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Re: A little help with deaths
and what to do please 4/1/08
We took a lot of driftwood out of the brook and put them in tanks that are
unused for fish, but have the combo of cycled water that I started my tank with,
and we change the water in those regularly to clear out fungus and parasites and
other grossnesses that may be present.
<As a rule, you really shouldn't use wood from "the wild" in aquaria. It takes
many months, if not years, for all the decaying stuff to be leached out of the
wood. As this stuff decays, it lowers the pH and consumes oxygen, two things you
don't want happening in an aquarium. There's also the risk of bringing in toxins
such as herbicides. Use ready-cured bogwood instead. May be more expensive, but
far, far safer.>
As of right now, I lost all 4 swordtails and 4 out of the 6 albino Corys, but
nothing else seems to be affected as of right now. I cut back on the feeding to
once every other day. My 125 has a leak so it'll be a while until I get the
Arowana out of there, but I am keeping a close eye on that fish because it's my
most valuable in my eyes. I just did a water test for ammonia because I didn't
trust the "ammonia detector", and my ammonia level is at 0.
<Most of the "Ammonia Detectors" I've seen have an operating life of around 1
year, and even within that lifetime, their accuracy is questionable. So while a
fine supplement to having an ammonia test kit, I wouldn't rely on one. In any
case, what you need to do now is remove the wood, and then do your best to
ensure the aquarium is stabilised. That means running it for at least a couple
of months without any new fish. In this time, check the pH is steady and that
there is no nitrite or ammonia. When lots of fish die at once, it's almost
always an environmental issue. So concentrate on the water quality/conditions,
and see how things go. Cheers, Neale.>
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Wood (sic) it be possible...
FW softening... naturally 3/26/08
Best Crew,
Living in the western US we have notoriously "hard" water.
<Not a bad thing. Select hard water (or hard water tolerant) fish, and enjoy the
benefits of rock solid water chemistry. Soft water is FAR more of a problem in
fishkeeping than hard water. See here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwhardness.htm
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwsoftness.htm
>
Hardness testing shows at the extreme end of the (tester) strip. We use some
"soft" water from a local store, but hesitate to use too much, as we would like
our fish acclimated to what we have readily available, besides quite a few were
born/raised in the same conditions that come from our tap anyhow.
<Sensible. Always choose fish adapted to your water chemistry where possible.
Life is a lot easier that way. Do always remember domestic water "softeners" do
nothing of the sort as far as fish are concerned, replacing lime with sodium
salts.>
As hard water can contribute to low sperm counts (thx 4 info Bob) and we have
breeding FW angels and Severums (on second attempt now, handful of viable eggs!)
I am always interested in natural solutions to natural problems, naturally!
<Fuzzy thinking really. What matters is [a] does it work and [b] are the side
effects acceptable in terms of cost or environmental impact. I use rainwater to
created medium-hard, neutral water in my tanks. Cheap and effective.>
So,
1- Are the Asian and African woods for sale really helping to soften water
effectively or is this another attempt to bilch us out of hard earned money?
<Yes, bogwood will soften water, but the degree to which it will do so depends
on your initial hardness. If you have high levels of carbonate hardness (that's
the test kit with the KH scale) impact of the wood will be minimal, especially
if you do regular water changes. You'll still get yellowy water, but the water
chemistry itself will be basically unchanged.>
2- Which is more effective (local gal says African, but then all her African
pieces seemed twice as dense as her Asian ones, hence, two times as pricey!)
<Neither will do what I suspect you're after, which is turn 20 degree dH, 10
degree KH water into soft Amazonian water. At least, not fast enough to be
economically viable.>
Thanks, Clint
<Cheers, Neale.>
Re: Wood... 03/26/2008
Best Crew,
As usual your suggestions (gotta read more!) provided results! How about this
for a possible solution:
Alternate 20% water changes with hard/tap water and soft store bought water
(tested to be sure it is soft).
<Don't recommend swinging the water chemistry about each week. Much better to
mix hard and soft water 50:50, and do each water change using the results.>
Add bogwood for it's source of natural softeners.
<No. Won't work this way. At best it'll slightly acidify the water over time,
and quite quickly (weeks) turn the water yellow. But that's about it. The
surface area of wood relative to the volume of water is simply too low.>
Add some water softener plants (types suggested by Neale, thx)
<Arghhh!!! No. Biogenic decalcification is something to work around, not use.
Put another way: it's unpredictable. It depends on the CO2 in the water as well
as other factors like seasonality. In soft water, rapidly growing Vallisneria
and the like can dramatically soften the water further, leading to wild swings
in pH between day (when CO2 used up through photosynthesis) and night (when
plants are net CO2 producers). You don't want a piece of this, trust me.>
A lot of extra work...could be worth it................ or...
How 'bout I do the it easy way!
Take the conch shell out of the Severums tank!
<D'oh!>
Take the PIECE OF MARBLE out of the angels tank, as this is what they were
LAYING EGGS ON!
<Replace with slate.>
DUH! I'm a knowledgeable rock hound, no less!!!(Both are massive sources of
calcium carbonate, or natural water hardeners, when dissolved in liquid)
<Again, like the wood, this is easily overstated, because once the rock is
covered with bacteria and algae the rate of dissolution is massively reduced. So
the odd sea shell in a near-neutral pH, moderately hard aquarium will have
little tangible effect. Especially once you allow for water changes and the
background rate of acidification.>
Funny how the simplest solutions are right in front of you, yet it takes a prod
from a friend (or two) to see them!! Never would have realized without you, Best
Crew!
Thanks, Clintonite
<Glad to have helped, Neale.>
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Lysol...! 3/12/08
My "sweet" son dumped Lysol on all the rocks we were cleaning from our fish
tank. They are a mix of quartz, volcanic (very porous) and sandstone?. Are these
rocks in any way salvageable? We have one lonely old African Cichlid and were in
the process of building up a new tank.... gotta love kids!
Thank you,
Deanna
<Mmm, I'd give them a long rinse in hot water, perhaps a bleach washing (please
read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/clnornart.htm
"Children, the promise of tomorrow... If they make it that far!" Bob Fenner>
Driftwood and pH – 1/2/08
Dear WWM crew,
I have driftwood in my freshwater aquarium to keep the pH lowered in the
summertime. Now I am experiencing a problem in the wintertime; the driftwood is
keeping my pH too low and sometimes I am reading 0 pH. I would like to remove
the driftwood. I was told once you remove the wood and it dries out you can not
put it back in the tank.
<Mmm, not so. May have to be re-waterlogged to "keep it from floating"...>
Is that true? Or how can I preserve it for future use? Also, I have be using
baking soda to keep the pH leveled. Is it safe to use baking soda or is there
any other ideas you might have to keep the pH normal? Should I get coral and put
it in the tank? Please give advice. Thanks again for all your help. Jean
<Mmm, perhaps removal of some part (half?) of the driftwood, stepping up water
changes time/percentage-wise will offset the loss of alkalinity here. Please
read: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwhardness.htm
and the linked files above. Bob Fenner>
Algae or what? FW
11/1/07
Hi Crew,
Recently ( 3 month ago) I setup planted 20 gallon hexagon tank:
fish= 6 harlequin Rasboras and 3 gold rams
plants= water sprite, Amazon swords, java moss and java fern.
Water parameters: pH= 6.7, NH3= 0 ppm, NO2= 0 ppm, NO3= 5 ppm
Lighting= 40 Watts, 12 hrs per day
<All seems fine.>
I do not have any algae on the glass at all, but I see long gray hair on the
driftwood. What is that? Is it dangerous for fish?
<Ah, no, this isn't algae, but is likely fungal or bacterial in nature. It's
common on bogwood (or any other kind of wood) that hasn't been "cured" properly.
It indicates that the wood still contains sufficient organic material for
bacteria or fungi to feed on. It is basically harmless, though perhaps
unsightly. You can wash it off if you want. Some fish will eat this "mould",
such as Plecos, and snails and shrimps may well peck at it too.>
Thank you for your help
Mark
<Cheers, Neale>
African root wood and African
Mopani wood questions 10/14/07
Hi:
<Hello>
I purchased a piece of wood from my local fish store last night that I was told
was "African root wood". It was in a tank and is dark brown in color. When I
handled it at the store, bits of black material were left on my hands.
<I am familiar>
I have found the terms African root wood and African Mopani wood on the
internet. Are they the same material?
<Can be, yes>
Since this piece of wood has already been in a tank (they said about six months)
do I need to treat it in any way? I would like to boil the piece of wood but it
is large and unwieldy to fit into a household pot on the stove. I suppose I
could pour boiling water over it but that wouldn't really permeate inside like I
think it should. I suppose I could let it soak a few days in dilute vinegar
water but then I imagine I would really need to let it soak in plain water to be
sure all the acidic vinegar had now leached out.
<I would not treat the wood... if, as you state, it has been in use for months
already. Over time, this material does decompose... may lend a color to the
water... perhaps change the pH and hardness to an extent. Not usually a worry.
Bob Fenner>
Thanks for any help on this topic.
Just a question... Rocks from the beach, use/FW – 09/14/07
Hi I own a ten gallon tank and I found some stones on the beach and was
wondering if I could put them i the tank? I have platies and tetras. If I
can put them in what are the procedures for doing so?
<Depends on the stones. If they're non-soluble, non-porous things like granite
or flint, then simply washing well with hot water should make them adequately
safe. Anything soluble, like limestone or coral, is less useful because these
will change the pH and hardness of the tank (to test, add some a cid:
if there's fizzing, the rock contains lime). The platies won't mind, but the
neons will. So these sorts of rocks shouldn't be used. Porous rocks, like
pumice, are generally best avoided because anything dead in the holes can decay
in the aquarium and pollute the water. If in doubt, leave the stones out and
just use ones bought from a tropical fish store. In a 10 gallon tank especially,
hollow ornaments would displace less water and create hiding places for your
fish, particularly baby platies. As such, they'd be much better value. Cheers,
Neale>
Re: Just a question... testing FW
substrates – 09/14/07
Thank you Nelle, but how long should I soak them in the vinegar for? I tried
and only one to three bubbles came up, so I put them in the tank is it alright?
<No, you don't soak in acid. You add acid (like vinegar) and if there are
bubbles, that means the stone contains lime. Lime + acid = carbon dioxide. The
conclusion is you CANNOT use this stone in a freshwater aquarium. If you put it
in the aquarium, it will slowly dissolve raising the pH and hardness. Cheers,
Neale>
Curious behavior? FW... dis.
