The falling scales, seemed to indicate dropsy, but as you said its not bloated at all. Could it have caught itself on anything in the tank like the rocks or wood if you have any?
Quarintine! ! ! ! ! ! How big is your tank ? What kind of filters do you have? Is the other Oscar picking on the weak one. When you post make sure to be specific and write more detail then you think would be necessary so someone with experience could help you more. For right now I would say stop with the 75 percent water changes remember that we as aquarist are trying to duplicate mother nature in a tank. YOu can be throwing away good bacteria that functional tanks need. Add aqaurium salt. Your local fish store should have this and follow the instructions on the box. Do this if you do not have a quarintine tank. It also sounds like your oscar is losing his protective slime coat. When this happens infection is soon to follow. For this add STRESS COAT by Doc Wellfish. Good luck and if yo uneed my assistance any further
xabel96@hotmail.com
it sounds like ammonia poisening
EB
please follow the link in my profile for live help
Answers:
The white patch you describe sounds like a classic case of cichlid aggression. It sounds like the other oscar isn't too happy about having a tank mate. Oscars are often very aggressive as juvinies, but usually mellow out with age. The best thing for this injured fish is to separate with a divider or to put it in a quarantine tank. A larger tank almost always reduces aggression. You should have them in nothing smaller than a 55 gallon, although a 125 would be much better. Please email me if you have any questions.
It could be dropsy. Have a look at the website below for more information.
Have you tested the water for chemicals? Do you use a tapsafe chemical in the water at all when you do a water change? It may just be that the fish is stressed if it is now eating again. The falling scales, seemed to indicate dropsy, but as you said its not bloated at all. Could it have caught itself on anything in the tank like the rocks or wood if you have any?
Quarintine! ! ! ! ! ! How big is your tank ? What kind of filters do you have? Is the other Oscar picking on the weak one. When you post make sure to be specific and write more detail then you think would be necessary so someone with experience could help you more. For right now I would say stop with the 75 percent water changes remember that we as aquarist are trying to duplicate mother nature in a tank. YOu can be throwing away good bacteria that functional tanks need. Add aqaurium salt. Your local fish store should have this and follow the instructions on the box. Do this if you do not have a quarintine tank. It also sounds like your oscar is losing his protective slime coat. When this happens infection is soon to follow. For this add STRESS COAT by Doc Wellfish. Good luck and if yo uneed my assistance any further
xabel96@hotmail.com
it sounds like ammonia poisening
EB
please follow the link in my profile for live help
Oscar fish?
my fish Oscar scale is pealing, why does it mean,HELP?
Answers:
could be due to poor water quality or he may have hurt him self on something sharp in the tank.
Id test the water.
Is he in tank on his own as it may be caused by another fish attacking him
Have you tested your water?
Most likely this is the result of fighting if there are any other fish in the tank. If not, you are dealing with a bacterial infection and will want to treat the Oscar as quickly as you can to prevent the problem from becoming an internal infection. I would suggest Maracyn or Maracyn TC as good choices for treatment. Just follow the directions on the package.
MM
If you put another kind of cichlid with it...it probably was bitten
Answers:
could be due to poor water quality or he may have hurt him self on something sharp in the tank.
Id test the water.
Is he in tank on his own as it may be caused by another fish attacking him
Have you tested your water?
Most likely this is the result of fighting if there are any other fish in the tank. If not, you are dealing with a bacterial infection and will want to treat the Oscar as quickly as you can to prevent the problem from becoming an internal infection. I would suggest Maracyn or Maracyn TC as good choices for treatment. Just follow the directions on the package.
MM
If you put another kind of cichlid with it...it probably was bitten
Oscar fish dieng help :(?
Iv had this baby oscar for about 4 weaks with another oscar in a 30 gallon tank (building custom one)..I do water changes everyweek and have a very powerfull filter..about 3 days ago i saw some of my oscars scales where missing..and i was thinking that they fell because of fighting so i divided them.but the next day he lost more scales from both sides.The next day (sunday) i saw him and his skin was gone too(in the area where the scales where missing) its like when you peel your knee.Then yesterday you could actually see some of his inside meat (like when you take the scales and "skin of a fish"..i was treating with malafix but didnt help..now the fish is lying on a rock still breathing but week .what do you think it is?so if this comes in the future i can treat it at the very first begining...is it a fungul infection?The other oscar is very active and hungry and is healthy.so is it possible i got him already sick from the shop?
