White fluffy material   4/4/08
hello,
I have a 75 gal fish tank with 2 red Oscars in it about a week ago it developed a white flaky substance at the bottom of the tank. I have completely cleaned out the tank gravel, filters everything and now this white flaky cotton like substance is back. One of my Oscars did have Hole In The Head but I got rid of it with 50% water changes every 3 days. This flaky stuff seemed to a peer about a week after I put in this stuff called STRESS COAT. I did the complete water change after I discovered it the first time, I also vacuum the gravel frequently. Any help would be appreciated. Thank-you, Scott
<Hi Scott. Is this stuff "flaky" or "fluffy"? You seem to be switching between the two adjectives. If it's fluffy, then it's either fungus (off white, cotton-like) or bacteria (grey, long threads). In either not directly dangerous to the fish, but certainly a sign that there's a lot of decaying organic material in the aquarium. This in turn implies inadequate filtration and likely poor water quality. Even if the filter is handling nitrite and ammonia fine, there may be high levels of nitrate. Nitrate levels above 20 mg/l are considered potentially dangerous to cichlids, and can indeed trigger things like Hexamita/Hole-in-the-Head. Do make sure you're not overfeeding, and that any uneaten food is removed at once. Oscars invariably need big aquaria with big water changes; tanks should be 55 gallons upwards, and water changes should be 50% weekly, at least. At each water change the gravel should be stirred and any detritus siphoned away. Oscars are messy feeders, and they spill a lot of stuff. Make sure the filter delivers not less than 6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour (e.g., in a 55 gallon tank, you need a filter rated at 330 gallons per hour, or more). Hope this helps, Neale.>

Algae eating bacteria?  3/14/08
Hi guys
I have a 10 gallon tank that i set up again after it had been torn down for a move.
<10 gallon tanks are too small for most tropical fish, and very difficult to maintain satisfactorily.>
It took me a month to get it running right (found a plant bulb that i missed, was decomposing the whole time). It finally got to the point where i felt safe to add fish and i did so. One neon to start then another bout 2 weeks later.
<I'd not recommend Neons for running in a new aquarium. In any case, these fish need to be kept in groups of at least six specimens. To be honest, ten Neons in a 10 gallon tank is about right, and then I'd add nothing else save perhaps a few dwarf Corydoras, such as C. habrosus or C. hastatus.>
Shortly there after the algae exploded over night but i was already prepared with a Pleco in my main tank. I have since moved the Pleco into his new home and he's making his round on the tank walls.
<Plecs aren't suitable for a tank this small, and in any case the impact on algae is misleading. By dumping nitrate and phosphate into the water, you're only making the problem worse in the long term. Things like blue-green algae and hair algae (which Plecs don't eat) become very likely. The "treatment" for algae is strong light and fast-growing plants. Algae-eating snails and shrimps can also help, since they add little nitrate to the water. But algae-eating fish are a myth in terms of being the silver bullet.>
I do occasionally throw some algae wafers in at night to make sure Pleco has enough. The problem is in the past week or so the water has been getting cloudy on and off. And then today i noticed the piece of wafer i threw in the night before was surrounded by a mass of mostly clear fuzz or slim approximately 1/4 thick the whole way around the wafer. What the heck is that!??!?
<Decay. Perhaps fungal, perhaps bacterial. In any case not directly toxic to the fish, but a good sign you are massively overfeeding/overstocking/under-filtering.>
I freaked out and vacuumed the gravel and found previous wafers with the same casing around them, that and small sheets of whitish stuff. I neglected to take a pic to help, if it happens again I'll be sure to do so first. Any ideas?
<Take out the Plec. It doesn't belong there. Stick with small (2.5 cm/1 inch-sized) fish. Feed sparingly. Remove uneaten food after a couple minutes. Ensure the aquarium has reasonably good lighting and then add lots of plants. Perhaps some Cherry Shrimps and Nerite snails.>
Thanks, Joe
<Cheers, Neale.>

Fairly new tank... FW maint.  -02/06/08
Thanks for reading! I have a 6 week old 60Gal cichlid tank (4 fish total). I understand that I am going through the end of the cycling process because my ammonia levels came down and now the nitrites are high. I do a water change 1 - 2 times a week at about 35 - 45%.
Questions:
1) Should I be cleaning the gravel during the water changes?
<No particular need, but it's a good idea to stir the gravel with a stick during water changes and siphon out the gunk.>
2) My Chocolate Cichlid has been changing colors for the past 3 weeks. It goes from dark to light to spotted. Is this stress? (looks cool, but I'm nervous).
<Are we talking about Hypselecara temporalis? If so, yes, colour changes are normal and in fact part of the charm of this lovely species.>
3) Any additional tips for keeping the nitrates down? Along with each water change I add salt and prime de-chlorinator/Stress Coat (No other chemicals). My tap water is actually very ideal with little/if any Chlorine and a perfect PH.
<Only two things matter: reducing the protein that goes into the tank (i.e., food) and increasing the amount of nitrate that comes out of the tank (i.e., water changes). With cichlids, a 50% water change per week, coupled with moderate feeding, generally works well.>
I'd like to get more fish but I know I should wait until the tank has fully cycled.
<South American cichlids are notoriously sensitive to nitrate, so if the tank has a lot of nitrate, even if it is not otherwise overstocked, it's best to leave the cichlids on their own. When nitrate levels go up, things like Pop-eye and Hole-in-the-Head become real problems.>
Please help with my Chocolate (I'm worried). Is there any way to determine the sex of the Chocolate?
<They're not easy to sex. At best, the males have longer rays to the dorsal and anal fins, but that might not be obvious.>
You guys and gals are the best!
<Thanks!>
Thanks,
Tom
<I have fond memories of these fish from about 1992 when I got a pair of them for a university display tank. Lovely fish, lots of colour, great personality. Not common in the trade, so a good catch! Good luck with them, Neale.>

