Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with aquarium and fish

Do my fish need a change?

Drasher — Sun, 13 Sep 2009 07:33:07 -0800

[AquariumFilter] I have a Magnum H.O.T. filter on a 29g freshwater tank and I am considering changing to a Penguin Emperor 400. Is this a wise move? Do I have to run them in parallel? (and another weird question about inhabitants) [OK, the "AquariumFilter" pun was slightly intended] The tank is freshwater and has an assortment of guppies, Cory catfish, kuhli loaches, and a pleco. The substrate is gravel and the plants are all live (Java moss and fern). I have tried getting some easy fish to reproduce in the tank and after ten years, the guppies have finally done it!

The Magnum is a pain to clean and change; it must be removed and completely dismantled to change the filter elements. It looks like the elements of the Emperor just lift out while the filter remains running. I usually do not run chemical filtration (carbon); I stick to mechanical (filter "floss") and biological (bio-wheel).
It looks to me like the Emperor might be easier to service and the 400 has two large bio-wheels.

The Magnum quit on me again yesterday. Yeah, I know, my fault, but the filter element must have grabbed all of the algae junk at one time and clogged(!). Anyway, it was pulling nothing and cavitating.

I don't know how long that had been going on, but I could see that the fish were stressed. Then I saw something REALLY weird. I saw six (or so) worms. It looked like they could be tubifex worms, but I haven't put any live tubifex worms in the tank for a couple years! It is even possible that the worms lived and/or reproduced for that time? What good (or bad) does that say about the tank's eco-system?

One fish, two fish

Bakuun — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 21:42:41 -0800

I've finally equipped and decorated my new 55 gallon aquarium - and yet, I still don't know what kind of freshwater fish to populate it with. This was an awesome impulsive buy, without any sort of fish in mind. Now I'm thinking that I'd like to make it a community tank, with fish occupying as many levels of the water as possible. Having something moving along the bottom, middle, and top sounds very interesting, but I'm clueless when it comes to which species can make this possible.

What would you recommend, keeping in mind I'm a relative beginner?

How does one care for fancy goldfish?

team lowkey — Fri, 18 Apr 2008 10:02:28 -0800

I just rescued a couple of fancy goldfish, and I could use some advice on how to properly care for them. Is it normal for them to rest on the bottom of the tank? How much should I feed them? The marketing department at my girlfriend's office decided it would be a good idea to purchase 40 live goldfish to use as party decorations, with no plan for what to do with the fish once the party was over. I took two of them, and want to give them the best home I can.

They are apparently calico telescope goldfish, about an inch and a half long. A lot of sites I've found say that you need 5-10 gallons of water per fish, but I can't do that. I'm not even supposed to have fish in my office, and having a full size aquarium would definitely get noticed. I've got a 2.5 gallon tank, but I've got a filter and a bubbler, and my plan is to exchange 25% of the water once a month. Is that sufficient to keep the water clean?

I've gotten a lot of varying advice on how often to feed them, from 3 times a day to once every other day. I've had them for a week, and I've been feeding them a small pinch of food once a day, and they seem to be doing pretty well.

The thing that concerns me is that one of the fish spends a lot of time laying practically motionless on the bottom of the tank. Is that normal? One of her gills is also very red, but I don't know if that's just her coloring.

I've never had fish before, so this is all new to me. Any advice you guys can give would be much appreciated. By me and by Grimy and Blush.

How do I increase alkalinity in my freshwater aquarium on the cheap?

chinston — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 18:04:17 -0800

How do I add alkalinity (i.e., buffering capacity) to my 6 gal. freshwater aquarium using something cheap, like baking soda? I have a small 6 gallon aquarium with four tetras. It's been running for about two months now, and the nitrogen cycle seems to have pretty much run its course. I saw a spike in ammonia, then a spike in nitrites, and now those are both near zero.

But my problem is persistently low pH levels - like near or even below 6.0. I cannot get them to rise, even with regular water changes. The test strip I use indicates that the alkalinity of the water is at the very lowest level, suggesting that there's no buffering available. Frankly, I don't understand why my water changes haven't made a difference - supposedly my tap water (treated to remove chlorine and chloromine) is slightly on the hard side, and my understanding is that regular water changes with tap water should be all that I need to keep the alkalinity at desired levels to prevent sudden severe pH drops.

Anyway, for whatever reason that doesn't seem to be working, and the fish don't seem happy. Can I put a tiny amount of baking soda (or some other cheap substance) into the water to give me the buffering capacity that I lack? I'd prefer a solution like this than buying a commercial product, but I'll do that if necessary.

Easiest pet fish?

bondgirl53001 — Wed, 23 Jan 2008 17:02:14 -0800

I want to get a small aquarium. What are the types of fish that are the cheapest and easiest -- read: low maintenance -- to take care of in terms of feeding, changing the water, etc, but at the same time, are pretty to look at? Any additional advice on tanks/filters is welcome too.

