Live Sand Care - Live Sand is as important to your marine aquarium as live rock.  It has a necessary role in the cleaning and feeding of your reef system.  The term "live" means that when purchased, the live sand contains helpful bacteria and tiny organisms that will help jump start the cycling of your new aquarium.  These tiny organisms are another media to help break down the leftover waste, nitrites and nitrates.  The many tiny organisms growing in the live sand also help to feed your smallest corals and inverts that can be difficult to feed.  Live sand does not really require much care...it does not need vacuuming like gravel in a freshwater aquarium...in fact, we recommend not vacuuming at all.  What we recommend is stirring the sand every week to release built up gases and debris (you may notice bubbles between the glass and the sand, which is natural).  By stirring the sand, we mean gently moving the visible sand back and forth taking care not to get sand on any corals.  There is no need to move rock or corals.  Once you have stirred the sand, you will notice your corals and inverts come  out to feed on the organisms released.  Any waste that is released into the water is quickly reabsorbed and filtered away.  Always stir the sand prior to doing a water change to remove as much waste as possible. 

Adding New Fish - Trying to add new fish to your tank and are having problems adding new fish to your aquarium?  Ever feel sorry for the little fish always being picked on?  It's because fish are territorial and have a vested interest in a particular piece of plant, decoration or space in your aquarium.  To combat this problem, before adding new fish, try taking out all the plants and decorations.   Next, add your new fish and then the old fish and, finally, rearrange or add new decorations to the aquarium.  It's amazing how the old fish are suddenly so preoccupied establishing new territories, they don't even notice the new fish.

Finicky Fish? - Ever notice that when you feed your fish pellets, they quickly gobble it up only to spit the food out again?  It's probably because the food is too hard...try soaking the pellets first just for a minute or two to soften them up. 

Got Snails? - Snails introduced to freshwater tanks by accident can quickly overrun the tank.  We suggest trying natural methods of removal before trying chemical treatments.  Chemical treatments which are copper based can kill the snails but may also harm your fish population.  Use these chemicals as a last resort.  Below are some treatment options we recommend:

• Freshwater puffers eat snails by cracking their shells, however, puffers are an aggressive fish and are not recommended for non-aggressive tanks.

• Clown loaches may be the best alternative; they suck the snail out of its shell and are not aggressive fish, meaning they do well in a community tank.

• Bettas are also known to eat the snail eggs, limiting reproduction of the snails.

• Since snails are vegetarians (eat plant material), they love cucumbers.  Weight down a cucumber slice with some gravel and leave overnight.  By morning, the cucumber slice will be covered in snails.  Be careful when lifting out so that they do not fall back into the tank.

 

Fish Parasite Pickers - If you are looking for a natural way to help keep your saltwater fish healthy, look no further than the a couple of new tank mates.  A Hawaiian Cleaner Wrasse and a Scarlet Cleaner Shrimp.  These animals set-up cleaning stations within your tank and will quickly have the locals lining up to be cleaned.  These cleaners will help keep ich to a minimum naturally.

 

 

Fish Problems? - We have recently received a lot of emails from visitors wondering why their fish are sick...fortunately the likely culprit and the easiest problem to cure is water conditions.  Ammonia and nitrate spikes are a common cause of water condition problems.  These spikes occur when too many fish are added, overfeeding, leaving dead fish in tank, and not doing routine maintenance.  Routine maintenance if neglected is the number one cause of most fish ailments.  Water problems weaken a fish making it more susceptible to disease.  Keeping on top of partial water changes, vacuuming gravel, removing algae, and cleaning filters will keep your fish healthy.  Regular maintenance should be done every 3 to 4 weeks.  If your fish are showing signs of stress with symptoms like discoloration, not eating, cloudy eyes, swimming funny, fin problems, etc...do a partial water change once per week for two weeks, add 1/2 tablespoon salt (for freshwater) to help your fish produce a protective slime coat, change or clean your filter, and test the water for ammonia or nitrate spikes (zero being best and above 5 fish die) as well as the pH level (acidity or alkalinity).  Depending on the type of fish, for saltwater fish the pH level should be 8.0 and above and for freshwater fish the range can be from 6.5 to 7.5.