8/22/07
Hi,
I have a small 6 gallon tank- new, about 4wks old. I had 3 small fish- 2 male
Endler's and one Otocinclus, live plants and a piece of driftwood. At the start,
I was doing small water changes every 2-3 to control ammonia and so forth,
everything was fine. Last week however, I was gone for 4 days; I did a water
change before I left and dropped some slow-release food.
When I returned, the water was very cloudy white, one endler died, and the other
two fish were very stressed of course. I did a 40-50% water change and removed
the driftwood (it was decaying), and the two calmed down a little. My LFS told
me to check the ph, it went down to almost ph6- was ph7 before. They gave me
some type of buffer powder and the ph is back to normal, and water is clear
again.
The Oto seems to be acting fine, although it seems he has some white spots, and
maybe even some goldish flecks on the body. But since I've only had these for a
short time, I don't know if the gold color is it's normal coloration, the white
spots maybe ick?
Also, the endler stays swimming up and down in one corner, by the filter
current. It can swim normally, horizontally, but mainly doesn't want to swim
anywhere else in the tank. Sometimes he moves to other parts, but mostly just
swims up and down now. He didn't do this before.
Should I treat them with any medication? I raised the temp to 80-82, and have
added salt. Anything else I should do? It's been a few days since everything's
gone back to normal, should I just wait?
Thanks!- vanrey
<Greetings. The Otocinclus sp. likely have whitespot (or, less likely, velvet)
and should be treated immediately. Use a proper whitespot medication, not salt
or Melafix. It does sound as if the bogwood you purchased was not fully cured.
Cured bogwood shouldn't rot, at least not noticeably. Bogwood does lower the pH
though in tanks with low levels of carbonate hardness. In this case, I'd
recommend sticking with fake bogwood instead. Endler guppies -- like all guppies
-- want fairly hard and alkaline water. Given your mix of fish, aim for pH 7.5,
and "moderately hard" water on whatever scale you're using. Guppies become very
sickly at anything softer or more acidic than this. This is what you're seeing.
Cheers, Neale>
Fungus ? White Fungus On
Driftwood – 08/11/07
Hi hope you maybe able to shed some light on this stuff that is driving me
crazy !!! I run a 280 litre tank , Fluval 405 external filter , VisiTherm 300
watt heater, aeration stone , a small power head for circulation and an Arcadia
over tank luminaire t8 with 25 watt tubes which is on a timer between 3pm to
11pm everyday. My tank is well planted and I have some nice pieces of bogwood.
The trouble is I have this white fluffy kind of fungus? on one piece of bogwood.
It did happen to another piece I had but after relentless scrubbing and it just
coming back. I threw it out, it also seems to be attacking my glass as well, now
it is really driving me crazy any suggestions? My tank is stocked with the
following fish 12 rummy nose tetras, 6 Glowlite tetras, 6 gold tetras, 6 neon
tetras, 6 silver tip tetras, 2 euro rams, 1 scribble Plec, one bamboo shrimp and
one Congo frog poss. to many fish? any help would be really appreciated. thank
you
< The fungus is feeding on decaying wood. Soft woods that are not appropriate
for the aquarium often get fungus attacking the soft tissues of the wood.
Sometimes these tissues can be removed with a very stiff wire brush. Sometimes
pieces can be cut off. You probably did the right thing by throwing it away. If
you cannot find a reliable source of driftwood then start to look at the
artificial woods to get the desired affect you are looking for. Next time please
use the spell check/Grammar feature on your computer. Your run-on sentences
sometimes make it hard to follow what you are trying to say. Thanks-Chuck>
Re: Fungus ? Now: Heater
Requirements – 08/11/07
Hi Chuck, thanks for your swift reply, I think ill bin the furry bit! Just a
quick one , at what temp do you think I should run my tank? its normally around
77/78 degrees is this ok? am having prob.s keeping consistent temperatures, I
run a VisiTherm 300 watt heater. Do you think I should add one more? Thanks
< The size of the heater depends on the ambient room temperature and where you
want the temperature to be. For instance. If your room was 80 F during the
summer then you don't need a heater at all. If you have an air conditioner that
keeps the room at 68 F then your heater has to raise the water temp by 10
degrees F top bring it up to 78 F. Your heater may be placed in a "dead spot". I
mean an area in the tank that doesn't get much water circulation. Place the
heater in an area where the filter forces the water over it. You should get
better hear circulation. BTW, 78 F is just fine for the fish that you
have.-Chuck>
Texas holey rock – 08/02/07
Hi Crew
<Hi Rick.>
I was thinking about buying some Texas holey rock I have seen for sale. They say
it is limestone. <is>
The people say it is safe to use in saltwater tanks?
<Likely so.>
I said its safe to use in saltwater tanks when WetWebMedia says it is LOL
<laughing out loud?>. I love the rock its big with lots of holes and unique
shapes and only a buck a pound. I was going to add 4 large pieces to a new tank
set up and add some smaller live rock to let it grow on the new bare Texas Holey
rock. Your knowledge is always appreciated.
<Texas holey rock is limestone with holes from erosion with acid rain and
groundwater. It’s adequate for African cichlid tanks, but does not have the high
porosity of live rock or dry coral skeletons sometimes referred to as reef rock
or ocean rock. Therefore I’d prefer live rock or possibly ocean rock (which is
cheap, too) for biological filtration and denitrification. Holey rock won’t help
much and just look nice.>
Thanks Rick.
<You are welcome. Cheers, Marco.>
New Freshwater Tank and
Cypress Driftwood 7/31/07
Hi,
<Hello,>
I just found you're site and have been up all night (literally) reading
everything! This is great, finally a place where there are answers to questions
instead of advertisements for products.
<Cool.>
My tank is a 30 gal with River pebbles and pea gravel bottom. So far, the only
occupants are 2 purple Mystery Snails and they've only be there for two or three
days, they're doing great!
<Good. Just remember that mystery/apple snails [a] don't really mix with fish
and [b] are subtropical beasts and die quickly when kept too warm all year
round. They're best kept alone in their own tank.>
I just have one or two quick questions. I just purchased a piece of Cypress
Driftwood from Florida and am having it shipped to where I live, I figured I'd
just pop it in the tank (novice that I am), then I started reading about
driftwood and tanks. OK, is Cypress OK to use in a freshwater tank that will
contain guppies and the 2 (for now anyway) snails?
<Assuming the wood has been [a] aged and [b] not treated with chemicals, then
yes, it should be safe. Confirm with the supplier before doing anything else
that the wood is sold for aquarium use. Sometimes bogwood is sold as an ornament
and hasn't been aged, so when you put it in the tank it leaches organic acids.
Worse still, if it's been sprayed with a preservative or varnish, that'll harm
your fishes.>
Because I live in a small apartment, I won't be able to boil it but I can soak
it. Should I soak it in anything but just plain water or is there something I
can put in the water to help the process along?
<Here's an old school method for curing wood in the home: stick it in the
cistern of the loo. Every time someone flushes, it gets rinsed and then soaks up
the new water. After a few weeks or months, you should notice a lot less brown
stuff (tannins) coming out of the wood, and that's the time to use the wood.
Guppies and snails in particular hate acidic water conditions, so monitor the pH
of your tank once you've installed the wood. If you have very hard and alkaline
water already (and many of us do) then this probably won't be an issue, because
the carbonate hardness in the water will neutralise the acids from the wood. But
if you live in a soft water area, then adding a big dollop of organic acid will
cause major problems. For both the guppies and the snails, you want something
around pH 7, and "moderately" to "very" hard on whatever hardness test kit
you're using.>
I've already realized that I'm going to need a second tank for guppy babies,
let's face it they are prolific breeders to say the least! I haven't even got
fish in the first tank yet - guess I'm really hooked. I used to have 2 - 20 gal,
1 - 10 gal, 1 - 5 gal and a 1.5 gal when I was just playing around with guppies
for fun, back then I used plastic plants, no frequent water changes (maybe
monthly) and then it was change everything and scrub and clean and put the
guppies back into totally new water! They thrived anyway.
<Guppies can be pretty fecund, though this varies depending on factors like
diet, predation, water quality, etc. The best way to "rescue" baby guppies if
you don't have lots of extra tanks is to install floating plants like hornwort.
The baby guppies instinctively hide among them, and all else being equal a
significant number will survive.>
Thanks in advance for your advice.
Lynn
<Cheers, Neale>
Question about cypress driftwood and African
yellow lab cichlids.. Lake Malawi Cichlid With Driftwood – 07/24/07
Hello, I have a 55 gallon freshwater tank with regular gravel and water in
it. I want to add a lot, and I mean a lot of cypress driftwood into it. The
cypress driftwood is currently soaking in a sink in my garage. My other 55
gallon tank has yellow lab cichlids, with about 40 babies in it (the parents had
kids). I want to add the cypress into the new tank first, then add the yellow
lab babies. I was wondering if a lot of cypress will affect the PH for the
yellow labs. If I do frequent water changes, have carbon in the filter, and
monitor the PH ( I use SeaChem alkaline buffer), will everything be alright?
Before I go ahead and do this, I just wanted your opinion, to put my mind at
ease. Have you or anyone you know had problems with African cichlids and cypress
driftwood before? I greatly appreciate your help and information on this site!!
<The organics in the water like driftwood absorb calcium ions. When all the
calcium is absorbed their will be excess hydrogen ions in the water that will
then bring down the pH. Frequent water changes will help replenish the calcium
in the water. Adding a buffer would be good insurance. I think you will be
fine.-Chuck>
Flagstone... use for? 6/23/07
I recently purchased some flagstone from Home Dept. I have looked all over
the internet and your website for specifics on safety of Flagstone.
Is flagstone as safe as some of the other rocks?
<Mmm, most such rock is composed of sandstone... in turn a mix of mostly
silicates (largely chemically inert) and some other material with variable
solubility... IF you're using this material in a setting where the water is not
too acidic, or alternatively don't mind/can use the slight alkaline reserve this
material will impart (e.g. Great Lakes African Cichlid, Central American
biotopes, as a surround on a garden pond... there is not likely a cause for
concern... I would NOT use this material in most marine aquarium applications...
more for the need/use of more soluble calcareous material, than toxicity issues.
