Questions, FW Setup 10/17/08
Hi Crew, Hope things are going well for all of you.
<Yes, thanks.>
I have a couple of questions, please. First, are you familiar with a product called Algone? If so, do you know if it really works or not?
<I have seen it available, but it does not list its ingredients so it has never been added to any of my tanks. I recommend not adding anything you are not positive about what is in it and how it works.>
Secondly, I dismantled my aquarium about 3 years ago due to illness but now am starting one back up.
<Welcome back.>
It is a 75 gallon. I am using it for freshwater this time. I wanted to know if a sand bottom is as good or better than gravel and how does it compare to gravel when it comes to cleaning. Thank you,
James Hall
<Better or worse depends on what you are trying to keep. Many bottom dwellers like Corys prefer a softer sand bottom, however many planted tanks use gravel for various reason. Sorry no simple answer here, but depends on what you are trying to accomplish. As far as cleaning, generally gravel is easier as sand is almost impossible to vacuum.>
<Chris>

Re: Questions, FW Setup 10/17/08
I do plan on keeping some Corys, so if sand is better for them can they still do OK with gravel?
<Can, but you have to be careful with the gravel you pick. Needs to be round and without sharp edges. Otherwise the Corys can suffer.>
And how does one clean a tank with a sand bottom?
<Generally you do not, much like in marine tanks. Keeping up with the general maintenance of the tank should keep it in order.>
Also, up until now I have always used hang on the back Marineland power filters. They have always done well, but now I am thinking of using something else so the tank will be more attractive. Can you recommend a reasonably priced canister filter than works well and is easy to clean?
<Give here a read and related FAQs http://www.wetwebmedia.com/ca/volume_2/cav2i1/canister_filters/Canister_filters.htm .>
And lastly, I have read many debates about using an undergravel filter. Do you feel they are necessary?
<I do not consider them necessary, although they do work, not with sand however.>
Thanks again for all your help.
James
<Welcome>
<Chris>

Re: Questions, FW Setup 10/17/08
I am not trying to be sarcastic, just asking.
<No problem.>
You said it was not necessary to clean a sand bottom if you do the general maintenance. How do you get rid of the uneaten food, fish waste etc.?
<Mostly by not overfeeding so food does not accumulate at the bottom. Good water flow will keep most detritus suspended long enough for the filters to remove it. Also bacterial processes will break down the remaining materials.>
Also, I have read that if heavy rocks are put in a tank they should be put on Styrofoam (SP?). I have never done this before. Is it necessary?
<Definitely a good idea, they can crack the tank if they shift or fall.>
<Chris>

Re: Questions, FW Setup 10/17/08
Thank you. How do I know if I have the proper water flow?
<Water should be obviously circulating around the tank, i.e., you can see leaves moving, flake drifting, and so on. An excellent rule of thumb is to use a filter rated at 4-6 times the volume of the tank in turnover per hour. In other words if the tank contains 200 litres of water, use a filter rated at 800-1200 litres per hour.>
I would love to not have to clean the bottom of my tank.
<Doesn't work that way. Whether you use sand or gravel (Corydoras prefer smooth silica sand, but not Tahitian Moon sand) you should be "slurping" up any detritus with each weekly water change. Sometimes you can stir the gravel or sand a bit with your finger. Plants and especially Malayan livebearing snails do a good job cleansing sand or gravel by aerating it. Unless you're grossly overfeeding/under-cleaning the tank, sand/gravel should never get particularly dirty.>
And I have read that fish should be fed once daily and slowly until they lose interest so that none accumulates on the bottom. Is that pretty correct?
<No. The safest approach with small community fish is to feed 1-2 small meals per day, with each meal being no more food than is completely consumed within 1-2 minutes. Remove any excess with, for example, a turkey baster. Corydoras catfish and other bottom dwellers can be fed sinking food at night time, but use such foods sensibly. A dozen Corydoras or a large Plec will only need 2-3 algae wafers per night. Cheers, Neale.> 

Aquarium... FW, set up... stkg.   9/26/08
I realize that I haven't done my homework before putting my aquarium together. Sad.
<Oh dear.>
I did read an aquarium book, but most books don't provide enough information on freshwater fish and tanks.
<Don't agree with this at all; any half-way decent aquarium book will cover the essentials on water quality, water chemistry, and stock selection.>
Anyway, glad I came across your website.
<Good!>
I already have a 60 gallon tank with a Rena Filstar xP2 external canister filter with 300 GPH flow rate. I cycled the water with the filter on and no bacteria x 1-2 weeks. Bad.
<You can't cycle a tank without a source of ammonia. An empty tank with a filter is just water sloshing about. Nothing much happens. Might look pretty, but that's about it. The tank won't begin to cycle until there's some ammonia for the bacteria to "eat", and that means either adding livestock (a few, carefully chosen fish for example) or more humanely by adding an inorganic (or at least non-living) source of ammonia.>
Natural color gravel substrate. Added aquarium salt which I have read on your FAQs that it's not needed at all -- will not make that mistake again.
<Salt only helps in specific situations, and shouldn't be added for no reason.>
I've had fish in the tank 4 Neons, 2 cardinals, 3 guppies, and 2 Mickey mouse platy x 2 weeks.