Problem with tank in my office... FW... maint.  - 1/31/08
I have voluntarily been looking after the aquarium in the office where I work. There is no local company in our area, so I took on the task.
My knowledge / experience is very little. Basically, I can sum it up as the contents of "Aquariums For Dummy's" To be honest, I know very little, I'm just animal lover. I feed them daily & do water changes (approx 1/3) every 4-6 weeks. Beyond that, I'm not much help to the fish or their environment.
<Read the book, and all will become clear. Fish are not that difficult to care for, and certainly less work than, say, a dog. Mostly it's a question of keeping the water clean and choosing the right fish for your local water chemistry conditions.>
The 40 gallon tank has been established for at least 5- 10 years. I test the PH level - - not regularly, but it does always fall in the normal level.
<Normal for what? Not all fish relish the same pH level. For a start, pH in itself actually doesn't mean much. What matters are two other things, changes in pH, and water hardness. Both of these matter a great deal. When we measure pH, we get a ball-park measurement of those things, but inexperienced aquarists often confuse this "quick look" with meaningful data. No fish wants a rapid pH change, so one of the first things to make sure is that week-in, week-out, the pH stays the same. More specifically, you want to make sure the pH of the water before you do a water change is about the same as the pH afterwards. All aquaria have a tendency to become acidic. If the pH of the water from the tap is, say, 7.6, but the pH in the aquarium drops to as low as pH 6.9 between water changes, then you have a problem. In a healthy aquarium with sufficient chemical buffering, the pH should only drop very slightly between water changes, say 7.6 to 7.5. The other issue is hardness. Hard water tends to have a basic pH, soft water an acidic pH. This isn't always the case, but it usually is. So when you detect a basic pH, chances are you have hard water. Certainly here in Southern England, the tap water is around pH 8, and lo and behold, it is also very hard, around 20 degrees dH (and consequently ideal for brewing beer). In the north of Scotland though the pH of tap water is closer to 6.5, and yes, it is also very soft, around 5 degrees or less dH (which is why its good for whiskey). So when we say the pH is "normal" we need to put that in context. Fish from hard waters, like Guppies and Platies, expect a basic pH around 7.5-8.0; fish from the soft waters of South America, like Neons and Cardinals, on the other hand, expect a pH that is acidic around 6.0. A "normal" pH for a Neon would be ghastly pH for a Guppy. Hence the two fish don't really mix.>
The temperature is approx 70-74 degrees.
<That's subtropical rather than tropical; perfect for Neons and Danios, but less acceptable for fish from warm waters, such as Angelfish. Kept too cold, warmth-loving fish will become sickly.>
In December I changed the charcoal filter bags & the also the charcoal filters within the air tubes.
<Carbon is largely a waste of time in freshwater tanks. Replace with useful biological media.>
Did I wipe out too much of the bacterial colony with those changes allowing a bacteria to take over? ?
<If all you did was change the carbon and did nothing to the biological filter media (the sponges or ceramic noodles) then no, no harm was done.>
Currently we have only 2 angels & 1 neon left.
<Hmm... you do realise Neons are eaten by adult Angels given the chance?>
In the past two weeks we've lost a 1 year old Pleco & the balance of our school of Neons.
<Neons are very sensitive fish at the best of times, and a disease called Pleistophora (or "Neon Tetra Disease") can wipe them out pretty rapidly if you don't remove sick fish on sight. It is very contagious, and is known to occasionally infect other species of fish too.>
All the fish are / were mature & doing well until we got a dose of what I'm thinking may be blue green algae. I don't have a microscope to identify exactly, but It does produce somewhat of a smokey or dusty effect when wiped off the glass.
<Blue-green Algae has a distinctive slimy appearance, so that it looks more like a sheet of slime rather than bushy algae. It is of course a bacteria, but you can't tell by looking; that said, on glass it looks to be made of fine threads forming the mat-like slime. It has a very distinctive smell, musty, like mould. BGA isn't dangerous as such, but tends to crop up where tanks either receive direct sunlight or have nutrient-rich water but not enough plants.>
When I cleaned the tank last Friday, all the fish appeared to be fine. Within an hour after the cleaning began three fish were flipping onto their backs & struggling to swim (the exact symptoms' our Pleco experienced a week earlier) The neon's died sometime over the weekend. I feared when I came into the office on Monday they would all be floating, but to my surprise the angels were swimming normally again. The three that made it through seem to be fine once again.
<When lots of fish die at once, the ONE test kit you MUST use is the NITRITE test kit. This is the best snapshot of water quality. Almost always, sudden deaths of multiple fish come down to water quality.>
Today I've notice the green film is once again creeping up the glass and it hasn't even been a week. Do you feel this could be the dreaded blue green algae / bacteria I've been reading about & if so, is that more than likely what killed the fish.
<BGA doesn't kill fish. The idea that it is poisonous comes from non-biologists confusing the name of the group of bacteria (Cyanobacteria) with the word "cyanide". In fact the "cyan-" part of the name refers merely to the colour. There are in fact some fish that eat the stuff, as well as snails and other invertebrates. Anyway, it is best dealt with by balancing the tank: I cannot make this clearer than this, a healthy tank with fast-growing plants under strong light will not normally have problems with BGA. Tanks with serious BGA problems are almost always tanks with too many fish, too few water changes, too much food, too little light, too much sunlight, and too few fast-growing plants.>
I'm aware that not having all the "levels" doesn't help you in determining where the problem stems & you can only to speculate.
<Indeed.>
I have added no chemicals other than the AquaSafe when I did the partial water change. The angel fish are now about 3" in size & very beautiful. I would hate to loose them, but at this point, I have to do something before I would feel safe adding new fish.
<Agreed.>
Should I wipe the glass down again & do another partial (1/3 ) water change. if so how soon?
<Cleaning the front glass is what people do to all tanks, though I make the point that a tank with actively growing plants honestly only needs to be cleaned thus once or twice a month. Plants really do make a huge difference on algae. As for water changes, 25% per week is standard, and 50% per week even better. In the meantime, whip out the Nitrite test kit and let us know the results.>
Thank you in advance for your advise & assistance.
Our fish will be ever so grateful!
Regards,
Debbie
<Good luck, Neale.>

FW stkg. and good maint. advice  – 1/18/08
Greetings Sultans of the surf,
<Hello!>
First off thank you for such an amazing library of knowledge! I have some questions that I have searched for on your site and various others. I sincerely hope I have not overlooked their answers. Well here it goes. I have recently bought a 25 gallon long aquarium with stand, filter and some fish.
<Sounds good. But do remember 25 gallons isn't a huge volume of water (esp. US Gallons!) so be careful choosing fish.>
First for the fish. The tank is inappropriately stocked with one large ( maybe 7 inches!) African cichlid, one rather large tiger barb ( owner said he had a school but the rest were eaten, how sad to leave that one barb in there) and one small Pleco.
<Apart from the Barb, entirely unsuitable for this tank.>
All are and were healthy in behavior, very active always hungry. I have given the cichlid to a local fish store but they wouldn't accept the tiger barb or Pleco. He said they are too inexpensive and because of their injuries (fins are almost complete gone) are too prone to disease and thus a risk to his livestock.
<Who is eating who? The Tiger Barb? Or the Cichlid?>
What do I do with these two? the Pleco gets way too huge for this tank and the barb worries me because he is massively aggressive towards the Pleco ( separated for now with breeding net) thus would be aggressive towards new tank mates unless I had a barb tank which doesn't excite me.
<Your best bet is to find a Fish Forum online, visit the "For Sale" section, and ask for takers. You could also look for a local fish club. Do also look for other fish shops. Obviously you'll need to heal the fins on these fish a bit first.>
I want to turn this tank into a community tank. My last fish was a Fahaka puffer in a 110 gallon ( had him for 7.5 years, water changes galore) that would rarely let my hand in the tank none the less a tank mate.
<Pretty typical of this species. Not my favourite fish, though I admit they do have personality. A psychotic thug personality, but personality none the less.>
So the thought of one species for this tank kinda bores me.
<Me too.>
Secondly the stock plan I have going so far I fear is overcrowded/incompatible at least from a water chemistry stand. Here it is...
1x Siamese algae eater, Crossocheilus siamensis
<Nice, though redundant with the Nerite snails. A bit hyperactive in a small tank, and possibly territorial.>
3x Swartz's Cory cat, Corydoras schwartzi
<Double the number and you're laughing.>
2x (M+F) Golden lyre tail Panchax killifish, Aphyosemion australe
<Fine.>
2x Betta (F), Betta splendens
<Probably not with the Killifish; I fear a little nipping and/or chasing.>
1x Flame dwarf Gourami, Colisa lalia
<Total waste of space: avoid. Too sickly.>
3x Olive Nerite snail Nerite Sp.
<Good, provided you get the true freshwater sort, not the brackish water ones.>
Feel free to add, subtract and multiple! I was going to shoot for a Chao Phraya river tank but it seems like that area is mainly catfish per fishbase.org.
<Looking at species lists can be misleading; there may be dozens of species of catfish, but in terms of numbers and mass, I'm sure things like cyprinids (barbs, etc.) are far more important.>
Unless you know of native Chao Phraya fish that I can add. If not can you suggest a schooling small fish. I was worried Danios would prefer much cooler temps and that Rasboras and tetras would fin nip or be fin nipped.
<Correct; Rasboras and Danios essentially come from different habitats. What the Danios want is fast flowing, neutral water with moderate temperature. Rasboras come from more blackwater streams. Your Bettas and Killies inhabit still waters, largely.>
My selection is limited to 25 gallon, I now live in an apartment that allows big dogs but small aquariums! Now for the filter section of my question. The tank came with only an under gravel filter.
<Nothing wrong with a properly maintained UG filter. Limits the range of plants though.>
I took nearly all the water and kept the filter submerged. other then a brief nitrite hiccup the conditions are now zero other then 40ppm nitrate which I suspect were from few water changes, improper water supply, overfeeding, under vacuuming, overstocking and the UGF. For the time being I have added a small power filter with a mechanical sponge, Kent nitrate sponge absorber and bio-wheels. I don't remember the exact gallons it is rated for because it is old but it is obviously way too small and must go asap. I want to use an Eheim 2229 with the wet/dry feature but I am worried that the bio area is in the first compartment. If that is true wouldn't just become a mechanical/bio with emphasis on the mechanical? Canister is the only suitable type of filter as it must be quiet and be viewable from front and back.
<I'm not familiar with this particular filter, but I'd trust Eheim filters to do the job well.>
Any other suggestions? Also when I add a new filter and remove the UGF should I just take the whole thing out and cycle or perhaps break it and remove it periodically to leave as much bacteria in the water as possible?
<I'd break down the entire tank and cycle it from scratch. That'll give you more options in terms of substrate choice.>
I do plan to add plants later on after the filter changes are made, cycling is totally complete and I buy the proper lights. Fish will be added also after cycling is done and slowly.
<Sounds good.>
Just a few statements I have learned over the years and have read on WWM a thousand times ( if I may) to any new hobbyist. Nanocubes are hard, expensive and not for the beginners no matter what anyone says.
<Pretty much.>
Hagen's "Cycle" does not substitute for a natural cycle.
<No it doesn't. But there are other products that do. But I simply grab some filter media from an established tank, and off you go: instant cycling.>
Tried to start a cycle for my friend's tank using this, nitrites were off the scale for a month ( only 1 small comet, 20 gallon tank, whisper 400 filter) at least followed by massive nitrate problems. Last but not least a good water change schedule is cheaper and more effective then any additive or cool new gadget you can buy. Thank you all for your time!
<Happy to help.>
Ed ( recent transfer to Colorado, love those mountains)
<Cheers, Neale.>