Bob Fenner>
Rock weight and glass breakage, FW – 05/02/07
I have a few questions about rocks. First, I have a 55 gallon
freshwater tank and I was wondering how much weight in rock I can
aquascape with. I am just concerned about glass breakage from all the
weight.
<It’s not only about the weight in rock. It is about stress and strength
of your glass. Imagine a large rock touching the bottom of a tank only
at three points. Stresses at these points will be rather high. Now
imagine 10 smaller rocks of the same total weight touching the tank at
30 points. Much smaller stresses. In addition, glasses and acrylic
materials used to build tanks vary with regard to their thickness and
strength, so it is impossible to make specific calculations for you. To
be on the safe side, you may want to use some egg crate below your
rocks. This will decrease stresses very much.
Anyway, most glass breakage in tanks does not occur due to static
situations, but due to dynamic ones, e.g. a rock falling down/tipping
over. Secure your rocks to exclude that. Cable wraps can be used to hold
them together.>
I also have a 56 gallon reef tank (just got my first coral a few days,
very cool stuff) and I was wondering if stacking live rock against the
tank walls is ok, I have seen spectacular looking tanks with live rock
stacked against the tanks walls. I have heard this was not a good thing
to do and may cause your tank to break.
<See above, the answer is the same.>
Thank you for your time and help.
<You are welcome. Marco.>
Lace rock growth, likely BGA 5/2/07
Hey all!
<Denise>
After a quick search, I decided to just ask.... I have lace rock in a
cichlid tank. After about 1 month, the rock has started growing a
blackish film/'algae' type? growth?
<Yes... likely Cyanobacteria...>
I am in hopes it is not the beginning of the black beard type algae
:( I did soak this batch in RO water for a few weeks and rinsed it well
to remove sediment etc.
I plan to add a phosphate hoping this will solve the problem.
<Not likely limiting here... Often Lace Rock is a source itself...>
I am wondering if this is common with lace rock?
<Not uncommon>
I have also used it in another
aquarium with the same issue.
<Do read here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwbgafaqs.htm
and the linked files above>
Thanks!
Denise
BTW, once upon a time it was easier to find what we search for with the
'cached' option, this is not available any longer? Researching is no
longer user friendly on this site
<Do try the search tool here:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/WWMAdminSubWebIndex/question_page.htm
Unfortunately, all others are not "cached" capable... Google Adsense
doesn't offer such. Bob Fenner>
Collected Rock for FW use prep. 4/18/07
Hi,
I have done quite a lot of research on the web and on your site, and though
other people have asked similar questions, I couldn't find a specific enough
answer. Here goes: I found some beautiful black-and-white striped rock on a
beach in Santa Barbara, CA. I tested it with some vinegar, and yes, the white
part does fizz slightly, so I'm guessing it's limestone or other calciferous
rock. I'm determined to use the strikingly gorgeous rocks in my 6.6pH soft water
ADA-style planted tank by finding an appropriate clear sealant for the rock.
<Mmm>
In different posts you've suggested using "epoxy paint," "latex-based acrylics,"
"water-based acrylics," and "polyurethane resin." My question is this: what are
these things called in a hardware or paint store, and how will I know which ones
will be safe for fish after curing?
<Well... these are listed with at least these descriptive terms on their
labels... but I encourage you to first try none of them... Instead, soak
some/all of this rock in a chemically inert setting for a few days... and
measure its effect on water chemistry... You may find that the small changes it
brings about are not deleterious... perhaps even beneficial>
Can you please suggest an actual brand name, such as "White Mountain Wet Look
Lacquer" or "Jusco Water Sealant III" or "Minwax polyurethane satin clear
topcoat" (are any of those okay)?
Thanks so much for clarifying this for me!
Eryn Rosenbaum
<Again... w/o knowing the chemical make-up of the rock, it is not plausible to
guess a good "fit" to coat it... In other words, there is too much likelihood of
whatever prep. being used failing... flaking off, perhaps causing more trouble
than just exposure alone. Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/rkwduseaq.htm
and the Related FAQs file linked above. Bob Fenner>
Preparing aquarium decor 1/17/06
Good day again, Crew! This is my second question this week, I hope I am not
burdening you with too many questions.
<Mmm, not yet>
I just bought a 55 gallon tank for my African cichlid fry, and not a moment too
soon. There are 20 of them in a 29 gallon, and they are growing fast! Most of
them are already 3/4" long now. I don't suspect the cycling process in the 55
will take much longer than a week or so, since I have ample used media and
gravel. W
<Mmm, do move some of the "old water", gunk you siphon out of your present
tank/s... and old filter media... this should "do it">
hat really concerns me is how long I will have to run the tank after that, to
ensure that any toxins are removed from the decor.
<?>
I have two large, heavy pieces of lava rock which will each be supported against
a substantial piece of shale. I have one piece of granite, which was given to me
by a fellow aquarist and has been in his tank for many years. The rest are just
pebbles from my rock collecting jaunts in Maine and two landscaping rocks (not
limestone or anything).
<Mmm, these materials should be okay with most Africans...>
I have two questions:
1. Can I use a pressure cooker to prepare the new lava rock? It has some moss on
it.
<Interesting>
It came from a pile at a landscaping place. I have a large lava rock cave which
I'm transferring from another tank to help decorate and cycle the new tank. If
the pressure cooker is safe to use, I would like to use it for a 7" driftwood
piece also.
<Mmm, not this... it will fall apart... almost assuredly>
It's been outside as an ornament beside a fountain, so I want to make sure it is
completely clean first. I may also use the pressure cooker on the other rocks,
but first want to make sure it's safe. I know an autoclave can be used for
sterilization, so I wondered if a pressure cooker could be.
<Mmm, please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/clnornart.htm
and the linked file above... FAQs>
2. Will it be necessary to support the bottom glass?
<Not likely... if some sort of "not point sharp" support for the rock can be
found/used to spread out the weight...>
I have tried searching for this on Google but perhaps I am not phrasing my
search correctly. Or perhaps supporting the bottom pane of glass is not
necessary?
<Generally not... I don't... and have substantially large rocks in my glass
African Cichlid tanks... with them digging about, under...>
I was considering using Plexiglas or an undergravel filter plate (just the
plate, not the airlift tubes) to protect the bottom,
<A good idea if you have concerns... thin bottoms to your tanks...>
but I would love to get your opinion on this. I certainly don't want to
encourage dead spots. I am planning on using only about an inch and a half of
substrate which will be a blend of aquarium gravel and finely crushed coral, the
old substrate from the 29 gallon tank.
Thank you so much for time and assistance!
Nicole
<Dead areas are a valid concern... but I encourage you to do as I do... and pull
out/move such support... weekly, along with your good-sized gravel-vacuuming,
water changes... And clean up about at this time. Bob Fenner>
Re: Preparing aquarium decor - 1/18/07
Thank you very much for this. I realize I am being a little paranoid,
<Is a healthy condition/state...>
but this is my first time using materials to decorate my tank that are not from
an LFS. I know lava rock is very absorbent,
<Mmm, no... such igneous rock is almost always the opposite... composed
principally of silicates... like glass... non-reactive>
and the pile it came from has sat there quite a while - over a year, according
to the owner. It was positioned right next to the entrance of the place which is
near a busy road, so I began worrying about exhaust fumes, among other things
being absorbed into the lava rock.
<The clean up procedure you list below should render it fine>
After reading online about how dangerous pressure cookers can be (this is an old
one, used to be my grandmother's) I have decided to just boil the decor in pure
water, rinse and repeat, and pack the hang-on filter the 55 gallon came with
full of pelletized carbon and floss. I was also thinking about using some
PolyFilter - I have never used it before, and the reviews/opinions I've read of
it have always been glowing.
<Is an amazing product, for sure>
Additional filtration is provided by an Eheim 2234. It's packed with two baskets
of Ehfisubstrat, and one basket if full of the pads it came with, including a
carbon pad, so I am feeling quite certain this will suffice.
Thank you for the link, Bob, and your usual wisdom!
Nicole
<Welcome my friend. Bob Fenner>
Rock in FW tank 12/4/06
I have a reef tank for the past few years and am considering setting up a native
FW tank.
<Yay! Score one on the FW side of things! There are lots and lots of beautiful
FW fish to be discovered...a whole world of possibilities. Plus, you can plant
the tank...>
As we know the benefits of live rock in a SW tank my question would some type of
porous rock like lava rock or even some clean
base rock give me the same sort of biological advantage in a FW tank.
<Unfortunately, the same concept doesn't apply in FW aquariums. Rocks of all
different sorts are used for decoration purposes, to create caves, give depth,
plant java fern and moss on, etc. I have never used lava rock myself in any of
my FW aquariums, but have read that it can be safely done. I have a type of
"zebra slate" in my 29 gal. at the moment - it's non-porous with beautiful
coloration. There's all sorts of aquarium safe rock that can be used...just
depends on what effect you are trying to achieve.>
Of course I would not be using as much as in a SW, but do you think this is a
good idea.
<It's merely a matter of aesthetic preference - neither good nor bad. Do be
sure to stay away from limestone and other types of calcareous rock that can
alter the pH of your tank. There are plenty of aquarium-safe rock types that
can be used, and will definitely make your FW aquarium look more natural. Enjoy
your new tank! Jorie>
Driftwood Not Created Equal 11/28/06
Hi crew, I am writing in hope to get some further explanation about the
kinds of driftwood I could use in my tank. I have written in the past,
mentioning the growth of brown wool-like patches on my driftwood. (Note: 100L
aquarium, pH=7.4, ammonia, nitrites=0, nitrate=10mg/L on average, temperature
25.5 deg Celsius). Chuck mentioned that the wood was actually rotting and the
patches were fungus.
