Comments on: How to Set Up a Freshwater Aquarium

on 8/8/2006 If you completely replace filter media, you will have problems with ammonia and nitrites; very bad news for your tank inhabitants. The filter pads in your filter have beneficial bacteria living in them.

When they become very dirty, just give them a rinse in a bucket using the tank water from your water change, or clean dechlorinated water roughly the same temperature as the tank. This keeps your tank healthy, and also saves money.

You can also use filter squeezings to seed the filter of a new tank. Just squeeze filter media from a cycled tank over the new filter pads.

Also, skip the carbon unless removing meds. A healthy tank has no need for carbon and over time carbon can leach harmful things out into your tank.

on 8/8/2006 1. Use dark gravel/sand, which does not deduct from the rest of the aquarium.

2. Plant heavily on one side of the tank. I would recommend using plastic plants.

3. On the other side of the tank, construct a tree stump, using either a hollowed out half-side of a tree or several of those reptile caves stacked on top of one another. Plant lightly around the stump.

4. Any where in the tank, but preferably close to the center, construct a cave using a piece of flat slate with a oblong rock underneath it on one side.

5. If the aquarium now appears to dark, provide either an extra strip light, or lean the stump backward so it reflects more light.

6. Lastly, add your fish. I would not recommend adding many different species, but a large school of fish. Such fish include cardinal and neon tetra's, and non-amazonian fish include white cloud mountain minnows or rasboras.

on 11/22/2005 Be sure to pick up a good water testing kit. The strip tests work OK, but the drop tests are more accurate and more cost effective (in the long run). You want to be able to test for ph balance, ammonia, nitrate, and nitrite (bare minimum). Eventually, you will want to test for other chemicals, but these are the essentials.

on 11/22/2005 Hot water and natural salt (not iodized salt) is just fine for cleaning tanks and bowls.

on 5/10/2007 If you notice a bad algae problem occurring in your tank, one of the best remedies is a natural one. Buy aquatic snails to clean the tank. There are many kinds for sale, be sure you choose the right kind for your tank. If you have live plants, then choose only the kind that will not kill plants. Japanese trap door snails, Pomacea Bridgesii mystery snails, and Malaysian Trumpet snails will not eat plants. Snails don't eat only algae, most species also eat leftover fish food and fish detritus. The Malaysian Trumpet snail is especially great at cleaning your substrate or gravel. The mystery snail (Bridgesii) is great at eating only the unhealthy leaves on plants, so you will not get ammonia build-up. Some other great cleaner snails (that will nibble live plants) are: Physa Acuta, Marisa cornuarietis, Rams horns, and Pomacea Canaliculata mystery snails. By utilizing this natural resource, you are allowing nature to clean your tank for you. If you have hair algae (only a problem if you have high lighting on your tank hood) you will most likely need some herbivorous grass shrimp. The best one is the red cherry shrimp.

on 11/22/2005 If you own an aquarium, the most important rule of all is to keep it in a place unreachable to a 2-4 year old. Buy a stand, or something that is out of their reach. I made that mistake once, and I found my fishes all over the floor. I also had my tank broken. Good luck.

on 11/22/2005 Before you go and buy your fish, check which fish will go with other fish, or you might end up with stressed (or dead) fish!

on 11/22/2005 Well, many times employees at the pet store can be either stupid or misleading. The product instructions also don't go into complete detail. Always rinse your tank's items well. Try to avoid soaps and chemicals. Once you've got all your items in the tank, you're going to want to get de-chlorinator, water conditioner, and Rock Salt (from the pet store...it helps clean the water). Follow the directions for those items. Let the tank circulate for about 24-48 hours. Before adding fish, make sure to place their bag in the water for 20 minutes so that the temperature acclimates...There ya go! GOOD LUCK!

on 11/22/2005 On hot summer days, leave the windows closed, the drapes closed and a fan blowing on the aquarium. Trust me, a little accident with opening the windows on a southern California summer day boiled my fish. :(

on 11/22/2005 Baking soda is a good product to use to clean your fish tank.
Just make sure to rinse it out thoroughly.