<These fish have much different requirements, not to mention the fact you're overlooking social behaviour. Neons and Cardinals are both schooling fish: keeping less than six of either is cruel. Simple as that. You might not care, but the fish certainly do! Next up, Neons need relatively cool water, around 22-25 C, whereas Cardinals need warmer water, 26-28 C. So any conditions acceptable for the one will stress the other, the result being illness and premature death. Finally, whereas Platies and Guppies need hard, basic water, Neons and Cardinals want soft and acidic water. The latter species especially rarely does well for long in hard water. So again, anything that suits some of these fish will be stressing the others. You absolutely cannot randomly add fish to a system and hope they'll get along. Imagine a zoo that randomly placed polar bears, lions, frogs and peacocks all in the same enclosure. Obviously wouldn't work -- so why expect it to work with fish? Aquarium shops exist to sell fish, and assume the purchaser knows precisely what they're buying. Unfortunately, many shops don't provide "gentle reminders" at time of purchase so that newbie hobbyists can be dissuaded from bad choices. A cynic would make the point that a lot of purchasers don't care, and are happy to replace "cheap" fish every few months, and that approach is profitable for the retailer. Over here at WWM we take the other view, that pet fish should be given a fair chance of survival in captivity. And that means telling people (again and again) to research the needs of their fish PRIOR to purchase.>
Recently, the red MM platy died.
<Will be the first of many...>
Found a bunch of bubbles on the surface a couple days before it died. What do you think happened?
<Uncycled tank, too many fish, no information here about either water quality or chemistry, so could be a variety of entirely avoidable blunders on your part.>
I got another MM platy, 2 dwarf gouramis -- which I am reading will eventually end up dying from disease, and a black Molly.
<You're not supposed to add new fish until you've established why the last ones died.>
Not a good combination -- I found out. So my question is, what should I do with the set up I already have?
<Read, learn, make decisions.>
I will continue to just add freshwater with the water changes to get rid of the salt. But then what of molly? Which way do I need to go? Return the molly and get rid of the salt?
<What's your water chemistry? If it's hard and basic, the Molly may be fine, and adding a small amount of marine salt mix (say, 3-6 grammes per litre) will not harm the Platies or Guppies. It will stress the Neons, Cardinals and Gouramis though. As I say, you need to determine water chemistry, and then choose your fish. There's no "happy medium" any more than there's a happy medium for both penguins and ostriches. Different needs entirely.>
Will my dwarf gouramis get sick faster with the salt?
<Certainly won't help.>
Right now, all the fish are thriving well together, but I don't want a ticking bomb.
<Too late... the selection of fish you have is, let us say, unwise. You haven't cycled the tank, so the next few weeks will be very dicey unless you're regularly doing water changes (by which I mean something like 25% every couple of days) until the ammonia/nitrite levels stay at zero. Cycling with fish takes 4-6 weeks, and things can get worse before they get better. So do your water tests, do water changes, and observe.>
Also, do I have enough circulation and water movement with the filter system that I don't need an air bubbler?
<You're fine as you are.>
What's a good cooling system to purchase? I live in Southern California, and the house can get pretty warm when we are gone for the weekend.
<Neons and Platies do not like temperatures above 25 C, and ideally around 23-24 C. Cardinals, Guppies, Gouramis and Mollies thrive at up to 30 C, so they're less fussed.>
How much fish can I add?
<Don't even think about asking this question until the tank is cycled. Concentrate on removing inappropriate stock, and concentrating on fish that match the water chemistry you have. Then review social behaviour. Livebearers need to be in groups where the females outnumber the males, or you get bullying problems, so that's one factor. Tetras need to be in large groups to thrive. And so on. With very small fish (such as Neons) the "inch per gallon" rule isn't a bad guideline, but whatever you do, go slowly, adding a few fish each month, using your Nitrite test kit to check the filter has adapted to the higher workload.>
I want to add 4 more Neons to have a total of 10 neon/cardinal tetras. I read that they are happiest with 10. Is that true?
<They're happiest in groups of 100+, but 12 will do nicely, though 20 is better in terms of visual impact. These small tetras look prettiest in big groups because they "swarm" nicely, moving in sync around the tank. In smaller groups they just hang about at random, and are rather boring.>
If my dwarf gouramis die, are there any pretty/fancy fish similar to the gouramis that will live peacefully with the fish I already have?
<Depends on what your water chemistry is. If you have hard, basic water, then your choices will be different to soft, acid water. If your water isn't too hard, then Colisa fasciatus and Colisa labiosa are both hardy, peaceful gouramis that are easy to keep. There are other gouramis in the trade, such as gold or blue three-spot Gouramis, Trichogaster trichopterus, but these have distinct drawbacks in one way or another. Three-spots tend to be aggressive, and can make very poor community fish, despite being widely sold as stuff. Anyway, what you're asking about has been covered many times here at WWM; please do review these articles and the FAQs linked from them:
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlivestk.htm
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwlvstksel.htm
>
Can I add 2-3 other colorful fish to my aquarium since the filter system is pretty good? Is the water change recommendation still weekly?
<Yes.>
Thanks,
Janice
<Cheers, Neale.>

Ceramic media, air pumps... FW set-up   01/13/2008
Hello Neale,
since the last email I bought from a friend a 46-gal acrylic tank (20 inches deep, 36 inches wide) and I'm now working on the aquascape project before actually running it. In other words, the tank is empty, but I pretty much have the project on paper. I also bought a compact fluorescent lights kit which is 130W, because I'm planning to make it a serious planted aquarium. I have a few questions that I'd like to ask you:
1. Considering the 130W lights, do you see issues in using plants such as Java Moss and Java fern which require low light? More in general, given the high amount of light, do you think it would be an issue to keep plants requiring low/medium light levels?
2. Do you think it's fine to cycle the tank with 6 Pristella?
3. Once the tank is mature, I'd really like to include some dwarf cichlids in it because I really like them. Initially I was thinking about Rams, but then considering the high temperature they need, which would be probably fatal for other fish such as neon tetras as well as for some plants, I thought about Kribensis and/or Apistogrammas. What do you think?
4. Regarding the substrate, do I need to use an undergravel heater? Would a mix of fine gravel and laterite be enough? I read that I should also put some peat moss at the bottom of the tank to allow the laterite to be absorbed by the plants. Is that true?
As always, thank you so much for answering all my questions.
