Frequent Aquarium Questions

• I have a 29 gallon glass fish tank with what I suppose you would say are mirrored sides. Do the mirrors somehow allow my fish to see me and distinguish me from others or do they just sense you walking by and therefore not know who it is?
  
  
• I am currently using a dual Bio wheel filtration unit on a freshwater tank (35”x17”x17”). Do you think a pump filtration unit would be better?
  
  
• Can a water heater that got waterlogged be dried out and used again
  
  
• I have a 100 gallon saltwater aquarium with a wet dry filter, UV sterilizer and flourecent lights. Sometimes I get an electrical shock when I put my hand in the water. Should I have some sort of a ground strap?
  
  
• I was interested in finding out more about BioBalls. I have seen them for sale in local pet stores as well as floating in the aquariums there. What is the purpose of them? When would you need to use them and how do you use them?
  
  
• Can a water pump on a filtration system be damaged by running dry?
  
  
• I am in the process of setting up my first saltwater aquarium and was wondering if a power head was needed even if an under gravel filter system is not used.
  
  
• I have an undergravel filter. One day it was bubbling and working fine the next day one of the filters stoped bubbling and the other filter barely relases the bubbles on a regular steady bubble. whats the problem, what should i do?????
  
  
• Is there any way to remove the top and bottom frame on aquariums?
  
  
• If I have a protein skimmer, do I also need a wet/dry filter?
  
  

• I have a 29 gallon glass fish tank with what I suppose you would say are mirrored sides. Do the mirrors somehow allow my fish to see me and distinguish me from others or do they just sense you walking by and therefore not know who it is?
  
  Whether fish can see you or not depends on how bright their lighting is in the tank. Brighly lit tanks reflect the fihes reflection back to them. Almost all fish will learn that when the top of the aquarium is lifted that it's "feeding time." If the lighting is right both in the tank and in the room where the aquarium is kept, the fish can learn to recognize when a person is walking by and will come to the top to be fed. Whether a fish can distinguish one person from another is a topic for conjecture.
  
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• I am currently using a dual Bio wheel filtration unit on a freshwater tank (35”x17”x17”). Do you think a pump filtration unit would be better?
  
  We're not sure what you mean by a pump filtratioon unit, but we think you mean a canister filter. The dimensions of your tank (inside dimensions most likely), indicate it is a 50 gallon aquarium. That size aquarium is better suited for canister filtration but we would caution you to alos continue using your power filter for a while after hooking up a canister filter.
  
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• Can a water heater that got waterlogged be dried out and used again
  
  No! You must replace the heater.
  
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• I have a 100 gallon saltwater aquarium with a wet dry filter, UV sterilizer and flourecent lights. Sometimes I get an electrical shock when I put my hand in the water. Should I have some sort of a ground strap?
  
  Using a titanium ground probe is an absolute safety neccessity for ALL saltwater aquariums. Of all the deaths attributed to the aquarium hobby, almost all are due to elctrocution. A ground probe will help prevent this from happening. The use of a Ground Fault Interruption electrical outlet is the surefire way to prevent electrocution, but the ground probe will also take care of stray voltage emitted from some pumps and other devices.
  
  However, you cannot actually "feel" stray voltage, except perhaps through an open wound exposed to the water. If you can actually feel voltage in the aquarium, you are facing a far more serious situation which may only get worse. The first thing you need to do is to determine what piece of equipment is causing the problem. You can use a voltage meter for this purpose or another method, we'll touch on later. Possibile culprits include your UV sterilizer, a submersible pump, or a heater if you have one.
  
  However, if you only get a shock occasionally, it is very likely the device that is leeching voltage into the water is one which is not on all the time. That might be a heater, or it could be the lights. If you don't get a shock when the lights are out, then the lights may be to blame. This often happens when home-made lighting is used, which we never recommend. It can also happen if the lighting is directly over open water.
  
  Check your submersible pumps, UV sterilizer and heater for any signs of wear that might explain this. If you see hairline cracks in the housing of pumps or on the heater, or there appears to be moisture inside the heater, DISCARD AND REPLACE! These devices cannot be repaired and your life is worth more than their value. Take apart the UV sterilizer and look for breaks in the quartz sleeve or any evidence of a broken seal or gasket. Repair if needed.
  
  An alternate method of determining what is causing the problem is to use a GFI outlet as a testing device. GFI outlets have two small buttons in their center, one labled "test" and the other labled "reset." When water makes contact with any device plugged into a GFI, the GFI circuit breaker will trip, and the reset button needs to be depressed to make the outlet "live" again. By federal building code laws, GFI outlets must be used if the electrical outlet is within three feet of a sink, toilet or other water source. The electrical outlets in your bathroom and sometimes the kitchen should be this type of outlet.
  
  Run an extension cord to your aquarium from one of these outlets, and one by one, plug each device into the extension cord. The device that trips the GFI outlet is the one you need to repair or replace. Do not rule out the possibility that it is more than one device. Test all of them. Keep in mind that a heater will only carry voltage when it's on, so turn the heater up before you test it.
  
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• I was interested in finding out more about BioBalls. I have seen them for sale in local pet stores as well as floating in the aquariums there. What is the purpose of them? When would you need to use them and how do you use them?
  
  BioBalls are a biological filter media, used in wet-dry filters, which is the preferred method of filtration for marine fish aquariums and some freshwater aquariums. We're not sure why you would see them floating in an aquarium, as that is not where they belong at all. For more information on biological filtration and wet-dry filters, please consult our articles.
  
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• Can a water pump on a filtration system be damaged by running dry?
  
  Yes, any water pump used for an aquarium should never be operated without water, or it will get damaged and will quickly fail.
  
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• I am in the process of setting up my first saltwater aquarium and was wondering if a power head was needed even if an under gravel filter system is not used.
  
  Good circulation in a marine aquarium is important, and even more important in a live reef tank. It wouldn't hurt to run a small powerhead in the tank in addition to regualr filtration. If you will be doing a reef tank, you'll need more than one. Be careful however and don't get too carried away. Every pump you add to a tank contributes to heat in the aquarium.
  
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• I have an undergravel filter. One day it was bubbling and working fine the next day one of the filters stoped bubbling and the other filter barely relases the bubbles on a regular steady bubble. whats the problem, what should i do?????
  
  Either the air diffusers (air stones) are clogged, or your air pump has failed. They don't last forever. You should seriously consider using a powerhead or powerheads to operate the undergravel filter unless you have Goldfish or any fish that does not like strong current. Powerheads are more reliable, do a beeter job and are easier to maintain.
  
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• Is there any way to remove the top and bottom frame on aquariums?
  
  Yes, very carefully! But seriously, to do this correctly, you'll need a sharp razor blade tool such as a carpet knife. You must carefully break the seal between the frame and the glass from the outside, then do the same from the inside untilm the frame feels loose. Then you can gently pry the frame off.
  
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• If I have a protein skimmer, do I also need a wet/dry filter?
  
  In the ideal set-up, a protein skimmer should be connected to a wet-dry filter or for a reef tank, to a Berlin sump. Hang-on protein skimmers do not work as well as a good in-sump or stand-alone protein skimmer.
  
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