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Frequent Aquarium Questions
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Aquarium Set-Up List of Categories
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I wish to paint something to place in my fish tank. Which kind of paint is safe to use?
We're just as worried about "WHAT" you want to paint as the paint you want to use. We have seen too many cases where fish were poisoned by items placed in the aquarium which released toxic compunds or chemicals. We do not recommend putting anything into an aquarium which was not made to go into an aquarium, so don't take this advice as our approval of your idea:
The only paint we would recommend would be marine epoxy, or model hobby epoxy paint, which has been allowed to cure for two weeks before use in the tank. Ceramic objects should be well-glazed and fired before use. If the wrong paint is used or the item being painted is not inert, you may still have problems with this.
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I recently got a tank that was previously used for an iquana. I was wondering if it would be possible to use that for fish and what would I have to do to make it suitable for fish.
Wash it very well with plain water. Reptiles produce Uric acid as waste, and I'm sure there are traces of it in the tank. It is water-soluble and easy to remove, but definitely rinse the tank well.
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I hear it is a good idea to add about a tablespoon of salt for every five gallons to freshwater aquariums. Is that true? Can I add salt to a tank with live plants? I thought plants didn't like salt.
Salt is a good tonic to prevent diseases in freshwater fish, but it cannot be used with live plants. You can use other disease-preventative tonics such as Aquatronics ResQ instead of salt if you want to keep live plants.
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How much Coralife salt should I mix with 1 gallon of distilled water to make saltwater that is within the safe range for Clown Fish? I would like a volume please not a weight.
We will answer this question only because you specified "distilled" water, in the interest of science.
However, you should know up front that mixing salt to the correct specific gravity should always be done using a hydrometer, adding small amounts of salt to a given volume of water, then taking a reading with the hydrometer until the desired specific gravity is attained. If tap water or RO water is used instead of distilled water, using a hydrometer is not an option, it is a necessity!
It doesn't really matter which brand of salt is used, as most mix up at about the same ratio. The answer is 1/3 cup to 2/3 cup per gallon of distilled water to yield a specific gravity of 1.017 to 1.027, which is the safe range for ALL saltwater fish, as they can tolerate lower specific gravities which help control parasites. We typically recommend 1.020 if you do not have any invertebrates (a little more than 1/3 cup), or 1.023 to 1.025 (1/2 cup to 5/8 cup) if you have invertebrates or a reef aquarium.
By the way, Coralife puts this basic information on their salt mix. They say that 1/2 cup will yield a specific gravity of about 1.023.
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I have a 40 gallon tank with nothing covering the top. Is it important to have something covering the top of my tank or is it ok without the top?
If you don't cover the top of the tank, eventually you will lose fish when they jump out. Yes, the tank should be covered.
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We just got a 10gal tank that previously had salt water fish in and I need to know what to use to clean it with to get it ready and safe for fresh water fish.
Just use plain water. No chemicals. if you have lime deposits you need to remove, use Python Rydit which you can purchase from any aquarium supplier.
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My Little Giant pump is just too loud. I just purchased the pump, so replacing it is my last option. Can you offer any advice to reduce or muffle the sound. Help! Thanks.
1) Make sure you did not reduce the intake of the pump by connecting it up to a bulkhead that is smaller than the intake of the pump. If the pump has a 1" intake, it should be connected to at least a 1" bulkhead. If it is connected to smaller plumbing, the pump will be noisy, will run hot, and will fail prematurely.
2) Try using padding beneath the pump to reduce vibration.
3) Make sure the pump is not "sucking air". If the pump is connected to a reservoir, connect a 90 degree elbow to the bulkhead in the sump, pointing down, so the pump will draw water from the botom of the reservoir.
4) Do not enclose the pump! This will cause it to overheat. You may however, sound-proof your cabinet stand with styrofoam insulation.
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HI, is it ok to just get sand from the beach and use that as your substrate?
No, it is not a good idea for two great reasons. First, the collection of beach sand is a federal crime in the United States, and a statutory crime in most states under coastal erosion and protection laws. Secondly, breaking the law to collect rocks, shells, coral and sand is irresponsible. The sands and gravels sold in stores are mined or collected under license, or are manufactured like aragonite.
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Some websites suggest a fishless cycle with the addition of ammonia to the tank, other sites suggest adding a few hardy fish. One sounds complicated, the other- cruel. Is there anything in between these two methods? What is the best method?
We have always cycled aquariums with fish that are ammonia tolerant. You may view a list of fish we recommend at http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/fishcyclesw.htm for marine tanks. For freshwater tanks, check out our article at http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/fishcyclefw.htm.
In almost all cases, we have lost very few fish during cycles, and most of the fish we use for cycling tanks become permanent residents of the aquariums they started. The key is to not start with too many fish, and to monitor the cycle using water tests. Avoid over-feeding too, as this will create excess ammonia.
The use of ammonium chloride for cycling tanks is not complicated at all, though some web sites may make it sound that way. The process is quite simple. You add ammonium chloride (typically .5 ml per gallon of water) to the tank, and wait for ammonia and nitrite to both reach zero levels before adding any fish. We would take that one step further, and wait until ammonia and nitrite are zero, and you see some algae growing in the tank. The problem with using this method is that you must be patient, as cycle times tend to last up to twelve weeks or more, and you may have to do a couple of small water changes during this time.
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I have purchased a piece of driftwood with a slate bottom for my 29 gallon tank. How long will it need to soak before it stay's submerged (I've soaked it for about a week)?
That depends on the density of the wood. It could take up to three months. We recommend simply weighting down the slate in the aquarium with larger heavy rocks until the wood sinks by itself.
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