Help!!.....more info... FW... set-up issues    1/11/08
Hi WWM Crew:
<Hello Kevin,>
I have had my freshwater aquarium for over a year and have yet to put any fish in it because something white keeps growing in it.
<One of three things: bacteria, algae, or mold (fungi). Each is characteristic of specific things. Bacteria tend to bloom in new tanks, algae tends to grow in tanks that receive direct sunlight, and mold tends to grow on surfaces that have some organic content the mold can consume (think wet rot on a damp wall). Do also note that silt can look a lot like a "growth", especially when it sticks to (otherwise harmless) layers of algae on the glass or sediment. Silt is usually introduced via substrate materials such as gravel and sand. It is best removed before the substrate is added to a tank, but failing that, a powerful filter (i.e., canister filter) coupled with filter wool should remove silt quite quickly (a few days at most, possibly with multiple changes of the wool in really bad cases).>
It has an incubation time of about 1 day and afterwards the water is completely opaque. It then forms a sheet on the surface. I've tried a few antibiotics. I've had to completely clean it out almost 4 times now (w/ammonia, bleach, etc) Whatever it is keeps growing. I've never seen anything like it!! I've gotten rid of all of the decorations and rocks because I didn't want to carry it over. I usually wait a day or so after I clean it and add water....and it slowly begins to take over.
<Hmm... this sounds to me like silt, which settles out of the water onto surfaces very quickly; bacterial blooms can take 24 hours, but do tend to die back themselves almost as quickly. Algal blooms, particularly diatoms, can happen, but these do require a source of light.>
Is there ANY product you would recommend??
<No product, but rather identification of this issue. Did you clean the sand/gravel before using? It's really very, VERY easy to silt up a tank by not cleaning the substrate sufficiently.>
Could it be
my tap water?
<Possible, and easy to test! Put some water in a large jar, leave to one side, and come back the next day. Is there silt or cloudiness visible?>
I'd really like to put some fish in it one day! I'm in medical school so I have very little time to solve this problem as busy as I am.
PLEASE HELP!! Any advice would be great! Thanks so much :)
<Hope this helps.>
MORE INFO:
-- I have a 36 gallon freshwater tank.
-- After the organism grew the first time (within 1 day of setting it up) I
removed my filters-- I figured that would help them grow.
<Ah, if it's silt, then you will need MECHANICAL filtration to remove solid particles. Filters perform at least two things, mechanical and biological filtration (sometimes also chemical filtration). Mechanical filtration is the first thing filters do, by pushing water through some filter wool and then sponge or ceramic media to trap the silt. Biological filtration comes next, and yes, excess silt will choke the bacteria by cutting off their access to oxygen. Hence a filter has to do both things. Some filters have two (or more) compartments so you can optimise each compartment to one of the specific jobs. But even a basic sponge filter will, up to a point, do both. By regularly cleaning the sponge, you remove silt, making sure the bacteria stay happy.>
--The organism grew even after I removed the gravel and all decorations.
(Tap water and Tank only)
<Does sound like silt in the water.>
--I live in Washington, DC (Georgetown). I am not sure if the water is hard,
soft, processed, etc.
<Get a test kit. If you're a medical student, presumably coming up with a home-brew way to test pH and concentration of calcium carbonate will not be difficult!>
--I've tried to treat with tetracycline and another broad spectrum.
<Why? Remember you medical school education: identify the pathogen or problem from the symptoms, and THEN choose remedial action. Not the other way around!>
- At first I suspected it was the dechlorinator solution I bought from Petsmart that was contaminated and it still might be. I don't use it anymore, but if I leave ONE (spore, etc) behind it will come back.
<A "spore"...? Time to apply some of your edumacation to the problem!>
I conducted an experiment: "Control"- Water alone and "Treatment"- Water plus dechlorinator solution --> Grew in both after a week or so if I
remember correctly.
<Did you test other factors, such as light? Algae will bloom where there's light, but they won't in the dark. Bacteria bloom where there's light or organic material for them to consume. From the sounds of things, I'd veer towards an abiotic cause. Try filtering some tap water through filter paper and then leaving it to settle... does it still go cloudy? Maybe boil some too, to see if its bacteria in the water.>
- I also thought it could've come from one of my decorations from Petsmart since its not uncommon to see birds flying in the store and bird poop on the merchandise.
<Yuk.>
Please let me know if you need any more info. Thanks again for your help.
<All sounds very bizarre, but likely not too serious. Consider setting up a (second) dedicated filter for mechanical filtration, with filter wool or similar you can change as required without worrying about the bacteria. There are "filter aids" on the market, which are basically flocculants that cause silt and bacteria in the water to clump, so filters can remove them more easily. They're very effective, and supposedly harmless to fish. Cheers, Neale.>

