Aquarium.LifeTips.com

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1 Aquarium.LifeTips.com

2 Category: Aquarium Fish Food Subcategory: Live Food Tip: Black Worms These bacteria-infested worms are among the best sources of protein for the fish and are an excellent conditioning food for breeding preparation. But be careful, frequent feedings will cause the fish to become fat and impair breeding. Because black worms are generally collected or raised under non-sanitary conditions, diseases are far more likely on a steady diet of worms. Thoroughly rinse worms in chlorinated water (tap water) before feeding to your aquarium fish. Tip: Cyclops Cyclops are the same as Daphnia, but predatory. They can damage fish eggs and very young fry. They are best fed to condition breeders on a limited use basis. Tip: Tubifex The aquarist should not attempt to raise tubifex. They live and feed on sewage, and may carry hepatitis or other potential pathogens. They may be successfully kept in cold running water without producing odor. Alternatively, 2 oz. of worms can be kept for up to three days in a medium sized bucket of cold water in a fridge. Category: Aquarium Maintenance Subcategory: Scheduled Maintenance Tip: Water Changes Perform regular partial water changes. Changing 25% of your tank's water every other week serves two purposes: it dilutes and removes nitrate before it accumulates to dangerous levels, and it replaces trace elements and buffers that get used up by bacteria, plants, etc. Water changes are the most important step in controlling disease, and large water changes are not safe unless the chemical composition (e.g., ph and GH) of your tank's water is similar to the water you are adding. Tip: Water changing frequency The more frequent the changes, the less water that needs to be replaced. However, the longer between changes, the more stressful each change potentially becomes, because a larger portion of the water gets replaced. Replacing roughly 25% of your tank's water

3 bi-weekly is a good minimal starting point, but this may not be enough. The proper frequency really depends on such factors as the fish load in your tank, how much you feed at each feeding and what types of filtration you have. Nonetheless, you should do water changes often enough so that nitrate levels stay at or below 50ppm in fish only systems, and preferably MUCH lower (less than 10ppm is an optimal value) while reef tanks should have a nitrate level below 2 ppm; the change in water chemistry resulting from a change is small. In particular, the before and after ph of your tank shouldn't differ by more than.2 units. Use a ph test kit or meter the first few times to get a feel for what's right. If your ph changes too much as a result of a water change, perform changes more frequently, but replace less water at each change. Make sure the water temperature does not fluctuate more than 2 degrees when you perform a water change. Category: Aquarium Plants Subcategory: Ferns Tip: African Water Fern Bolbitus heudelotii (African water fern) Slow-growing creeping rhizome with dark green, 8" lobed leaves. Tie roots to bogwood like Java fern. Don't bury the rhizome in the gravel. Can be grown emersed with fast-moving water. Tip: Duckweed Lemna (duckweed, green plague) Tiny (1/4") plant with a pair of leaves and a root. Reproduces very quickly. A very noxious weed, hard to eradicate, and most fish don't like to eat it. Try a floating fern such as Salvinia instead of this one. Tip: Floating Fern Salvinia (floating fern) Small floating fern that grows in long chains of two oval leaves and a ``root-like'' third leaf. Easier to control than duckweed. Buy it at water garden supply stores, as it's too cheap for most aquarium shops. Subcategory: Large Plants Tip: Cabomba Cabomba (fanwort) Stems up to 20" (50cm) tall. Leaves resemble fine pine needles, fanning out from central stem. Pair of leaves at each node. Will tend to break apart and litter the aquarium if light is too low. Difficult to grow; needs high fertilization.

