|
|||||||||||||
|
Freshwater FAQ Q. What causes my water to turn cloudy and smell badly? In a new tank, less than 30 days old with fish, it is caused by excessive food and fish waste decaying in the water. This is because your aquarium is cycling or establishing the bacterial bed. Q. What is the unsightly white deposit on the glass and lid? The white deposit is caused by lime, a mineral found in most water supplies, which leaves a white stain when it dries. Q. What causes white sponts on the fins or body of my fish? It looks like salt. Ick parasites are multiplying on your fish. Left untreated, it will kill your fish. It is caused by chills and stress. Q. Why do small fish die without visible signs? Invisible gill fungus is damaing the gills. This causes oxygen starvation and death. Q. Why do the leaves on my live plants shed? Your aquarium is lacking in essential elements and have insufficient lighting. Q. Why do my swords, mollies or other livebearing fish stay in one place wigging and shaking? Your water supply is poor and lacking needed elements such as water quality, heater, Ph, etc. Q. What should I do if I have chlorine or Chloramine in my city water? Chlorine is added to all water to kill germs in the water supply. Chloramine is added as a substitute to chlorine. Adding a neutralizer and conditional to the water will remove these dangerous additives. Q. What causes white cottony fungus on the mouths, fins, tails or bodies of my tropical fish? Bacteria is attacking the delicate membranes or wounds caused from netting or fighting. Q. I just purchased gravel for my aquarium. Do I have to wash it? Yes, new gravel may appear dirty or dusty or contain residues from the manufacturing process which may be harmful to your fish. Q. Why do my goldfish become listless and later die? Chlorine which has been added to your city water to kill germs will also kill your fish. Excessive fish wastes may also cause disease in goldfish bowls. Q. What temperature should my aquarium be? Keeping the aquarium temperature at 83° will inhibit and cure most small parasitic infections before they occur. 25 Tips for your Freshwater Aquarium
1. Do not overfeed!
2. Incand escent hoods are cheap, but a fluorescent bulb lasts much longer, gives off little heat and shows off fishes' true colors. 3. Don't lift a full aquarium. It's too heavy. If its glass it will crack. 4. Remove chlorine from water, unless you have unchlorinated well water. 5. Use no soap; it's toxic to fish. 6. Dark gravel will make your fish appear darker and brighter. 7. Start with a few fish, no full loads. 8. Float your bag of new fish in the tank 15 minutes to avoid temperature shock. Then mix water in gradually. 9. If you have cloudy water the first week, wait 3 days and only feed what will be eaten completely in 1 minute. 10. Maintain 1 tsp. kosher or aquarium salt per 5 gallons water. 11. Always do a 20% partial water change before adding new fish. 12. A rule of thumb is 1 in. of fish for every gallon of water. 13. Only feed what is completely eaten in 3 minutes. 14. Shells and coral are only for salt water aquariums. 15. Have more than 1 female livebearer for each male. 16. Have 3 or more of each schooling fish. 17. No heaters for goldfish. For tropicals, figure 5 watts per gallon of water. 18. Never have your heater plugged in unless it is properly immersed in water. 19. Frequent small partial water changes are always better than large changes. 20. Algae in your tank can be reduced by decreasing the light and feeding the fish less. Live aquarium plants can also compete for available nutrients; but do not add live plants when first starting an aquarium for about 6 weeks. 21. As temperature increases, carrying capacity of your tank decreases. That's why we see more problems in the summer in heavily loaded tanks. 22. Dilution is the solution to pollution. Do partial water changes. Make partial changes every week for the first month of your tank, and at least bimonthly afterwards. Remove 20% of the water using a gravel cleaner to remove detritus (waste) down in the gravel. 23. If you must use medication, assume you have lost some of your good bacteria, and don't add a new fish for a week or two. 24. Landscaping an aquarium with safe rocks and plants enhances the beauty of the aquarium. 25. DO NOT OVERFEED! |
||||||||||||
