Back To Square One - II - 03/18/2006
Thanks, Sabrina
<Glad to be of service.>
Your advice was really helpful. I have since lost no more fish, and they seem to be healthier and happier. I had nowhere to put the zebra danio, so I left him in there for now, with the pink Betta in the mini bow 2.5. I am a little bit frustrated as to why the filter that came with it (the whisper filter, smallest model they make, made for 2-10 gall.) is too strong a
current on the lowest setting. I am going to try to buy the Azoo palm filter featured in the Dr. Foster Smith aquarium catalog, that they say is safe for the Betta.
<Before you spend your hard-earned bucks on a new filter, try getting a sponge (I like the white filter sponges made for Aqua-Tech filters for this purpose) and cut a slit into the middle of it the long way.  Then slide this makeshift "sleeve" over the intake of your Whisper filter; I think you'll find that it reduces the flow dramatically.>
Until then I do every other day water changes of about 20-25percent, and have an airstone hooked up, and strangely, the current on that was too strong as well. I found that if I hang the airstone at the top (for now, till the bigger tank comes), the current is far less strong. So my question on that is (Sorry for so many questions) 1. Will the stone hanging at the top by the airline tubing create the same amount of air/enough air as it would if it were placed at the bottom of the tank?
<The purpose of the air stone is to create circulation, and most importantly, a bit of agitation at the surface of the water.  The airstone itself doesn't put air into the water, but this turbulence or movement at the surface allows for better gas exchange - so, basically, making motion at the top gets more air into the water.  If the airstone is at the top, that's fine.  It'll make less circulation in the water, but it'll still agitate the surface.>
2. My snail which is about 1/2'' - 3/4'' has some small cracks at the opening of her shell (where she sticks her tentacles out), is this bad?
<Possibly, but there may not be a whole lot you can do about it.  I would keep a very close eye on her and see if you see any strange pits or holes in the shell; if you do, try looking in the freshwater FAQs on WetWebMedia, under invertebrates; you should find some suggestions for aquarium iodine to combat this problem.>
3. The snail spends the entire day constantly moving around to forage for food, does that mean she's not getting enough?
<Nah, it's very good that she's active.>
What should I feed her if she isn't? A sinking algae wafer from Hikari?
<This and other sinking foods would be great - but not too much, and not too often.  Remember to always remove leftovers before they rot or foul your water.>
Thanks and sorry again for the trouble--
<No trouble at all.>
Holly
<Wishing you well,  -Sabrina>

What is this black stuff?  - 03/11/2006
I have used your site many times and have found an abundance of useful information, but I can't seem to find anything for my particular problem.  (This may be due to the fact that I'm not completely sure *what* my problem is.)
<Or not unlikely that there is not much re posted... will never be "finished">
  Anyway, I have this black "pepper-y" looking stuff covering the bottom of one of my tanks.  (This particular tank has been a handful recently.)  I recently had a bacterial infection which was treated with Maracyn as per package instruction.
<Ah, a good clue>
  A few days after  treatment, I noticed these black spotty grains covering the gravel and plants (artificial, by the way).  I removed all of the fish to another tank seeing as how I don't know if this stuff is dangerous.
<Not generally in systems with good maintenance...>
  My question is, what is this stuff, and how do I get rid of it?
<Likely a type or types of blue green et al. algae. Will "go" in time with your system re-centering itself... You can "speed up" the process by doing extra frequent partial water changes, using chemical filtrants (hence removing chemical food)...>
I don't mind tearing down the tank, but I'm not sure if I should throw out all of the decorations and sterilize the filter system, or if this is something that I can control without doing so.
<Is>
The tank is currently empty, as I am not sure if it poses a threat to the fishies.
<Some, but not much. There are some algae-eating animals, like many "Plecos" that can be negatively effected, but most fishes, no>
Any help or advise would be greatly appreciated.  Could this be a strain of algae, another form of bacteria, or something else entirely?  Again, thank you, and kudos on such a wonderful site!
-Mandy
<I would leave off with a total tear down here if you have time, patience... allow the "good" microbes (they were harmed by the Maracyn/antibiotic) to re-establish themselves, add the chemical filtrant and all should settle itself in your favor in a few to several weeks. Bob Fenner>

Salt, Creep in a FW Tank - 3/5/2006
Hi,
<<Hi John>>
I have a 29-gallon freshwater tank and I have always kept a light concentration of salt (about a teaspoon of aquarium rock salt when I do a 1/4 tank change).
<<Why, do your fish require this? Be careful not to add salt unless it benefits the species you keep.>>
I always get a crusty formation of salt on the aquarium (filter cover, tank lid, etc.) Is there any way to remove and/or prevent this formation? The formation has proven nearly impossible to strip.
<<There are commercially available products available for this. "Salt Creep Eliminator" by Coralife is a popular one.>>
Thanks!
John
<<Glad to help. Lisa.>>

White slime on rocks!!! Aquarist version of "White Punks on Dope?"   2/26/06
Hi, I'm just wondering if you could help me with a question...  I have a new 30 gal freshwater aquarium set up  it was up and running for 4 days before I
added fish.  To cycle the tank I added 2 Columbian tetra's and 1 rainbow shark.
<Mmm, best to not use life/fishes to do such cycling>
All fish are doing good but the rocks in the tank are growing a white slime covering.
<Neat>
All rocks and gravel were washed and boiled and washed again before going into the tank.  I cant find much info on the net
regarding this white slime, but what I think I have found is that it's a bacteria maybe caused by over feeding???
<Good possibility. Fancy term is "biofilm"... not altogether undesirable>
  I don't know how this could be since I only feed them once a day right now and they were only in the tank for 2 days before the white slime started to appear.
<Just that this is a new/sterile environment. Not to worry re>
  I have taken some of the rocks that were covered the most out, and re-washed them.  We have 5 tanks and none of them ever had this slime when starting up.  I'm just wondering if you have any idea what this slime is or what I can do about it.
  Thanks
Shannon
<Something about the make up... physical, chemical, biological of this particular system. Would be great (my personal value) to have a microscope, look at the mix of this "slime"... Again, will "go" with time. Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
Bob Fenner>