He also mentioned that I should use hardwood as decoration. I have made a small
survey about the kinds of wood used in tropical tanks and found out that most
people recommend driftwood. The advantages they mention are that it contains
tannins that give the water a nice brown colour and can also aid with lowering
the pH a little. What is this kind of hardwood you are suggesting? Should I stop
using driftwood in my tank and move on to another kind of wood? Or should I just
renew the driftwood pieces every once in a while so as not to let them rot? By
the way, how long does it take for a piece of driftwood to start rotting in the
aforementioned conditions? Thanks in advance, Spyros
< Any wood pieces found along a shoreline or along the side of a river bank
could be considered driftwood. The term does not define the type of wood or its
ability to be used in an aquarium. Many types of driftwood are used for
terrariums. Some driftwoods sold in stores or online have been sand blasted to
remove any soft parts that may rot. You could simply scrape/sand/buff off the
softer parts of the driftwood that you currently have. The harder parts of the
wood that remain would be fine. Generally, only the center or heart portion of a
piece of would is the hardest part. Wood not ready will get fungus within a few
weeks.-Chuck>
Bogwood 11/4/06
Dear WWM Crew,
<Tom>
I have just discovered your site today and have found some really interesting
stuff, thanks to you/ your contributors for the info. I am trying (and failing)
to find out some stuff about bogwood (and/or any other suitable wood for my
freshwater aquarium).
<Mmm, please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/rkwduseaq.htm
and the linked files above>
I would really like to get some wood for my tank, partly for aesthetics, but
also because I have a couple of Plecs (gold spotted and clown) and a Whiptail
Cat. However I am worried about where bogwood comes from, is it grown in any
sort of sustainable way, or is it just harvested in the wild?
<Almost exclusively this last>
If there is any way of getting some from an ethical supplier, (in Britain)?
<Mmm, don't know... much of this material is collected in Africa ("Mopani wood"
and others), some from the Far East... and one can collect/cure it oneself...>
I'm trying to be conscientious. I really appreciate you getting back to me on
this one.
Regards,
Tom
<This is one area/product that I fervently believe is not a drain on the
environment in its use... More impact from the energy concerned/consumed in its
shipping/distribution... Bob Fenner>
Drift Wood Decaying - 10/13/06
Hi, I'm 57, and I've always wanted an aquarium. A friend of ours basically
gave me an entire set up, except for the hood, light, and stand. He had a
beautiful piece of wood ready for the tank - it's 20 gallons, or 25, with some
java moss growing on it. Trouble is, we didn't have the other parts for quite
some time, and the wood remained wrapped in plastic wrap in the aquarium for
several months. The java moss didn't die completely in all that time.
Then, he came and set up the whole thing, rocks to filter. He added some
guppies and mollies. A week or two later, it looked as if it had snowed in the
tank. There was this white fuzzy stuff all over the wood, although it did not
seem to affect the fish, except that they avoided the stuff. Some pieces
looking brownish sometimes broke off and floated around. He came by and
scrubbed the wood with a toothbrush, but we didn't remove the wood, just cleaned
the water out of the filter. One guppy looks very sick, but I'm not sure it's
that white stuff because the others seem okay. The white stuff took a week or
so to come back again on the wood. I pulled off a lot of the java moss, because
it seemed to be growing on it, and definitely on the wood.
He is going to remove the wood tomorrow, and replace it with some slate. Will
the white fuzzy stuff grow all over the rock, too? I can't see it growing on
the rocks at the bottom of the aquarium. I am hoping that removing the wood,
will get rid of the problem. Is there something else that you can
recommend? Might that work? Thanks.
< The wood is not working and needs to be replaced. The white stuff is a fungus
that feeds on decaying matter. While the wood was wrapped up the bacteria began
to break it down. Now the fungus is eating the broken down wood fibers. The
fungus itself does not hurt the fish , but the decomposing wood will increase
the waste in the water and stress the fish to the point where it will make them
sick.-Chuck>
Coal As An Aquarium Rock 8/28/06
Good Morning and or evening as the case may be!
First of all thank you for sharing your knowledge, I learn something new every
day. The whole Crew should be in Who's Who in America. I am an avid reader of
the site and have had a great success with my aquariums thanks to you folks. I
have searched the site for days now and I have one quick question regarding
coal: in Peter Hiscock's book The Encyclopedia of Aquarium Plants, page 94, he
says to "Be careful when choosing rock...... and shows a picture of coal as a
rock that can be used in an Aquarium. The caption with the picture says "Once
washed, coal is a striking rock that is safe to use in an aquarium."
Am I dreaming or is there something that I've missed? Would coal release
substances such as Sulphur into the water? Thanks for your time, Dino
<There are two kinds of coal. There is a soft or bituminous coal that is burned
for fuel, and a second hard coal called anthracite. You actually put coal in
your aquarium when you place charCOAL in your filter. Anthracite is a dark
silvery grey and probably look good in a tank. Not all coal contains
sulfur.-Chuck>
SW/FW Lace Rock ?? 6/14/06
Hi Eric or Crew,
<Daniel>
I was wondering what are your thoughts on using lace rock in the salt water
aquariums. Is there any special way I need to clean it?
<Best to really "blast" it with pressurized water to remove organic material
(most is dug up out of soil...). See below.
I have half of my tank set up with live rock and thought it would be a good
contrast to use lace rock on the other side. It is a 135 gallon fish only with
live rock
..so far. Any info. would be great - Thanks -daN
<Mmm, a chance for a more complete "answer" here... I am not a fan of using, or
at least carte blanche endorsing the use of "lace, also often labeled/known as
Tufa rocks" for marine aquarium use (though more so for some types of FW... e.g.
African Rift Lake...) as the descriptive term is not accurate... Some of this
rock is calcium carbonate based (principally), derived from sedimentary
processes... perhaps from lime-rich hot springs (we've just installed travertine
flooring in part of the house... similarly derived)... other sources for this
material include pyroclastic volcanic ash that has solidified into rock... The
largely calcareous material may be safe, adding carbonate (raising pH,
alkalinity), and the volcanically derived material may be largely inert...
composed principally of silicate (SiO2, Silicon Dioxide)... but both may have
"other components" that may well be to a degree problematic, toxic. If it were
me/mine, I'd either stick with "pure" sources of said decor, or at least have
questionable ones thoroughly tested. Bob Fenner>
Rocks and tanks, FW 6/13/06
Hi,
I have a bit of a challenge for you, but nothing too difficult. I have a 55
gallon glass aquarium with Eco-Complete (the black stuff) and wanted to know a
good rule of thumb on how large rocks can be in an aquarium. The rock in
question is about 12"x 6"x 8" (LxWxH); a pretty dense river rock. Would this be
ok?
<Should be... how's it look to you aesthetically?>
It is a very nice looking rock, and goes well w/ the driftwood.
Should I put some eco-complete under it to distribute the weight?
<Yes... important that no "sharp spot" directly impact the tank bottom>
If so, how deeply?
Thanks,
Anthony
<An inch or two. Bob Fenner>
Using local driftwood in fresh water tank 6/5/06
Good day.
<Jacques>
I have a freshwater 110 gallon tank an d would like to put a stump I have
harvested from the forest here in southern Ontario.
I have cleaned and boiled this stump of ... hopefully all contaminates.
Is there anything else I can do to safeguard my fish from toxins?
<A good idea to soak it with a rock weighting it down for a few weeks... test
(bioassay) the water at that point to see if it is toxic... Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/rkwduseaq.htm
and the linked files above.
Bob Fenner>
Rocks For A Malawi Cichlid Tank 5/9/06
Hi, you might remember me, I'm the one with Nemo the Red Zebra Cichlid.
Well, anyway, I'm trying to give him more rocks in his tank and fewer cheesy
decorations, so I was thinking about Lava Rocks. Will they be okay?
< You need to look at the rocks closely. Chemically they are fine, but the very
rough texture may damage the mouth as he feeds off the algae. Pick rocks that
are not sharp top the touch.>
I'm also planning on building a few caves for him out of them too, if they can
go in his tank. They are a medium size. Will he hurt himself on them?
< When stacking rocks to make caves I would recommend that the rocks themselves
be placed on the bottom of the tank. When Nemo digs his pits, there will be no
danger of the rocks and the cave collapsing on him.>
Also, his little fins are growing back very rapidly. I'll have to take more
pictures of him when they fully grow back. Well, thank you for your time, Zhara
< Keep the water clean and they will be back before you know it.-Chuck>
Making artificial rock ... for Af. cichlid sys. 5/9/06
To the Crew!
<Tom>
I hope that you are enjoying your day; South Florida is hot and muggy as
usual. My question, after searching the archives, is on making artificial
rock for my 75g African Cichlid tank. I came across an article about making
rocks from a mixture of 6 parts Aragamite sand and 1 part cement for reef
tanks. Would this be suitable to use in the cichlid tank? The pH is 8 and the
water is moderately hard, about 12dkh. The article explains
construction, drying and 'curing' before being placed into the tank. My concern
is the effect on the water parameters. I want to add more rock, but
at $2.00 lb for coquina rock, I am looking for a less expensive way of adding
rock, with the added benefit of customizing my own 'natural' rock
formations. I also do not want to damage the fragile world my babies live
in. Any thoughts on this from the "pros"? Keep up the good work!
<The only further comment I'll make is to make sure to seek out "Plastic"
cement, as this material has much lower initial alkalinity, is easier to rid
thereof. Please do send pix along of your project. Bob Fenner>
Thomas N. (Tom) Bilello
Rocks For A Discus Tank 4/29/06
Thank you so much for all the information. I cannot wait to delve it. I am
a book junkie too! Hey-
I made the decision based on your input to go ahead with compact fluorescent
lighting. I ordered a 96 watt strip. I would like to create a ledge of sorts
made out of the rock, and stagger the plants on it. I thought it was
quartzite since the guy who sold it to me said it was, but I have since
discovered
he is an idiot, and it is sandstone.
< Big difference between the two.>
My question to you is this. Do we know if sandstone will alter the pH in
any way or dissolve and ruin my filter?
< Sandstone is a sedimentary rock. It is formed but sand particles being
compressed and then cemented together by minerals like calcium. In an aquarium
these minerals will dissolve into the water and increase the hardness and most
likely the pH will rise above 7. Discus usually don't like hard water.-Chuck>
My water is 7.0 pH from the tap. I have 4 inches of Eco-Complete, and a big
18 inch hunk of bog wood in there now. No fish yet. Everything is still
murky, I am assuming from the eco-complete, but it might be the wood.
< The tannins in the wood will turn the water a tea brown. Carbon and water
changes will help clear it up. The color will prevent some of the light from
reaching the plants and high light intensity plants may not do to well.-Chuck>
I have had the filter running non-stop for 3 days. It's packed with bio-max and
carbon, and some old gunky carbon from my other tank to help cycle. Thanks for
your time, once again. Yours truly, Karen
Driftwood With Ich 4/27/06
Hello, I caught a mild case of ick on my black moor and treated it right
away. The white spots are now all gone, however, I see some little white spots
on the end of a piece of driftwood in my tank. Could they be ick? Is it even
possible to get ick on wood, plants, or anything else in the tank other than
fish? Thanks a heap!! Sossy.