4 Tip: Cardinalis Lobelia cardinalis Similar/same the red-flowered land garden plant. Rumored to leach poison if cut. Tip: Madagascar Lace Plant Aponogeton madagascariensis (Madagascar Lace Plant) Very desired plant because of its 6-18" leaves which are actually a lace-like skeleton. Pink self-fertile flowers on double-spiked stalk. Likes rich substrate. Observe dormancy period! Dies in water over 80F. Difficult plant to grow. Tip: Onion Bulb Crinum (onion bulb) As the name implies, it grows from a bulb and looks like a scallion. Bright-green leaves are huge 20-40", and recommended only for large aquariums. Does better in bright light. Tip: Orchid Lily Barclaya longifolia (orchid lily) 10-20" delicate brownish or olive-green leaves, moderately-undulated margins. Likes warmed substrate and warm aquariums (75-82F). Foreground single plant. Often rots on transplant. Flowers and seeds easily by sending a stalk to the surface, or will remain submerged and closed (seeds still viable). Very difficult to grow. Tip: Rosette: Anubias Not really a rosette plant, Anubias all have a creeping rhizome that grows very slowly, throwing out new leaves as it grows. The plant is built like a tank, people report keeping them in a closet for six months in a plastic bag yet still surviving. It is also one of the most expensive aquarium plants. If grown immersed, they may produce larger leaves, and will grow faster, and flowers will produce seeds. Anubias will frequently flower underwater, but not seed. You can grow the roots in gravel, or even train the rhizome to grow on bogwood like Java fern does. Most commonly kept species is A. barteri var. nana, the smallest Anubias, which has egg-shaped leaves and makes a great foreground plant in medium-to-large aquariums. A. barteri var. barteri looks similar to the nana variety, but with bigger leaves. A. congensis, A. lanceolata and others grow very tall and make good background plants. They can sometimes be seen in better stores. Tip: Rotala Rotala Very delicate leaves, easily damaged. Grows up to 20" tall, so they make excellent background plants. R. indica can grow in medium light, but just will not stay as

5 green. R. macrandra is largest, and hardest to cultivate. It has red leaves with pink undersides, turning to green in lower light, and requires iron fertilization to maintain its red color Tip: Temple Plant Hygrophila corymbosa (giant hygro, temple plant) Also known as Nomaphila stricta. Light green leaves, sometimes with reddish veins. Easily grows out of the water, where leaves turn dark reddish green. Big plant; makes good corner/background in large deep tanks. Grows quickly given high fertilization. Fairly hardy. Another species with similar appearance and requirements is narrow-leaved hygro (probably H. augustifolia). Tip: Valisneria Valisneria Grass. Reproduction by runners. Some find it grows wildly, then mostly dies off, in a cycle. Wide temperatures 59-86F. V. spiralis (Italian val) has ribbon-like leaves up to 20" and throws up a spiral stalk when flowering. V. tortifolia grows corkscrew leaves, hence its name Corkscrew val. Other common species: V. gigantica (Jungle Val). Tip: Water Pennywort Hydrocotoyle leucocephala (water pennywort) Tall stem plant (over 20") with heart-shaped green leaves of 1" diameter. Develops several small roots at each node. Tolerates 50-82F. Will grow floating when it reaches the top of the water and flower in the aquarium. Doesn't root well, so needs to be refreshed occasionally from cuttings. Leaves look kind of like Cardimine lyrata. Tip: Water Sprite Ceratopteris (water sprite) Up to 20" tall. Exists as rooted or floating specimens. Good fry shelter, shade plant. Baby plants grow on older leaves. Confused with Hygrophila difformis sometimes. Several different species and/or forms, which may require more light than others. Subcategory: Moss Tip: Hornwort Ceratophyllym demersum (hornwort) Very hardy. Whorls of forked leaves. Grows leggy under medium light, quickly under better conditions. No roots, so can be kept free-floating or planted. Lengths up to 2 feet.