FW over-fastidiousness  - 2/21/2006
Hi!  I have been pouring over your site for the last few months.  However, I have an ongoing problem that I need some advice on.  I have a 29 gallon freshwater aquarium.  I am using three types of filtration:  1st.  A Marineland Penguin 150 Bio-wheel Power filter (rated 30gal/150gph) with ammo-chips in it.  2nd.  A Marineland Penguin 350 dual Bio-wheel Power filter (rated 75gal/350gph), with the two stock carb filters in the main two slots and two cut to size ammonia filters in the auxiliary slots.  3rd.  A Rena Filstar xp1 canister filter (rated 45gal/240gph), with the standard 30ppi cell-foam pad + 20 ppi cell-foam pad + 2 micofilter pads with ammo-chips in-between (in place of the bio-chem "Zorb" bag), and the Fluval Biomax ceramic cylinders.  The media layers are placed in the order listed in the set up instructions.  I also have two airstones with tank appropriate size airpump.  Both of the airstones have multiple steady and solid bubble/airstreams coming out of them.  One airstone is inside a coral decoration which vents the bubbles from multiple holes in the top.  The other is a large circular disc under the gravel.  I am using fake plants (mostly silk and poly-silk blend, and one plastic), which are aquarium rated plants.  I have two 75 watt heaters, one on each end of the tank, with the Bio wheels in-between them, and the canister intake and out-let on the outside of them.  I started out with the 1 pound/gallon gravel, and quickly realized the mistake.  I removed 2/3 of the gravel, and now have a very light coverage.  There are bare spots under some of the coral decorations (also all fake aquarium rated ones), in order to have a little extra for around some of the plant bases. Most of the plants have weighted bases, and don't need the extra gravel to hold them down, so it is applicable to only two or three.  I also lightly covered the airstone disc (aesthetics) with gravel. The tank water went through the bacterial blooms and has stayed clear  for  over a week now.  The whole system has been up for almost two months.  I use (as directed) API Stresscoat, API Stresszyme, and a water conditioner (API, Jungle, Hagen, etc) each time I do a water change.  I do a minimum change of 25-30 percent once or twice a week,
<Once, with a quarter changed out is enough>
depending on the test results.  I do liquid or strip tests daily for ammonia, nitrates, nitrites, and ph.  The tank temperature (one thermometer on each end of the tank) is consistently at 78 degrees.  The ph is always 8.0, which I know is high, but I couldn't keep it at 7.0.  I would add the ph down (tried several brands), and it always went up within 24 hours.  I stopped trying to adjust it, as I understand that a steady, consistent ph, even if it is higher than optimal, is better than one that is always rising and dropping.
<Generally, yes>
As to stock, I have 2  Spotted (Trilineatus) Corydoras catfish, 2 Paleatus (Pepper) Corydoras catfish, 3 Aeneus (Bronze) Corydoras catfish (the Cory version, not the larger Brochis splendens), 3 Dwarf Gourami, and 5 Guppies.  I lost a Spotted Cory and 4 Guppies over a three day period 2 or 3 weeks ago.  I pulled the remaining 5 Guppies and put them in a hospital tank with aquarium salt for 4 days.  They have since been back in the main tank.  I believe it was Ammonia Poisoning.
<Very typical>
Sadly, I didn't catch it before I lost the 5 fish.  I didn't have the Gouramis yet, and the other Corydoras catfish never left the tank, and didn't show any symptoms. I am very careful about not having excess food in the tank.  I feed very lightly twice daily, and they devour everything in 2 or 3 minutes.  I vacuum the gravel every time I do a water change.  I just can't seem to get the Ammonia level to stay at 0.  
<... you may be too fastidious re cleaning... Cleanliness is not sterility in biological systems>
It never stays at 0 for more than a few days.  Then I get a .25ppm or .50ppm reading.  The next day it is 1ppm.  The highest I've seen it was over 5ppm, and that was my "duh" moment on why I was losing Guppies.  I tried API's Ammo-lock, but have since switched to Amquel Plus +, which specifically claims to 'remove' ammonia.   Anyway, sorry about the slew of info., but I thought the more detail the more accurate the help?
<Yes>
So, my question(s) is what is the deal with the Ammonia??
<A few approaches... adding some live plants, more gravel, only vacuuming half the bottom per week...>
Is there any advise/help you can offer?
<Sure>
On an aside, I started adding 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons of aquarium salt to the tank to aid the Guppies with resisting the ammonia.  I know it is supposed to be 1-2 tablespoons per 5 gallons, but with 7 Corys I didn't dare put a full dose in.
<Good>
Do you think that the 1 tsp/5ga will be enough for the Guppies, without hurting my Corys?
<All the good this can do, yes>
Any advise on ratio would also be appreciated!  The only other thing I can think to tell you is that my water hardness (strip test) is soft (usually 25ppm) and my alkalinity (ph buffer) is usually 120-180ppm right after a water change, and 180-300ppm after that.  The liquid GH and KH tests come out around GH-3/KH-6, but sometimes read GH-5/KH-9. The numbers I get do not seem to be based on water changes, and I haven't seen any pattern to the different results.  My fish and I thank you for all the great information on your site!  Heidi.
<I would look to a filtered source of water... my choice, reverse osmosis, to blend in with your source/tap here... maybe about half and half... you have too much mineral, alkalinity in your water to use it "straight"... At this juncture, about the best thing you could do is going on holiday... allow the system to "settle in"... your constant tinkering is disallowing the establishment of biological cycling... add the gravel, some floating "grass" type of live plant, cut back on the cleaning. Bob Fenner>

A moving experience   2/14/06
Bob,
Thank you for your help.  Another question.  How do you recommend moving across several states with fish?  I have a 12-16 hour drive and want to know
the best way to transport my fish and aquarium.
Thank you.
Orlando
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/movingaq.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>

