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More Tropical Aquarium Tips

Keeping an aquarium can be a rewarding hobby — but it isn’t easy! These tips can help your fish stay happy and healthy in your tank. Caring for your fish starts BEFORE they enter the tank. You need to acclimate your fish before they enter your aquarium. Place the fish and the water from the bag into an empty and clean five gallon bucket. Add one cup of water from your aquarium every ten minutes for an hour. After an hour or so, the fish will be acclimated to your tank water and ready to move into the aquarium. Add … Continue reading →

Different Types of Fish Food

We’ve looked at the basics — flake fish food, frozen fish food, live fish food, and freeze dried fish food. But there are a lot of different types of fish food that fall under those main headings. Algae wafers were developed specifically for bottom feeders like cory cats and silver dollars. Other herbivorous fish will also enjoy the occasional algae wafer. Wait to add algae wafers to your tank until your daily tank lights go off — that way your bottom feeders won’t have to compete with your top dwelling fish. Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that makes … Continue reading →

Fish Food Basics

Flake fish food is easy to use. The flakes will float on the surface while the fish eat; for bottom dwelling fish, you’ll want offer food that sinks like algae wafers or pellets. Flake fish food is a good primary food source not only for the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients — flake food is easy on the digestive system. Flake food does go bad after six months or so, so those jumbo containers aren’t always a good deal. Stick to smaller containers if you can. Some of the top brands of flake foods include Aquarian, Tetra, and Wardley. Live fish … Continue reading →

More Common Freshwater Fish Diseases

Here are some more diseases you may see in your tropical aquarium. Fin rot — symptoms include rotting fins, loss of appetite, and fish lying on the bottom of the tank. Fin rot is caused by a bacterial infection. It is often a result of poor water quality, but may also be brought on by bullying from other fish. Increase the quality of your food, check your water parameters, and try separating your fish from any bullies. If those things don’t work, pick up medication at your local pet store. Fish fungus — a white or gray cotton-like growth on … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Oct 1-7

How did Aimee and I usher in October in the Pets Blog? Well, if you missed it, you’re in luck. Here’s your handy dandy Week in Review to encapsulate it for you in a nutshell. Monday, October 1 Do you know what’s in your tank water? Aimee listed a number of things you should look for to keep your fish safe and healthy. Tuesday, October 2 Aimee detailed the basics of the nitrogen cycle in tropical fish tanks and why you should put your tank through this process before you add the fish. Do you know what you get when … Continue reading →

The Nitrogen Cycle: Starting Fishless

The safest way to cycle your tank is without any fish in the water! It can be hard to wait several weeks without fish in your aquarium, but if your fish die in the process, you’re wasting your money. So how do you start the nitrogen cycle in your tank without fish? Here are some options: Use fish food. As uneaten fish food decomposes, it releases ammonia and/or ammonium into the water. If you’re using fish food, you’ll need to keep “feeding” flakes into the tank to keep the decomposition process going. Use your water test kit to monitor your … Continue reading →

The Nitrogen Cycle: Basics

There are many names for the nitrogen cycle: the biological cycle, the nitrification process, the start up cycle, or new tank syndrome. In essence, the nitrogen cycle is the process of converting ammonia to nitrite and nitrite to nitrates and the establishment of good bacteria in the aquarium and filter. Both of these processes are essential to a healthy tank environment. It can take two months or more to complete the nitrogen cycle! The process doesn’t always take that long, and there are some tricks you can use to speed things up, but it can be a very long and … Continue reading →

The Pets Blog Week in Review for Sept 17–23

We bade adieu to summer and Bienvenue! to Fall last week, but that wasn’t all. What else did Aimee and I write about? If you happened to miss a day or two, here’s your handy dandy WIR to catch you up. Monday, September 17 There’s a difference between a good pet owner and a bad one. For example, responsible owners can prevent attacks. There’s also a difference between being a good animal loving citizen and a bad one. Regrettably and shamefully I confess I was the latter and did nothing to save a dead dog walking. Tuesday, September 18 I … Continue reading →

When A Fish Goes Missing

Have you ever looked into your tank and not been able to find a fish? It happens more often than you might imagine. Oh where, oh where has my little fish gone? Check inside the filter. Smaller fish can easily get into a filter’s intake tube. Unfortunately, most fish who get into the filter tube do not survive the experience. You can prevent this by placing a sponge filter on the outside of the tube to block the opening. You could even cover the intake tube end with a piece of old pantyhose! Look behind and underneath ornaments and plants. … Continue reading →

Tropical Fish Basics

An aquarium can be a lovely addition to a home or office; the sight of colorful fish and the sound of water can be fascinating and very calming. Here are some tips to get you started with a tropical aquarium. In general, you can have one inch of fish per gallon of water. Be sure to think about the adult size of your fish, not just the juvenile size! Avoid overcrowding your tank — this increases the frequency of tank maintenance and can make your fish uncomfortable. With larger sized fish, you may want to provide two or three gallons … Continue reading →