6 Tip: Java Moss Vesicularia dubyana (Java moss) Grows in branching strands, tangling around other plants. Dark green. Makes good spawning medium and cover for young fry. Min temp 75F. May dislike salt. Subcategory: Plant Care Tip: hard to kill plants Many hobbyist think that aquatic plants are impossible to keep or grow. Wwell think again. The hardiest plants are here available to most hobbyist. The "Java Fern" and the "Anubias " plants are the easiest and hardiest of all aquatic plants. These two species require minimum lighthing and care. Both grow and propagte at a minimal good growth.the java fern propagates by rhizome and its leaves shoots baby plants. As for the anubias the come in several varities. the "nana" and "barteri" variety are so far the most popular. The other advantage you will have with these aquatic plants is you literally can put or house them with even tropical fish that just cannot resist to nibble on plants. so all in all recommended for begginers and all who love aquatic plants. Tip: Plants and pots Many aquatic plants are now sold in potted rockwool. Plants with delicate roots, such as Cryptocoryne and Anubias, are usually best left in the rockwool wadding, especially if you have to move them around in the tank. Leaving them potted also can reduce transplant shock; otherwise you must be patient and allow the plants time to recover in their new substrate. You can bury the pots in your gravel to conceal them. Some folks like to cut away the plastic pot, and just leave the plant in the wadding so it can grow out into the substrate. Category: Aquarium Supplies & Equipment Subcategory: Aquarium Decorations Tip: Aquarium Gravel Be aware that not all gravel is inert. For example, coral, sea shells, dolomite and limestone will release (leach) carbonates into the tank raising its ph buffering capacity. When keeping saltwater fish and corals or African rift lake cichlids, this is desirable. But in most other cases, you will not want your gravel affecting the water chemistry. As a quick test, drip an acid (e.g., vinegar) onto the gravel in question. If it foams or bubbles, the gravel is going to leach carbonates into the water. To be absolutely sure, fill a bucket of gravel with water and measure the ph over a period of a week. If the ph remains stable, it should be safe to use in your tank. If you have obtained non-aquarium

7 gravel for use in your tank, you should test to be sure the gravel does not contain any harmful toxins. Unfortunately, the best way to test the gravel is to add the gravel to a container or small tank, fill with water and add a small fish (preferably a feeder fish) for a few days to be sure the gravel is safe. Tip: Driftwood Decorations Driftwood and other Decorations are safe to place items in your tank as long as they are inert, meaning they won't release (leach) chemicals into the water. Wood may leach substances into the water, changing the ph in a possibly inappropriate manner. Driftwood often leaches tannins and other humic acids into the water, possibly softening it and lowering its ph. The water may also obtain a yellowish tea-colored tint. The tint is not harmful and can be removed by filtering the water through activated charcoal. If you use wood that you've found yourself (e.g., woods or lake), boil it first to kill any pathogens. Boiling it long enough will also make it sink. Subcategory: Aquarium Heaters Tip: Aquarium Thermometers You will need a thermometer to verify that your tank stays at its proper temperature. Two types are commonly available. The traditional bulb thermometer works the same way as the ones you can buy for your house. They either hang from the top edge of your tank, or float along the surface. The second common design is a flat model that sticks to the outside of the glass. In this design, liquid crystals activate at a specific temperature, either highlighting the numerical temperature or a bar that slides along a scale. Aquarium thermometers can be rather unreliable so, thermometers are good for verifying that your temperature is not too far off, but may be off by several degrees in some cases. When buying a thermometer, look at all the thermometers and pick one that has an ``average'' temperature, rather than one of the extremes. Subcategory: Aquarium Lights Tip: Actinic Lighting Actinics light bulbs are a type of fluorescent or power compact light. The color of this light is very blue. Actinics are most useful to the chlorophyll in marine life, and they are the color of the sea below 10 meters. A little more costly than regular bulbs, but well worth the expense. Actinic bulbs are used in conjunction with daylight or "white" color bulbs to produce the proper color spectrum. Actinic bulbs show off the colors of the corals and fish in the tank by causing them to "glow" under the actinic light. Tip: Aquarium Lighting Needs

8 Plants need a definite daily light and dark cycle each day hours is fine. You should buy a timer for $5-$10 to automatically turn the lights on and off for you, since the plants and fish prefer a regular cycle. If the plants need more light, you should not extend the light period, as that will only increase algal growth. Rather, install another fixture and increase the intensity of light. Tip: Metal Halide Aquarium Lighting Metal Halide (MH) lights are most commonly seen illuminating football fields, but are also used in our hobby by reefkeepers and die-hard plant enthusiasts, who demand very high light intensity. The fixtures cost significantly more than fluorescent over $200 per fixture). The bulbs last longer and provide more efficient and brighter illumination than fluorescents: typically watts per bulb, but generate an appropriately higher level of heat as well. Some aquarists like the sun-like shadow effects generated by MH bulbs Tip: Metal Halide vs Halogen Do not confuse MH with the tungsten halogen lights sold in hardware stores as utility floods or living room fixtures; Halogen lights are basically high-wattage incandescent lights, and generate an enormous amount of heat and are very inefficient in their light output. Some also find the spectrum too yellowish. Category: Aquariums, Tanks & Bowls Subcategory: Tank Construction Tip: Glass Aquariums vs. Acrylic Aquariums Benefits/Downfalls of a Glass tank: 1. cheapest per gallon 2. hard to scratch 3. scratches permanent 4. higher index of refraction 5. empty tank heavy 6. Tank stand only needs to support edges 7. more easily broken Benefits/downfalls of Acrylic tanks: 1. more expensive per gallon 2. scratches easily (e.g. scraping algae with razor blade) 3. scratches can be buffed out (though not easily) 4. lower IOR (tank distorts less when viewed from angle) 5. same sized tank weighs less (empty) 6.Special stand needed that supports entire base of tank (not just edges) 7. harder to break Category: Corals & Invertebrates Subcategory: Sea Horse