Answers:
This doesn't sound like a common disease, firstly due to the speed of deterioration and secondly to the seriousness of the injury cause to the fish.
There are many bacteria and virus out there that we still don't full understand or even identified. And there is always the risk that such bacteria or virus could jump species and be harmful to humans.
My advise is to handle the fishes and water involved with caution. Please do not touch the water or fishes without wearing gloves and especially if you have cuts or broken skin on your hands. (The description you have given sound alot like the flesh eating bacteria that infect humans but that bacteria from what I am aware of, doesn't even come close to the speed you're describing.)
If possible isolate the fish from the main tank an do a 80% water change of your main tank if there are still inhabitants in it. If not, dry out the tank and soak all equipment in 10% bleach solution. Better safe then sorry.
With the injured fish in a hospitial tank, you can try anti-bacteria and malafix. Hopefully it's just a common bacteria infection due to poor water condition and I've over-reacted.
Good Luck.
.
It's possible that the baby Oscar was sick when you bought him and he has passed it onto the older one.
Oscars are really sensitive about water pH and water hardness/softness. Take a sample into the fish shop to get the pH checked and every time you do a water change add water ager.
Good luck with them.
I would call the pet shop and ask for help identifying the symptoms. You can also go online, do a search for 'fish disease symptoms'. It could be fungal, hard to say without seeing the fish.
I hope you are able to help him in time.
Cheers!
If it's not hole-in-the-head disease, then this sounds like an infection, possibly caused by the other Oscar. Once picked on, the infection grew so separating would have had no affect on stopping it as medication would have only been able to help at this point.
After the initial "picking", the Oscar may have developed a bacterial infection, or been exposed to ectoparasites. This could have also been enhanced by poor water conditions (water changes is not all that is needed- proper PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels, and temperature are the basics).
If you have a reputable local fish store, you can take the fish there and they can take a scale and skin scrape and look under the microscope for you and provide you with a definitive answer. Also, take a ziploc bag full of water so they may test it for you.
Also, a 30 gallon tank is not large enough for an adult Oscar, much less two of them. The minimum recommended size tank for this fish is a 70 gallon as they grow to a foot in length and need ample swimming space.
This is exactly why everyone needs an isolation tank. I have a dozen aquariums and would never bring a new fish home and immediately add him to existing set-ups! A recipe for disaster.to be sure! Good Luck to you! I wish I could offer you more than advice on how to prevent future problems!
Answers:
This doesn't sound like a common disease, firstly due to the speed of deterioration and secondly to the seriousness of the injury cause to the fish.
There are many bacteria and virus out there that we still don't full understand or even identified. And there is always the risk that such bacteria or virus could jump species and be harmful to humans.
My advise is to handle the fishes and water involved with caution. Please do not touch the water or fishes without wearing gloves and especially if you have cuts or broken skin on your hands. (The description you have given sound alot like the flesh eating bacteria that infect humans but that bacteria from what I am aware of, doesn't even come close to the speed you're describing.)
If possible isolate the fish from the main tank an do a 80% water change of your main tank if there are still inhabitants in it. If not, dry out the tank and soak all equipment in 10% bleach solution. Better safe then sorry.
With the injured fish in a hospitial tank, you can try anti-bacteria and malafix. Hopefully it's just a common bacteria infection due to poor water condition and I've over-reacted.
Good Luck.
.
It's possible that the baby Oscar was sick when you bought him and he has passed it onto the older one.
Oscars are really sensitive about water pH and water hardness/softness. Take a sample into the fish shop to get the pH checked and every time you do a water change add water ager.
Good luck with them.
I would call the pet shop and ask for help identifying the symptoms. You can also go online, do a search for 'fish disease symptoms'. It could be fungal, hard to say without seeing the fish.
I hope you are able to help him in time.
Cheers!
If it's not hole-in-the-head disease, then this sounds like an infection, possibly caused by the other Oscar. Once picked on, the infection grew so separating would have had no affect on stopping it as medication would have only been able to help at this point.
After the initial "picking", the Oscar may have developed a bacterial infection, or been exposed to ectoparasites. This could have also been enhanced by poor water conditions (water changes is not all that is needed- proper PH, Ammonia, Nitrite and Nitrate levels, and temperature are the basics).
