Frequent Aquarium Questions

• I have a 75 gallon freshwater tank that I started up one week ago. I have 4 small cichilds in order to cycle my tank. My ammonia level was 1.0 this morning. When should I start with water changes? Do I need to wait for it to cycle?
  
  
• What is the best method to change the water on my saltwater aquarium? Should I mix the water and the salt in a separate container and then add it to the tank?
  
  
• Is it OK to change the substrate in a saltwater tank with the fish in the tank?
  
  
• I have had a new saltwater tank running for about 2 weeks with out a problem. Now that I have introduced fish and fed them, the water has gotten hazy.
  
  
• I treated my fish for ich for a few days, and used malachite green medication. The sealant in my tank is now stained - is there a way to unstain the sealant?
  
  
• About 1 1/2 weeks ago I set up my 55 gallon freshwater tank. The tank had been empty for 5 or six years but was cleaned out before being stored in a spare bedroom. About 4 or 5 days after I set it up I started getting almost symetrical looking horizontal white lines going down the inside of the aquarium. What are they and how do I get rid of them?
  
  
• I am getting a white slime build up on the sides, rocks and in the filter media of my freshwater tank. I can clean it off with a scrubber and clean the filter media and rocks, but it is back within a week. Could you tell me what this is and how to treat it?
  
  
• Can I just add regular table salt to a marine aquarium or must it be a specific formula designed for saltwater aquaria?
  
  
• How do I mantain a saltwater fsh tank with mostly tropical fish?
  
  
• When the water in my tank gets low, should I just pour new tap water from the spicket right into the tank? What should I do before I pour it into my tank?
  
  

• I have a 75 gallon freshwater tank that I started up one week ago. I have 4 small cichilds in order to cycle my tank. My ammonia level was 1.0 this morning. When should I start with water changes? Do I need to wait for it to cycle?
  
  Initially, you should wait about three weeks, then do a 25% water change, including vacuuming the gravel, before adding more fish. If you are careful not to over-feed, which produces excess ammonia, your tank should finish cycling in about a week after the first water change. Make sure when you start stocking more fish, that you go slowly, adding four or five similar-sized fish to the tank at a time in three week intervals, and doing a 25% water change before you make each addition.
  
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• What is the best method to change the water on my saltwater aquarium? Should I mix the water and the salt in a separate container and then add it to the tank?
  
  To change water on a saltwater tank, first mix up some saltwater to the same specific gravity as your aquarium, then use some buffer and alkalinity treatments to adjust the pH and alkalinity to match your water or to correct the pH and/or alkalinity. Mix the water thoroughly and wait until it is crystal clear. If you need an explanation of alkalinity and/or pH, please consult a good book. You should know about these water-quality parameters to be a good hobbyist. Then drain out 25% of the water while vacuuming the gravel (substrate) using a gravel vacuum/siphon hose tool which you can buy from us or from a local store. When finished, add your new water back to the tank slowly.
  
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• Is it OK to change the substrate in a saltwater tank with the fish in the tank?
  
  It is Ok to do this provided you take a few precautions. First, make sure you understand that when you change the gravel, you will lose some nitrifying bacteria, so make sure your tank is not over-crowded.
  
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• I have had a new saltwater tank running for about 2 weeks with out a problem. Now that I have introduced fish and fed them, the water has gotten hazy.
  
  This is one of those problems we cannot solve without more information, as there are several causes for this problem. They are: Over-stocking, starting with too many fish, not enough filtration, too much light, and over-feeding. If you would like to get more input, please go to http://www.aquariumpros.com/features/email.htm, and email us at our support desk with the answers to all of the questions we request on that web page.
  
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• I treated my fish for ich for a few days, and used malachite green medication. The sealant in my tank is now stained - is there a way to unstain the sealant?
  
  Unfortunately, malachite green and methylene blue will do that. The color will fade over time. There is no way to get rid of it except to wait.
  
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• About 1 1/2 weeks ago I set up my 55 gallon freshwater tank. The tank had been empty for 5 or six years but was cleaned out before being stored in a spare bedroom. About 4 or 5 days after I set it up I started getting almost symetrical looking horizontal white lines going down the inside of the aquarium. What are they and how do I get rid of them?
  
  That is calcium carbonate which has hardened on the sides of the tank. It was already there but wasn't visible until it reacted with the lime in the tap water. You need to drain the tank, and empty it completely. Use either Python Rydit Lime Remover, or a strong white vinegar, and soak the glass in it, then scrub well, and rinse thoroughly before setting up the tank again.
  
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• I am getting a white slime build up on the sides, rocks and in the filter media of my freshwater tank. I can clean it off with a scrubber and clean the filter media and rocks, but it is back within a week. Could you tell me what this is and how to treat it?
  
  That is probably either excess bacterial growth, or a form of fungus. The problem can be solved by doing one or all of the following. Get more filtration. Stop over-feeding. Light your aquarium for 8 to 10 hours a day with fluorescent aquarium lights. Do a partial 10% to 25% water change and vacuum the gravel every two to three weeks.
  
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• Can I just add regular table salt to a marine aquarium or must it be a specific formula designed for saltwater aquaria?
  
  Salinity is not the same thing as specific gravity. In fact salinity does not even apply when measuring "salts" in an aquarium so is truly useless except to measure the concentration of ions in the water. What you measure when you take a reading with your hydrometer is the density of the water, which increases as you add more OCEAN salt. Table salt (sodioum chloride) is only one salt found in the ocean, and actually forms only a very small percentage of the total salts found in commercial aquarium mixtures. The major salts are potassium salts (also called bitter salts) such as potassium chloride, potassium iodide, etc. Epsom salt is an example of a bitter salt, but you can't use that alone either. Bottom Line No, you cannot substitute table salt or any single salt for a commercial mix, because you would throw off the ratio of these naturally-occuring salts and that will eventually kill your fish.
  
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• How do I mantain a saltwater fsh tank with mostly tropical fish?
  
  You need to get a book to get the entire answer to your question as a complete answer would be several pages long. Trying to keep a marine aquarium without having read at least one book will result in many failures as there is a lot to know and understand. The basics are a 25% wtaer change every three to four weeks, vacuuming substrate and testing water at least every two to three weeks for ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, alkalinity and phosphates.
  
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• When the water in my tank gets low, should I just pour new tap water from the spicket right into the tank? What should I do before I pour it into my tank?
  
  Yes, you can just add tapwater unless you have a reef tank, in which case you should use reverse osmosis or distilled water. You should add a small amount of tapwater conditioner to the water before topping off your tank.
  
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