New 46g Newbie trying to Correct, New Tank Set Up Problems, FW  – 09/08/07
Your site has been invaluable;
< Thanks for your kind words.>
unfortunately, I discovered it (almost?) too
late. I am one of the millions who have fallen prey to the "here's the package, pick your favorite fish, all will be well" sales pitch. On a Saturday night my boyfriend (who has a 75g with zero ammonia but 6 Oscars and 2 Dempseys) and I set up this 46g tank with the BioWheel Penguin 200, natural-looking substrate rock gravel, set heater at 78, Greek-themed decorations with two having air stones underneath, and two foot-long air sticks. Then we added: algae eater, aqua safe conditioner, pinch of table sea salt,
<Why?>
dechlorinator, Topfin bacteria, parasite clear and quick cure.
< Why are you treating for things you may not have?>
We let it sit for two days while the fish that I was assured would 'do well together' were put in the 75 gallon established tank on the other side of a divider to keep out the Oscars and Dempseys.
We were obviously horribly misinformed.
We added the fish, which were: 2 brown knives each nearly 6", 2 black ghost knives each 4-5", 3 Bala sharks each 4", 2 black spotted silver bottom dwelling catfish 3 inches each, 2 Plecos 6" each, and 8 apple mystery snails. The needle nose fish had died in the bag before he could make it to the temporary tank - could have been because the bag the LFS chose was more narrow than his length?
< This is actually a brackish species that get pretty big. A small bag could have stressed it to the point that it could die.>
I tested the water with the only two tests we were advised to use: ammonia and nitrites. Both were zero, but pH card by SeaChem on the tank wall looked very high (around 8.2) but ammonia card says it is in the safe zone.
< New tanks can be ammonia free for a few days.>
I fed everyone bloodworms twice a day but didn't think twice about the uneaten portion lying on the bottom - "great, more for later for them!" Wrong.
One day later one brown knife died - skin on his nose was missing and his nostrils had turned very white, along with parts around his eyes and even a part into one eye. A trip to the store ended in a result of nothing but a replacement brown knife. They offered no advice, no explanation. This left me uneasy and committed to self-research. I found your site and felt very blessed.
< That's why we are here.>
Next day I found one of my Plecos looking dry on the floor by my couch at 2am when I couldn't sleep. Crying, I woke my boyfriend who picked him up and put him into the tank. He's acted fine since and I am puzzled how he lived and my cats didn't eat him. Next day one of the balas has white spots in the black eyes. Spider webby flotations are noticeable, slight cloudy water, and decorations feel slick. Since then I have gone into emergency mode and taken these remedial steps based on your site and I would like some guidance to see if I'm heading in the right direction now:
1. I know understand the need to have waited until the tank "cycled." I pray I'm not too late. I added substrate from the 75g established tank and replaced the one pad in the Penguin 200 filter with one of his 'dirtiest.'
Then I added one of his uncleaned Tech 30-60 (330gph) to my tank as well. I see that 5-10 times your gallons per hour is best and now with 530 for my 46g, am I pushing it?
< Continue to monitor the ammonia and nitrites until stable. It may take a few days for the bacteria to get established. The fish you have selected all get very large and will appreciate the extra filtration.>
2. Salt is horrible for scaleless fish like knives. Won't do that again.
< Salt has its place but unfortunately most of the species you have selected don't really like salt.>
3. Bala with white eyes is isolated in a one gallon bucket with an air stone and hose. Maybe bacterial infection or onset of ich?
< White cloudy eyes are a bacterial infection that usually responds to a Erythromycin treatments. The best cure for ich is a treatment of Malachite Green and Formalin found in Rid-Ich by Kordon.>
Added one drop of Quick Cure. Quick Cure has Malachite Green so in the future if I treat the knives
or other scaleless fish it will be at half strength? Or are there better treatments for Mr. Bala and the Knives?
< For scaleless fish look at Rid-Ich+.>
Does he need a heater too?
< Your fish are tropical and need to be in the right temperature range to survive. If the water is not around 80 F then you need an additional heat source that will warm the water up to that temperature.>
Covered the top with saran wrap and he is inside a dark cabinet away from drafts.
4. I raised the temperature to 80 one day, then 82 the next because your site said not more than 2 degrees a day.
< This temperature is suitable.>
5. Algae wafers were put in for the Plecos and snails who were probably starving to death. How can I avoid the feared "algae bloom"?
< Lots of algae info on the website. Too much light and waste cause algae.>
6. Yesterday (Day 4) I did a 25% water change because ammonia was at .5ppm.
The new water only had dechlorinator added to it. After the change the tank is at .25 which is still scaring me but I will do a 30% water change on Day 6 and every thereafter to keep this down. Hoping to avoid the dreaded ammonia spike, the subsequent nitrite spike, and the slightly less evil nitrate thereafter. Will test daily.
7. The tank is overstocked. Fish should have been chosen according to a formula of one gallon per inch at maximize size?
< Not really a hard and fast rule. When the tank is stabilized you need to keep track of the nitrates. Keep them under 25 ppm with water changes. If this cannot be done in between water changes then you need to reduce the bioload and keep fewer fish in the tank.>
In that case, I needed a hundred more gallons! I need advice on compatibility; some sites differ.
Regarding the black knives - no one but one site said they should be solitary and one other said just to never have two males together. Sexing was suggested by length differences (25cm for female and 30cm for male) and female adult head looks like juvenile head. This was unhelpful because both are 4-5" juveniles. Brown knives seem to be ok, but all knives I now realize need covered hiding places. I purchased an acrylic tube but that's not enough for them. Greek themed decorations don't seem to offer this covering.
< The knife fish you have chosen are nocturnal predators that require a dark area to hide in during the day. Without this area they will become stressed and prone to disease.>
The cats are voracious eaters; they consumed each one cube of the frozen bloodworms whole while I worried about the temperature affecting their intestines.
< Sounds like typical catfish.>
Balas chase each other around and now have split fins on top (just a couple splits) and I believe that is because of poor water and needing to school with more. Shall I return them because they obviously will outgrow the tank shortly?
< Think of a long term plan for stocking your tank. If the balas are not in the picture then remove them.>
The Plecos seemed overjoyed to suck on the algae chips. Should I remove the remains uneaten after two hours or trust the snails will get the leftovers?
< I would remove them after the Plecos are done. The snails always seem to find enough food without specifically being fed.>
Shall I return one of the Plecos, or both and search for a smaller breed of pleco?
< Go to Planetcatfish.com to identify the species of pleco you now have. I don't think you need more than one unless you really like these pleco's.>
Mine seems to be the chameleon common black spots on brown/grey color that grows a foot long.
8. I added more air to the water by connecting the air hoses to a 50 and a 70 pump separately.
9. I am panicked about the pH but have read enough to be more scared of trying to change anything rapidly or with chemicals. Should I resort to peat moss to bring it down ever so gently?
< Forget trying to modify the pH until everything settles down.>
Will the natural cycling help me get there?
< The nitrification process will effect the pH in a very soft water aquarium. Don't worry about it in you situation right now.>
Should I just pray they are hardy enough stock to cope?
< You have bigger problems to worry about then pH right now.>
Knives are more acidic loving and prefer 6.2 to 7 pH you say.'
< If you decide to keep these knife fish for the long term then lowing the pH would be beneficial.>
10. My apple mystery snails seem to have cracked, lighter colored shells. I have read I need to keep the water level down a couple inches from the top so they won't stress out from having no space to lay egg sacs. This I have done as well.
At this moment my tank isn't cloudy, no one seems ill yet except for the one Bala in the treatment bucket. My pH is still around 8.2. Please help, I feel like a terrible idiot for trusting these well-meaning, dangerous breed who are selling these poor helpless creatures.
Should I add the Bio-Sphere liquid that so many rave about?
< The Bio-Spira from Marineland is the real deal. I recommend it to new aquarists. In your situation though it may not be needed.>
Should I try to figure out how to vacuum the substrate?
< Gravel vacuuming is a very useful tool in removing the detritus that has accumulated in the gravel.-Chuck>
Thank you for your altruistic patience with newbies and your love of fish,
Michelle