If you have a reputable local fish store, you can take the fish there and they can take a scale and skin scrape and look under the microscope for you and provide you with a definitive answer. Also, take a ziploc bag full of water so they may test it for you.
Also, a 30 gallon tank is not large enough for an adult Oscar, much less two of them. The minimum recommended size tank for this fish is a 70 gallon as they grow to a foot in length and need ample swimming space.
This is exactly why everyone needs an isolation tank. I have a dozen aquariums and would never bring a new fish home and immediately add him to existing set-ups! A recipe for disaster.to be sure! Good Luck to you! I wish I could offer you more than advice on how to prevent future problems!
Oscar compatibiliity?
tomorro we are gtting oscars but a friend needs to get rid of is black shark that he loves ALOT so doesnt want to sell it to some one he doesnt know so i was wondering if Oscars 3inches and a Black shark 5inches can live in a fairly large aquarium, not sure exact sze.
ohh there will also be 6inch pleco that I KNOW IS COMPATIBLE WITH OSCARS
Answers:
I wouldn't recommend it. Also the Pleco could cause problems. They have a tendency to suck on large fish like oscars causing loss of scales and sores.
parrot fish
Go online and look up Oscars. It will tell you what kind of fish are compatible with them. I believe that oscars do best with no other fish because they are aggressive.
ohh there will also be 6inch pleco that I KNOW IS COMPATIBLE WITH OSCARS
Answers:
I wouldn't recommend it. Also the Pleco could cause problems. They have a tendency to suck on large fish like oscars causing loss of scales and sores.
parrot fish
Go online and look up Oscars. It will tell you what kind of fish are compatible with them. I believe that oscars do best with no other fish because they are aggressive.
Oscar and swordtail?
Is it ok if i add a small baby oscar to a tank with a female swordtail? The oscar will be a small one so its not yet big enough to eat the oscar and i'm hoping that by the time it will be big enough to do so, they will be friends...
Answers:
You can put them in the same tank, but an oscar being a cichlid will not ever allow the sword tail to survive, even small oscars are nit pickers and will harass the sword tail to death. Oscars are very aggressive at all sizes.
If you are looking to get a large fish that is not going to bother your sword tail I would shoot for large tetras.
Fish are not easily conditioned to tolerate unnatural relationships, they very rarely work out.
no mate thats stupid
as fish mature their insticts become more strong
bye bye swordie
p.s a oscar nedds a at least 40 gallon tank for full size
this is not a good idea at any age
I have a 14 inch Oscar that lives in peace with 2 large Plecos
Well, actually i have tried something similar to this, and it worked out, but then after a while, when the Oscar got big, it started to bother the other fish, but while its a baby, i have nothing to worry about.
Good Luck
2N!$H
You may have kind intentions but I doubt the outcome will be favourable.
Though the oscars may be small in size, it will still attempt to nip/if not kill the swordtail for food. Unless you have spacious tank will alot of plants for the swordtails to hide..
Good luck, pal.
Hey Gatorade
Fish are never friends - it's not how it works. As soon as the Oscar can eat your swordtail, he will.
Keep in mind that Oscars do need 50 gallon tanks or larger to grow into, so make sure you plan right and don't even get this fish if you don't have a big enough tank - he may be small now but they grow big and they grow fast, and are very messy to boot.
Answers:
You can put them in the same tank, but an oscar being a cichlid will not ever allow the sword tail to survive, even small oscars are nit pickers and will harass the sword tail to death. Oscars are very aggressive at all sizes.
If you are looking to get a large fish that is not going to bother your sword tail I would shoot for large tetras.
Fish are not easily conditioned to tolerate unnatural relationships, they very rarely work out.
no mate thats stupid
as fish mature their insticts become more strong
bye bye swordie
p.s a oscar nedds a at least 40 gallon tank for full size
this is not a good idea at any age
I have a 14 inch Oscar that lives in peace with 2 large Plecos
Well, actually i have tried something similar to this, and it worked out, but then after a while, when the Oscar got big, it started to bother the other fish, but while its a baby, i have nothing to worry about.
Good Luck
2N!$H
You may have kind intentions but I doubt the outcome will be favourable.