< This is not ich. It is a fungus that is breaking down the driftwood. Some
woods are too soft for an aquarium and tend to decompose. It will not hurt the
fish. Cut the piece off if it bothers you.-Chuck>
Live rock in Fresh water 04/17/2006
Hi There,
I am looking to establish a fresh water aquarium. I currently have some live
rock in my saltwater aquarium that I'd like to use.
I understand that it is important to clean out the rock of all living organisms
and creatures. Is it possible to rinse out the rock
thoroughly with fresh water, (maybe even leave it lying in the sun for a while)
before putting it into the fresh water aquarium ? I
understand I may need to put it in a separate fresh water aquarium and monitor
ammonia levels for a while.
I just wanted to know if
1) it is possible for me to do this safely and put it in the fresh water
aquarium; and
2) Will live bacteria eventually grow for freshwater aquarium (similar to the
cycle established in a saltwater aquarium?)
Thanks
>> HI Wallace,
Yes, you can use the live rock in the freshwater tank. I would first bleach it,
until it turns white. Then rinse it WELL. It will not be dead rock, with lots of
calcium, so it will raise your pH in a freshwater tank. This will limit the fish
you can keep in your tank, basically to cichlids from Lake Malawi and
Tanganyika. Or perhaps cichlids and live bearers from Central America.
The rock will, eventually, get covered in algae, but nothing like you see in a
marine aquarium.
Good Luck, Oliver
Peat and Malaysian Bogwood Raising Ammonia Level in Aquarium Water?
11/24/05
I am sending the e-mail below one more time since I am not sure if you
received the previous one.
Thanks.
<Thank you. Had not seen this. RMF>
I recently discovered that both Fluval's Peat Granules and Malaysian bogwood
lead to a positive reading for ammonia if soaked in water for one to two weeks.
<Yes... from organic decomposition>
After soaking a nice, large newly acquired piece of imported Malaysian bogwood
in a Rubbermaid container for two weeks, I tested the soaking water for ammonia
with a Tetra ammonia test kit. I was surprised to get a reading of between 1
and 2 ppm ammonia. I repeated the test with an Aquarium Pharmaceuticals ammonia
test kit and got the same reading of between 1 and 2 ppm ammonia.
This made me curious. I took a pint of Fluval peat granules, put them in a
nylon filter media bag and soaked them for two weeks in a Rubbermaid
container. Then I tested the water for ammonia. The water I had soaked the
peat granules in also gave a reading of between 1 and 2 ppm ammonia with both
test kits.
I have used peat granules in my canister filter and bogwood in my 120 gallon
soft water Discus tank for many years. Now, after discovering that both
materials give off ammonia, I am wondering if it is a good idea to use peat and
bogwood in fish tanks.
<Almost never a problem... as in established systems there are mechanisms for
dealing with this>
Especially fish in newly set up tanks in which the beneficial ammonia consuming
bacteria and the nitrogen cycle have not yet been fully established will suffer
from the presence of peat in the filter and bogwood in the tank. Once the tank
is cycled I suppose the ammonia given off by peat and bogwood, just like the
ammonia resulting from fish waste, will be reduced by the Nitrosomonas bacteria.
<Ahh, yes>
Luckily, aquariums which are decorated with bogwood and filtered with peat are
likely to have a pH value at or below 7.0, which means that ammonia will exist
in the form of the less toxic ammonium.
<Also so>
Nevertheless, biological filtration will convert ammonium to highly toxic
nitrite and pose a considerable risk for many sensitive Amazonian aquarium
fish. Even if the bacteria involved in the nitrogen cycle are able to keep up
with the increased levels of ammonium and nitrite, in the end the amount of
nitrate in the tank water will be higher than if no peat and bogwood are used.
<Likely so... but made better in other ways by its/their presence as well>
I have searched your web site and many others for information about the
ammonia/bogwood connection. There seems to be very little information available
on this topic. Because of my discovery of increased ammonia levels as a result
of decorating with bogwood, I am hesitant to introduce my beautiful, large (and
expensive) piece of Malaysian bogwood in my Discus tank. Do you have any
information or advice regarding the use of Malaysian bogwood and peat in fresh
water aquariums? Should I be worried about the ammonia my new Malaysian bogwood
may add to my Discus tank?
Sincerely,
Jordan E. Mollersten
<I have used these materials and am not concerned. Try the piece and see/test is
my advice. Bob Fenner>
Collecting Wood for Aquascaping 9/26/05
I am currently setting up a freshwater tank and plan to have live plants.
I've noticed that often times driftwood is used as a decoration or base for
plants to grow on. Due to an unusually dry summer, the water level in the lake
behind my house has dropped a good bit exposing old tree branches and roots that
have been submerged for the last ten years or so. This wood looks similar to
what I find in the pet stores though that seems to come from Malaysia. I found a
great piece I would like to use in my aquarium, but am concerned whether it
would be safe or not. What kind of problems could I run into? Pollution comes to
mind, though the lake is in a residential area and covers about twenty acres and
has lots of fish and migratory birds. Is there something special about Malaysian
driftwood that makes it safer? Is there anything I can dot to treat the wood I
found to make it safer? <There is always a chance that the wood you collect will
poison your tank. If it has been sunken that long and looks that good I would
be tempted to at least try a bioassay. I would not go dropping it into any
established prize winning show tanks. See here for more information Rock and
Wood in Aquascaping
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/BrackishSubWebIndex/rkwdaquascaping.htm Best
Regards, Gage>
Grapevine wood 9/12/05
Can I use grapevine wood in freshwater tropical aquarium and how should I
treat it before use.
Thank you Emma in Australia.
>>>Hello Emma!
I don't see any problem with using this wood - it certainly wouldn't hurt
anything. I've used a variety of wood types, and I just hold it down with rocks
until it gets waterlogged.
Good luck
Jim<<<
Fuzzy, White Algae 9/11/05
Hello Bob and Crew,
First, I want to say thanks in advance. The WWM crew offers an invaluable
service for no fee. Though I have never written in a question, your site
lent me a much needed hand during my shaky beginner days.
But on to my problem!
I have a 20 gallon tank that is lightly stocked with some small community
fish (4 neon tetras, 1 Cory) that I added shortly after the cycle. On the
back is the cheap HOB filter that came with my first tank, as well as a
Penguin 100 w/BioWheel. It has been up for about 2 months and has had all
parameters at zero for more than half that time. Inside the tank I have a
piece of driftwood I bought at the LFS to use as a center to my aquascape.
Recently, the driftwood has started to grow a white algae
<Mmm, maybe a mainly bacterial or even fungal growth... decomposition>
on along the "cut" portions (the lighter side, not the darker "bark" type
areas). I was
surprised to see this as I don't overfeed and the tank receives no direct
sunlight, though I don't know much about white algae. I don't like using any
chemicals in my tank, so I want to avoid any of those treatments.. Can I simply
take out the wood and scrub it off?
<Yes... but will come back likely>
Or better, would an Oto cat or a snail feed on it?
<Perhaps. Worth trying... perhaps another small Loricariid species>
There is no other traces of it in the tank, but I have
noticed an increase in tiny, white particle matter float around.
<Yes... unfortunately most such wood "breaks down" over time>
Not anything extreme, but it is there. I did my 30% water change, as I do every
couple weeks and changed the Penguin's filter media cartridge, but I still
see the stuff floating about. Is this related to the white algae?
Thanks in advance, and have a great weekend,
Brandon
<Thank you... Is likely related to the wood... with regular maintenance, should
be no problem. Bob Fenner>
Aquascape, rock safety 9/11/05
Hello again,
I just was given two sliced slabs of limestone holey rock with orange
veins throughout. I am assuming it is an iron oxide. Will this leech
into my water and harm my fish? My pH is 8,8-8.8 and GH > 300.
Is there an easy way to test the rock?
Allen
Thanks for all the help!
<Mmm, there are test kits for free ferrous ion... and this can be toxic in
concentration... but I suspect you will likely be okay with your hard, alkaline
water and this rock. Bob Fenner>
Home made cement decor 9/9/05
I have yet another question. I've been looking for suitable decorations for
my tank and I haven't been able to find anything that fits what I have in
mind. I was wondering if I could make my own tunnels and caves with cement.
<Can be done>
If cement would not be suitable do you have any suggestions on what to use?
<Plastic cement, suitable rock, color... acid washing, curing...>
I would use rocks but so far the ones I like are too pricey. I want something
that has a little color to it and was going to "decorate" the cement by pushing
pretty rocks into it while it dries. Thanks again for your help! Christine
<Look up terms like "Aragocrete" on the Net. Bob Fenner>
Driftwood 8/30/05
Hi Bob,
<Matt>
I've found your page very useful. My question is in regard to driftwood. I had a piece of driftwood that was store bought which I used for a while in an old tank without problem. I moved to college and lost everything but the wood which has tagged along for 5+ years, it has set outside in the garden for a couple of those years.
<I also have some old driftwood... outdoors>
Now that I am able to I have set up an aquarium again. It is completely cycled thanks the Bio Spira. I want to reuse the driftwood that I have. I have read and read countless sites and have determined that the best way to prepare my driftwood is to boil it with a little baking soda and aquarium salt.
<This is generally prudent... helps to re-waterlog the pieces, clean them up,
remove (and there can be a bunch) the loose bits that have decomposed...>
I have been boiling this wood for
hours a day for the last week or so and each day the water turns black as blackwater could possibly be. I would have thought that by now I would have boiled out all the tannins and that it would be
ready to put in my aquarium. Can wood boil for hours upon end and still leach tannins?
<Yes... at this point I suggest soaking the piece/s in water... a clean trash
can, whatever container of size... with weights to keep them submersed>
This wood did fine in my old aquarium, I am just being cautious
because it sat outside for so long. Am I being over considered?
<Don't think so... the wood "falling apart" in your tanks can be a huge mess>
Will the charcoal soak up any tannins left over in normal water
conditions?
<To a large extent, yes>
My water is crystal clear and I don't want to mess that up.