9 Tip: Seahorse Basics Seahorses need a tank with very little water movement. They like to hang on to things, so give them some coral or little plants to wrap their tails onto. They work well in a tank with other quiet fish. Category: First Time Fish Owners Subcategory: Care & Feeding Tip: The Most Important Tip: Patience! The one most important tip for any aquarist - is patience! Buying a tank, setting it up and filling it with fish all in the same day, while possible, is a sure road to disaster. In fact, setting up and fully stocking your first tank will take close to two months! Subcategory: Your First Fish Tip: Pick fish for your water Pick fish for your water. Select fish who are native to waters having a similar chemical properties (ph and GH) to your local tap water. If you have hard water, choose hard water fish. If you have soft water, choose soft water fish. This is especially important if you water is outside the ph range. Changing the natural hardness (or ph) of your tap water can be hard work and often takes the fun out of keeping aquariums. Moreover, bungled attempts at adjustment are common and often worse for fish than the original sub-optimal water conditions. A good way to learn which fish live happily in your local water is to check with a local fish store. Category: Fish Breeding Subcategory: Environment Tip: A mix of male and female fish This may sounds obvious, but some fish are not easy to sex. In species that are difficult to sex, is best to start out with at least six young fish so that you are certain of getting both males and females. Starting with many fish also gives monogamous fish a chance to pick compatible mates. Sometimes if a single male and female are introduced, they will not breed. Other fish, like livebearers, killifish, and polygamous cichlids need more females that males so that females are not harassed by amorous males.

10 Tip: Extremely clean water Most fish will not breed if there is any ammonia or nitrite present, and large amounts of nitrate are toxic to baby fish. Some fish, especially tetras, must be bred in a breeding tank that is bare and sterile so that their eggs do not fungus. Tip: Fish Breeding Environment Cues Many tropical fish breed in the rainy season. When it rains, streams flood, the water hardness drops, and there is thunder and lightning. Adventuresome breeders with rainy season fish may try large water changes with distilled water, watering cans to simulate rain, strong currents, and even flashing lights and loud noises. Temperature changes may also stimulate spawning, as may changes in the light/dark cycle. The closer to nature you can keep it, the better the results you will have with your breeding. Category: Freshwater Fish Subcategory: Challenging Fish Tip: Hatchet and Pencil Fishes Somewhat related to Tetras, Hatchets (family Gasteropelecidae) and Pencils (genus Nannostomus) are Characins from South America. Many of them need soft and acid water and all of them are delicate. Hatchets have the added disadvantage that they tend to launch themselves out of the aquarium to an untimely death. Subcategory: Schooling Fish Tip: Cyprinids White Clouds, Danios, Rasboras, and Barbs are all Asian fish related to the Carp and the Minnow. All of these fish belong to the family Cyprinidae. White Clouds, Danios, Rasboras, and Barbs are small, active, hardy, and colorful. Tip: Rasboras The most popular Rasbora is the Harlequin Rasbora - Rasbora heteromorpha. A very similar looking species, Rasbora espei, is also available, as is the Clown Rasbora - Rasbora kalochroma and the ScissorTail Rasbora - Rasbora trilineata. Orange, brown, and red are usual colors for Rasboras, and their stop-and-start swimming makes them interesting to watch as a school. ScissorTails can get up to 6" long and Clown Rasboras up to 4" while Harlequins stay under 2" long. Family: Cyprinidae