Though the oscars may be small in size, it will still attempt to nip/if not kill the swordtail for food. Unless you have spacious tank will alot of plants for the swordtails to hide..
Good luck, pal.
Hey Gatorade
Fish are never friends - it's not how it works. As soon as the Oscar can eat your swordtail, he will.
Keep in mind that Oscars do need 50 gallon tanks or larger to grow into, so make sure you plan right and don't even get this fish if you don't have a big enough tank - he may be small now but they grow big and they grow fast, and are very messy to boot.
Oscar And Pirhana RelationShip= Good?
A Friend of mine has a Pirhana tank that has 1 alive and healthy oscar, will this relationship last long or are th Pirhanas just fattening their pal?
Answers:
no they shoulud be perfectly fine. as long as they have lots of room. and plenty of food. if they have grown up together their relationship should be even better!
Answers:
no they shoulud be perfectly fine. as long as they have lots of room. and plenty of food. if they have grown up together their relationship should be even better!
Organisms found in an aquarium?
Answers:
And they are doing what? And why should anyone care if you don't go into more detail?
heeheehee seamonkeys
Here are a few sites that have info on "What's that stuff in the water?"
Ordering Plants online In California?
Anyone know of a good online place to buy aquarium plants located in California, preferably a site that also accepts paypal? Thanks1
Answers:
Go to Aquabid.com there are fish,plants foods etc You will be buying from long time fish keepers in most cases and at very good prices.You can also ask the seller questions. Many take paypal
No, but you can google it. That is what search engines are there for.
http://www.aquabid.com/
I live in south California and used this site successfully you can find great deals for them also.
Answers:
Go to Aquabid.com there are fish,plants foods etc You will be buying from long time fish keepers in most cases and at very good prices.You can also ask the seller questions. Many take paypal
No, but you can google it. That is what search engines are there for.
http://www.aquabid.com/
I live in south California and used this site successfully you can find great deals for them also.
Orange Lyrctail Mollie?
I have 2 Lyrctail Mollies (mle/fmle) and 2 fancy guppies (mle/fmle). My female is acting funny. She has ick for one thing, and Im treating her for that. But she sits at the bottom of the tank, or when she swims, seems like her body is too heavy. What can be causing this. She also chased the alge eater out of his cave the other night. Help.
Answers:
The molly is stressed so turning the light on the tank off if you have one often helps, other then that your pet shop may have a product that may help its called stress coat to help it replace some of its slime coat, also minimalising the amount of time you put your hand into the tank will also reduce its stress levels and increasing the amount of oxygen in the water. Also if you have a flter make sure uve removed the carbon other wise it will remove the medications uve been treating the tank with.
hmmm.
maybe ask a pet store.
They may have better answers.
but,
maybe just leave her alone for awhile,
she could get better.
We have tons of fish but have never had this happen..
then again, maybe shes pregnant or something?
who knows.
Your mollies is just stressed. Give her some time.
Answers:
The molly is stressed so turning the light on the tank off if you have one often helps, other then that your pet shop may have a product that may help its called stress coat to help it replace some of its slime coat, also minimalising the amount of time you put your hand into the tank will also reduce its stress levels and increasing the amount of oxygen in the water. Also if you have a flter make sure uve removed the carbon other wise it will remove the medications uve been treating the tank with.
hmmm.
maybe ask a pet store.
They may have better answers.
but,
maybe just leave her alone for awhile,
she could get better.
We have tons of fish but have never had this happen..
then again, maybe shes pregnant or something?
who knows.
Your mollies is just stressed. Give her some time.
ORANGE COUNTY, CA SHARK ATTACKs!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
Has there been any shrak sightings in the last year at any of these beaches in The OC
Corona del Mar
San Clemente
Huntington If so please give a link or explain what happened
Answers:
I haven't heard of any sightings over the past 3 years actually
EB
Corona del Mar
San Clemente
Huntington If so please give a link or explain what happened
Answers:
I haven't heard of any sightings over the past 3 years actually
EB
Oranda with Ick and Swollen belly?
I have a red-cap oranda, just a baby. I have put it in quarantine, he's been here for 10 days, fine. He started to showing white spots on fins, so I began ICK treatment with Sera Costapur (containing malachite green, formaldehyde...). I took out the carbon from filter during the treatment. Aeration flowing fine. I'm already on the 5th day of treatment and I do not see much change in terms of spots, expect for the fact that the fish is actively swimming and eating. It states on instructions that in severe cases to continue med on 5th and 7th day, which is what I will do. And I've read that some people continue for 14 days to prevent ICK breeding again.