Many problems, please help! FW maint., Dis. troubleshooting, env.     8/22/07
Hi there. I have had my tank established for about half a year now and up until now, it has been doing rather well. I managed to eradicate a serious white spot problem without any losses, and was feeling very happy with the health of my fish and the water quality.
I have a 120L Juwel Rekord aquarium and about 30 fish, most of which are no bigger than 5cm and some that are smaller.
I recently had a serious outbreak of hair algae, and so changed all of the water, got new plants and completely cleaned the gravel and decorations. The tank looked wonderful and clean, until I decided to change a few filter sponges, and it soon became completely covered in dirt. I waited for the dirt to settle and then did a thorough gravel clean and hoped that the filter would suck it up again (which it did), Anyway... This seems to have all culminated in a serious problem that I cannot solve. The water is now full of floating particles that look like specks of cotton wool. They get sucked into the filter and then seem to come straight back out again. two of my neon tetras have weird, raised white patches on their mouth and gills (I have 6 altogether) . Many of my fish are also acting erratically, flicking themselves on the gravel and occasionally darting about in zig zag motions. I treated with an anti fungal medication but I haven't noticed any improvements. I know that this is usually a sign of white spot, but I have not noticed a single speck (for now, anyway...).
I keep my airstone activated at all times to provide extra oxygen as I may have overdosed on the med. When it is turn off, my mountain minnows will often hang about at the surface, gasping. I have been trying my hardest to keep the tank clean and do regular (about once a week) water changes of 50%, and I am now at my wits end.
I just get the feeling that my fish are suffering. Many of them have red gills and their behaviour is not what it was. I regularly test my water and nitrites and nitrates are both almost 0, the PH is at about 7 and the water is hard. I just don't know what to do. Could the illnesses be related to the weird stuff floating about? and how on earth can I get rid of it when I don't have a clue what it is? I am feeling so frustrated.
Any help will be appreciated so much as I love my fish and just want the best for them.
Thank you in advance for the wonderful service you provide.
Anna
<First, clean out your filters. Take the sponges from the filter box in the corner of the tank and give them a thorough clean in a bucket or two of *aquarium water*. Do not run them under the tap! What you want to do is wash away all the solid waste while leaving the bacteria happy in the sponge. Replace the rather pointless carbon and nitrate sponges with a couple of new regular sponges, maybe one mechanical filter sponge and one biological filter sponge. Your filter will now perform its job much more efficiently. Now, remove about 50% of the water, and replace with new water (dechlorinated, of course). While you're siphoning out the water, stir up the gravel a bit so you can suck out any detritus. From the way your fish are behaving there can be only one of three things going on: [a] The temperature is too high; [b] The biological filter isn't working; or [c] Something toxic has got into the aquarium, such as insecticide or paint fumes. The white threads in the water are most probably colonies of blue-green algae. These form slimy mats or bushes on flat surfaces, but when disturbed the threads float about, often in vast numbers. Dealing with blue-green algae is difficult, because nothing much eats it. So you need to get back to basics, making sure the conditions in the aquarium don't favour the blue-green algae. High nitrate/phosphate levels, sunlight, overstocking, and decaying organic matter all seem to promote blue-green algae. I sometimes find it easier simply to take a tank apart, keep the fish and filter running in a bucket, and then thoroughly clean the tank from top to bottom. Otherwise, installing fast-growing plants like Hygrophila is a good way to deal with algae, assuming you have enough light for them (the default Rekord hood doesn't have enough lighting). Finally, I suspect you will need to treat for whitespot, though in this case stress is probably the immediate cause of the problem and will need to be fixed as well. Hope this helps, Neale>

Re: Many problems, please help!   8/22/07
Hi Neale, thank you very much for your help. It's funny you should mention paint fumes, as we have been doing some painting around the house recently so that could indeed be a part of the problem.
<Ah, the plot thinnens. Keep the door closed to the "fish room" and open a window, so the air can freshen up. Do big water changes to dilute the toxins.>
I was just wondering if you feel it would be okay to put fresh gravel in the tank, as whenever it is disturbed, lots and lots of algae begins to float about the tank and then
settle right back down again.
<Not only is it safe, it's advisable, if you think the gravel is irredeemably dirty. The exception here is if you use an undergravel filter. Assuming you do not, then change the gravel if you want. This will have no effect on biological filtration.>
Would it be okay or should the current gravel just be cleaned thoroughly, I'm not sure if getting rid of it would upset the biological balance of the tank.
<Unless you have an undergravel filter, you can change the gravel once a week if you want.>
Also, would it be okay to change 100% of the water or would this be very upsetting for the fish?
<Treat as if you were introducing the fish to a new aquarium: put fish in bucket of old water. Replace 100% water in new tank. Make sure pH and hardness are roughly the same as before (slight differences don't matter, but going from pH 6 to pH 8 would be bad!). Now empty half the water from the fish bucket. Every 5 minutes, add a litre or two of "new" water from the aquarium into the bucket, so that over the next 30 minutes the bucket is filled up with half old water and half new water. Empty out 50% of the bucket, and repeat the process. By the end of the hour (which should be, say, 6 or 7 additions of water) your fish be completely acclimated to the new water conditions. Catch them with a net, and put into the aquarium. Don't put any old water from the bucket into the aquarium. I've done this many, many times even with delicate things like halfbeaks and never had problems. It's a variation on what marine fishkeepers call "the drip method". Freshwater fish are, almost by definition, able to tolerate quite drastic water chemistry changes (e.g., droughts, heavy rainfall) but still, you don't want to take advantage of it.>
Thank you,
Anna
<Cheers, Neale>

125gal question... FW... maint.    8/8/07
hey i have a 125gal tank that's been running since April.
<Hey? Hey? Is that how people address others these days? Ugh.>
It houses 2 motoro stingrays, one that's 10 inches and one that's 6 inches. I also have 1 peacock bass about 8 in and an Oscar about 10 inches.
<Hmm, quite possibly overstocked and certainly not an ideal combination. Cichlids have a high metabolism and dump out ammonia and train their keepers to overfeed them. Stingrays are sensitive to ammonia.>
Everything was fine and dandy until one day about two weeks ago the rays eyes became cloudy.
<Check the water quality...>
Checked ammonia and it was off the charts.
<I bet.>
I added ammo lock and the rays eyes cleared up.
<What did you think Ammo Lock would do? All that does is neutralise small quantities of ammonia, primarily from water supplies treated with chloramine. It provides no long term solutions to anything else. Obviously your tank has a cycling problem, and you need to focus on the biological filtration.>
Now my water is so cloudy i can't see more than a few inches in tank, its been like this for a week or so now.
<Sounds as if the filter has packed up. Obviously you need to be doing AT LEAST 50% water changes EVERY DAY until things resolve themselves.>
All fish are eating added bio Spira enough for 120 gal to see if maybe i killed bacteria in tank some how.
<Why are you feeding your fish? Please stop. When the filter system stops working, the first thing you do is stop adding food to the aquarium. This not only prevents more ammonia from being added to the biological filtration cycle, but it also causes the fish to slow down their metabolism, so they produce less ammonia. Big fish can go weeks without food.>
Had a black out for 45 min or maybe two many water changes, cleaned filter bad, dunno cant figure out how or if that's problem.
<Yes, after a 45 minute blackout, the biological filters inside pressurized filters (canisters for example) will be dead or at least stressed. When this sort of thing happens, you should open the filters and place the sponges (or whatever) into buckets of aquarium water so that they have access to oxygen. Inside a pressurized filter without a flow of water there's no oxygen and this is what kills the bacteria.>
But no matter how many water changes i do, water clarifiers don't work nothing is getting water clear.
<They won't. The problem is water quality, not silt.>
I have a Fluval 405, Emperor bio wheel
400, and Eheim 2237 filter in tank. Just added powerhead today. Any suggestions?
<Yes. [1] Sit down and think about what's going on. [2] Stop adding food. [3] Do a 50% water change right now. [4] Repeat step 3 at least once daily, until the ammonia levels revert to 0. [5] If you have access to filter media from another tank, add some to these filters to kick start them. Failing that, use Bio Spira or Tetra Safe Start.>
Rays started eating again.
<And now you can stop feeding them.>
How many water changes should i do weekly until this fixes up.
<There's no set number. There's a goal: ammonia has to be less than 0.5 mg/l, and ideally 0 each day. Frankly, anything above 0 is going to kill your stingrays this side of tomorrow, so there's no space for messing about here.>
I've been doing them almost daily to help but nothing works help am getting worried if water will ever clear up. Its almost sludgy on top
<Make a note of the pH, hardness, and temperature. Take the fish out. Put each fish in a bucket. Empty tank, and thoroughly clean. Check for uneaten food, faeces, etc. in the sand. Clean out the filters to a certain degree, rinsing the sponges/media in tank water. Maybe replace 1/3rd of each with clean filter media if you want. Rebuild tank. Fill with water, and adjust water chemistry and temperature to match the original values. Put cichlids in. Slowly dribble aquarium water into the buckets with the stingrays over an hour or so, so they can acclimate to the new water. Lift the stingrays out carefully and return to the tank. Under no circumstances let "old" water get into the "new" aquarium. Now, let's review your filtration. By my reckoning, the Fluval 405, The Bio Wheel 400, and the Eheim 2217 (there's no 2237) sum 1004 gallons per hour turnover. That's a total turnover of about 8 times the tank volume per hour. Realistically, because of head pressure and clogged media, you're probably getting around 6x per hour. That's rather less that I'd consider safe for a selection of fish as demanding as yours. A lot of stingray keepers go with marine-style wet/dry trickle filters instead. These provide excellent water quality, and because they are open to the air, they provide excellent conditions for the biological filter bacteria. They're also bigger and easier to maintain. What you have is workable, but it depends upon using excellent filter media and maintaining the filters very carefully. Also, your tank, while big, is probably below the optimal for even one stingray, let alone two PLUS a couple of jumbo sized cichlids. A 250 US gallon tank is closer to the mark. The issue isn't so much volume, though that matters for diluting nitrate, but surface area, both at the top, of oxygen to get in, and at the bottom, for the rays to move about. It's generally said that stingrays need a tank twice as wide as their disc, so an average species that gets to 18" wide will need a tank about 36" across. There are smaller species, but they aren't much smaller (16" maybe) and there are lots that are substantially bigger. Anyway, I hope this helps. Neale>

