Q.1) I just set up my aquarium, I added fish & my water seems to be very cloudy, what do I do? A: Cloudy water can be from a few things, but mostly it is from the new tank syndrome in newly set up aquariums. This is the result of an imbalance of bacteria, which is growing at different rates during the cycle. As long as your water does not test for ammonia or nitrites or any other problems, it will clear up on its own. If not, do partial water changes all week, do not add more fish, do not overfeed. As a last resort, use water clarifying chemicals.

Q.2)When I clean my tank, should I empty the whole thing? A: NO. Only partial water changes are required during regular routine monthly maintenance.

Q.3) When I add NEW fish, they always die or get sick, why? A: It is unfortunately a problem alot of hobbyists experience. You ALWAYS need to test your tank water before buying new fish. This is because your water is probably different from the store's water. Their fish are used to one type of water, while your fish are comfortable in the same water you have had for some time. The new fish go into shock & die or become ill. Your original fish are used to it.

Q.4) What is all the white fuzzy fluff on my gravel, tank ornaments & plants? A: It is rotted, old food & waste that has spoiled in the tank water. It tends to grow fungus on it while it sits over time. Sounds to me like you need a serious tank cleaning & fish feeding control.

Q.5) I have thick layers of green stuff all over my plants & rocks, how do I get rid of it? A: It is algae. If it is in thick layers or pieces, you might want to first clean it off the walls & plants, do some partial water changes & decide whether or not you have too much direct sunlight or an excessive amount of artificial light. Growing live plants helps to control this too, because live healthy growing plants compete with algal cells for food, therefore reducing the amount of algae in your tank. Algae should NOT be a problem in a well maintained, well planted tank kept out of direct sunlight. If there is excessive algae, it is your poor practice of maintaining good water quality! You should vow to make whatever corrections are needed.

Q.6) My tank water seems to be green all the time, I also have green/brown on the inside of the glass, please help. A: As in the previous question, it is algae. Again, make sure you figure out what extra light is on the tank, such as a skylight, a bright window, an open doorway that sunlight comes into, even too much overhead fluorescent lighting as in a school or office building. If you use your tank as a nightlight, don't. If you are not growing live plants, turn out the light at night and just put the light on a few hours a day when necessary for a week or so. Do some partial water changes & use fresh carbon in your filter. Make sure the temperature is below 79F and the pH is close to neutral. Algae are most apt to thrive in water that has not been changed frequently enough. A major water change is probably long overdue!!!

Q.7) I just set-up a brand new tank. I added a bunch of fish & they all died within a week, what did I do wrong? A: You overloaded your tank's limit to control a healthy amount of growing bacteria contributing to "new tank syndrome". You need to have patience & add only a few inches of fish for every ten US gallons and wait for the tank to establish. Test the water for everything, pH, ammonia, nitrites, hardness and do some frequent small water changes for the rest of the week, making sure to properly treat and condition the fresh water you put back into the aquarium.

Q.8) What are all those white dots on my fish's body? A: It is what we refer to as Ichthyophthirius multifiliis. "White spot" disease or "Ich" is distributed worldwide. It affects all freshwater fish & under aquarium conditions is very virulent. It can attatch itself in the aquarium to such things as gravel or tubing. There it will produce thousands of young & within 18-21 hours they are released into the water. They actively penetrate the skin & gill & enlarge until they are visible as white spots. Medications such as Malachite green, formalin & mixtures of the two have been used for treatment. Raising the temperature slightly during the treatment will aid in your battle against this protozoan parasite. The use of freshwater aquarium salt is also suggested. 

Q.9) What chemicals do you use to fix high pH & water hardness? A: Water in various parts of the country may have different pH values. Generally fish can tolerate a wide variety of pH values without problems, but ranges of 6.5-7.8 for freshwater species is ideal. From the hobbyists perspective, the most practical aspect of water hardness is that softer water has less buffering capacity. This means that pH can drop abruptly in a tank with soft water, whereas pH tends to be stablized in aquaria with hard water. Too soft can pose management problems. pH is directly related to the amount of carbonate in your water.

Q.10) I won a little goldfish at a fair & he died, I added another to replace him & he died, what do I do?  A: I will assume that most of you bring your little friend home in a tiny fish bowl that you won him in? It simply is not enough space for that poor little fellow to live happily ever after. He needs lots of clean fresh water & enough oxygen to survive. Without at least 1 gallon of water for each fish, it will almost always die. Get him a small tank with a simple filter, & keep it clean & in a cool spot in the house. Also, feed him correctly, he isn't JAWS you know!!!

Q.11) I bought a tank at a garage sale, but they did not know how many gallons it was, is there a way to figure it out? A: Measure the inside dimensions of the tank in inches. LxWxH. Multiply the length x width x height in inches. Divide product by 231 = US gallons. For a vat or cylindrical tank, measure the diameter of base & height in inches. Divide diameter by 2 to obtain radius. Square this number, & multiply by 3.14 & by height. Divide by 231 = US gallons.

Q.12) My fish seem to be gulping for air at the surface, what is wrong? A: This could mean that your water pump or air pump might not be working properly or the tank is overstocked & the oxygen content of the water vs. the amount of fish is insufficient. Test for ammonia at this time to determine if this might be worsening the situation. Make sure that the temperature is not too high, as this results in less oxygen in the water too. Remedy any of these problems & do a partial water change.

Q.13) One of my cichlids is cowering in the corner, while the other is swimming all over the place, biting the other when he attempts to come out to eat, what do I do? A: Territory, Territory, Territory! Most all cichlids & some other species of fish establish territories in your aquarium. Since it is hard to control your fish, you need to conform the tank to them. Place plenty of rock work, plants or hollow decor in the tank, depending on the behavior of your fish. Do research on the internet or ask the pet shop employees at a reputable store which fishes exhibit certain behaviors, & who is compatible with who. Don't mix too many fish period!

Q.14) I have a livebearer that keeps getting pregnant. When I put her in a breeding net, she has the babys & then eats them all, how do I prevent this? A: Cannibalism varies in intensity from one species to the next. Some livebearers are so predatory that a special delivery tank is needed. A 10 gallon tank will suffice. provide a dense layer of floating vegetation to shelter newly delivered fry & a tight cover to keep the skittish female from jumping out.

Q.15) I am going away for a few days, should I get someone to feed my fish while I am gone, & how much? A: Everyone has their own opinions on how to go about this, but in the end, sometimes getting a friend or relative to feed them when you are gone can be very deadly. You can try one of the following suggestions. Pre-measure small amounts of food into dixie cups & label them one for each day and explain to "MOM" how to go about feeding them. Or, buy a well known brand of automatic feeder that you can set yourself to the proper amount of food. Weekend feeder shells might not work properly if your pH is way off or temperature is not right. Remember, fish feed best in the light.

Q.16) I have lots of snails in my tank, how do I get rid of them? A: Snails often browse on plants when supplies of prepared food, dead fish or algae are low. Chemicals for snail control are commercialy available, but many aquarists prefer more natural methods. The efficiency of hand picking can be increased by floating a piece of wilted lettuce leaf on the surface of the water. This will act as a kind of bait. Blue gouramis, Clown loaches, tiger botias & gold barbs are said to relish snails. MMmmm.

Q.17) I have a 20 gallon tank that has been set up for 6 weeks, the nitrites are still high and I've done several water changes to lower it. What else can I do to lower the nitrite level? A: The quickest way to rid the aquarium of nitrites is to keep changing the water!