Marc Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 Since I keep tropical fish and have been doing for a few years, I have picked up some good pointers (mainly from my cousin who breeds different kinds) on how best to look after your tank and keep it in tip top shape. So as we have this forum now for other animals I thought it would be nice to share some of the things that should be done with them to keep them nicely. Waterchanges This is bar far the most important part of looking after your aquarium. A 10-25% water change (I usually do 25% each time) should be done each and every week, followed by something along the lines of TapSafe treatment or another dechlorinator. This will remove harmfull crap that builds up in your tank through the fish (what goes in, must come out right? You get the idea). Bare in mind when you are doing this tank change that you need to turn off the heater and your filters to avoid damage. This alone will drastically improve the quality of your tank Cleaning the filter Heard of that good bactiria stuff the actimel adverts keep goin on about? OK, well thats kinda like your filter. Your filter does not only filter out all the rubbish from your tank, but also holds good bacteria that fights it. This in mind when you clean out the meduim (sponges etc) always clean them in the water from the tank and never in the sink etc. This way you get rid of the gunk but leave the good stuff in there. I would suggest doing this when you are doing your water change in a bucket of the water you take out. Green Algea - Ewwwwww Seems everyone has this problem at one point or another. The key to this is light. Your tanks light should only be switched on for around 6 hours a day. This will limit the growth of algea in your tank. Also you may want to buy some algea eating fish such as plecs or bistlenose catfish. Bistlenoses are actually known as algea magnets and for very very good reason. I would highly recommend introducing these to your tank if appropriate with the fish you keep (which is with most to be honest). Treatment There is always going to come a time when you need to add some treatment to your tank for one reason or another. For fish that have open sores and are damaged or for general treatment I would highly recommend looking for melafix. Melafix is a teatree based product that will help in quite a lot of cases. For other illnesses it will depend on what they have got. Try to take a picture of what the problem is and take it to your local fish shop. They will more than likley be able to advise you. To take a clear picture, simply point your camera with flash at an angle to the tanks glass as this will elliminate the glare. Also take the picture at night with your house lights switched off and your tank lights switched on. Always remove carbon from your filter before introducing treatment. Carbon removes chemicals from your tank and therefore will remove any treatment before it can treat your fish. After the problem is remedied, reintroduce the carbon and do a 25% water change on your tank. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 brilliant information marc, added to rep I dont have the info on hand (should have somewhere) but another important thing to remember with fish keeping, not just tropical fish, is the importance of Ph and Nitrate levels, how to check them, what level they should be, how to correct them and what affects they have on the fish when not correct. I will try and find the info I have on that and pop it on here, unless you beat me to it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted May 17, 2009 Author Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 PH will generally depend on the kind of fish ... For a standard ph I would recommend the usual pebbles in your tank and slate, orniments, bogwood etc.... However if like me you need a higher ph due to keeping specific kinds of fish, you will need to have coral rock, or coral sand in your tank as this will raise the ph. Of course you can also buy products such as PHUP and PHDOWN for your tank however its best to try and solve these in a more natural environment than adding chemicals. As for the Nitrite and nitrate levels in your tank. They are both caused by ammonia in the tank which is caused by the fishes feaces, left over food, rotting fish etc. Ammonia is turned into Nitrites, which in turn are turned into Nitrates. Nitrates are usually in your tank in small quantities almost all of the time due to the fish feaces and left over food, however before these are nitrites. Nitrites are formed by the nitrates reacting with the good bacteria in yourr filter, making them a lot less harmfull to your fish. Nitrates are very harmful to your fish as they reduce the oxigen and cause stress to your fish. SO basically to avoid the problem ... Do your regular water changes, and ensure that the good bacteria is kept in your filter by correctly maintaining it rather than washing all the goodness out. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
siberian_wolf Posted May 17, 2009 Report Share Posted May 17, 2009 very good info marc you win beat me to it lol (sorry cant add to rep though) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedalot Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Marc, I don't know if you've ever heard of Aqua Babies, but what it is is just a tiny cube tank with a few tiny fish in it, some gravel and maybe a plant or two. In 1999, my girlfriend's kid gave me one and I brought it to work and put it on my desk. According to the instructions that came with it, the fish are supposed to about a year. The tank I have at work has a single fish in it, nothing else. In August, the little guy will be 10 years old! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Wow!!! Think we have something similar here but they're called Sea Monkeys? or am i totally off track lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