11 Tip: White Cloud Mountain Minnows ``White Cloud Mountain Minnows'' - Tanichthys albonubes Found in mountain streams in China, White Clouds can be kept in unheated tanks (down to 55F). Some people advise against putting these fish in tropical tanks but I have found that they do fine in heated aquarium as well, as long as the temperature is not kept above the mid 70s. They can be fed any small food and they spawn often but fry will not be seen unless the parents are removed to another tank. White Clouds are brown with a red tail and a silvery white line down the side that shines in the light. They get to be 1 1/2" long. Family: Cyprinidae Subcategory: Solitary Fish Tip: Plecos The suckermouth catfish of the genus Hypostomus are often sold in the stores as algae cleaners. Most of these species get in excess of 12". Some of the slender suckermouth catfish, such as the Whiptail - Dasyloricaria filamentosa and the Farlowella - Farlowella gracilis, are quite delicate species Category: Saltwater Fish Subcategory: Schooling Fish Tip: Damselfish This is a great starter fish, and looks cute too, with its black body and white dot. It does become aggressive later on in its life. Category: Water Chemistry Subcategory: General Chemistry Tip: Learn About Your Water Chemistry Basic water chemistry is ph, hardness and buffering. You don't need a chemistry degree, but you should know enough about water chemistry and the specifics of your local water supply so that you can keep fish happy. Every location's water source is different, and some fish won't be able to survive in your water. You can learn details about your water from a local fish store, or through the use of test kits. Tip: Nitrogen Cycle - New Tank Cycling

12 Like all living creatures, fish give off waste products. These nitrogenous waste products break down into ammonia (NH3), which is highly toxic to most fish. In nature, the volume of water per fish is extremely high, and waste products become diluted to low concentrations. In aquariums, however, it can take as little as a few hours for ammonia concentrations to reach toxic levels. How much ammonia is too much? The quick answer is: if a test kit is able to measure it, you've got too much. Consider emergency action (water changes and zeolite clay) to reduce the danger. The nitrogen cycle, more precisely, the nitrification cycle, is the biological process that converts ammonia into other, harmless nitrogen compounds. Fortunately, several species of bacteria do this conversion for us. Some species convert ammonia (NH3) to nitrite (N02-), while others convert nitrite to nitrate (NO3-). So, cycling the tank refers to the process of establishing bacterial colonies in the filter bed that convert ammonia -> nitrite -> nitrate. Tip: Nitrogen Warning Fish produce toxic wastes (ammonia) that must be broken down by bacteria through *biological filtration. Most fish deaths for first-time tank owners are a direct result of not understanding the nitrogen cycle and are completely avoidable. Regular testing of the water can avoid these fish deaths. Tip: Oxygen Fish need oxygen, and some fish are more tolerant of low-oxygen water than others. Water with insufficient oxygen stresses fish. Note that as the water temperature goes up, the amount of dissolved oxygen in water decreases. Tip: Reverse osmosis Reverse osmosis is a process for filtering tap water before it is used in an aquarium. This process generates water slowly and wastes a couple of gallons of water for each gallon of filtered water produced. However it is one of the easiest home methods. Subcategory: PH Tip: Buffering requirements How much buffering does your tank need? Most aquarium buffering capacity test kits actually measure KH. The larger the KH, the more resistant to ph changes your water will be. A tank's KH should be high enough to prevent large ph swings in your tank over time. If your KH is below roughly 4.5 dh, you should pay special attention to your tank's ph testing weekly, until you get a feel for how stable the ph is. This is especially important if you neglect to do scheduled partial water changes. The nitrogen cycle creates a tendency for an established tank's ph to decrease over time. The exact amount of ph change depends on the quantity and rate of nitrates produced, as well as

13 the KH. If your ph drops more than roughly two tenths of a point over a month, you should consider increasing the KH or performing more partial water changes. KH doesn't affect fish directly, so there is no need to match fish species to a particular KH. Tip: Keep the ph of your tank's water stable. Rapid ph changes stress fish. Tank water has a natural tendency to become acidic due to the production of nitric acid (nitrates) from the nitrogen cycle. Keeping ph stable requires having adequate ``buffering''. If your water is soft, you may need to add buffering agents. All of these products are readily available in your local pet stores.