New Tank - Water Flow questions  - 01/12/2006
Hi All!
<Doug>
I just set up an new 55 gallon tank for my 2 calico fantails (4-5") a common pleco (5") a pictus cat (4") and a Striped Raphael Cat (4")
<Mmm, well... the Pleco might go with either group... but the goldfish and tropical catfishes are not really mix-able... temperament or water quality-wise>
+ 4 snails. I used all live plants (about 12) and two inches of medium size gravel + bag of big white polished rocks. The filtration is from a
Penguin 350 Dual Bio-Wheel, a Marineland 550 PWRHD pulling from bottom - to - top and a Marineland 660 Sponge pulling from top - to - bottom. I
also went out and bought a special light for plants. I have been changing out about 5-8 gallons of water a week.
<Good>
My set-up looks really good during the day but at night there seems to be sort of a milky cloud at the top of the aquarium.
<More or less "new tank syndrome"... with your filtration, all will settle itself... though the Goldfish... are "messy">
I know I am not overfeeding, and with all the filtration I have + the low amount of fish
I was wondering if a UV sterilizer would really do that much to improve the appearance of the water.
<Nah>
I have an ammonia meter and it has always been in the safe zone. I worry that I did not run the tank in enough
(only 48 hours) before I put fish in it.  
<Yikes... luckily you have a good volume for dilution...>
The fish seem totally happy and healthy, I just want a crystal clear aquarium....should I get a UV pump or take all my fish, plants, rocks
etc out and try and restart the cycle with a longer break-in?
<Yes.... this is above all what is necessary... time to go by... "This too will clear" my friend. Bob Fenner>
Your help would be greatly appreciated!
Thanks
Doug Daniels

Stinky FW system blues... A to middle C  - 01/12/2006
Hello WWM crew
<Howdy>
I have a 30 gallon tank. Tank contains 1 peacock cichlid. I have 1 marineland emperor 400 and 1 emperor 280 filter.
<Product names are proper nouns... capitalized>
I hope you can help me. I have read and searched most of the FAQs on WWM website.
<Wowzah!>
I still can't get rid of this horrid fishy smell coming from the water of the fish tank. I change the carbon and filter every two weeks and do a
25% water change weekly.
<Good>
the tank is about 8 months old. I have no algae growing. and the nitrate levels are 20ppm.
The tank is in a basement where there is little light. Should i just seal off the tank and run a 1" pvc pipe to the outside
of the house for ventilation and call it quits?
<Heeee!>
HELP? p.s. I've also tried every chemical for cloudy and smelly water known to man.  thank you  
<Mmm, there are a few things to try that might help... What do you feed this system? Changing this to a more "nutritionally complete" food type (Spectrum, Hikari...) and adding a bit of live plant material (my choice? Egeria/Elodea/Anacharis)... and do check that charcoal... Use activated carbon instead. Bob Fenner>

Light brown pinkish stuff in my tank   1/10/06
Hi!  Thank you so much for this forum to ask questions. I have a 60 gallon freshwater tank which right now is
the home to 2 swimming frogs and a ground feeder (I do not know what kind).  There were several other fish,
but the frogs got to them...
<Perhaps Xenopus laevis... African Clawed Frogs...>
Anyway, I have recently had a very hard time keeping algae out of the tank and therefore have not replaced my fish to date.
I am not sure, but I keep getting these clumps of what look like light brown or pinkish ash.  It almost looks
like fish food but the ground feeder will not eat it. Last week I syphoned over 50% of the water trying to
clean it out, but 2 days later it started back again. Do you know what this is and/or how to get rid of it?
Any assistance would be great.
Thanks.
<Better maintenance... this is likely a mix of algae, fungus... see WWM re cleaning aquariums, Water Changes. Bob Fenner>

Filter Feeders Died After Using Filter  - 01/09/2006
Hi. I have a 55 gallon tank that I use a vortex filter on about once a month or so to polish the water.  It has always worked  
great.  Recently I added several bamboo shrimp to the tank, as well as a clam and a muscle.  They were thriving and doing great for over  
a month until I ran the Vortex on it.  Within days of running it, I lost two of the shrimp, and the clam.  I was thinking that this might  
have been due to the Vortex taking out all of their food supply. Do you think this could be what happened?  If so, is there something  
you would recommend that I could add to the tank right after to   replenish the filter feeder's food supply?
thanks for the help. Keep up the great work,-Ed
< All of the animals you lost are filter feeders. Your Vortex filter is extremely efficient. I think your hunch is probably right that the filter is removing the food supply for these animals. Any type of food that you would need would defeat the purpose of the Vortex filter and result in fine particles of food floating around the tank. You might try taking some fish food and crushing it up into a powder. Add some water to make it into a runny soup type mixture. Take an eye droppers and squirt this mixture right at the filter feeders once a day. I am sure the other fish will eat any excess.-Chuck>

Putrid Aquarium..??  12/5/05
WWM,
I have a 10 gallon freshwater tank that I started early in the year. It contains 4 Glowlite Tetras, 4 Black Phantom Tetras, 4 Pristella Tetras, 1 upside-down catfish, 2 Otos and 2 Kuhlii loaches. I'm running a no-name hanging filter and was using the matching cartridges up until a month or so ago, but I found they didn't last long and would clog completely within less than 2 weeks. So I switched to the Whisper brand. 
At first, all went well. They could be rinsed more times than the no-name type, therefore could be used for a longer period of time. Then, about a month ago, everything in my tank started getting a green tint to it. Before long, my gravel and everything else in my tank was covered in bright green algae. Now the water is also cloudy and has a green tint to it. I've been doing monthly water changes
<Best protocol is weekly>
and had never had a problem with this before. My tank gets no direct sunlight whatsoever. I've never really had any algae at all. Also, the last cartridge I changed had become completely covered with algae and was falling apart in less than a week of putting it in. I couldn't help but suspect the filter cartridge switch to be the cause of the problem,
<Agreed... did you run both biological filters concurrently for a period of time to allow the replacement to become established?>
so as a temporary solution, I'm making my own cartridges, at least until I get the problem under control and to see if they Whisper cartridges were the cause. I don't want to be buying a $4 cartridge every week (because they've been falling apart so quickly), especially if they might be the problem. I've only had the new home-made cartridge in there for a couple days, but no change yet. I just bought the sheet of "Filter Fill", so there's no carbon in there at the moment. I don't know if that will be a problem.
<This sounds fine... provided there is still bio-media in the filter that you never change out.>
I also bought Tetra Easy Balance to help control phosphates, which I'm really hoping will help.
<I would not use this to control phosphates.>
Am I on the right track or can you give me different advice? The only thing I've changed is the cartridges, so I can't help but think that they may be the leading cause of the problem. Algae or cloudy water has never been a problem before.
<Make sure you understand the "cycling" process of a new tank/filter, and perform weekly water tests for nitrite, ammonia and nitrate. In addition, you should be changing 20 - 50% of the water weekly, not monthly.>
Thanks for your time!  Trisha Fulawka
<Most welcome. Best regards, John>