Sincerely,
Giuseppe

Re: Ceramic media, air pumps    01/13/2008
Hello Neale,
<Giuseppe,>
I believe my email starting with '...since the last email I bought from a friend a 46-gal acrylic tank....' has not been answered. I suspect you answered a previous email. I'm sorry for the confusion and thanks again for your help.
Giuseppe
<Hmm.... I just answer what's in the Inbox... Is the following the message?>
since the last email I bought from a friend a 46-gal acrylic tank (20 inches deep, 36 inches wide) and I'm now working on the aquascape project before actually running it. In other words, the tank is empty, but I pretty much have the project on paper. I also bought a compact fluorescent lights kit which is 130W, because I'm planning to make it a serious planted aquarium. I have a few questions that I'd like to ask you:
1. Considering the 130W lights, do you see issues in using plants such as Java Moss and Java fern which require low light? More in general, given the high amount of light, do you think it would be an issue to keep plants requiring low/medium light levels?
<Low-light plants are fine in bright tanks, but almost by definition they grow slowly and are easily overwhelmed by other species. Things like Java fern and Anubias also tend to get covered with algae. So place low-light plants under the shade of other plants.>
2. Do you think it's fine to cycle the tank with 6 Pristella?
<I wouldn't cycle any tank with tetras really, but yes, Pristella maxillaris is at the hardy end of the spectrum. So assuming you did your level best to reduce nitrite/ammonia through water changes, they'd be fine. They're also salt-tolerant characins (a small group!) naturally inhabiting slightly brackish water, so you could use tonic salt to ameliorate nitrite toxicity somewhat, at least initially.>
3. Once the tank is mature, I'd really like to include some dwarf cichlids in it because I really like them. Initially I was thinking about Rams, but then considering the high temperature they need, which would be probably fatal for other fish such as neon tetras as well as for some plants, I thought about Kribensis and/or Apistogrammas. What do you think?
<Apistogramma are great in planted communities and appreciate moderate temperatures, unlike the Mikrogeophagus ramirezi. So something like A. cacatuoides would be a great place to start. Mikrogeophagus altispinosus is also very good. Almost any of the Pelvivachromis species are good too; if you shop around, you'll find more than Kribs on the market. P. subocellatus and P. taeniatus are both very beautiful.>
4. Regarding the substrate, do I need to use an undergravel heater? Would a mix of fine gravel and laterite be enough? I read that I should also put some peat moss at the bottom of the tank to allow the laterite to be absorbed by the plants. Is that true?
<Substrate heaters do have a (small) positive impact on plant growth, so if the (slightly more expensive) option of using one is viable for you, go for it. Fine gravel and laterite works very well. Put the laterite layer as the bottom 50%, and then plain gravel as the top 50%, otherwise the fish make a mess. A gravel tidy between them is helpful. Used this system myself, and back in 1980s was considered the "Optimal Aquarium" to quote the Germans who wrote on such things. Obsolete now I suppose, but still good. Never heard of the peat moss thing. Sounds a bit daft to me. What plants prefer is slightly anoxic, but not completely anoxic conditions. So a deep gravel bed with under-tank heating is ideal, because the flow of water from the heat (convection current) is just enough to keep the water in the gravel slightly but not fully oxygenated. So you get reducing chemistry in the substrate, and this allows the plants to absorb iron and other elements properly. If you look at where aquatic plants grow, it is usually very black and smelly mud!>
As always, thank you so much for answering all my questions.
<No probs.>
Sincerely,
Giuseppe
<Cheers, Neale.>

Filtration help... FW set up Qs, learning to read/use WWM   12/18/07
Hi there, first I just want to say how much I appreciate the staff there who run this site and answer questions so fast. you guys are great and have helped me so much with my learning process, keep it up!
Now, I have an established 10 gallon tank and am wanting to setup my 30 gallon and 5 gallon tanks (haha Multiple tank syndrome!). The 10 g has a small AquaClear filter on it currently. Yesterday I added the large AquaClear filter and a small sponge filter to the 10g to try to get the media colonized with bacteria.
My questions are: How long do I have to leave the new filters on the established tank for it to be colonized so that its good to go on the new tanks?
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
and the linked files above>
I would like to get this on my new tank as fast as possible so I can put Bolivian rams in it...(long story I know they should be put in last, but where I live they never usually come here and they have been sitting in the store for 3 weeks and I wanted to get them before someone else snags them).
<Can be "goosed"...>
Also there is much happening in my 10g right now, with all the bubbles and movement, 1 of my baby panda cories got sucked into the uptake tube last night (I was sooooooo sad/mad...I'm getting so attached to them!) and it died. I feel terrible that it must have died a slow and painful death. The other fish (3 baby pandas, 4 tetras, 2 harlequins) don't look too happy right now, I had to change around the decor a lot..I just put nylon to cover the large filters uptake tube but will this interfere with the colonization process?
<No>
Is it possible to have TOO much oxygen or movement in a tank?
<Not practically>
Also the sponge filtration unit is meant to eventually go on a 5 gallon with a Betta, it seems quite noisy and bubbly.. will the Betta be ok with it?
<Likely so>
What I did was I tied 2 knots into the tubing to slow the rate of air coming out of the pump, will this wreck the pump due to backflow?
<Back pressure? Perhaps shorten its effective "life">
Finally my last set of questions...I bought a bunch of driftwood to put into each tank.. about 1-2 pieces each.. I bought them to soften the water a bit since water is very hard here. I don't want to boil them because I want them to leach tannins, is this ok, can I just soak them?
<Can>
How long should I soak the pieces for?
<Read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/rkwduseaq.htm
and the linked...>
Is there such thing as too much driftwood?
<Yes>
I don't know my water hardness but I know its very hard. How long will it take for the tannin levels to be established...what I mean is do I have to constantly monitor pH, or say after 1 month that pH that its at it will stay there?