Re: 125gal question, FW...  8/10/07
Hello my friend,
I absolutely appreciate your service and in fact without it I am sure that all my fish would have ended up dead because I was missing something. So far so good water is clearing and added more Bio-Spira today. I am from New York, Staten Island to be exact and I guess were I am from people just speak different, no one way is correct but to each there own I guess. Thanks again and your service is good and timely. Thanks amigo. Hope my English was sufficient this time
<Cool. Enjoy your fish, and good luck! Neale.>

New 38 gallon freshwater setup  8/3/07
Hi!
<Ave,>
I am a new reader on your site, and so far it has been invaluable! I am so glad that I have found help. I had a 16 gallon (high) aquarium with a Penguin 150, 75 watt heater. I since moved up to a 38 gallon (was told it was 30 but I did the math, and it's a 38 gallon) setup with a 200 watt heater. I got antsy and transferred my fish over in about 48 hours. Before I found your site, I had decided to use the Penguin 150, so that I would get the benefits of the bio wheel that had been used in the other tank. Now, I realize that it's too weak for this tank and am going to need to move up to the next size! Is there a best way of going about this?
<Not really. Just buy another filter and add it to the tank. Two filters are better than one. Most people don't have enough filtration. You want turnover equivalent to around 4x to 6x the volume of the aquarium per hour. So a 38 gallon tank needs turnover ~160 to ~240 gallons per hour. The Penguin filter has a nominal turnover of 150 g/h, with real world turnover going to be a bit less than that because the filter media itself impedes water flow. So adding another filter of similar size to the system will work nicely, giving you good water quality and lots of water current. With rainbows and barbs, this water current is important, because it allows these fish to exercise themselves.>
My old fish (4 black neon tetras, 2 neon tetras, 1 Australian Rainbowfish, 2 other tetras which I cannot remember the type and one that I believe to be some type of barb, but I cannot figure it out (about 1 inch in length!) seem very happy in the new setup and are doing well. I wanted to add some fish to the tank, but just realized through research that the rainbowfish should be in a larger tank!!
<What matters with rainbows is [a] water current and [b] swimming space. I wouldn't keep the standard species in anything less than 1 metre long aquarium, and ideally something even longer. They're active fish, and like room to play.>
He's about two inches in length now and have had him for over a year. I did have two, but lost one to a suicide (wedged behind the heater a few months back).
<Fish don't commit suicide. Fishkeepers do dumb things, and the fish dies as a result. So let's rewind a little. If a fish gets stuck behind the heater, then either place the heater inside the filter (not possible in your case, I don't think) or fit a heater guard to the heater to keep fish away. Heater guards are cheap plastic cages that go around the heater. Some heaters come with them anyway.>
I wanted to add some Boesemanni Rainbows, but now I am questioning it. If I add a few, am I going to overload the tank?
<I don't think your tank is overloaded in terms of water quality, but the volume of the tank isn't the critical factor here, tank length is. If your tank is less than 1 metre long, then no, rainbowfish probably aren't a very good choice. Adult Boesemanni get to around 10 cm long, so you're talking about a fish with the bulk of an angelfish but the high speed of a danio.>
I really love the rainbows.
<Look at Melanotaenia praecox, the "dwarf" neon rainbow; this is a beautiful fish, but at half the size of the standard species it's easy to accommodate in relatively small tanks. It's a beautiful fish and quite widely traded.>
The other fish that I have (other than the rainbow) have been with me for about 4 years now! What can you suggest as an addition to the tank that would suit?
<There's so many fish that could work well. Puntius pentazona (5-banded barbs), bleeding heart tetras, glassfish, platies, danios, and Corydoras are all examples of fishes the right size for your aquarium.>
I don't have it planted, but I am considering doing so. Right now I just have some rocks, small gravel on the bottom and a few fake plants.
<Research plants carefully; while they can look amazing and do a good job of killing off algae, they require an investment in lights and substrate that not everyone is prepared to make. Inadequate lighting especially is the deal-breaker. Under poor conditions, plants are a waste of money.>
Also, I do not have an air stone in there (from lack of knowing how to use it) so I am wondering if I should add it.
<Air stones aren't magical and aren't vital. All they do is improve water circulation. Despite the bubbles, they don't "pump in" oxygen any better than a strong filter splashing the surface of the water does.>
I started the larger tank for my two year old daughter to enjoy. she has a brain tumor and her speech is delayed and it has really helped her open up since I got this new tank started. It really gets her talking, so I want to keep it as colorful as possible!
<Ah yes, fish tank therapy. I'd perhaps buy or borrow an aquarium book, and maybe flip through the pages with her, talking through the options. Let her get involved with the choosing of the fish. Relate to her the factors involved so she can empathise with the fish and make judgment calls accordingly. So discuss water chemistry, size, social behaviour, need for friends of the same species, and so on. One thing all children like is to see baby fish, so perhaps choosing a livebearing species, I'd recommend platies, and then use your old tank to rear the babies safely away from predators. Over the weeks and months, it's rewarding for children to see the baby fish grow.>
Thanks for any help you can give!
<I hope this helps!>
Christen in PA
<Neale in Berkhamsted, UK>

White Fuzz on all plastic plants???
Need some assistance, I have a 90 gallon community tank. what is in the tank= 1 Large pleco , 5 dojo's small, 3 Bala sharks, 2 Cory catfish, 2 rainbow fish, 4 creme sickle mollies, 6 red wag platies, 4 sunset platies, 12 small neon.
<A curious selection of species because these fishes all have different water chemistry requirements. While most of these fish will prefer hard and alkaline water (mollies, platies, rainbows, and dojo loaches) or at least tolerate such conditions very well (Plec and Corydoras) the neons in particular tend to be short-lived in hard and alkaline water.>
The Issue is I did my regular water change today 20% & I put in my normal chemicals for growing bacteria, removing chlorines & tap water conditioner.
<The "bacteria growing chemicals" are not required at this point. Contrary to the marketing for the stuff, once a biological filter is established, it becomes more or less self-sustaining. You can replaced all the water in the tank and the bacteria in the filter won't be harmed in the least. By the way, if you can do bigger water changes, then so much the better. Plecs especially are heavy polluters and throw a lot of silt into the water as they mature. This silt clogs the biological filter media, reducing water flow and efficiency.>
The one change I did make was I noticed my Ph was down so I put in 1 1/2 teaspoon's of "API pH up" as directed.
<Curious. What is the normal pH/hardness level of the aquarium and what is the pH/hardness level of the water from the tap? In general, aquaria do have a tendency to become more acidic over time. This is called "acidification" and is a result of decaying organic matter. In tanks where the water is hard and alkaline, the effect is usually trivially small, especially if you perform big, frequent water changes. But in soft water aquaria the pH drop can be noticeable. Either way, it is almost always easier to eschew "pH up" and "pH down" chemicals in favour of selecting fish that thrive in your ambient water conditions and then use bulk water changes to act as the "buffer" by removing water before it has a chance to become acidified.>
After I was done cleaning up. I went away for about an hours & came back to see White Fuzz on all my plastic plants which do have normally green algae on them.
<White fuzz covers a lot of ground. It could be silt for example. But it could also be chemicals precipitating out of the water because you changed the pH. Undissolved chemicals can also produce a white fuzz, but the product you are using is a solution not a powder, so not likely the issue here.>
My temperature is normal 76 degrees & so are all the test score's on the test strip except for the pH & alkalinity which are low.
<Define "normal". What is normal for a neon tetra is very abnormal for a molly, so you can't have normal in one tank containing both those species. It's either too hard/alkaline for the neons or too soft/acidic for the molly.>
I am running a Rena Xp3 Canister filter & I changed the carbon filter today & the white foam filter that goes above that.
<For reasons I seem to have to explain once or twice a week, bin the carbon since it does nothing useful in a properly run freshwater aquarium. Put filter wool in its place. This will remove silt very effectively.>
Should I be worried???
<Certainly keep an eye on things. Siphon out the white powder at once, and do a 50% water change. Ensure the pH and hardness are appropriate for your fish. There really isn't an ideal pH or hardness for your collection because they are fundamentally incompatible fish, but aiming for pH 7.2-7.5 and moderate hardness (i.e., 10-15 dH) is perhaps the safest thing in the short term.>
Thank You, Joseph
<Cheers, Neale>