Haziness in a Freshwater Tank, Hurricane Aftermath - 11/28/2005
Hello crew, how are you all?
<Hello! You got John today... And I'm very well>
I have a 55 gallon tank, planted with cichlids. Recently my water has become cloudy. The cloudiness is not algae induced and I would describe it as more of a haze. It is not yellow or green, but more like a subtle hazy white. Close to the surface where you can see the effect of the lights on the water the most, I can almost see the movement of this solute swishing around. Needless to say this haze is quite disappointing compared to the crystal water I used to have.
<Understandable>
Perhaps it's worth mentioning that I live in Miami and this effect took place after both hurricanes. Is it possible the city's water source has suffered an influx of minerals due to the storms, and if that is the case what solutions can you offer?
<Assuming the tank is well-established, and in the absence of any changes (fish additions, changes to cleaning/water changing schedule), this is quite possible. Can you test the parameters of your tap water, or examine it for cloudiness after leaving it to sit for a few hours? Other causes could be lack of regular maintenance of filters, or insufficient gravel vacuuming. Regardless of the cause, my actions would be the same -- add activated carbon to your filter, and change it regularly. Make sure you suck up any settled particulate matter when performing water changes, regularly clean any mechanical filters, and ensure there is enough circulation in the tank to keep the water surface moving.>
As always I deeply appreciate the superb advice I have always received from your website. 
Be well and Thanks.
Jean-Pierre Luque
<You too! Good luck. Best regards, John> 

Clearing the Water 11/25/2005
Hi I have a friend that has a 150 gal. fresh water tank and his water is like a brown color and cloudy! I think that it is because he over feeds them.<Possibly, that and lack of regular maintenance.> I have convinced him not to feed them so much now, but my question is can I get his tank clear if I run a vortex xl diatom filter for a hour or so?
<This may be a temporary fix, but regular water changes approximately 25% weekly or every 2 weeks should do the trick.>
And if so should I add anything to the water while I do this? like algae fix or something along that line?
<No, regular water changes should clear it up, I am not a big fan of adding this type of product to my tanks.>
I really want to fix this problem for him thanks for the help.
<Teach him how to maintain his tank and that should fix the problem.  Best Regards, Gage>

Maintaining Biofiltration with no Fish 11/25/2005
I have a 3 gallon Eclipse tank with BioWheel, heater, 4 or 5 java ferns and airstone that has been set up for over a year now.  It has recently housed a betta. My water parameters are:  ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate 5.0 Temperature in tank is a consistent 79 degrees.  I am one week away from getting another betta, could you please tell me if I need to do something to maintain the tank for a week (in order to not lose my biological filter)?
<Just leave all the filtration and lights running as you would if there were a fish in there, a week is not a long time, your filtration should be fine.  Best Regards, Gage>
Thank you, as always. Sue

Worms? Parasites?  11/17/05
Hello, we have a 50 gallon tank that has very small white hair like worms in it. The tank is freshwater and I know they might be Planaria?
<Mmm, doubtful...>
However all the pictures of Planaria do not look like these creatures. They are as thin as a human hair and only about 1/8" long to maybe 2" long.
<Sounds/reads like polychaetes, oligochaetes like Tubificids... use this term in your search tool/s>
We do have an over run take full of snails, could this be the problem?
<Problem?>
There are no fish in there now, so there is no "food" in the tank or rocks. Any suggestions?
Thanks, Gina
<Improve cleanliness and there will be less worms, snails... neither likely a problem... in terms of livestock health. Bob Fenner>