<See WWM re FW pH...>
Sorry I hope it makes sense. I take out the carbon to have the tannins in the water, is this correct or do I leave the carbon in?
thank you so much!
<Read on... RMF>

Beginner needs help, FW... set-up... pH    11/08/07
I have been reading for days on your site. I appreciate all the information, but have been unable to understand what is going on with my tank.
<Fire away!>
I have a small 10 gallon freshwater tank.
<Ah, too small for beginners in my honest opinion. Small tanks are unstable and problems spiral out of control very quickly. Advice to other beginners: start off with a 20 gallon tank if you want an "easy ride".>
I was using distilled water and had plastic plants with tetras and a guppy.
<Why? Distilled water is completely unsuitable for aquarium fish or indeed any living creature. Tap water is much the best for beginners, though dechlorinated of course before use.>
We kept the tank for about 6 months with no problems. Our guppy just died one day.
<Surprised it took that long...>
We decided we wanted to have some ghost shrimp, an algae eater some live plants. The ghost shrimp died right away.
<Not a surprise at all].>
We now understand they are not that hardy. We were told our water was soft when they tested it at the pet store. they thought we could use tap water in our area with some aquarium salt and prime.
<Sheesh. Pet store advice strikes back. Please, over the next few days remove a portion (20%) of the water in your tank and replace with dechlorinated tap water. Do not add salt. If your local tap water is soft and acidic, then don't keep fish that need hard and alkaline water (such as guppies). Stick with genuine soft water fish, such as tetras.>
Our ph seems to stay around 7.4 no matter what we do.
<That's a fine pH for most fish. And a stable pH is a GOOD thing.>
We added some sea shells as told to.
<Why?>
We drain and add every week and a half to two weeks. We have been doing about the 20%.
<Change 50% per week. This is the cheapest and easiest way to keep a happy collection of fish. Few problems can't be solved by dilution.>
Our tank looks beautiful, water looks clear, we ended up with 2 snails on the plants.
<Water clarity is irrelevant in keeping fish. You can have clear water that kills fish overnight, because ammonia (for example) is invisible. By contrast the water most fish live in looks like milky coffee and yet they (obviously) thrive.>
the water was running a little warm (80-82 degrees) but we changed our incandescent bulbs out for the fluorescent.
<Good. Very few fish like water this warm, and some will have dramatically shorter lives when kept thus. Aim for 25C/77F; no higher.>
There are some very strange tiny hair like, things for lack of a better word, on the glass of the tank. They are tiny, barely can see them attached with one piece with like three hair like things off them.
<If static and whitish, that's mould or bacteria. If static and green, it's algae. If mobile and whitish, then nematodes. Not problematic in themselves, but potential clues to other issues.>
Also we have sand in our tank instead of gravel.
<Sand is fine, just keep it clean.>
Do you have any advice for us?
<Read an aquarium book or this web site. Relying on local fish store advice can be tricky. Shops want to sell you stuff, and largely don't care if your fish live 6 weeks or 6 years, so long as you come back and buy more fish and other products. Educating yourself is the key to solving your own problems, and using your pet store as a resource for essential purchases.>
What do you think these little things are? Also, one of my tetras looks a little stressed. His stripe does not look right like he has faded.
<Fish do lose colour when stress. Water quality, water chemistry, diet, bullying can all be factors. Need more data.>
I am worried I have done something wrong. I did notice you said in many articles not to overfeed. Our fish eat all the food at the top of the water when we feed. We are very careful about that.
<Very good.>
Is my ph really messed up for another reason?
<A pH above 7.0 can be caused by two main things. One is good: calcium carbonate in the water. This raises the carbonate hardness (measured with a KH test kit). Guppies and other livebearers love carbonate hardness, and carbonate hardness also buffers the pH in the tank, keeping it steady. The bad source of a pH above 7.0 is ammonia. So test for ammonia (or have the pet store do it for you). Ammonia is a severe poison.>
Does the sand really mess up our tank?
<No. But not all sand is equally good. Some sand is calcareous (e.g., coral sand) and will raise carbonate hardness and pH; other sand is non-calcareous (e.g., silica sand) and has no effect on water chemistry.>
It seems like with plants we are reading a lot about gravel.
<Depends on the plants. Non-rooted plants like Java fern and Anubias couldn't care less, and actually get unhappy (die) if stuck in the sand or gravel at all. Most plants prefer sand to gravel, because the slightly anaerobic conditions in the sand shift mineral ions into their reduced (as opposed to oxidised) states, making them easier to absorb. By itself, plain gravel or plain sand aren't really suitable for growing plants anyway, no more than land plants would grow if you stuck them in a flower pot filled with gravel or sand. To get good plant growth, you need to augment the substrate with something else, like aquarium soil or laterite, that contains minerals like iron.>
Thanks for all your help.