Tank is Too Clean  3/30/07
I have no idea what is going on.  I cleaned my tank a month ago and two weeks after the water turned foggy.  So I washed everything in the tank filled it with new water.  now three days ago, the water turned muggy again and my smaller angel fish tail is slightly torn along with her fins and she has white stuff on her eyes like cataracts. Im going to put her into a separate tank put sea salt into it and aqua plus, what else could I do?
< When you cleaned the tank a month ago you did too good a job. You removed all the good bacteria that breaks down the fish waste. The foggy water is an ammonia spike. This is deadly to fish. If it doesn't kill them outright then they get bacterial infections such as the one you are witnessing. In the separate tank treat the angelfish with Nitrofuranace. In the main tank add Bio-Spira from Marineland to the bacteria up and going again.-Chuck>

Loaches, guppies....and cats   3/14/07
<<Hello, Celeste. Tom here.>>
As per a previous correspondence:
(And will the loaches be good fry control in the 37 gallon?
<Mmm, snail fry only> )
Just wanted to let you know (for future readers) that we have seen our loaches (angelicus botia) chase down and eat a few guppy fry (as well as devour any and all snails we put in there).  Obviously not enough to control our guppy population from 11 females, 4 males, but they have eaten a few.  But we've moved our guppies to their own 29 gallon tank and are finding alternatives to fry control.
<<Thanks for sharing this with us, Celeste. Many of our readers are perhaps more familiar with Clown Loaches (Chromobotia macracanthus) in the hobby and, while these are described (on paper) as “harmless” fish, readers have occasionally shared stories that indicate that this isn’t always the case. Still a bit surprising, however.>>
I do have an odd question re: cats and aquariums I was hoping you'd have some fresh ideas for.  I have no problem with the cats staring, batting, and running into the aquarium.  (The loaches in particular seem to fascinate them, and I even have a feeling they love to tease the poor cats as they rest right by where she is and only swim away after she's pounced on the glass.)  I do, however, have a problem with a cat sitting atop our 10 gallon.  (We have three tanks in 6 months...and planning more....)  It currently only houses pond snails to breed for a loach treat, and her jumping atop doesn't seem to bother them, but we are in the process of converting it to a betta home and I'm afraid it will scare/stress the betta more than the snails.  We've had to put a board on top because she kept jumping on the plexi-glass, which bowed it.  Will her jumping atop scare the betta fish?  
<<Realistically, I doubt it. Your Betta won’t have a clue as to what a cat is. My Betta’s in a high traffic area and wouldn’t care if Godzilla sat on top of his tank if he thought there’d be some food in it for him. Even water changes and vacuuming seem to be grand sport for him so I don’t think your cat would rattle your Betta very much. Still, it’s appropriate to take measures to protect your fish just as you would with any pet.>>
We've tried spraying her, citrus rings, scaring her when she does, but she mostly does it at night when we're sleeping.  (The 10 gallon is in our bedroom, so I hear it.)  It's only one of our cats.  Any fresh ideas?
<<Actually, this is an old idea I’ve used with my dogs in the past. (Ivan Pavlov would be proud…sort of.) Place a half-dozen pennies in several empty soda cans – I’ve been told beer cans work just as well but, of course (cough), I have no personal knowledge of this - and place some tape over the top to cover the opening. Keep these handy in the bedroom and, when you see the cat looking “interested”, gently toss the cans in his/her direction. Don’t worry about hitting the cat with the cans. They’ll be too light to inflict any harm on the animal. One, or two, of these sessions will “sensitize” the cat to the sound of the pennies rattling in the can and, afterward, simply rattling a can will stop it from doing whatever it’s up to.  In the evenings, place these on top of the aquarium so that there’s no chance of “Kitty” hopping up without knocking over the cans. I’m betting your cat will lose interest in perching on the Betta’s aquarium pretty quickly.>>
I hope you guys never tire of hearing our accolades and thanks for what you do.  I again add mine.
Celeste
<<Thank you most kindly from all of us, Celeste.  Best regards. Tom>>

Changing rocks in an established tank  - 03/10/07
Thank you so very much for your time and help with my occasional questions.
My fish and I appreciate it. Hopefully this one is a very quick one.
I'm bored with the current color of the gravel rocks in my aquarium, so I bought enough bags of a new color to replace the old ones with. Are there any concerns I should be aware of before making the switch; i.e.. Remove the fish temporarily into a container while doing the change?
<<Catching on your fish may prove more stressful than working around them, especially if it is pebbles and not cloudy.  My only concern might be the amount of your bio-filter that will be removed with the substrate.  Might be prudent to remove in smaller amounts over time.>>
When opening the bags of gravel rocks, should I wash them first?
<<Rinsing will do.>>
Should I put a new filter in my tank (old one is okay, but just want to be safe)?
<<Not unless you want a new/additional filter.>>
Are there any additives or extras needing to be put in the water?
<<Aside from dechlorinator, no.>>
This is my first ever tank which I set up about one year ago so is well established, no unusual deaths (not counting the live fry eaten by the parents). Been using a product called Nitraban,
<<No need to use this in an established tank.>>
Do partial water changes regularly to keep from nitrate build up.
<<Partial water changes are key to a healthy tank. Keep it up.>>
and about once a week drop in an anti-ammonia dissolving tablet just in case.
<<This is not beneficial to your tank.  Nitrifying bacteria feed on ammonia, and your tank is well cycled, so no ammonia should be readable; these tabs aren’t necessary.>>
The youngest fry are currently 2-3 months old -unless I have more hiding somewhere since I keep abundant decor so everyone can hide if they want. Also, my tank is in a room in an underground basement, so it's impossible for any outside light to get in. I don't have a bad problem with algae, but noticed it builds up faster the longer I have the tank light on, often for several hours per day. Tank is by the computer and I really enjoy them, and named most of my fish. I've read that using anti-algae formulas will do something that "starves out oxygen" in the tank. Is this true?
<<Can be, are often hard on biofiltration, and ignore the source of the problem. I am not a fan at all.  Try limiting the hours the aquarium light is on.>>
I do have an aeration pump.  I've just been cleaning the fake plants and decor by hand and discarding the filthiest of rocks, hence a part of the reason I want to dump the white rocks and put a new color in also. I've already read mollies are a vegetarian type of eater, so am I right to assume it's okay to leave some algae on plants to allow them to peck at?
<<Not strictly vegetarians, but certainly need lots of vegetation in their diet.  It is best to leave some algae for them to pick at.>>
My Corydoras I read are carnivorous and blood worms are healthy for them.
The mollies enjoy them also. Are blood worms healthy for mollies?
<<Can be part of their diet certainly.  Do be sure to offer all of your fishes as varied a diet as possible for optimum health. Lisa.>>
SK