Thanks for your help,
Matthew Brandon
<After soaking for a couple of weeks, rinse and place a "bit" of the wood, see
if you like the consequences... if your fishes like the effects... softer, more
acidic, darker water (e.g. general Amazonians, not African Lakes...) so be it.
Bob Fenner>
Sealing aquarium rocks 7/11/05
Can you recommend an aquarium-safe sealant that I can use to "encase" a
cement rock for use in a home aquarium. Thanks.
<Mmm, am hesitant to suggest anything... as it's far better to just utilize
decor items that are either chemically inert or advantageous to use in aquatic
settings. What is the chemical nature of the rock you want to seal? You might
try epoxy or polyurethane resins... I would let these cure outside the water,
practice letting them soak afterwards, not in a biological system, to see if
they alter your water chemistry. Bob Fenner>
Old lava rock wall and how to clean - Or,
Bob's Experience With Rocks
Hello, I don't know if you can answer my question or not but here goes.
My husband and I are renovating an older home and came across a lava rock
behind our wood stove. It had been covered up by paneling. It is from floor to ceiling and there is no fireplace just a rock wall. Any ideas on how to lighten the color or clean it. We would like to have it remain looking natural but a little lighter or cleaner would be good.
Any help you can share from your experience with rocks would be appreciated.
Thank you... Faye
<Can be safely cleaned, used. Please read here re: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/clnornart.htm.
Cleaned the same as coral skeletons, other decor. Bob Fenner>
I Wanna Rock
Hi, I want to create my own decor for a 25g tank I'm getting ready to set
up. A few web sites say to use sandstone, while others say stay away. I would
like to use flagstone, I have been told this is similar to sandstone, and again
also slate - which I have also read was good for the tank. I'm so confused now,
help??? The flagstone I picked up from a local rock yard, looks good, haven't
completed a acid test yet, but looks similar to what I could buy at my local
fish store. Is flagstone a good choice for creating my own decor? If not, what
types of rock should I use and were can I get it for free? Don't have much of a
budget.
< All this depends on what kind of fish you want to keep. Acid loving fish like
discus, angels, Cory cats and tetras will require soft water acidic water. This
same water will leach minerals out of the rock and into the water and create an
unstable pH and hardness in the tank that will stress the fish and eventually
make them ill. If you were keeping African cichlids then they require hard
alkaline water. The minerals in the rocks would keep the pH up and keep the
water hard which is a good thing fro these cichlids.-Chuck>Rotting Wood
Hi there! I don't know what to do anymore with that problem that comes back again and again. I have a blackwater
Amazon biotope tank with a lot of plants and soon discus (ph 6.5, GH 3, kH 2). There quite a lot of wood (from LFS) in the tank both drift and floating, the latter anchored with a plate of rock. I
don't know really how to call it but there is this very abundant and
unsightly whitish moss or fungus on the wood and it's still spreading. At places it looks more like hair growing (fungus ?) and on other spots it's more like a slimy coat. I have boiled the wood and replaced it in the tank. Boiled again adding a lot of salt in the water and replaced it. Didn't work. Following the advice of my LFS I reluctantly bleached it at high concentration of bleach during 48 hours followed by a rinse period of 10
days, changing water each day.
Nothing will do, the problem comes back. How can it be? I don't hear other people having such problems with wood in their aquarium. Now I have a heating cable under the gravel but over the rock slate so removing the wood again would be a lot of trouble (for no result it seems). I start to think I'm cursed. Is there a solution to this apart
from permanently removing all wood from my tank? The end of my biotope :(Thanks for any advice! Dominique
< The wood you have purchased from the local fish store is probably for terrariums and not for
aquariums. The white film is indeed a fungus that feeds on decomposing matter like dead plants and animals. Not matter how you clean it, the fungus comes from the water and not from the wood. Any wood that funguses is not suitable for the aquarium. Sometimes these are softwoods and contain oils that are not good for fish. Get some African Ironwood and you shouldn't have any more problems.-Chuck> Driftwood II
Hi Chuck! Thanks for the quick reply!
Your answer makes a lot of sense. Indeed most of the fungus is/comes from the most recently bought piece of wood and seems to be quite soft. Still,
before buying that one, I already had some problems with the safer type of wood (the heavy sinking type that gives a yellow taint to the water) even
after bleaching. There was much much less fungus growing on it, but there sure was some.
<The softer parts of the wood can often be knocked off with a wire brush.>
What do you think of the option of sealing all the wood in the tank with epoxy resin?
< Not sure, never had to do it.>
It would for sure permanently solve the problem and it's not supposed to be toxic. Do you think it's a good idea?
<It would be worth a try.>
Would it show (I think not)?
<You will have to try it out on a piece and see how it turns out.>
If one can see that it's sealed, then again it's not an option. I could even "stick" some peat on parts of the sealed wood to allow some
java moss to get a hold on it. Thanks, Dominique
< Maybe the epoxy could be lightly sanded so it won't look so shiny.-Chuck> Fuzzy Driftwood III
It's not just that piece of wood. It seems any/all pieces I get are causing problems to some extant, even those that are not supposed too. I
can't imagine that my situation is so unique. I must be cursed then.
< Once a piece starts to break down and the fungus attacks it it then easily spreads to other things. There are medications that would get rid of the fungus but it would just grow back after the medication was discontinued. I would try a different source for driftwood and soak it in a tub of water outside until it was water logged. Once again think about
using hardwoods with tight grains and not soft woods.-Chuck> LET'S ROCK
I just discovered your website and would like to inquire about rocks. I recently replaced my 55g tank rocks with landscaping rocks. I have had
brown algae form pretty quickly. I thought I had thoroughly rinsed them off prior to use. Can you shed any light on the use of landscaping rocks
in tanks?
Linda McCleary
<Not all rocks are safe for fish tanks. Some may leach chemicals in the water that make the water cloudy. Others leach other minerals to the liking of this brown algae you have developed. Landscape rocks may or not be used as aquarium rocks depending on their composition. Find out from the landscape yard what kind of rock you have
purchased. Sedimentary rock like sandstone are usually not very good in the aquarium because they leach calcium into the water.
Igneous rocks should be ok. -Chuck.>
Tree Logs for a 6 by 2 by 2
Hey Crew,
<Hello>
Your awesome and yeah yeah heard it all before! LOL!
<Okay>
I want to add some tree logs to my tank. But.. I know they discolour the water and make it brown. so
I have to soak it. But.. how long should I soak it for? How can I speed it up? Anything to add to the water to speed
it up?
<Good question... the time involved may be long/short depending on the type of tree, its size... I would use some trashcans, outdoors, and add pickling lime to the water... change the water out, set stones on top to keep submerged... and when waterlogged enough, try testing the wood, water with some "assay" organisms to assure if there are toxic materials left, that they are not TOO toxic.>
Presoaked tree logs and rocks are expensive! So I am trying to find my own rock and logs.
Please advice.
<A good idea, project. You might be lucky to find some "felled wood"... some that is already dead, water-logged that you can similarly treat, test.... Bob Fenner>
White patches on driftwood
Hi guys. I have a problem with my driftwood. I have been cycling my aquarium
fishless for a week now and I have recently noticed some white patches growing
on the wood. It looks like a spider's web (long wool-like threads) and is easily
detached from the wood. Unfortunately I don't have a microscope to examine it. I
have read somewhere that wood that has been introduced in a new aquarium can
develop white fungus of the genus Saprolegnia. Could this be the case? I have
also read that lighting (how much?) will aid the growth of algae, which feed on
the fungal spores. Wouldn't this result in an algae outbreak, regarding the
absence of any algae-eating fish? Taking into consideration that brown patches
(brown algae?) have already begun covering the aquarium's glass and that the
tank cannot accept any fish yet (uncycled), how could I keep the algae under
control and in the same time get rid of the ugly white patches?. (Note: Nitrate
levels are stuck to 0). Could peat filtration help?
Thanks. Spyros
<All you need is time. Everything you are describing is normal in a new tank.
Don't worry about brown or green algae or the white fungus on the driftwood
right now. All will either disappear on their own or can be easily cleaned up
after cycling is complete. For right now all you should do is ensure a steady
supply of ammonia to feed into the cycle. A small raw shrimp is great. A pinch
of fish food every few days will also work. Nitrates will not rise until you
establish the two bacterial colonies needed to convert ammonia first into
nitrite, then nitrate. As long as you are fishless, do no water changes or clean
up until the cycle is in place. About six weeks. Then do a 50% water change and
stock a fish or two. Stock slowly to give the bacteria time to adjust to your
new bio load. Don>
Aquarium Rock
I really need your advice.
In the Spring/Summer of 2005, I want to start a business selling rocks
for aquariums. Caves are dramatic and functional additions to aquarium
aquascaping. Generally, owners create them by arranging a group of
individual rocks. Being a serious aquarist, I too do this. But, I always
wanted to find an individual rock with a cave already carved into it. I
never found one that was really as dramatic as I had hoped. So I
decided to make one out of cement.
I chose a rock with a very interesting shape and molded an exact replica
with one exception - I built a cave into it. I painted, dyed and
stained the rock. I was amazed at the results. It looked like a chunk
of granite with a natural cave. Then I decided to take it a step
further - a series of caves built into a large rock. Then further - a
tunnel through a rock. Then further still - caves with interconnecting
tunnels. To date, I have also created an underwater volcano, a geyser,
an underwater grotto and an underwater air-filled grotto for amphibians
(the grottos have a view port so that you can see inside). I'm sure
there will be new ideas by next year.
I am looking for feedback from professionals. The rocks will not be
inexpensive. I have not developed a price list yet because I don't know
my costs but producing them is labor intensive. I will say, however,
that I have seen those large plastic mountain rocks go for as much as
$40! I would expect my rocks, depending on their complexity, to retail
for more than that.
My questions are:
1. Is there a market for this?
< Probably not. Most aquarists like to see their fish and only lightly aquascape
their aquariums. While the fish may appreciate the caves and hiding places the
aquarist may not.
2. Do you think an item like this could only be sold at "up-scale"
aquarium shops.
< Usually the ornament is actually placed in one of the tanks at the store so
customers can see it being used and how it appears under actual tank
conditions., Store would not like an item in which the fish could hide and not
be seen by the customers.