L
<Hope this helps, Neale>
 

Non Planted FW aquarium.  10/20/07 Hi Neale! <Hello Bryan,> Once again I am need of more sage advise... my girlfriend just got back from a family trip back east, about halfway through the trip she told me that she had found something that we could "do together" and was bringing it home with her. when she got home she presented me with a book called "Aquarium Style" by Matthew Christian. which surprised me, because to this point the only thing she has ever said about my hobby is "You got another _____ing fish tank!? are you out of your mind!?" <Ah, I do know this book. Not sure what to make of it. On the one hand, a book demonstrating all the different ways a freshwater aquarium can be put together is a brilliant idea. And the ideas given (while not all to my taste!) are certainly interesting and attractive. But on the other hand, some of the tank ideas seem to me to be flawed. The author seems to make no account of things like social behaviour, adult size, stocking levels, etc. So while the tanks *look* great, I'm not sure that in the long term, the fish populations used are appropriate.> The book itself is interesting, and quite a bit different than the usual book that I would read, it is very heavy on visuals and doesn't bog the reader down with long texts and big Latin words (my usual preference) it is no doubt designed to capture the interest of beginners and bring them into the hobby by showing 30 or so "themed" tank designs (some very practical and sustainable, others not so much... unfortunately she has taken a shining to the later) unfortunately there are some pretty big red flags if one reads the text... from describing live plants as "good if you want a natural look or to give your fish a place to hide" to recommending 15-20 tiger Oscars for a "medium sized tank" and suggested stocking levels that border on obscene for all of the tanks... <Exactly my sort of concern.> but the aquascapes presented are all captivating and well thought out, even if some of them probably crashed within days (or hours) of the photos being taken... anyway, I’ll get off my soapbox now and get to the heart of my question. As I said before, this is the most interest she has ever taken in my hobby and I don't want her to lose that interest by telling her that the tanks she thinks are so pretty are destined to be an algae infested nightmares that will crash and burn within weeks. <Understood.> I want to break down my 29 gallon and give it to her to do whatever strikes her fancy with, but I also want to make sure that her first fish don't end up floating... the tank she has picked out has a really interesting concept, and I can see how it would catch her interest, the photos are very striking, it is titled "crystal cave" and features an assortment of geodes, crystals, and broken glass tumbled smooth as the substrate. <Hmm... no, in the long term these tanks don't work. A bright purple geode now looks like a green-brown lump after a few months. The sharp edges are terrible for bottom dwelling fish, and unless you're a skilled geologist, oddball rocks can be a potential source of dangerous metals like copper.> I’m sure that properly done it could be a great system, but I am having a hard time figuring out how to maintain it and keep algae off of the crystals and the system in balance long term... I don't think she is going to be interested in snails (and at this point neither am I, due to the previous snail infestation issue... by the way, the DIY snail trap has been more successful in the past few days, I think I am starting to get the outbreak under control...) <Good!> and although I will sand all of the sharp edges I still don’t think this tank will be suitable for cories, otos or algae eating shrimp either. <Indeed.> as I said, I am probably going to use the 29 gallon planted tank, obviously the lights are going to have to devolve, as PC's on a non planted tank are going to give me pea soup... <Not so. In dimly lit tanks, you get brown algae and to a lesser extent blue-green algae; in brightly lit tanks, the algae you get is green algae. Brown and blue-green algae is difficult to control biologically, but lots of animals eat green algae, so it's much easier to keep in check using shrimps, Nerite snails (which don't breed in tanks), Otocinclus, etc.> I am thinking of using only LED "moonlights" which I think may have an interesting effect on the crystals, any idea of how fish will react to only LED illumination? should I throw in a really low output t12 for a more traditional light cycle? <Fish don't generally care either way about lighting. Most prefer shady conditions if given the choice, but adapt to the relatively bright lighting in some aquaria easily. In other words, do what you want. Within reason, the fish will be fine, particularly if there are shady areas for them to hide in should they want.> Also I will probably continue to use the Penguin BioWheel 330 that is on the tank know, I know it is way overkill for a 29 gallon, but if the system is going to be "un-planted" I think its going to be necessary. <Not a problem.> she has taken a liking to Angels and Gouramis, and if we stocked 1 pair of one of these how many other smaller fish (maybe cardinals, glowlights, rasboras, etc.) would be safe in a system like this? <Angels can/do view small fish the size of Neons as food, so choose tankmates with care.> also any ideas for algae control besides regular water changes? (I already do 10-15 gallons weekly) <Plants are the only algae control that works. Everything else boils down to some sort of manual control.> I'd appreciate any advise that you might have on keeping non planted systems stable, honestly I got into the hobby skipping the usual first steps of fake plants, pink gravel, and burping clams and dove right into planted tanks, so I have no practical experience with these kind of systems, hopefully I can get her interest into planted tanks soon, but for know this is a good first step! <Un-planted tanks are easy, and present few problems. The main thing is to ensure what you use a decor is explicitly aquarium-safe. While there's nothing to stop you raiding a garden centre for interesting rocks and substrates, you do need to make sure said materials are safe. Rather than geodes and fossils, which are a waste in the long term, going with attractive and demonstrably safe rocks is a much better way forward. Pink and silver granite, for example, looks spectacular in aquaria, and is completely safe. It also helps to choose colours sensibly; light-coloured gravels, or funky blue or red gravels, tend to make the fish *less* colourful. Fish adjust their colours to their surroundings. The best colours are almost always where the sand is black or brown. If you want bright sand and colourful rocks -- keep a rock garden! But if you want your fish to look nice, choose natural-looking rocks and sand, so the fish settle in better. One book I might recommend is called "The Complete Aquarium" by Peter Scott. I mention this book because it has a similar format to the one you have, but the tanks are *much* more carefully thought out, and all are based on some sort of biotope. As well as freshwater set-ups there are nice brackish and marine ones too. Anyway, the reason I mention this book is that at Amazon it's going for the princely sum of $2.46, so won't break the bank! I think as a supplement to what your g/f is trying to do, you'll find it a good read.