Guppies, Water Quality, Cycling - (V?) - 09/15/2005
I'll cut out most of the old quoted text for better readability -
leaving just enough to maintain reference.
[Ahh, good.  New carrots for me.  Brackets, actually.]
WWM FAQ Crew wrote:
<<Yes, agreed.  I begin to think that your tank has some "stockpile" of organic waste somewhere....  I'd like to see that ammonia hit zero, as well.>>
I was able to look under the tank. There is very little waste sitting there. There is some, but most areas I can see the white UGF. Where there is some, it's very light in color and density.
[Could be accumulate/ed/ing in the substrate....  I still think this UGF may very likely be part of your problem.]
> <<Yes, no worries on the temp at all.>> (which was 80 degrees)
I've noticed that the past couple days the daytime (afternoon/evening) temp is going up 2-4 degrees. The new tank is 1/3 in front of a window and the old 20G tank is now in front of that same window (it won't be staying there, though). Is this temp change bad? I don't think I've seen either heater on for days, but I know they used to come on. Air temp right now (almost 2AM) is still about the same. I did turn off the central air a couple weeks ago since I thought the 'dog days' were done, but it's been warmer outside the past few days. I'm sure this is accounting for the temp rise. But again, is this 4 degree fluctuation bad?
[Mm, 4 degrees (Fahrenheit, I assume?) is more than I'd like to see, but guppies can handle that.]
> <<Yeah, I do wish test kits could be a little more clear/obvious on this point.>>
OK, so Ammonia and nitrite should be 0.0. pH should be 7.0 or a little higher. Nitrate should be as low as possible as well? Should be 0 ppm?
[It'll likely not get to zero, but as long as you're below 20ppm, you'll be fine.]
I've now added some surface plants to the 20G to try to get the nitrate down. They are the type that are really small (1/8" leaves and the roots hang down about 1/2" from the surface), but there are a ton of them.
[Sounds like duckweed.  My greatest enemy (grows sooooooo fast!) but an excellent consumer of nitrate.  Goldfish like to eat it, too.]
Although now, the fish have to hunt for their food more. I would prefer not having these plants in the new tank.
[Understandable!]
I didn't want to go with gravel-based plants due to the UGF. That's one reason in favor of no UGF, I guess - I could plant regular plants.
[True enough.  Though, you can still have wood- or rock- mounting plants, like Anubias, java fern, java moss....  other floating plants that aren't so insane, like Riccia fluitans, water lettuce....]
Anyway, due to the plant situation, I've been thinking about a feeder ring. Good idea?
[Sure, you could try this.]
I thought about one before since it calms the surface and the food stays up there longer. I'm not big on suction cups and have even thought about making my own from a ring (dog toy, baby toy, whatever I can find that would work, plus some fishing line to hold it in place in a corner or something. Good idea? (opinions on both the ring and the home-brew aspects invited)
[Either way will do.  If you use a toy of some sort, or anything else, be absolutely certain there is nothing like paint or flavoring or anything that could dissolve in the water over an extended period of time.]
> Anyway, I've started it and will wait until it gets cloudy then clears up which should indicate that the bio cycle is up to speed (or close).
> <<Mm, usually the cloudiness (and clearing thereof) is just a bacterial bloom....  Test results will tell you the real tale.  Try to get some "filter goo" and/or gunky, used gravel from your current tank to add to this new tank.  That'll help the cycle immensely.>>
Will do on the gravel. I added some to one corner of the new tank (about 8" x 8" x 1" deep) just to get things started a little. I don't want to do a lot until I get the UGF issue decided. The UGF is running, although there is no gravel yet. I can see the effects of the water circulation, as there is a little debris (from the old gravel which needs cleaned) settling in the valleys of the filter.  My new tank has not gotten cloudy yet. It's only been about 4 days, though, since I added the water. You mention tests. Since my tap water is 7.0/0/0/2, what should I be looking for in tests? A rise in nitrate?
[First, a rise in ammonia, then nitrite as ammonia falls, then nitrate as nitrite falls.  With the gravel and such, perhaps just a rise in nitrate.  Be sure to "feed" your bacteria a bit....  a few pinches of fish food or a piece of a cocktail shrimp left to decay will do.]
> Then, I'll transfer the adults to the 30 Gallon and leave the fry in the 20 gallon tank (although I'll likely upgrade the filter on that one, too - 16 is a lot of fry).
> <<Sounds great.>>
Well, 15 fry now. I lost one for some reason. Maybe you can help me with the diagnosis. He (the only male out of the lot)
[Some of your "females" may yet prove you wrong - males can develop later, as well.  You might get surprised!]
:-( just seemed to get 'heavy' - staying near the bottom of the breeder and when he swam he just seemed to sink fast. I was thinking swim bladder infection.
[Possibly....  or genetic disorder....]
All the other fry seem fine. He was also the runt of the fry - about half the size of most others (that admittedly are girls, hence larger). I also lost my smallest fry of the first batch that were about 4 weeks old.
[It is common to lose a few.  I would mark this one up to natural causes - and be on top of those water tests.]
Those were in the main part of the tank. It too was the smallest one - some of the 2 week old fry were almost as large as she was. I don't know if another fish got aggressive with her or she got stuck on the filter inlet or what. When I found her she appears to have expired a couple days earlier and she appeared to be partially in 'half' (sorry for the gory details). Maybe a fish thought she was food after she expired - I don't know.
[Likely.]
All other fish seem fine. They are swimming a lot and just seem 'happy'.
[I would just observe, at this point.]
The 4 week old fry are nearly full size already.  Am I correct in my understanding that female fry are distinguishable by the same anal fan fin and males by the skinny non-fan fin? I heard that all are born female and sex is determined later.
[Mm, kiiiiinda sorta.  I'm not entirely clear on this (been a while since I've worked extensively with guppies), but I believe it's just that juvenile males *look* like females until they begin to develop male attributes.]
How much later?
[Can be a few months, in some cases.]
Can a fan fin change? All the rest of the 2 week old fry have fan anal fins.
[Yes, the anal fin can and does change as juvenile males gain male attributes.]
> As for the algae, I tried to wipe some off while the water was low. I can't wipe it off with my finger. It must be some kind of super algae! I did get some off with a scraper.
> <<Sounds like normal.  If the tank is glass, at least you need not fear scratching it with your algae scrubber.  A bit of "elbow grease" will help.  Just use caution if its an acrylic tank, as acrylic is so easy to scratch.>>
I found that out when I was cleaning my new tank, I think. My older tanks are no doubt glass. The new one I'm not sure about, but I think I scratched it (small scratch on side) when I set it on the cement sidewalk when I was hosing it out. Both have a 'green tint' to them which leads me to believe they are glass.
[You would know the difference, I think; acrylic is like a plastic.]
I would expect acrylic to be clear on the 'ends'. Is it green as well?
[Can be]
If you think it might be, I won't use the razor blade scraper I always used on my older tanks.
[Likely this is a glass tank.  Try a google image search on "acrylic aquarium" to see the difference.]
> How long (roughly) until the cycle gets stable? (rough estimate)
> <<Highly dependant upon your system....  all are different.  And, again, I am starting to think there may be something "wrong" to be causing you so much trouble with nitrate.>>
Here is what I reused: UGF and risers. Everything was cleaned before it was put in storage and again when taken out. Riser tubes and air ducts are clear inside and out. Air tubes (again, all clear). Filter: Was clear, but has some 'gunk'/algae on the inside where the Pleco can't reach. It's air driven and is completely submersible. Three rocks (unknown type) - this may be the most likely source IMHO. They were cleaned, and have no algae on them. Two of these are a shiny mica type substance, and the other is an opaque white one with some rusty spots (it's rock, not algae). They were purchased at a large LFS (20 years ago or more), so I'm sure they are tank safe. A ceramic (glazed) Roman 4-pillar ornament. Again, purchased at the same LFS. A recent addition of the same ornament in blue (purchased used recently at the same LFS). A 4" plastic plant that is older. Has developed some algae since the Pleco can't get at it that much. A new LED clear glass 'quartz shape' ornament. An old bubble strip (again, old but very clean). A new 'tower of Pisa' ornament. A glass 'Shamu' ornament. I think that's all. Oh, the gravel is new (about 8 weeks ago). Now I see why they say a pic is worth a thousand words! :-]