3. Would you consider selling this product?
< If you think one of you ornaments would retail for $50 then figure at least
1/2 would go to the store $25. If you sold them wholesale than you would get 1/2
of the price that the retail store would buy them for $12.50. I would suggest
that if you really want to sell your product that you try and sell them online
and develop your own website. Build some proto types and see if your local fish
store has any interest and can give you some direct feedback.-Chuck>
I would really appreciate it if you could provide me with feedback and
any further thoughts.
< Go to eBay and check out aquarium stuff and see how much these things really
go for. Chuck>
Thanks for your time.
Bart Purcell
Artificial Rock molding
I have a fresh water 33 Gal aquarium and I read an article about large
aquariums using dental plaster to create artificial coral reefs. They
embedded food for the animals. They mentioned this was in an artificial
salt water tank. I was wondering if it was safe to create rocks and objects
using this material or if it would cause problems for the fresh water fish.
<Should be fine. This material is almost chemically inert once it sets up>
If it is safe what sort of paint could you use to colour it that would be
safe for the fish.
<Epoxies>
I keep goldfish in my tank. I would appreciate your
thoughts.
Chris Lyon
<I say "go creative!" here. Likely many objects you can make that would be
beautiful and utilitarian. Bob Fenner>
Salt to Fresh (11/8/04)
Thanks for emailing me back. <You're welcome.> My brittle starfish died.
<Sorry to hear.> I was thinking about changing my saltwater tank into a
freshwater tank. I have live rock in my tank. Will changing to freshwater effect
the rock and if not can you give me some insight on where to begin? Thanks,
Kristi. <You cannot use the marine LR in an FW set-up. All sorts of things on it
will die and pollute the tank. Also, the rock will likely make it hard to
maintain the more neutral or even acidic pH many popular FW fishes prefer. I
would suggest trying to sell or give away the LR before doing a complete clean
out of the system to get a "fresh" start. Steve Allen.>
I have a question about Aquascaping.
Instead of paying $1.50 lb for some slate from my LFS I went to the local
stone merchants and bought a bucket of slate for $10. They let you root
through all the broken pieces and whatever you can get in a 5 gallon bucket
costs $10 no tax. I got 65lbs by the way. I also collected some rocks from
my garden, after recently excavating about a foot of dirt when I was putting
a patio in I found some pretty good sized stones.
Now I have had both the slate and the stones in separate garbage cans full
of water for about a week to monitor if there is any change in the pH of the
water. The Ph hasn't changed.
I am now asking if I have to boil or bleach the slate and stone before
putting it in the aquarium. Or prepare it in any other way.
Any help would be greatly appreciated.
< Sounds like you rocks are pretty inert and a soak in a brine solution for a
day or so should get rid of any living organics. Give them a good blast with the
garden hose and you are ready to go.-Chuck>
Scrubbing driftwood
Chuck:
I've been cleaning some of the media in my 38 gallon tank, and have a
question: should driftwood be cleaned? And, if so, how and with what? It's
got quite a bit of algae on it. Not like it's covered, or anything, but
there are definitely areas on the piece that look lightly moss covered.
Please advise.
I should also mention I have a pleco-would I be cleaning part of his
mealtime off the wood?
< The pleco should be eating some of the algae off the wood., In fact some pleco
species require some wood as part of their diet. If it gets to be too much
simply take the piece of wood out side and give it a good scrubbing with a still
brush and that should go it. A quick rinse and back in the tank.-Chuck>
Your thoughts, please.
Cyndy
Rock, Wood use in aquariums
Hello, we would like to know the difference with using natural rocks,
driftwood etc. and using the ordinary aquarium set-up? Can we use
outside rocks and such and is there anything we need to do to them???
Thank You,
Jess & Lee
<Please read here:
http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/rkwduseaq.htm
Bob Fenner>
Aquarium Safe rocks? 8/2/04
Great suggestion about the rock and the vinegar test-first time I've heard
that. I was thinking about using a bleach solution on it if it doesn't prove
to be dangerous to the aquarium. Your thoughts?
< Bleach would disinfect the rock for biological agents but not for chemical
leaching.>
My aquatic guys also told me
tonight to leave the lights off completely for a couple of days. I
have the
3 strip fluorescent, and was leaving them on 10-12 hours per
day. Although
I had no problems until recently, they said that's way too much, and to cut
it back to 6 or 7(I've done that for 3 days). Since it hasn't cleared up the
water, they suggested total darkness for a couple of days along with very
light feeding. I'm also going to remove the rock and test
it. Fish seem to
be fine, so I'm not feeling too desperate at this point, but I would like to
get it cleared up, as cloudy water is always an indicator that something is
off-kilter, right? By other rocks, do you mean the gravel? There are no other rocks, just that one. I believe it's called sandstone.
< Now I am almost certain that this is the culprit. Sandstone is a
sedimentary rock.
Sand particles long long ago were washed into a creek bed.
When the water subsided it left the minerals behind such as calcium.
These minerals cemented the individual sand particles together and formed
sandstone.
Now that you have put it into your aquarium the water has re-hydrated the
minerals and they are leaching into the water. Probably casing a rise in the pH
too.-Chuck>
Toxic rock decor for freshwater tank?
Following the "when in doubt, take it out" rule, the old rock is gone, and a
new white quartz rock is in its place. Hopefully, the rainbow will
eventually find it to his liking, although the bright white is kind of
blinding right now. Many thanks, Chuck, for helping me sort this out.
< Your white rock will soon be covered with algae so the blinding effect will be
gone in no time. Hope you have many years of successful fish keeping.-Chuck>
Cyndy
Toxic rock decor for freshwater tank?
One more question...I am considering getting a small amethyst geode for my
tank. Are these acceptable for tanks, as long as they are from a reputable
dealer?
< That would be fine.-Chuck>
Cyndy Monarez/Thomas Nelson
Freshwater Tank Rock question
Greetings! Who am I speaking with this evening?
Cloudiness has gone, but I thought it was just because I cleaned the rock
and decoration off, and left the lights off for a day or two as mentioned.
I guess I should just resign myself to taking the rock out. I can't
understand why every fish store I've been to sell these rocks if they are so
inappropriate for fish tanks. Your thoughts on this?
< You have to admit that they do look good because
they are so easily shaped. In an area with hard water
(high mineral content) there would be less leaching of the minerals into the
water.>
Also, please suggest
other rock possibilities as my rainbow shark REALLY loves this rock, and
this is his "territory" in the tank, so I have to find a more suitable
replacement before I can remove it. Please advise.
< Granite, quartz, lava rock, petrified wood even driftwood would work.
Basically you want metamorphic or igneous rocks. Rocks to stay away from unless
you want to increase the mineral content are sedimentary rocks like, sandstone,
siltstone (shale), claystone, and conglomerate, are a few. Other things to watch
out for are aragonite, limestone, dolomite, shells, crushed coral sand, oyster
shell and coral.-Chuck>
Cyndy Monarez/Thomas Nelson
Drifting wood
Dear Bob
<Fiona>
We have had aquariums before, years ago.
We have just set up a Juwel today and find that the Mopani wood keeps floating -
will it fill with water and sit on bottom or can we lead weight it like some of
the plants.
Never used this before.
Please reply as its driving us potty keeps floating up hahahha
Genuine request
Mrs. Henderson
Aberdeen
<A very nice natural decor product... but often does float due to drying...
and can be "re-soaked"... I use pieces of slate, that sometimes I've
drilled and can in turn drill/attach to the wood from underneath (using brass or
stainless screws), but rock can be laid on top for... a few weeks to months
(yikes!) to aid in water logging the wood. Otherwise, it does still look kind of
neat just floating about... Bob Fenner>
Construction site rocks
Hello fish people....great website by the way...I have
a 55-gallon freshwater tank and want to add rock to
it. I collected a whole bunch of beautiful rock, but
it was from a construction site. I assume it's
concrete. When washed, small amounts of sand were
released and this could detrimentally affect the pH of
my tank. Can I leach it or make it safe by boiling,
bleaching or anything else. Rock bought at the LFS can
put a dent in my wallet. Also I currently have a
single ram in a semi-aggressive tank...should I get
him company and make them a pair of rams? Same
question for a GLASS knife fish. Thanks for the help.
J.P.
<<Dear J.P.: Rocks collected from outdoors can be used in our tanks, but
you need to sterilize them first. Scrub with a wire brush, then boil small
rocks, and bleach larger ones in a big Rubbermaid bin. If you use bleach, please
rinse well!! You can let them air dry also, rinse again, and add some good
dechlorinator to the water as a final step before adding them to your tank. If
you want to know if your new rocks will raise the pH, simply put them in a
bucket of water, let them sit a few days, then test the pH of the water in the
bucket and compare the test results with your normal tank pH. Also, rocks bought
at your LFS are already sterilized and tank-ready, which means less hard work
for you. This is quite helpful for many folks. :) Good Luck -Gwen>>
Construction site rocks
Hello again fish people....I have a semi
aggressive/aggressive tank in which there is a single
Bolivian ram. I'm wondering if I should give him
company and make them a pair of rams. He spends a lot
of time going up and down one side of the glass in the
aquarium...I assume this isn't quite normal behavior
and believe he might be seeing his reflection in the
glass.?? Anyway this is the list of fish I have in a
55 gallon:6 cories, 1 ghost, 1glass Knifefish, 1
yellow lab, 1 jack Dempsey, 1 red zebra, 1 ram, 3
guppies, 3 platies, 2 spotted Raphael, 2 red-tail
sharks, 1 spotted puffer...what do you guys think of
the mix?
Thanks
<<Hi J.P.; Sorry I neglected the part about your fish. You will definitely
need to remove some fish, as they are severely incompatible. First let's address
the cichlids, I assume they are still small, otherwise they would have killed
all the other inhabitants by now! You need to decide which fishes you want to
keep, I have separated them into two workable groups: the jack Dempsey and red
zebra are equally aggressive and can be kept together, but the zebra is an African
cichlid and requires a much higher pH than the Dempsey. They can survive
together temporarily, but it's a good idea to decide which you prefer to keep,
depending on your pH, for example the Dempsey, and add other south American
cichlids ONLY, no Africans. Or keep the African, and add only other Africans.
Remove all the community fish and return them to the store where they you bought
them. Whoever sold you this mixture gave you some bad advice.