> Thanks, Bryan <Hope this helps, Neale> Re: Non Planted FW aquarium. – 11/20/07 Hi Neale! <Bryan,> I took your advice and ordered "the complete aquarium" and man was it $2.50 well spent! I also picked up a few other books for a buck each and now I have a pretty decent little library for under 20 bucks! I am going to be trolling Amazon from now on when it comes time to buy a new book, thanks again for pointing me in the right direction! <It's a neat book. Slightly old-fashioned, but the aquaria demonstrated are wonderfully done and very inspirational.> Anyway, the girlfriend has been fully bitten now... which is a good news bad/news situation... good news is she is getting into planted tanks, bad news: she likes oddballs... puffers, four-eyed fish, crabs... and paludariums. I’ve been itching to try a paludarium for a while so this is a good thing, but the only tank I have available for use is a 29G standard... which no matter which way I try to slice it I cant figure out how to get more than about 10-12 gallons of water into a paludarium setup, and I am not looking forward to trying to keep 10 gallons of brackish water stable... anyway she thinks the little "red clawed Thai crabs" in 'Aquarium Style' are cute. <That tank would be fine for a small paludarium, especially if you used a lot of wood to create the above-the-water scenery. There is a small species of mudskipper on sale, nominally referred to as Periophthalmus novemradiatus but this identity is uncertain. It usually goes by the name of Indian or Dwarf Mudskipper. Maximum size is around 10 cm, though 5-6 cm is typical in aquaria. It has a reddish dorsal fin rather than blue, but is very pretty and not too aggressive. Mudskippers work best either singly or in large groups, where numbers prevents too much damage through fighting. In any case, these fish do supremely well in aquaria, and far better than things like the West African Mudskipper, Periophthalmus barbarus, a singularly nasty and aggressive (as well as big) species that was the most common species in the trade hitherto.> I have no idea what they are and the only guesses I can make are (1) they probably prefer brackish water, and (2) they will probably eat anything they can catch... <Yes and yes. They are Perisesarma bidens. Relatively easy to keep, and some hobbyists have even bred them! Not to be mixed with fish for precisely the reasons you give. Although not fish-eaters in the wild (like most land crabs they eat fruit and detritus) in the confines of an aquarium, sooner or later they nip and/or kill small fish kept with them.> I doubt that I will be able to keep much with them in a freshwater tank... (if they’ll even survive in a FW tank) in a brackish setup what could I keep with them? <Nothing. Enjoy them for what they are: entertaining little critters! By all means add brackish water snails if you want. Things like Nerites do a reasonable job of algae-control, and Malayan livebearing snails make ideal salt-tolerant scavengers that keep sand spotlessly clean.> Puffers should be able to look out for themselves and four-eyed fish occupy a different niche so they would probably be ok right? <No and no. Puffers will simply take the crabs apart if they are big enough, and if they are too small, the crabs could catch the puffers. Anableps need a peculiar sort of tank all their own. Basically a long tank, half-filled with water, with a "table" in the middle onto which they can rest with their eyes poking out. In anything else, their longevity tends to be unimpressive, and they usually fare poorly mixed with other species except maybe things like Mollies and Guppies.> What about dragon gobies and/or mollies? <I wouldn't mix any fish with red-claw crabs. Fiddler crabs are often fine with fish, since they're almost pure detritus feeders and have little instinct to catch prey. But red-claws are opportunists and will have a go at anything.> And if I go with FW what about land hermit crabs? Are they a danger to fish and is there a danger to them drowning in a paludarium? <Can work very well in paludaria, but terrestrial hermit crabs easily drown. They would need a tank with a very gentle slope so they could crawl in and out of the water easily. Not all species are brackish water animals. Also, they are 99% terrestrial, and only bathe to moisten their gills and to breed. For a generic brackish water aquarium, two fully-aquatic hermits are better choices: between SG 1.010 and marine, go with the commonly-sold reef hermit Clibanarius tricolor, and below SG 1.010 Clibanarius africanus works well. Neither of these poses much threat to fish, and both are hardy. Clibanarius africanus is, unfortunately, rather rare. Clibanarius tricolor on the other hand is cheap and easy to find (sold as the "blue-legged hermit" to marine aquarists) and does well in mid to high salinity systems with monos, scats, etc.> I am trying to find a way to incorporate something different (and no matter how hard I try she just doesn't think cardonica shrimp are interesting...) but still keep a stable ecosystem, <Amano shrimps aren't my thing, but there are some great alternatives. Cherry shrimps are lovely because they breed so readily, and will turn any aquarium into a veritable reef tank given the chance, literally crawling with shrimps of all sizes. Long-arm shrimps are also amazing animals. These are Macrobrachium spp., and a variety of species are now traded. Macrobrachium rosenbergii is the best/worst depending on your point of view; at about 15 cm in body length but with claws that are at least as long again, this is seriously impressive animal that will make hardened cichlid keepers break down and weep. It is also fun to watch and can be easily hand-trained. On the flip side, it is territorial and a confirmed fish-eater in aquaria. There are, thankfully, many smaller species such as Macrobrachium sp. "Rusty" and Macrobrachium "Red Claw" that are smaller and easier to keep. Some will form stable harems (one male, multiple females) and breed readily in the aquarium. They can be easily sexed: males have bigger claws, often with coloured bands on them.> an oddball brackish tank is very intriguing to me, maybe 2 four-eyed fish, 1 small puffer, 1 dragon goby 3-5 crabs, maybe a trio of same sex mollies? This is likely too much for 10-12 gallons of brackish water right? <Yes, too much and the wrong stuff.> If I do go with a FW setup are there any land dwellers you could suggest that would fit in with your more standard aquarium fare? <Nothing commonly traded. The problem for fishkeepers is that the bulk of freshwater invertebrates are insects, and these don't make good pets for a variety of reasons. Brackish water habitats are the prime places to see amphibious fish and crustaceans, and to some extent molluscs as well.