[Heh!  True!  None of this sticks out at me as a contributor to the nitrate issue.  The length of the cycle, and how long it takes for your tank to get stable, are more dependant upon the dynamic parts of this system: you, the fish, the water....  food....  It's really impossible to give you a guesstimate as to time.  Your test kits will tell you the story as it unfolds.]
(re: Plecos)
> <<They're actually a bit more nifty.  They can be found albino or "plain", and have "fronds" on their noses....  hence "bushynose" or "Bristlenose".  Try a google search on either of these for images.>>
I saw some in a LFS today. They are cute little guys.
[Aren't they great??  Funny little things.]
Didn't know they had albino. That will be something to look for.
(Re: pH)
> It's 7.1 out of the tap, so something must be an issue.
> <<Agreed, very much.>>
Any ideas what? IOW: What can drop the pH?
[Dissolved organics....  Some decor items....  You might try snatching out the old rocks that you added and put them in a clean bucket with tapwater, test the pH in a few days and see if they are the cause.  A lack of buffering capacity in your tapwater can also lead to a dropping pH.]
I don't think it's excessive build-up under the UGF since the tank is only about 8 weeks old. Also, I can see under the UGF and in most areas I can see the UGF. Where I can't, there is light colored 'dirt' that is likely food particles created when trying to break up the flakes. Some inevitably turns to dust. I'm still looking for some kind of sorting screen that I can use to separate the flake sizes. I want some 'fry size' (dust) and some adult size flakes. (Boy how I miss that Tetra Min Special Diet Guppy food - it was all adult size flakes out of the can, so no dust in the main tank)
[There are some good fry foods available; also, you can just use your regular flake and crush it to a dust with a small mortar and pestle or between two spoons.]
> No driftwood. I do have undergravel filters in everything I've ever had - including the new one. While I'm on the topic, how do you clean those without total removal of everything?
> <<AHH!  I fear the undergravel filter plates may very well be the culprit - not only of your pH issue, but of your nitrate issue, as well.  Organic material will build up under the filter plates over time and make a pretty awesome amount of "gunk" which, as it decays, can and does increase nitrate and acidity (drops the pH).  You could *try* feeding an airline hose down your lift tubes and start a siphon, and try to pull some of the "gunk" out that way, but in all honesty, when you have that 30 up and running, I would move everyone over and pull those undergravel plates out.  You will be seriously amazed at what you find.  I can almost promise that.>>
No, I won't. I had tanks before and remember tearing them down. It was disgusting.
[I can almost smell the water and taste the siphon hose....  Eeeeeewwww....]
Rather than pull the plates out after everything is up and running, why not do it now before I put the gravel in? :-)
[I would!]
Thus my next big question: If I remove the UGF, will any waste no longer be drawn top the bottom of the tank? Will it just float until sucked up by the power filter?  While in general I'm leaning toward removal of the UGF, I don't want a 'dirt tank' in terms of things that would otherwise be drawn into the gravel to be vacuumed out later.
[Things will still fall to the substrate....  just vacuum as normal.  Things will also be removed via your power filter.  Your tank should look cleaner, and will actually BE cleaner than having all that muck build up under the plates over time.]
> Filter pads are not bad, and were replaced a couple weeks ago. I'm getting ready to change it again soon. My bio filter is the air type that uses air to draw the water through the filter. I thought this was better than the power filters I had in the past that put out a huge volume of water out into the tank. I wanted to keep the currents down. This new filter does that but is a power filter.
> <<.... is this like a Duetto filter?  Or....?>>
It's the Whisper 60. The old one is an underwater 'enclosed tank' that uses a filter/charcoal/filter layer. It draws water in through holes in the top and travels down thought the filter material to the bottom where
the air brings it back up the tube in the middle.
[My preference here is the Whisper 60.  The little box-type filters that you describe, though they can be effective, are a pain in the butt (IMO) to maintain, and just not as effective.  This is mostly just my opinion.]
> Unvacuumed substrate? Is that the gravel filter plastic?
> <<??  I'm getting lost, here....  Err, I guess I'll rephrase:  Do you use a gravel vacuum (a big, clear tube attached to a siphon hose) to clean the gravel when you do water changes?>>
I just didn't understand the term substrate. (gravel or the plastic UGF)  Yes on the gravel vacuum. Every time I changed water, but from now on I'll do the 50/50 cleaning - cleaning half the gravel each time.
[Sounds good.]
> OK. I was concerned about the chlorine.
> <<Just be sure to use a chlorine/chloramine neutralizer when you add new water.>>
It's also OK to leave it sit overnight, right? A friend of mine (who also has a tank) suggested just getting a tank (or barrel, or something that would hold enough water) to use for letting water naturally
dechlorinate overnight.
[Yes, this is fine - but NOT if you have chloramine added to your local tapwater.  Chloramine is a chemical formed by bonding chlorine with ammonia.  It is just as bad to fish as chlorine, and does NOT evaporate out.  It must be broken into chlorine and ammonia and neutralized.  Many products available that do this.]
He also said that in his salt water tank, he uses no UGF or even a power filter. He only has a sponge type filter in (I think he said two) corners to do the filtering. It's air driven. He has some kind of fish
that are supposed to be very hard to keep.
[A marine tank is another thing entirely - and there are many, many forms of filtration, including "natural" filtration (live sand, live rock, refugiums) which are getting to be standard.  This is almost apples and oranges to freshwater....  If you're interested, definitely take a browse through our marine web:  http://www.wetwebmedia.com/marine/index.htm .]
> I think the live plants are starting to look good if I continue to have high NO3 levels in the new tank. (if the filter doesn't take care of it)
> <<Live plants are great.  Look into java moss, java fern, and Anubias sp.  These are low-light, easy maintenance plants.  Your plec won't eat them, either.>>
I mentioned the plants I got earlier. More like teeny water lilies that have roots that go down 1/2"
[Yup, probably duckweed.  It will help, but it will multiply insanely fast.]
> Visible algae? (I have very little visible, and what is visible is very small and sparse)
> <<Visible, yes, inasmuch as microscopic floating algae can be when massed together.  Usually a pale or greenish cloudy tinge to the water.>>
My water is currently pretty clear with very little cloudiness at all.  There was no green tint until I added the plants. Now, the light is shining through them in about 1/3 the surface area of the tank.
[Yeah, that'll do it :) ]
I haven't tested the water yet tonight. I expect the ammonia and nitrite levels are nearly 0. The nitrate is always surprising me, though. I wonder if my kit is throwing me off. There is very little color
difference on the comparison chart between 20, 40, and 80. 10 is bright orange. 20 is dark orange. 40 is dark red. 80 is a little more orangish than 40 is! 160 is a little darker red than 40. IOW, they don't seem to
go 'in order'.
[Yikes.  You might possibly want to try a different kit to test this against; I know some of these colorimetric tests can be absolutely frustrating!]
> <<Do please make use of all resources available to you....  there is so much information out there....>>
So much so that it's hard to digest it all - especially with all the divergent opinions on things such as UGFs.
[True.]
If I do remove my UGF, would the Whisper 60 be enough to leave it as the sole filtration?
[Yes, I believe so.]
Thanks again, Sabrina!
Joe M.
[Sure thing, my friend.  Wishing you well,  -Sabrina]