Heeere fishy fishy fishy

chihiro — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 15:57:25 -0800

How long can our fish live in the plastic bag from the pet store? I promised my 3-year-old a fish once she was potty trained, and today was the day. We brought home the tank, 4 guppies, and a blue mystery snail, who are waiting in the plastic bag from the pet store until their tank is ready. The instructions said to cycle the tank with the dechlorinating solution and filter for 48 hours, but it occurs to me that the fish might die in their bag before that time. How long can they live in the bag, and do we really need to let a 2 gallon tank cycle for 48 hours? Thanks!

Help me start my first marine aquarium

jeffmshaw — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 07:51:09 -0800

I'm thinking of buying a used saltwater aquarium, with fish included. What am I getting myself into that I should be aware of? What should I read to prepare myself for routine maintenance? I've always wanted a marine aquarium, but in my preliminary reading the set-up seems expensive and onerous, so I never pursued it. I've just moved into a new place, and in searching for furniture I find this on Craigslist. It comes with fish, including a clownfish, so the set-up would be minimal, and I'd just be looking at maintenance.

The price is right, and the timing seems right, too. I'm going out to look at the tank this week. What should I know before then? What specific issues, if any, are associated with buying a used tank? How does maintenance for a marine tank differ from the freshwater tanks I've had in the past?

Links to resources are welcomed, as are your own experiences. Thanks!

Can I keep native fish?

roaring beast — Tue, 02 Oct 2007 14:54:58 -0800

What are the potential challenges of starting a native fish aquarium? I am thinking of starting a new 30 gal tank with fish collected from a lake near my house. I am thinking of just catching small fish in a minnow trap or some other method.

I have kept tropical freshwater fish for many years, but looking for something a little different.

Some problems I could think of are aggressiveness, unknown size, feeding etc.

Any other tips or advice? Any good methods for collecting the fish?

Help me eliminate frustrations involved in cleaning aquariums!

cowbellemoo — Tue, 31 Jul 2007 08:54:25 -0800

How do I make aquarium cleaning and water changes effortless? I'm interested in longer setups for each task that will make possible a graceful execution of the entire process. (skip ahead to bold part if you don't want to read background)

I'm considering the purchase of a new aquarium (50 gal+, freshwater) and I wanted to develop good routines for its maintenance. Halp!

In the past, the hardest part of maintenance for me has been adding fresh water back into the aquarium. I would fill a 3 gal bucket at the sink with a rubber hose, haul it up some stairs, and wait for the dechlorination drops to work and for the temperature to even out. Then, the excruciating part, suspending a heavy bucket at an odd angle while pouring the water gently and slowly into the tank. It's uncomfortable, graceless, and is just such an unpleasant experience that I'd rather neglect the tank than do it sometimes.

My only idea is to siphon it back into the tank from higher up, but I don't relish the idea of buying a shelf high enough and sturdy enough to support the weight. Plus, the room is fairly cramped and I don't think such a shelf will fit anywhere. I've also considered drilling a hook into a ceiling beam so I can just hang the bucket on a chain, but I don't have a drill or any confidence in being able to install such a hook. Is there an easy way to pump it into the tank from the floor? Any other way to transport the water into the tank? I'm not adverse to spending a bit at Home Depot or even a bioscience catalog if I need specialty apparatus.

I'm pretty confident I can be good about cleaning the gravel with a vaccum siphon. I read about using a turkey baster to start the water going, and this is just the sort of tip that makes it really painless and removes any frustration from a part of the process. I would appreciate any other such tips that will reduce any potential irritation I might have with the process. Maybe some ways to attach hose to the lip of the bucket so I don't have to juggle two things at once?

Just to be clear, I'm looking for technical advice and setup design on transferring water and aquarium cleaning that avoids having to carry water weight for long periods, intense concentration, messes, need for coordination, etc. More effort in the setup for less effort in execution. Take me through each step of a practical implementation.

Ideally, I picture myself turning valves on hoses and watching water fill or drain into receptacles like a scientist instead of the brutal Fantasia bucket nightmare it is for me now.

Thank you so much in advance. I want to be a great caretaker for my fishies and I know I can be if I find ways around the many frustrations that I've encountered.

finding nemo

xo — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 17:14:01 -0800

I need a recommendation for a freshwater aquarium fish that meets certain criteria. musts:
- freshwater
- not prone to jumping out
- not prone to startling and wrecking the stuff in the tank (i.e. I want a lazy, laid-back fish)
- does not grow to be any larger than 4" (10 cm) long or so, even in a big tank
- if it's an easy breeder, the gender must be clear to me so I can prevent that
- does not require live or frozen foods
- not a voracious vegetarian that will destroy the live plants
- does not require a whole schools' worth of companions to be healthy

would be nice if:
- it came in solid black, solid silver, red tones, or rainbowy
- it tolerates being with 2 others of its own kind

does not matter:
- what temperature it needs -- I can customize the tank for whatever species I choose.
- whether it gets along with other fish; there will be only one species in the tank.