> She likes Killies, Gouramis, and the more colorful Cory's too, so we could probably put together a FW setup she likes, I'm up for pretty much anything, and if I had the space I’d have about a dozen tanks and I would be trying everything I’ve mentioned above, I’m just looking for a nudge in the right direction considering the set-up I have to work with and the critters that are grabbing her attention. <Hmm... if she likes "critters", then arguably a marine system is the best option. If you forego light-sensitive things like corals, and don't keep any fish, maintaining a basic live rock plus shrimps, snails and small echinoderms tank isn't all that hard or expensive. In terms of brackish water, fiddler crabs and Mudskippers are a classic combo, though not without some amount of work to get right. Amphibious crabs can be superb pets, but in my opinion they are best kept alone.> Thanks again for all the help! ~Bryan <Cheers, Neale.> Re: Non Planted FW aquarium. 11/30/07 Hi Neale, <Bryan,> Well the tank is done, it turned out great (I'll send a picture as soon as the water is in it and the plants are planted) I picked up a lot of 20 Red Mangroves off of EBay, it only cost 15 bucks including shipping! <A sweet deal! Do read Anthony Calfo's great primer on mangrove husbandry in aquaria, here -- http://www.wetwebmedia.com/mangrovetrees.htm .> Anyway, it is time to add the water and get the tank cycling, the problem is I cant find any info on the Sg requirements of the fish I plan to keep: Dwarf Mudskippers, Endler's livebearers, and Fiddler Crabs. do you have a suggestion for a good happy medium of salinity for this group? <Anything from SG 1.005 upwards to SG 1.015 will be fine.> I am thinking of maybe adding some of the blue-legged hermit crabs that you said could tolerate 1.010 and up, would the mudskippers, fiddlers and Endler's do good in 1.012-1.015? <Yep, they'll be fine. HOWEVER, Guppies need to be acclimated very carefully, especially "fancy" varieties (there's a scientific paper about how fancy guppies are less able to thrive in seawater than wild/feeder/cross-breed guppies -- a clue to the fact selecting for colours and finnage doesn't always benefit livestock in terms of physiology). If you can, set the tank to SG 1.005 first, introduce the livestock, and let it run for a few weeks at that. After a couple months, gradually raise the SG a bit at a time until you get to SG 1.010 after, say, two to three months. This will bring along the filter bacteria and the fish perfectly well. Mudskippers and Fiddler crabs can tolerant virtually instant salinity changes, but Guppies not so much and filter bacteria not at all. There's also some reports than mangroves don't always like sudden salinity changes. Presumably this isn't the case in the wild, where mangroves surely experience salinity changes, but in captivity at least they don't like dramatic salinity changes.> also, are there any corals that I could keep in that range of brackish water? <Not really. If there are any corals that naturally inhabit mid salinity brackish water I'm not aware of them. The problem is that variable salinity environments tend to be silty, which is what corals don't like. Instead, brackish water habitats are the realm of scavengers able to process the vast amounts of organic detritus that wash out of rivers. So you have lots of bivalves, crabs, shrimps, polychaetes, etc. Lots of snails (Nerites, predominately) are in the trade if you can identify them properly. Someone wrote me recently that they obtained some brackish water ragworms, Namalycastis senegalensis, on eBay. Others have kept Actinia equina in high-end brackish systems but I suspect for long term care these need fairly high salinities. A store near my home has Asian mangrove horseshoe crabs, Carcinoscorpius rotundicauda, and these do very well in (large) mid-salinity systems provided they get enough to eat. So there is scope for adding inverts to brackish systems. Just not corals!> Thanks again! Bryan <Cheers, Neale>

Freshwater tank set up.  10/11/07
Hello all.
I have tried to get an answer but have failed so far so am having to ask.
I have a 500ltr marine tank with about a 50 ltr sump. I want to convert back to freshwater and am wondering are sump tanks suitable for freshwater. All the previous freshwater tanks had canister filters.
<Yes, you can use a sump on a freshwater tank. One type of (advanced) freshwater aquarium uses the sump as a 'vegetable filter' by stocking it with fast-growing algae or plants to remove nitrogenous waste. Can work extremely well. But even as a plain sump, it adds volume to the tank and can be used to suspend things like bags of granulated peat, calcareous filtration material, or whatever.>
Are there any precautions I should take apart from fully flushing tank and components.
<No, it'll be fine. Even the trace salt left in the filter pump or wherever will be dilute so profoundly that it will have zero effect on water chemistry. Been there, done this.>
Can the live rock be used in a freshwater tank as have A LOT and don't want to scrap it or get a pittance from the LFS.
<Yes, live rock can be used, but obviously it will die. The dead stuff will contribute massively to the ammonia levels in the aquarium, at least for the first few months while it rots away. Some people have had marginal success with live rock in high-end brackish systems, finding that some of the crustaceans and worms adapted to the reduced salinity. But below SG 1.018, you can't realistically expect the live rock to remain alive. If I were you, I'd either trade the rock in or share with some other marine aquarist. It's just too valuable to reduce to mere aggregate in a freshwater tank, in my opinion.>
Any other tips gratefully received.
<A 500 litre tank is a wonderful canvas to work with, but do spend some time looking at the options. The freshwater side of fishkeeping is very diverse, and for the advanced hobbyist things like Tanganyikan cichlid communities or Blackwater stream communities can be challenging but very rewarding projects.>
Many thanks
Paul
<Good luck, Neale>

WetWebMedia can save lives, FW gen. set-up, cycling   7/19/07
Hello all
<Howdy>
Oh where to start, first, I must apologize for being an impulse buyer and not doing research before I purchased fish,
<A very large club indeed... to join, not to bonk you on the head with>
I got them from Wal-Mart sin #2)and knew nothing of cycling tanks or proper spacing for fish.
<You're obviously learning...>
Needless to say I have naively ended the life of some of my fish, but I am hoping to redeem myself; I have acquired a 35 gallon tank and trying to get it ready fast so I can end the suffering of my remaining fish the happy way. It is lit, heated, filtered, aerated, and currently housing 4 round-bellied mollies and a few fries
<Yummy with malt vinegar!>
born today, I am trying to cycle it properly but I am partially dyslexic and it is hard for me to do research
<... fight that gradient...>
so I figured I'd ask the pros. So here are it goes, is there a such thing as too much aeration?
<Mmm, can be... but practically speaking in a freshwater system, no>
In what way should I cycle a tank?
For how long should I cycle a tank before adding my poor fish? How do I test my water?
<Please read here: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwestcycling.htm
and the linked files above...>
What is the proper procedure for changing water from start to finish?