Bristleworms - Bristleworms are just one of a large number of invertebrate predators that can be accidentally introduced to your aquarium when you add live coral or rock to your saltwater tank.  These types of predators (bristleworms) are not always considered a "bad" addition.  These worms will clean your sand and leftovers very efficiently.  However, some types will eat soft and hard corals.  Keep an eye on the number and types that are in your tank...too many worms are a sign that you are overfeeding.  If you do not notice them, then you probably do not have a problem.  Bristleworms only come out a night...use a flashlight to search for them.  You can take steps to prevent their introduction, add fish that will control the worm population, wait for them at night and catch them with tweezers or buy traps to catch them.  Bristleworms can cause skin irritations with their bristles.  It is recommended that you use gloves when handling bristleworms.  Pick them up with tweezers not your hand.  The two easiest types of fish and a shrimp to add that are fairly easy-going are the lined wrasse, flasher wrasse and the coral banded shrimp (all pictured below).   You can buy bristleworm traps at your local pet store.  The best prevention is to thoroughly clean your coral and rock before adding it to your aquarium.  

   

 

 

 

Freshwater fish need salt too? Did you know that salt helps your freshwater live bearing fish keep their protective coating healthy?  All fish have a protective coating to protect their scales or skin from disease and injury.  Salt helps fish to produce this protective coating.  Obviously, saltwater fish have salt to help keep their skin healthy.  However, live-bearing freshwater fish such as mollies, platys, guppies and goldfish and other brackish water fish will benefit from 1 teaspoon of rock salt per 5 gallons to help them produce their protective coating.  IMPORTANT:  Never use common table salt or iodized salt which contains iodine and is poisonous to fish! 

Territorial Fish - - Have you had or are you having problems adding new fish to your aquarium or just feel sorry for the little fish always being picked on?  It's because fish are territorial and have a vested interest in a particular piece of plant, decoration or space in your aquarium.  To combat this problem, before adding new fish, try taking out all the plants and decorations.   Next, add your new fish and then the old fish and, finally, rearrange or add new decorations to the aquarium.  It's amazing how the old fish are suddenly so preoccupied establishing new territories, they don't even notice the new fish.

Goldfish Eyes - Did you know that certain types of fish can be dangerous to Goldfish?  If you have a goldfish the following fish can be dangerous.   These fish have been known to feed on the eyes of goldfish:

1.  Plecos (algae eaters)

2.  Chineses Algae Eaters

3.  Koi

 

Water Requirements for Freshwater Fish

Alkaline (High Ph) (Hard Water)	Acidic (Low Ph) (Soft Water)	Brackish (Slightly Salty)	All
African Cichlids	Tetras	Puffers	Mollies
Oscars	Discus	Monodactylus	Platys
	Killifish		Goldfish
	Angelfish		Gouramis
			Shark
			Loaches
			Catfish
			Barbs
			Swordtails
			Bettas
			Borneo Sucker

 

Lighting Your Saltwater Aquarium - A standard saltwater aquarium with no unusual lighting requirements should come with a bulb that provides enough light to simulate the actual daytime lighting in a reef environment.  To accurately duplicate a natural daytime environment, you need at least two fluorescent bulbs in your tank lamp.   Aquariums with live corals should have a minimum of 4 fluorescent bulbs and do best with a combination of fluorescent, actinic and metal halide bulbs.  Below are basic terms and descriptions of different lightings available:

• Fluorescent bulbs - Basic, inexpensive bulb good for a beginner tank with no corals or animals requiring photosynthesis.  These make a good simulation of sunlight and keep your fish on a night and day schedule.  Provide a minimum of 2 fuorescent bulbs.

• VHO Fluorescent bulbs - High output fluorescent bulbs which can replace 6 regular fluorescent bulbs with only 4 VHO bulbs.  These can be cost prohibitive.

• Blue Actinic - Actinic refers to a phosphor that promotes photosynthesis for optimum growth of marine life.  Blue refers to the blue color spectrum light it produces.  These are also used to bring out the vibrant colors in aquariums. 