The second group, Corys, platies, Raphael's, sharks, ghost knife and glass knife
can all live together relatively peacefully. Make sure there are enough caves
for the shark and both Knifefish so they don't fight for territory. Perhaps with
the ram, or even two rams, if you like. Remove the guppies, as someday the
Knifefish will be large enough to eat them. The spotted puffer should be alone,
IMO, as he will eventually shred every fin on every other fish in the group. A
bit of salt added to his water would be good also, spotted puffers are brackish
fish.
To sum up, if I were you, I would keep the latter group, a nice community tank,
and get rid of the zebra cichlid, the puffer, and the jack Dempsey. And please,
research your fish BEFORE you buy them, from now on :)
-Gwen>>
Wood
Hi, I'm in the UK but my brother has just set up a tank in Bangor, Maine
with some South American fish and wants to put in some bog wood as I have in
mine. His local aquarists say they have not heard of this. Do
you guys call it by another name and can you advise who might sell it please?
<I have found that Driftwood is often used to refer to just about every type
of wood sold in aquarium stores, I guess it depends on where you go and how
specific they get about the types of wood they carry. A search on
google.com should turn up plenty of results on suppliers of this wood. Best
Regards, Gage>
Regards,
Janet Ball
Live rock in freshwater tank question
want to know if I can use my cured live rock in a 120 gal fresh water tank that
will house only Oscars
<Yes you can use live rock that once was in a saltwater tank in a freshwater
tank. All the animals that make your rock "live rock" will die in
freshwater. But you will have to soak it in freshwater for some
time. Reason is that if you place all the rock directly into a
freshwater tank, all the small animals and bacteria that make up the rock will
die off and then raise you ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels. You will
have to soak it, or place it in boiling water, then rinse it before moving the
rock to a freshwater tank.>
reason I want to use it is maybe I can utilize my resources instead of buying
limestone or different kinds of rock that cost a few dollars a pound, can live
rock be used for fresh water, salt water I know it can
<What I can't figure is why don't you just sell your live rock and use the
money to buy cheaper base rock. I'm sure you can sell your live rock
to someone with a marine tank or a marine shop for around 2-3 US dollars a pound
(if not more). Heck, I paid 5 dollars a pound for my live rock. Then
you can purchase base rock from someone like www.hirocks.com
and not worry about
boiling it. It seems like a waste for live rock to used when base
rock would work just the same. Just something to think about.
-Magnus>
Rock from the Rock yard
I am setting up a new freshwater tank.
<Sounds like fun!>
Is there any reason NOT to use rock (flagstone pieces for example) from a
landscaper for 15¢ per pound, instead of identical looking rocks from a pet
store?
<As long as you stay away from pH-altering rock (limestone, chalk, etc.) and
stick to inert stuff like flagstone, slate, sandstone, etc., you're probably
just fine. Quite honestly, that's exactly what I do for rock for my
tanks. Nothing is happier than coming home with 140 pounds of
gorgeous gray slate to play with, other than only spending 20 or 30 bucks for
the whole lot of it! There is some risk involved, however, as you
can't be positive that the rock hasn't had oil, transmission fluid, dog pee, and
other wonderful stuff like that on it in its travels.>
Would boiling or using some other method to pre-treat the rock be recommended?
<If it is small enough to boil, I would do so. Otherwise, boil
kettles of water and pour over the rock repeatedly. It might be a
good idea to double check the rock with a few very inexpensive fish before
putting any costly or precious life in the tank. Though I'm not fond
of using "guinea pig" animals, I would definitely do so in this
case.>
Thanks, Phil Schwier
<You bet. -Sabrina>
Moor Root?!
Do you know what moor root is?
<Well, I could be wrong, but I think this is just a European way of saying
bogwood. A moor is a vast boggy heath, basically, and I imagine
"moor root" refers to sunken, waterlogged wood/roots. Bogwood. Driftwood.>
I read about it in the Aqualog catalogs. I have a 75g pleco tank and
I would like to have some in my tank.
<Indeed, bogwood is of great importance to the diets and overall well-being
of many plecs.>
I've asked people in my area no one knows. PLEASE HELP! Also
where do you think I can get some living in Tampa?
<Any local fish store, most likely. Ask about bogwood/driftwood
instead of moor root, though, unless you're visiting London for your wood! ;) Or,
if you're feeling adventurous, you can collect/clean/prepare your own. Have
fun! -Sabrina>
Moor root?
what is moor root referred to in the Aqua log catalogs.
<I'd write Dahne-Verlag concerning this (the publisher of Aqua Log). An
address: info@daehne.de
Bob Fenner, who suspects this is something like submerged driftwood>
Getting the drift re using wood in aquariums
Hello Gage,
<HI, sorry for the delay, I had to help my sister move this weekend.>
We were able to trade in the 19G for a 33G due to the misprint. The
33 G has been cycling since Nov 21st.
<Sounds good.>
The Mopani driftwood (got the name right this time) is now growing white fungus,
but interestingly the small piece in his little 5.5 G isn't. Would he
be eating the fungus?
<Yes, in fact I had the same problem with this type of wood, I guess I never
bothered to learn the name, my pleco took care of all of the white fungus that
grew out of the wood. It never harmed him, but if I were to do it
again, I would soak the wood longer in a different tank/tub, or even boil it or
bake it if possible. You can also scrub the fuzzy stuff off with a
toothbrush or something similar before you do a water change, then siphon the
stuff out. Keep an eye on the water parameters on the tank that is cycling.>
If so will it hurt him?
<Probably not, but I cannot say for sure.>
I am going to soak it in bleach/water, I haven't found anywhere that tells me
for how long.
<Couple days to a couple weeks, it depends on how long it takes to get the
wood to stop growing the stuff. If you use bleach, only use a small
amount, and rinse the piece really well before putting it back into the tank. You
could also soak it in a bucket with a lot of dechlorinator to ensure that the
bleach is gone, then let it sun dry. Should be safe by then.>
Then I will soak it in dechlorinated water, again not sure how long. He
has already grown over an inch (over 2 1/2 inches) in the last two weeks. We
can't wait to move him, originally planned the move for Nov. 30th. Should
I wait longer with the fungus problem and should I salt the new tank?
<Water tests will determine when it is safe to add him to the new tank. You
could add a very small pinch of food to the new tank to ensure it is cycling,
but I am willing to bet with the fuzzy wood there is plenty of cycling going on
in there. Ammonia and Nitrite tests kits will be needed, or your
Local Fish store can test your water for you.
Also, should I also soak his little piece of wood as well?
<I'd let him hang out with it until you get him moved. Best
Regards, Gage>
Need Clarity
Hi www crew!
<Hi, Don! Sabrina here, this evening>
Thanks for this great site!
<And thank you for the kind words.>
This is the second time I have ask a question, the first being about stocking.
But before I can really begin I need to solve a little problem. I have a 2 month
old 55 gallon tank filtered by an Emperor 400. No plants, just natural gravel
(1/2 pea size), some slate caves, one coconut cave and a small driftwood arch.
Current residents are 10 Zebra Danios and one Otto. The Danios were added to
start the cycling, the Otto after the brown algae started to form.
<Mmmm, algae....>
Plan is to return them to the LFS and house a breeding colony of L260 Plecos.
<Oh, you are after my very heart!! Of all the Loricariids out
there, this is by FAR my favorite!! I absolutely LOVE these little
plecs.>
Cycling was textbook perfect, with all the spikes and crashes occurring as you
would expect. Nitrates have never gone above 20 ppm due to daily, or almost
daily, 5 gallon water changes. Ammonia and nitrites have been at zero since
their initial spikes.
<So far, so good....>
That is until I added a very large knot of driftwood. It had been soaked for
about 2 weeks, the soak water being changed daily. This must have changed my
water chemistry enough to cause the tank to "re-cycle". The water went
cloudy and ammonia started to build up. The driftwood started to break down and
formed a white "mold" in the crevasses.
<Oh, that sucks. You might want to try running the wood through
the dishwasher (no soap!), or, if it's small enough, boil it.>
The ammonia spike crashed in about a day, but the resulting nitrites stayed
around 2.5 ppm for almost 2 weeks. I gave up and replaced the large knot of wood
with a the smaller arch and the coconut cave.
<Okay, so the problem wood's out of the picture, eh?>
Nitrites crashed in two days and the nitrates started to build up, but have been
kept below 20 ppm with frequent water changes.
<Sounds like you're having trouble battling those nitrates - there's gotta be
something making that so high; in a new tank, nitrates should be rather easy to
keep low.>
All the fish are doing very well, the Danios are very active and colorful. The
Otto appears to have doubled in length and tripled in weight. I feed the Danios
twice a day with a very small pinch of Tetra crisps
<Perhaps cut this back to once a day, and don't be afraid to skip a day every
now and then.>
and some dried blood worms twice a week. In the evening I drop half an algae
wafer in for the Otto.
<I'd cut this in half, too; a whole half of an algae wafer is a pretty big
meal for a single Oto.>
Gravel is vacuumed during the FWCs. The only thing holding me back
from adding the Queen Arabesques is the water's appearance. It has always been
crystal clear (expect during the initial spikes) until the driftwood started the
second cycling. At that time the water became very white/cloudy. Today the white
has turned to murk. Much darker, almost muddy.
<Sounds perhaps like a sudden growth of bacteria, perhaps introduced or fed
by something with that hunk of driftwood, or maybe even something that would
have happened anyway - this is not an uncommon occurrence in new tanks, to be
honest.>
I did my water change last night and while pouring the tank water into the sink
you could see it was tinted green.
<Ahh, perhaps "greenwater" algae, then.>
You can't see this color in the tank, only against the white of my kitchen sink.
I never saw any green algae form anywhere in the tank, but with the Otto in
there I assumed that was normal.
<I would strongly recommend getting some hardy vascular plants in there
(anacharis/elodea, Vallisneria, water lettuce, etc.), as this will help with
removing nitrates which are probably feeding the bacteria and/or algae in the
water.>
I use treated tap water (Tetras "AquaSafe") for my FWCs, but nothing
else. No salt. We do have Chloramine in our water supply and I do see a trace of
ammonia in the new water after treatment. The tank continues to show zero
ammonia after the water changes, I assume because it is so diluted. I took a
water sample to a LFS to confirm my tests, all readings consistent with mine. Ph
is 6.8. So, what's causing this discoloration of my water?
<Excess nutrients, likely from extra food.>
I can understand the green algae, but what about the white haze?
<Again, likely bacteria.>
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