Foam on non cycled tank... happens 8/24/05
Hello to all at WWM today! My name is Erin, and I have been using your wonderful website for several months now. And what a help it has been. But with my recent issue, I have not been able to find anything (possible I just never found it) even after much looking. Here is my situation: I have recently bought a 29 gallon tank for my tiger barbs, to give them a bigger and happier home for them to grow in. I bought the tank used from someone here on WWM, that used it as a SW tank. I took it home, cleaned it all out (no soap) and set it up. I was letting it run, when about 24 hours after I set it up, there was layer of bubbly foam on the surface. I had this problem with my first one gallon tank, and did the same procedure of cleaning all the gravel out (again), scrubbing the tank out with a washcloth, and replacing all the water. Again, I have been letting it run before I cycle the tank fishlessly. The tank seemed to be foam-less when I went to bed that night, but when I awoke, it had
mysteriously returned. Again. I have no idea what it is or what is creating this foam. The tank right now only has a 300 watt heater, a bubbler, 30 lbs. of gravel and an Eheim filter (sponge only, no filters in it yet) for a 50 gallon tank. Any advice would be appreciated.
<Is just a bit of surfactant action with the bit of life/residue... trapping air... I would leave it as is, do some partial water changes weekly... in time it will go. Bob Fenner>

Fungus in filter? 8/7/05
I've spent the last 3 hours searching your site for someone with the same problem, but can't find anything similar to my problem.
I seem to have a white fuzzy fungus that grows in my power filter that hangs outside my tank... fungus on the filter rather than the fish... isn't that a change??
<Summat>
I have 2 tanks, a 35 gallon and a 10 gallon and I have the same problem in both filters.... when I take the cover off the filter, there is a white fuzzy fungus growing on the inside surfaces of the filter.
<Interesting>
I've had aquariums for most of my 38 yrs and this problem has only just surfaced within the last 4 months... I have taken them both off and given them a thorough cleaning and the problem comes back.  Could there be something in the water quality where I'm at that has changed that could cause this??
<Maybe>
  It hasn't seemed to affect the fish.. they are all fine.... but I'm tired of cleaning my filters!! Also, is there something that I can add to the water that would prevent this??
<Likely so... changing the biological make-up of these systems will likely cause the demise, growth of this material. I would suggest adding some live plants. There are many choices, but simpler, "grass", floating types will do... These are discussed on the Planted Tank subweb on WWM>
I have kept the covers off the filters and this slows it down, but does not eliminate the problem. Is there some kind of bacteria growing in my filter??
<Possibly... a microscope of a few hundred power would allow you to look... determine if this is a true fungus...>
.... Any advice you could offer would be great!!
Thanks,
Sharon
<Do try the plants. Bob Fenner>

FW Tanks not Like the Good Ole Days 7/26/05
Dear Gulls and Buoys, I hope this is the last time I'll need to bother you...you helped me with my Platy question and a question about snails fighting.
Two questions:
(1) My husband insists that there is no need to ever change any amount of
water in a tank. EVER. He claims he had tropical fish for years and "never"
changed the water, but kept it in perfect balance "naturally" with plants
and his choice of fish/snails/shrimp. I'm getting kind of discouraged
because no matter how hard I try, I cannot keep mine in that sort of perfect
balance, and now I've had a little Neon die, plus the snails still fight.
The water turned slightly cloudy the evening before the Neon died.
< Ammonia spike probably from overfeeding.>
I did a 25% change, and fed lightly, but in the morning, the poor thing was dead.
The others in the school (5 left) seem fine. That day, I did a 50% change.
Now, I am doing a 10% change a day, and vacuuming the gravel with a turkey
baster whenever someone poops, in an attempt to clear the water. It's
slightly hazy, nothing dramatic, BUT...
< I have been collecting old aquarium literature for years. The definition of "balanced" may be misleading. Over 100 years ago "Balanced" meant that you had exactly enough plants to provide enough oxygen so no other aeration was needed. This usually resulted in a long low tank with lots of surface area and ambient room temperature that was barely tolerable for most tropical fish. Foods then had almost no nutritional value and most of it was used by the plants as a mild fertilizer. Later "balanced" meant that the ammonia, nitrites and finally the nitrates are all being absorbed by the plants. So a dilution by means of a water change is not needed. Check the water quality. Ammonia and nitrites should be zero. If not then you need more good bacteria to break down the fish waste. The nitrates should be under 25 ppm. If it gets too high then you need to dilute the nitrates by doing a water change. If you want to do this naturally then you really need many plants to do this with lots of good lighting. Usually these tanks don't have too many fish and are somewhat boring compared with today's standards. Plants need minerals too. Once the minerals are removed by the plants then they may need to be replenished with fresh tap water. Don't use stem plants, go with crypts and sword plants.>
(2) I may have killed the Neon by feeding everyone a bit of egg yolk. I put
a little smashed piece in the tank (teeny, teeny piece), and they all just
went crazy over it, eating like mad. But I read on your FAQ that egg yolk is
not a good idea. They also took some bites (or tried to) from a tiny piece
of turkey I dangled in the tank for a few minutes. Did I kill my fish or
ruin my tank with these treats, do you think? Signed, Depressed
< These questions resemble the ones in the 1950's. Aquarium technology has made great advances in the last 50 years. I recommend that you by a quality fish food and feed you fish only enough food so that all of it is gone in two minutes once each day. Remove any uneaten food after two minutes. The plants and filter will take care of the fish waste. Go to Marineland.com and check out the articles in Dr. Tim's Library and WetWebMedia to understand aquarium nitrification and filtration. You can get by with out water changes but you are just asking for problems.-Chuck>