• Metal Halide lamps - These lamps are considered the best on the market if you are considering getting corals that take in light.  These lamps can get hot and may need a fan for cooling.   Combining the Metal Halide with 2 VHO and 2 Blue Actinic will provide you with the best of both worlds.   Depending on the size of your tank, you can rotate bulbs (if they do not all fit) to get the maximum result.

• "k" - Every wonder what the 6500k (blue light) or 10000k (red/blue light) means on the side of the bulb?  Most people think the more expensive it is the better (i.e. 10000k is more expensive).  However, that is not true.  These ratings refer to the daylight rating of the bulb.  The higher the "k" rating, the more red/blue light or deep water light it produces.   Therefore, a 10000k light is not a good light for a shallow reef inhabitants but meant for an aquarium with deep water inhabitants.  A light with 6500k should be used to simulate natural daylight color in a normal saltwater aquarium. 

• Full Spectrum Lighting - This is a good choice when looking for basic lighting.  It provides the spectrum scale that most fish and invertibrates need.  It also can take up less room and can be less costly.  Check the lighting scale on the package to be sure that it has the color lighting you are looking for.  Some come with a combination of 6500K (simulates natural sunlight) and Blue Actinic (phosphur) in the same lamp. 

 Choosing a Fish - Before you pick out that perfect fish, decide what you need first.  The following are some ideas to keep in mind.

• Do you want schooling fish, aggressive fish, or hardy fish?  Do you want bottom feeders, middle feeders or top feeders?   Are they compatible with the fish you already have?

• If setting up a tank, do you want tropical freshwater or cold freshwater?  Do you want tropical marine or cold water marine?  Do you want brackish water or a pond?

• Look for fish that are not hunchbacked which can be a sign of old age.  Your fish should be brightly colored all over with no faded spots.  He should also swim vigorously and straight.  Fins should not be tattered or malformed.  Look for any signs of disease such as ich spots (little white bubbles).  If there are other dead or sick fish in the tank, wait for a new shipment.

 Fish Diseases - Fish can get lots of different kinds of parasites.   Below are the most common parasites and the easiest to treat.

• Ich - Does your fish have small white bubbles on its tail or body?  If so, then you probably have Ich.   Ich is an external parasite which can multiply when the fish is stressed from shipping or a simple temperature change.  Ich is easily treated with an over-the-counter medication specifically for Ich at your local pet store.  Keep in mind that if one fish is infected then they all may have the same problem.  Treat all your fish and be sure to also make a 1/2 tank water change.

• Anchor Worm - Does your fish have a V shaped object sticking out of its side?  If so, then you probably have an anchor worm.  This parasite implants itself into the side of your fish.  The V shaped part hanging out is the ovaries of the worm.  The head of the parasite has three prongs imbedded into your fish.  The only way to get rid of the worm is to pull it out by hand.  Net your fish, wet your hand (dry hands damage scales) and hold fish gently, with other wet hand grasp worm as closely to the fish as possible and firmly pull out.  Dispose of the worm in the trash, do not put back in the tank.  Follow-up with medication to kill the eggs still in the water.  You can get the medication at your local pet store.

• Fish Lice - Does your fish have a what looks like a 1/2 sized green pea bump on its side?  If so, then you may have Fish Lice.  Fish Lice can easily be removed by netting the fish and, with a wet hand, slide your fingernail under the lice and slip off.  These can be slippery so be careful not to drop back into the tank.  Dispose of the lice in the trash.   Be sure to follow-up with medication from your local pet store. 

 Feeding Fish - Fish are either floater feeders, sinking feeders or bottom feeders.   Floater feeders have specialized mouths that can open wide to gulp the food floating on the surface of the water.  Sinking feeders have specialized mouths that are pointy and can snatch food as it sinks from the top.  Bottom feeders have specialized mouths that are shaped to suck or pick food as it settles on the bottom of the tank.  Some fish can feed at two or even three of the levels.  It is important that you know what type your fish is so that you can be sure to buy the appropriate type of food.  In general, flake food is for floaters and sinkers because it floats for awhile and then sinks slowly.  Tablets are for bottom feeders because it sinks quickly to the bottom, bypassing the two top levels.  Pellets are for floater feeders and bottom feeders because some of it floats while some sinks directly to the bottom.  