What kind of conditions would be good for a betta?

booksandlibretti — Thu, 28 Dec 2006 19:54:00 -0800

I got, as a Christmas surprise, a betta (Siamese fighting fish) and the accompanying pet-store setup. I'd really like to keep it in conditions that are not just horrible-but-minimally-survivable -- but Wikipedia's standards seem amazingly high. What should I do? I checked the "betta," "beta," "aquarium," and "fish" tags. I've read Is it cruel to keep fish in an aquarium? and What are your personal suggestions for starting a beginner aquarium?, but I'm looking for something much more specific. I also checked out a thread on basic goldfish care, but I know different kinds of fish have very different needs. I did find some stuff on what bettas want to eat.

The betta is reddish-brown and not very big. Its fins have no visible tatters, holes, or grunge. It's been making some bubbles that stay on the surface, which (according to the internet) might hint that it's male. It doesn't have a name.

Right now it's in a five-quart (1.25-gallon) bowl with some glass "pebbles" and a plastic plant. We have well water, which was treated with the appropriate dose of the pet store's water-treater for bettas. I plan to change 100% of the tank weekly. In mid-January, the betta will be moving to Manhattan, and I'm hoping to use tap water there, too. There's no aerator. It has no heater, and is kept at room temperature, which is in the low 60s (at college, probably somewhere in the 70s). Every day, it gets a total of eight betta pellets, separated into two feedings.

Wikipedia says that the above, the pet-store setup, is the equivalent of a POW camp where they aren't all that picky about the Geneva Conventions. But I just can't believe those recommendations are right -- I mean, a ten-gallon tank as the minimum acceptable amount for one small fish? The fish was a gift, a surprise, and not really something I wanted. Should I really buy an aerator, a heater, a twenty-gallon tank...? Go through all kinds of processes to prepare water to be changed so frequently?

I'm a college student -- I don't have too much time in the average week, and my budget doesn't allow for much spending money. But I don't want to keep the fish if its conditions are miserable, torturous, or barely enough to sustain life. What do I need to do to keep the fish reasonably "happy" -- not just alive, but in conditions it would consider pleasant? And if I can't do that, how do I get the fish to someone who can and will?

Please don't tell me I'm anthropomorphizing too much. I don't think it's self-aware or will love me or anything. I just feel obligated to treat it humanely.

Should I just get a screensaver?

backOfYourMind — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 21:03:51 -0800

Is it cruel to keep fish in an aquarium? I have been thinking about keeping some fish in a tank, but it would be hard for me to enjoy them if I thought the fish were unhappy or frustrated.

I'm talking about a properly sized tank with filtration and plants and whatnot, not keeping a siamese fighting fish in a vase or anything.

PETA seem to think keeping fish at all is a bad move, but I'm not prepared to take everything PETA says at face value.

On the other hand, if you're thinking of letting me know that fish only have a three second memory so you can do what you like - don't bother :)

So, can fish be happy in a tank?

Creative ideas for an empty fish tank?

catfood — Mon, 06 Mar 2006 11:13:17 -0800

I need some creative ideas with regards to what to do with our little aquarium? Our pet fish just died (after a full and happy life...for a fish) and I don't think we want another one. I do like having our little 10 gallon aquarium though - does anyone have any creative ideas for what to use the aquarium for that does not involve getting a new fish?

I'm not opposed to other types of pets as long as they don't smell or make noise. We already have 2 cats who take care of the making noise part anyway.

Deactivated Fish?

chickygrrl — Sat, 19 Feb 2005 12:40:05 -0800

What sort of effect, if any, do department and pet store security scanners have on live aquarium life? I'm referring to the scanners at the entrances/exits of the store that go off when you buy something that isn't properly deactivated at the register. I work in a Wal*Mart and there seems to be two different beliefs among the cashiers. Most of them believe that the door scanners do something to the live fish and snails that results in them dying shortly after leaving the store, the most frequently cited effect being that the scanners somehow electrocute or "scramble" the fish. These cashiers tell customers to hold the fish over their heads in order to keep them out of the scanners' reach.

The rest of the cashiers believe that if the larger pet stores don't warn people about this potential danger, there's no reason to worry about the scanners somehow killing the fish; however, based on experiences with giant pet stores, it is entirely possible that the cashiers don't know about these dangers, or simply don't care.

Starter Aquarium

drezdn — Wed, 16 Jun 2004 09:44:37 -0800

What are you personal suggestions for starting a beginner aquarium? Freshwater vs. Saltwater, fish selection, tank size, books to read, etc.? [mi] I'm thinking of starting an aquarium in the next few months, but aside from the Bettas I currently have, and goldfish from childhood, I have little personal aquarium experience. Unfortunately, much of what I read about fish is contradictory.