<Mmm, during cycling or regular water changes: http://wetwebmedia.com/FWSubWebIndex/fwh2ochgs.htm>
So far I have added some water from my existing tank to the new water which I filled and dechlorinated, it has been running for two and a half days so far. I think I read somewhere that when cycling you should change water frequently so I have done a 25% water change daily,
<Mmm, I would monitor aspects of nitrogen cycling (ammonia...) and NOT change this much water this frequently... see the above citation>
the mollies are doing fine but I don't think that means a lot.
<Au contraire... their apparent health is the best arbiter...>
I have not tested my water yet, per my question above. Thank you in advance for your help and once again please forgive me, for I was naive, not ignorant if I had known of my wrong-doings I would have acted differently. Sincerely Tom
<Press on Tom, and enjoy the process... You're doing better all the time. Bob Fenner>

10 Gallon Aquarium Setup  – 5/30/07
Hello!
<<Hi, Jess. Tom here.>>
I currently have a 10 gallon aquarium set up in my room for decorative purposes. I use a Top Fin BioFilter (meant for 10 gallon tanks), a heater (which isn't used during the summer since the water temperature stays a constant 73-74 degrees), and a floating thermometer. For decoration I have a small white (silk) plant and a Greek Column which hides the oxygen stone.
<<Sounds nice, Jess.>>
The tank itself has been up and running for about a month. I read somewhere that it takes about a month for the water in a tank to cycle through properly, so I originally had two mollies (silver and Dalmatian) to help get the needed bacteria and help the tank itself cycle through.
<<Jess, just FYI, using fish to cycle aquariums is pretty much “old school” thinking nowadays. There are faster and safer – for the fish – methods that can/should be used. Look into "fishless" cycling just for kicks.>>
I have given my two mollies to a close friend who is beginning a 20 gallon tank and after a week with no fish, I now have 2 Neon Sunburst Moons (Kiwi and Peaches) and 2 Jumbo Cardinal Tetras (The Twins). I was wondering what other types (and how many) fish I could put into the aquarium that wouldn't be too aggressive and maybe schooled since each of the species I have now tend to stick together and stay on opposite sides of the tank).
<<You could do worse than go with a few (three) of any of the Corydoras species. Great little fish and would fit nicely in your ten-gallon tank. They’ll occupy the bottom region, for the most part, which will be beneficial in a smaller tank. I wouldn’t go much further than this, though. Small aquariums can “get away from you” if you’re not careful. Best not to give in to the temptation to load your tank up. Just another piece of “useless” trivia now. Schooling among fish is a survival mechanism. Fish that “naturally” school may, and often do, stop the behavior in the absence of predators. (Just a little sidenote for you to tuck away for when you get a larger tank. :) )>>
My nitrite and ammonia levels are perfect and my pH has been a stable 7.0.
<<You’ve been testing! Well done!>>
(Sorry that was so long...just didn't want to leave out any details.)
<<I’m glad you didn’t and, thanks for that.>>
Also, I currently have a Betta Fish (Squiggles) in a 5 gallon tank. It is properly heated and filtered, with some live plants to help maintain the water quality. I was wondering, would the Betta feel uncomfortable in my unused 10 gallon tank by itself so I could use the 5 gallon tank as an emergency hospital tank? Or, would he be more than happy to move into a new and bigger home?
<<A ten-gallon tank would be just about spot-on perfect for your Betta, Jess, but I’d rather see you keep him in the five-gallon tank and use the ten-gallon tank for a hospital/quarantine tank. He’ll be just fine in a five-gallon aquarium and the larger tank would be better, in my opinion, for treating/quarantining fish should the need arise.>>
Thanks!
Jess
<<You’re doing well, Jess. Keep up the good work! Tom>>

Purchasing a Freshwater Aquarium with all the Necessary Components    5/15/07
Please Help!!!
<Is what we do>
I would like to purchase a 40 - 50 gal. aquarium along with the necessary components for my 10 and 7 year old kids (and myself) to enjoy.  We have agreed on the freshwater fish community, which will consist of  central and south American cichlids, African cichlids,
<Stop! Not a good idea to mix Cichlids from the old/new world in general>
angel fish, sharks and cats.
<Many choices....>
I have been to the chain pet stores and a few boutique stores in my area.  All are pushing different advice on the both the list of products that I need as well as the specs and manufacturers. I'm feeling overwhelmed. I do not want to get taken to the cleaners by over-buying as well as under buying the right equipment that will reduce the maintenance required.
Please help me understand the list of items and maybe manufacturers and ratings/specs on the equipment that I need to provide my family an enjoyable first aquarium experience. I don't mind paying for quality products that will work and last, I do not want to be oversold and by contrast, I'm suspicious of the quality and specs on some of the so called "kit or packaged" equipment that's being shoved my way.
<Most, well, all of this I would avoid... for reasons you obviously know>
I don't want to buy inferior or underpowered products that will wind up costing me more in the long run.
Please help me if you can.
Sincerely,
Frustrated in the Tank
<Well... you need to re-think your stocking list... and what you ask is already laid out on WWM... by subweb, in the indices (topics are introduced in logical order... top to bottom).
http://www.wetwebmedia.com/index.html
However, unlike books, the Net is often hard to "follow" in its ease of "skipping about"... I do encourage you to slow down here, take your children to the library and check out a few beginner freshwater books on the subject. Look for the rather new one by David Boruchowitz (here on Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Freshwater-Aquariums-Animal-Planet-Library/dp/079383760X/ref=sr_1_9/103-2945648-4573462?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1179245037&sr=8-9
and READ this to/with your children (am a huge fan of this activity/process)... And do feel free to peruse WWM, write back re specific issues/products... As a "starting point" in this important project, I do feel/think it is imminently important to rally the troops (all of you), gather data, and come to a consensus re what your choices are... Bob Fenner>