You can also find specialized foods such as frozen food which is considered to be closer to the "real thing" and comes in a wide variety of needs.  Freeze dried food is very convenient because of its shelf-life.  Live foods benefit the meat eaters who have a need to hunt and are looking for movement.

Red/Green Slime (Bacterial Algae) - There is no one easy answer to the elimination of this problem.  This bacteria seems to crop up most when there is the smallest of direct sunlight hitting the tank and may be affected by a drop in the  nitrate levels.   We have found that the best treatment has been a product called Chemi Clean.  Another cure for this problem is treating with Erythromycin (it is safe for invertebrates and corals), and using in conjunction with frequent water changes, adding snails which eat algae, reducing the amount of food, and changing the light bulbs.   If you take a sample to your local pet store they may be able to tell you if the red/green slime is an actual algae (which can be good)  or a bacterial problem.

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 Protein Skimmers – One of the best ways to improve water is to remove proteins from the water with a protein skimmer.  All other filter types just trap the waste and wait for you to clean out the filter.  The protein skimmer works by trapping the protein waste in bubbles of foam that rise and skim over into a collection area away from the water in the tank.  If used in conjunction with a trickle filter, which removes the nitrites, nitrates and ammonia from the water, you will have an efficient and very clean tank.

 

 Power Outages – Fish depend on electricity for their survival.  To ensure that your fish live through a power outage, be sure that you have a back-up power supply available.  For temporary power outages (1-2 hours) you can use a battery operated pump.  In case of short-term power outages (4-5 hours) we recommend a UPS or Uninterrupted Power Supply.  These can be found at any computer store.  A UPS uses a battery supply that turns on the moment the power is cut-off.  This allows for a flawless power exchange.  In case of long-term power outages, it is best to have a generator (gas powered) that can supply unlimited power.  Fish can generally go 5-7 days without being fed.  We recommend that during power outages, you limit the amount of food to keep down the levels of ammonia and nitrites in the water.

 

 Treating Diseases – Sure you can buy all the medications on the shelves at the pet store and try to stop the spread of disease among your fish but the two most overlooked treatments have to be done in conjunction with the medications.  First, separate (in another tank or bowl) and treat the fish that appear to be infected.  Second, it is vital that you change your water completely every day for at least one week.  Poor water quality is the number on contributor to health problems in fish.  You can also cut down on diseases by quarantining any new additions to your tank.

The Nitrogen Cycle – When you first set-up your aquarium, you will basically have a sterile environment.  Fish waste and excess food that sinks to the bottom create an ammonia spike that is very toxic to fish.  Bacteria growing in the tank (nitrosomas) begin to build-up and converts ammonia into nitrite which is still toxic to fish.  This process takes about 2 weeks.  A second bacteria (nitrobacteria) comes to the rescue and converts the nitrite to nitrate.  This process again takes about 2 weeks.  After 2 weeks, you should have no ammonia and no nitrites left in your tank.  The nitrate is less toxic to your fish but still needs to be removed.  This is where you come in…  You must change the water to remove the excess nitrate that is toxic if it is allowed to build-up in the water.  The nitrosomas bacteria are necessary to reduce toxic waste build-up in your aquarium.  When you completely clean your tank, the bacteria are destroyed.  Therefore, you should do partial water changes every 3-4 weeks (2 weeks for an established Nano tank) or as the test kit reveals a build-up of ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.  Only do a complete overhaul on your tank about every year or year and a half.

 

 Wet/Dry or Trickle Filters – A filter of this type is comprised of a wet section and a dry section.  This means that part of the filter is partly filled with water and the other part is comprised of bio balls or other medium through which water trickles down.  A simple explanation is that there will be an exchange of gases into the air on the dry side, eliminating some of the ammonia in the system.  At the same time, there will be biological filtration in the wet section and bio balls which breakdown any remaining ammonia.  Millions of bacteria will be able to proliferate on the surface of the bio balls breaking down the ammonia and nitrites.  The combination of the wet/dry filter creates a very good filtration system for the aquarium.