During the time I started the treatment, I noticed that my Oranda's belly got swollen. It isn't too big, but still enough on each side to point his scales. And it looks like dropsy. I'm not sure if the med could be the cause of this, or if the fish had internal parasites. I'm not sure what to do about the swelling...if to wait or not.
Answers:
If it's scales are pineconing, then that's a classic sign of dropsy. It very well could be from internal parasites or an internal bacterial infection, or both.
Add some epsom salt(not aquarium salt) to the tank, that helps with swelling. I would add 1/4 teaspoon per 5 gallons. I would go out and buy an antiparasitic and antibacterial food and feed both of those to it and see if that helps any. Jungle Labs makes both kinds, about 5.00 for each one. That way it'll get the meds inside the fish-and will cover both if it's bacterial or parasites.
Dropsy is very difficult to treat, not impossible, but difficult and most fish don't make it-especially when they start pineconing.
It is highly unlikely that your medication is causing this.
However the ineffectiveness of your treatment combined with your possible Dropsy leads me to believe you have poor water conditions.
Dropsy is much more prevalent in poor conditions with a poor diet. It is a usually a kidney infection caused by aeromonas bacteria. Neomycin in the Gel Tek food by SeaChem is useful here. Kanamycin can also be effective; however Dropsy is often incurable; for more about Dropsy, please read this article: http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/200...
Back to tank conditions as this is MOST important, as all the best possible medication will not work in poor water conditions.
Malachite Green in particular is not very effective in low pH, GH conditions.
Here are recommended parameters for goldfish:
*Ammonia/nitrites- 0
*Nitrates -under 50 ppm
*GH- 150-200 ppm
*KH- 100 + ppm
I highly recommend soaking ALL dry foods in water for 5 minutes prior to feeding for goldfish as this also prevents aeromonas infections. Also vary the diet between a good pellet such as Sanyu or Hikari with some Spirulina Flakes, and Brine Shrimp in the rotation as well. Avoid Tetra Fin.
Please read this article for more information about ich:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/...
During the time I started the treatment, I noticed that my Oranda's belly got swollen. It isn't too big, but still enough on each side to point his scales. And it looks like dropsy. I'm not sure if the med could be the cause of this, or if the fish had internal parasites. I'm not sure what to do about the swelling...if to wait or not.
Answers:
If it's scales are pineconing, then that's a classic sign of dropsy. It very well could be from internal parasites or an internal bacterial infection, or both.
Add some epsom salt(not aquarium salt) to the tank, that helps with swelling. I would add 1/4 teaspoon per 5 gallons. I would go out and buy an antiparasitic and antibacterial food and feed both of those to it and see if that helps any. Jungle Labs makes both kinds, about 5.00 for each one. That way it'll get the meds inside the fish-and will cover both if it's bacterial or parasites.
Dropsy is very difficult to treat, not impossible, but difficult and most fish don't make it-especially when they start pineconing.
It is highly unlikely that your medication is causing this.
However the ineffectiveness of your treatment combined with your possible Dropsy leads me to believe you have poor water conditions.
Dropsy is much more prevalent in poor conditions with a poor diet. It is a usually a kidney infection caused by aeromonas bacteria. Neomycin in the Gel Tek food by SeaChem is useful here. Kanamycin can also be effective; however Dropsy is often incurable; for more about Dropsy, please read this article: http://aquarium-answers.blogspot.com/200...
Back to tank conditions as this is MOST important, as all the best possible medication will not work in poor water conditions.
Malachite Green in particular is not very effective in low pH, GH conditions.
Here are recommended parameters for goldfish:
*Ammonia/nitrites- 0
*Nitrates -under 50 ppm
*GH- 150-200 ppm
*KH- 100 + ppm
I highly recommend soaking ALL dry foods in water for 5 minutes prior to feeding for goldfish as this also prevents aeromonas infections. Also vary the diet between a good pellet such as Sanyu or Hikari with some Spirulina Flakes, and Brine Shrimp in the rotation as well. Avoid Tetra Fin.
Please read this article for more information about ich:
http://www.americanaquariumproducts.com/...
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