shedalot Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Sea monkeys are quite different. I've done those as well. They are brine shrimp, not fish. The fish I have was about a quarter of an inch long 10 years ago. It is now about an inch long. I have a picture at home I'll try to find. (I'm at work now) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqwidge Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 i will read this when we get home...our poor tank is a mess... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted June 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Yeah the Aqua Babies are just extremely hardy fish that have been put together with the correct plants, rocks etc to keep the water stable for a very long time. They also dont need heaters etc as they can adapt to a quite large temp range. Just redone my tank actually, might get a couple of pic together later on to post up on here Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Great post Marc rep added all we need now is someone to come on here spoil it by telling you how you are doing it all wrong you don't know what your doing and it should only be done by experienced fish owners Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted June 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 LMFAO ...... where's gatch when ya need him eh lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Malamute Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Tropical fish Great post Marc rep added all we need now is someone to come on here spoil it by telling you how you are doing it all wrong you don't know what your doing and it should only be done by experienced fish owners Not a case of doing it wrong - just difference of opinion.... I keep marine fish and corals, and do water changes of no more than 10% volume no more than once a month - but I know 2 different specialist suppliers quite well, one of which agrees with my system, one who works on minimum 10% every week. There is no right and wrong really though because no 2 tanks are the same. One of the biggest factors in my experience is filtration. My own tank has an Aqua Medic sump filter retailing at close to 850 with a tower trickle unit from the main tank to the sump unit but to this I've added my own trickle filter (all of this out of site in the cabinet) and even a fluval in the tank itself. I suppose in reality the filter system I now have is suitable for a tank twice the size but remember, a fish doesn't have to swim around in it's own pooh does it! Get your filtration right and you'll never be bothered by nitrites. With regard to nitrates though, ask your aquatic store to test their own water for nitrate levels before you buy any nitrate testing kit - you may be surprised! One good point though is to use RO (reverse osmosis) water. This is provided by a filter (similar to the Britta concept) which removes virtually everything from tap water and leaves you with pure H2O with none of the little nasties we put in to protect out feeble selves. Like I said, not right or wrong, just differing opinions..... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Sorry Ian I think you missed the joke it was only aimed at Marc m8 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted June 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Actually not a differeing of opinions at all. For keeping marine fish that is correct. There is a hell of a lot more to marine keeping than the malawis I keep lol. The water changes tend to be bigger for general tropical fish as they are not as hardy as marine (and a lot less expensive lol) and therefore its always good to keep the cack out of the tank as much as possible. Plus there are not the salts etc in there that help very much in the removal of infection etc in marine. Also the filtration on marine has to be a lot bigger. A sump isnt needed for a 180 ltr tank of mine wit tropical fresh water, however if I had marine in there I would most definateley need a fair sized sump tank. RO units are excellent. Havent got one myself at present however I am looking into getting one, purely to keep the crap from the tap water away from my tank meaning I can refrain from using any of the chemicals to remove the chlorine and metals. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic_Sibe Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Now you come to mention it Dunc, i think it's irresponsible to breed fish without proper pedigree papers. After all you still get catfish and dogfish Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marc Posted June 10, 2009 Author Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Now you come to mention it Dunc, i think it's irresponsible to breed fish without proper pedigree papers. After all you still get catfish and dogfish Steve waah waah waaahhhhhh ... lol .... That was baaaad lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic_Sibe Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 I'm a bad bad bad bad man Ha ha ha, sorry couldn't resist Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 I'm a bad bad bad bad man Ha ha ha, sorry couldn't resist LMAO............. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 I'm a bad bad bad bad man Can't argue with that lol Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lyn Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 I love fish. dont have any at the moment, but had both coldwater and tropical setups in the past. Up until a couple of years ago, we also had a beautiful Koi pond. Now, if ever ANYTHING needed a degree in biochemistry, its a Koi pond!!! We started out with a little raised pond, probably about 500 gallons or so, with 8 koi in it of no particular pedigree.....Then I joined the local Koi club. .....then came the REALl pond! With the help of some of the club members, we built a masterpiece: Around 23ft long, 7ft wide and 7ft deep. concrete, brick and block construction and fibreglassed. fitted with everything including the kitchen sink. Major plumbing system, bank of UV sterilisers, water purification system, Ozone unit, heated (yes, you read right, heated) by a heat transfer unit off a gas boiler. volume was around 7000 gallons IIRC (checked with a water meter when we first filled it) The filter system alone was an 8ft long 4-bay affair, preceded by a 3ft vortex chamber. We loved that pond! It housed 24 beautiful japanese Koi and we spent hours just sitting, an watching those fish. We also did a bit of showing. If you think showing dogs is hard work, try showing FISH We did well though and have verious tropies to show for it. I learned a heck of a lot about chemistry from that pond, also a lot about diseases too. I could identify every fish parasite native to UK with a microscope from a mucous scrape and became skilled in anaesthatising large fish to treat any wounds, even learned about wierd and wonderful treatments like using pig wormer for fluke and turning your pond purple with pottassium permanginate for other parasites (of course, removing the carbon cushions and turning off the ozone unit, which oxidises pretty much everything known to man that passes through it). Unfortunately, husky racing and koi ponds don't mix . Big ponds and expensive fish are also a lot of hard work. If something, ANYTHING, goes wrong, you have to sort it quick, or you loose your fish. Far more fickle than your average pond goldfish and goast koi. We did have a gizmo called 'koi watch' on that pond, which monitored all major peramitors: Temp, pH, oxygen levels, water level etc and this gadget sent you a text to your mobile if anything changed. All very well except if you happen to be 4 hrs away at a race meet all weekend! We did have 'pond sitters' who would go round if there was a problem, but once we got seriously into racing and started spending many weekends over a 6 month period away from home, we had to take the decision that the pond had to go . That said, my fish are still around the area in other ponds. Maybe one day, we might have another. Probably when I retire! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dunc Posted June 10, 2009 Report Share Posted June 10, 2009 Woww not alot more can be said Lyn you make it sound fantastic would of loved to see it Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqwidge Posted June 11, 2009 Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 Marc (or anyone for that matter!) At the moment we have a tank which is plastic plants etc...(our first tank...couldn't cope with real ones just yet!) If we wanted to change the gravel and all the plants, how would this be done? Do we need to get a smaller tank to put the fish in whilst we do it? OR can you do it with the fish in there? Also...we want to move house soon...how do you do that as well? (we haven't found anywhere yet...but i know it will be on the cards soon!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sonic_Sibe Posted June 11, 2009 Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 Marc (or anyone for that matter!) At the moment we have a tank which is plastic plants etc...(our first tank...couldn't cope with real ones just yet!) If we wanted to change the gravel and all the plants, how would this be done? Do we need to get a smaller tank to put the fish in whilst we do it? OR can you do it with the fish in there? Also...we want to move house soon...how do you do that as well? (we haven't found anywhere yet...but i know it will be on the cards soon!) Hi Sarah If you are just changing plants and gravel, the most sensible way is to get the gravel you want to use and pre-wash it before doing anything else, that way it's ready to use and will save time and stress for the fish later. Syphon off most of the water from the tank into something else that is clean and temporarily put your fish in there. Remove the plastic plants and whatever else. Give the tank a good clean whilst you're at it and then add your prewashed gravel, fill the tank to about half way with fresh tapwater and add your dechlorinator to the water. Plant your plants where you want them and then turn on your filter and heaters, make sure the heaters are submerged. The filter should work ok whether it is an undergravel or external with the reduced water level, just may be a little more splashy due to the water level. Leave to settle for a short while, then add the water you saved earlier until the tank is up to the correct level, then re introduce your fish. The method above is not much different from what you'd do on a regular water change. When moving house it's similar to the above, save as much water as you can. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sqwidge Posted June 11, 2009 Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 our filter and heater are in an enclosed box at the back...will the filter still work? i thought it was bad for the filter to turn it on if not submerged, same as the heater? need some more buckets! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sarah Posted June 11, 2009 Report Share Posted June 11, 2009 When doing a water change or moving etc, always make sure you switch off the filter and the heater. The heater needs to aclimatise itself again once the new water goes in - if you leave it switched on you will probably crack it and burn out the heater as you said Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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