Red spot fungus, likely BGA  3/6/07
Hi I have kept fish for 10 or more years, last year I noticed a kind of red fungus on the walls and rocks in my tank, my local fish shop suggested that I use a razor blade to scrape the fungus of the walls and scrub the stones until they were clean, this was really impractical as I have a lot of rocks and stuff, anyway after a lot of effort I cleaned the tank with no after effects to the fish, I have noticed that the fungus has returned and quite honestly if I have to go through the clean that I had done last year I would properly just bye or get hold of more rocks, is there a treatment that I can use?
Mike
<Mmm, useful avenues include competition, nutrient deprivation, allelopathy... Through the growth of purposeful photosynthates, chemical filtration, bolstering denitrification... not chemical algicides... This is very likely a Blue Green Algae... Please read here: http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwbgafaqs.htm
and the linked files above... Bob Fenner>

White spots and Tiger Barbs  - 03/02/07
Hi,
<Hello>
I am very confused. <Hopefully we can help with that.> I don't know what is wrong with my tank. I have a 30 gallon freshwater tank. My particular concern is with the tank itself. There are white, salt-like dots on the inside of the tank. When you run your fingers on the tank walls, they feel bumpy and come off fairly easily. I also think they are on the live plants I have. They do not seem to be getting worse, but I don't know what to do. The pH is 7.0, temp is 79-80 (I have airstones), ammonia, nitrates and nitrites are all negative and I have verified this with two different test kits. I cannot attach a picture because any pictures I have tried to take, you cannot see the dots. <Wondering if it might be calcium precipitate?  Do you have very hard water?  Are they hard to the touch or squishy?>
Also, I have three tiger barbs, and I think one of them is bullying the other two, to the point of extreme stress. <Not atypical for this species.>  One of the tiger barbs is changing colors and not due to the light. <Stress coloring.> One second he is his usual darker color and the next second he is very very light. This color change happens so quickly and is constant. I have also noticed he sometimes hides in a corner with his head pointed down. <Hiding from the aggressor.>  I do not know if this is a symptom of bulling or not. <Yes unfortunately.> He seems to be eating fairly well, however he does not like to come out from his corner a lot.  <As long as he is still eating there is hope.> He has never been incredibly social, but he is becoming more and more withdrawn. <The weakest of the trio, lowest in the pecking order.> He is also breathing very fast. I have not noticed anything on him, such as cuts, parasites, etc. Should I remove the other fish from the group or is he sick?  <Well stress often allows illness to take hold, but without more symptoms I would guess he is just getting picked on.  Might want to remove the Alpha fish for a couple weeks if possible, give the weaker ones a chance to fatten up and establish themselves.  Depending on other stock might want to add a few more so one does not get all the attention, best if kept in odd numbers, so add 2 or 4 more.  Watch the weak one closely for signs of disease and be prepared to separate if necessary.>
Thanks for your help.
Sara
<Chris>

Whitish Slime on Gravel  2/27/07
Hi there,
<Hi Casie, Pufferpunk here>
I have a 38 gallon fresh water tank. I have 5 tetras, (not sure what kind of tetra), a kissing gourami, a peppered loach and 2 angel fish.
<Those pink "kissers" are quite aggressive & grow to a foot.>
Yesterday both of my angel fish died =(. It looked like they had been getting picked on in the eyes. I believe the kissing gourami is a little meaner than I thought.  (I just added him last week).
<Sure is!>
This morning I woke up to this whitish/clear substance in some of the gravel. It almost looks "squishy". I didn't want to bother it not knowing what it was, (eggs or more likely bacteria maybe?)
<Bacterial, caused probably by over-feeding & under-cleaning.>
Some of it is now floating in the water and I did scoop that out. Could this of caused the angel fish to die?  
<An end result, I'm sure.>
I should mention that I also have sand in the bottom of the tank along with gravel. It was from my saltwater tank that I no longer use. I bleached it and it's been in there some time now but maybe it's from the sand?
<Depending on how deep the sand is, if you don't stir it weekly, anaerobic (toxic air pockets) can develop in the sand.>
I've searched the internet for about an hour looking for it, everything I find refers to saltwater. Any clue as to what it is?
<It sounds to me that you aren't doing enough regular weekly water changes or cleaning the substrate.  Weekly 50% water changes are the very best thing you can do to insure healthy fish.  Clean the gravel with a gravel cleaner, while removing the water.  That should remove most of the "gunk".  If you haven't done a water change in a while, then 2 consecutive 25% water changes within 2 days will be best, so you don't shock the fish.  Be sure to match the water temperature 7 dechlorinate (I prefer using Prime)>
Let me know if you believe it could be harmful. Sorry to drag on about what I think it could be, obviously I have no clue *smile*. Thank you for your help.
<I'd find another home for the gourami.  It would have been best to leave your tank stocked as it was.  Perfect balance of fish.  ~PP>
~Casie L.

Cleaning Algae from Equipment - 1/20/07
First of all, can't thank you enough for the massive amounts of money you have saved me from reading your site and the generous advice and education you have provided me.  Not a day goes by where I don't recommend your website to two or three people..
<Thank you for this, Keith.>
I have a 55 gallon salt water tank and a 40 gallon freshwater tank with two baby red ear slider turtles and a few freshwater plants and tiny tetras.
<Unsure if you are aware, but the tetras are too likely to become a snack for your turtles with time...>
In the freshwater tank, I have a waterfall I purchased from a local pet store that has become a bit overtaken with algae.  I wanted to clean it and get it looking like it was brand new again.  I thought if I soaked it in white vinegar (works for my pumps in my fish tank) overnight, I could get everything off of it but it didn't come close.  
<Yes, vinegar works best when that which you are trying to remove is calcium deposits.>
Today, I was chatting with a gentleman from my LFS and he told me I could soak it in Clorox overnight and then rinse it off and let it sit for 24 hours, and that should do the trick.
He also mentioned I could make a Clorox spray bottle and just to make sure I thoroughly rinsed it before putting it back in the tank?
<Not sure I understand the purpose of the spray bottle, but he is correct about the bleach soak. If I were to do this, I would put 2 to 3 capfuls of bleach in the water for the soak. However, another crew member recently suggested that the bleach alternative, OxyClean, will serve this purpose as well, with the benefit of not being overtly toxic like bleach. A scoop of OxyClean per 5 gallons should be plenty, if you go this route. I recently used this method to clean up some decor in my mother's aquarium, and it worked wonders! Do realize that you will likely need to do some scrubbing with a toothbrush, to get it as close to original as possible.>
Is this ok to do?  Should I use pure Clorox or mix it with water?  At what ratio?  Is there a better way of cleaning items? Is this safe?
Thanks!!!!
<Pure bleach would be far too potent here, likely to damage the plastic of your equipment somewhat. See my suggestions re above, and you should be fine. Hope this helps! -JustinN> <Mmm, I'd refer the readers to the article/action plan archived on WWM re cautionary remarks concerning dechlorinator use, air-drying... RMF>

Redundant Q's - use the search & index 1/16/07
Heyyy!!!   What's Happenin?
<A-hoy-hoy>
Hello WetWebMedia crew, my name is Josh.  
<Hi, Josh, Graham T. here.>
I've gotten into this beautiful hobby about a year ago and definitely still new to the game.  I just have a couple of questions doesn't everybody) <seems that way... ;) > in regards to the fish that I keep and their future.  Currently, I have a 10g tank w/ plenty of fake plants that runs at a consistent 78 degrees.  <I>n this tank, I have two blue gourami(1 male,1 female) two gold Gourami( 2 males), and a kissing fish unsure if it's male/female).  
The setup is temporary due to the types of fish and their potential size.  
<Ahh... good.>
Planning on getting a 55g once <I> have the funds for it. I've had a hard time finding the answers to what seems to be an easy question which leads me here:
1) what are some other fish that are compatible with these fish once I get the new tank? since <I> don't want to get rid of them if I don't have to.
<See here re http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/gouramicompFAQs.htm and all related links.>
2) <W>old I be able to use these fish to cycle the new tank?
<Yes, but don't be so mean! There are kinder ways to cycle a tank, without livestock at all. http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm >
3) <I>f not, are there other fish that <I> can keep to cycle the tank that are compatible w/ my fish <