Fish Poop 7.21.05
Thank you for your informative article on The Minnows Called Barbs,
Danios & Rasboras--I owned three giant Comets and they reproduced a lot and I gave away several generations until I finally
got tired of cleaning all the fish poop. Even just ten of them generated a lot of poop.<Yes, fish poop a lot.> I gave them all away and now have no fish. My 6 foot tank stands empty. <Fixed the poop problem.> I would like a hardy fish that does not poop much. Would you recommend Minnows? How many barbs, danios and rasboras should I get for my big tank? thanks, Paul B. <Minnows might be a good idea, small fish small poop, less noticeable.  Avoid Pleco's, they are pooping machines.  Any fish that is constantly eating is going to be constantly pooping.  Large aggressive fish poop less frequently, but in larger quantities.  The number of fish to put in your tank will be a tough balance as well, more fish=more poop.  I have never tried to stock a tank based on poop, or lack of poop; this is fun.  With Barbs, Rasboras, or Danios in a large tank you can have some pretty good size schools.  I'd go with somewhere around 50-70 fish.  The real answer to the poop problem is better filtration and more water flow.  If you add a few power heads towards the bottom of the tank it will keep all the poop, leftover food, funk, detritus, whathaveyou suspended in the water so the filter can pick it up.  Hope this helps, Gage>

Re: sick fish help
Hello again!
<Shawna>
No my tank was not cycled. I did not realize I had to do that. I got a tank from a relative who had to get rid of 16 tanks and lots of fish. Most of the fish given were sick. I received my 4 rainbow fish from him. It was something that just fell into my lap. I had no prep time. Unfortunately I bought some fish not knowing any better and have successfully killed most of them off. I now have...
4 rainbow fish
1 kissing gouramis
1 swordtail
1 albino pleco
My water chemistry is all good except for my nitrite level is very high. I have been doing water changes everyday but it doesn't want to come down. 
<It will, in time>
I was told that would do the trick. I use Stresscoat with every water change. I also have ich I have been treating with ich guard and aquarium salt for a week or more, changing water every day.
<These will forestall the establishment of cycling...>
The temperature is at 82 degrees and I leave my light off. I think my gouramis has swim bladder his stomach is sunken and he has very little interest in food. My swordtail has black spots all over him but is swimming actively. So my questions are...
1. How long should I be using medication for ich when it doesn't seem to go away?
<... I would dispense with using the medication, and simply elevate your water temperature. Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwich.htm >
The spots are on the same place for the last week or more.
2. How do I get my nitrite levels down? I bought a vacuum for the rocks last night. I have used it once so far. Lots of crud in the rocks. I haven't been feeding them very much since the nitrite level was high.
<... Please read: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm and the Related links above...>
3. If you can't mix medications how do I help the Gouramis with swim bladder? and also the swordtail with black spot?
<One thing at a time...>
4. How often do I vacuum the rocks? Everyone tells me something different.
<There is an article posted on WWM re...>
I know you have probably answered all these questions before and I have been reading a lot on your website.
I have 3 little kids and not a lot of time to be on the computer researching. I am way over my head and wondering what I got myself into. Please help! Shawna
<There is no help for you unless you read... Stop writing and read. Bob Fenner> 

FW maintenance
Hi! All of my fish are now doing GREAT! My molly (Joni) just had babies, we
managed to save three and they are growing slowly but steadily! Now Disney,
my Mickey mouse platy, looks like her babies will be here in about a week.
The water in my aquarium is nasty.  I have a new filter system and do 20%
water change once a week, and siphon once a month.
When I do either one of
those, the water in the bucket is brown and yuck.
<Siphon it every week with your water changes... this is what I do>
Looking into the aquarium,
it looks  cloudy and foggy.  I put the recommended amount of aqua clear, yet
it is still nasty. What do I need to do?
<Just develop a regular gravel vacuuming routine, watch your feeding, and perhaps add a sprig or two of floating live plants/grass>
Also, I am moving, not too far, and I need to know the best way to move my
fish! Thanks for all your help!
<Maybe take a read on WWM re FW aquarium maintenance, water changes... Bob Fenner>

Film on Water (a pet fish in the sky)
Hi again...once again, I need to thank you over and over for your quick responses and wonderful website. It's just great to know that you can get help/advice when you need it from the best! My cycled 3 gallon Eclipse tank w/BioWheel has some sort of problem that I just can't seem to fix. The tank houses 1 male Betta and several plants: Java ferns, 1 Red Ludwigia, & 2 tufts of some long grass. The gravel is not the little stuff but bigger natural colored pebbles. My water readings are Ammonia: 0, Nitrite: 0, Nitrate: Between 5.0 and 10, PH is: Between 7.0 and 7.2. 
Having plants, I leave the light on 7-10 hours a day. The Betta is in excellent health, eats, blows bubble nests regularly every day, has no torn or frayed fins. 
The problem is, every 3 days I develop a film (like floating patches) on the top of the tank. If I view the top of the water with a flashlight they look worse. I do a 10-20 percent water change each week just to get rid of this stuff. Also 1 time per week I vacuum a selected section of the tank and I also have washed my carbon cartridge filter (but not at the same time) because it seems to get a lot of plant debris, etc., which does seem to help more than the water change. I have tried to wick this away with paper towels...it seems to just break up and float around. 
Can someone tell me what this is and if there is a better way to get rid of it? Could my plants be causing any of this film? I am afraid that it could harm my Betta eventually. I am also concerned about the continual water changes and filter washing affecting my cycled tank eventually, so far it has not but if this keeps up I am afraid that it will. Thank you again, Sue
<Hi Sue. The film is most likely from the Betta's food. It will not cause a problem. In fact if it's causing you to do an extra water change once a week then I would call it a good thing. As long as you do not clean the bio wheel you should not have a problem. The main concern would be a thick layer preventing gas exchange at the surface. Doesn't sound like you're close to that. It dose sound like you have a happy Betta there. Good job. Don>

Need to help themselves re goldfish, WWM
Hi There
Please can you help me. my husband bought 4 goldfish for our daughter they are in a tank 2ft by 1 ft with a pump and heater we have had them for about 2 and a 1/2 weeks now but in the past 2 to 3 days all they seem to do is lie about on the bottom of the tank they do come up for food but go straight back to the bottom of the tank again can you please advise us what to do as we are both complete beginners at looking after fish
regards Fiona
<Fiona, please go to our site (URL above) and read re Goldfish Set-ups, Maintenance... your system is not cycled... Bob Fenner>