Tanks For The Memories

Few words on Ich (Ichthyophthirius in fresh water, and Cryptocaryon, Brooklynella, Trichodina in marine)

2010-07-01T22:00:00.005-04:00

Few words on Ich (Ichthyophthirius in fresh water, and Cryptocaryon, Brooklynella, Trichodina in marine)

Once again I can not stress the importance of having a Quarantine/Hospital tank. As you read through pathogens and their treatments keep in mind a good quarantine program can save many hours of treatment and medications. Ich is no exception to this rule.

Ick (Ichthyophthirius in fresh water, and Cryptocaryon, Brooklynella, Trichodina in marine), is a microscopic parasite with a four stage life cycle. There are a number of species of Ich . Each species varies to some extent in its maturation periods and behavior. Each species can also vary in its vulnerability to certain methods of treatment and medications. There is considerable controversy on the subject. Most problems with permanently eliminating this parasite come from not understanding its life cycle. During the short time that the Ich is in the free swimming stage is the only time that it can be eliminated by treatments. What is most common in tropical aquarium keeping is to have about eighteen to twenty four hours for when the trophonts are in the free-swimming stage, and about one to two days for temperate or cold water outdoor ponds. At the typical temperatures a tropical aquarium is kept at the entire life-cycle takes about seven to ten days to complete

1) = "Adult" - The trophozoites in the host's skin, What you actually see are the fishes response to the parasite in the form of cysts which contain the parasite where it's protected from medication. Constantly rotating inside this pustule, the parasite swells to 50 times its original size, eventually large enough to appear to the naked eye, grayish-white, round or oval shaped, about the size of a grain of salt. In a few days or sometimes a lot longer, depending on temperature, It sheds its cilia, grows a thickened gelatinous outer shell,allows itself be shed into the fishes "Slime Coat" and simply drops away to eventually settle on tank decorations or substrate.
2) = Trophont leaving the host.
3) = "Reproductive1" -The mature trophont with hundreds of maturing tomites.
4) = "Reproductive2" - The releasing of tomites that penetrate the skin of the host fish.
1) = The cycle continues all over again.

The most common cures available on the market contain the following as active ingredients:

Methylene blue,
Formalin
Malachite green,
Formalin and Malachite Green mix
Copper sulfate mix. - Least desirable as it can kill invertebrates and some species of fish

Herbal/Natural Remadies:

Table Salt(Iodine free) - this will not effect pH so it is the one I personally prefer
Marine Salt
Napthoquinones - Naphthoquinones are compounds present in several families of higher plants such as Henna. Currently the only aquatic product employing this organic compound is Kordon Herbal Ich-Attack.

Usnea Lichen, usnic acid (Usnea barbata) - common to the temperate forests of the Pacific Northwest of the USA.

Dosages:

SALT:

Preporation:
Either Iodine free table salt or Aquarium salt
A standard cup or plastic cup
Set the aquarium heat at 86 degrees F and keep it there for seven to ten days after the spots have disappeared. It should be safe to return the tank to the normal temperature after that.

Step 1:
Turn the heat in your aquarium up to 86 degrees Fahrenheit. This is the temperature needed to stop the ich from reproducing. Once you do this, you will be ready to treat the ich that has already infected your fish.

Step 2:
Take any live plants in your aquarium out of the tank before you begin to use the salt. The plants may not survive the salt treatment.

Step 3:
Turn your aerator up a little. The higher heat setting will reduce the oxygen level in the water. You need your fish to be able to breathe properly if they are going to stay healthy.

Step 4:
Find out how many gallons of water are in your aquarium. You will need 1 tsp. of aquarium salt for each gallon of water. That means if you have a 10-gallon aquarium, you will need 10 tsp. of salt.

Step 5:
Use a cup to remove some water from the aquarium. Add the salt you measured out in step four to the cup of aquarium water. Mix until the salt has dissolved.

Step 6:
Add the salt water slowly to your tank over the next two hours until you have poured all of it into the tank.

Step 7:
Repeat these steps each day until you see the white spots have disappeared from your fish. This should only take a few days.

Step 8:
Change at least 25 percent of the water in the aquarium daily for at least a week after you have stopped the salt treatments. This will get rid of the salt that was used so your aquarium can be brought back to normal.

Formalin: Used against protozoan and metazoan parasites.

To prevent any misunderstandings, formaldehyde is a colourless, highly toxic gas. Formalin is a 37 - 40% aqueous solution of formaldehyde (which equals 100% formalin). It should not be used if a white precipitate of paraformaldehyde forms in the container.

Paraformaldehyde is extremely toxic to fish. Keep formalin away from light. Be extremely careful when handling.

Bath: 0.15 to 0.25 mls per litre for up to 60 minutes.; Can be used on consecutive days for a maximum of three treatments. Can irritate gills so it should not be used where gill disease is suspected. Aerate at all times. In most cases the lower dose should be used although the high dose may be required against Epistylis

Prolonged immersion: 0.015 to 0.025 mls per litre. Repeat every 3 - 4 days and do a partial water change between treatments. Maximum of three consecutive treatments. Aerate at all times. Do not use where gill disease is suspected.

Malachite green: Used against Saprolegnia (fungus), water moulds and protozoan parasites.

A zinc-free grade must be used. This is usually mixed as a stock solution that will then keep indefinitely. The exact mixture of the stock solution varies depending on preference. The main point is that whatever concentration is used it should be easy to calculated many mgs of malachite there are per ml of solution. A popular stock solution uses 20 grams malachite per litre of distilled water. This gives 20 mg malachite per ml of stock solution. Using this stock solution.


Bath: 1-2 mg malachite per litre water for 30 - 60 minutes. Higher dose only for large fish, such as koi, in hard water. This equates with 1 ml stock solution per 20 - 40 litres of water. Can be repeated every other day for a maximum of four treatments.


Prolonged immersion:0.1- 0.25 mg malachite per litre: Repeat every three days for a maximum of three treatments. This equates to 1ml of stock solution per 80 - 200 litres. Again the higher dose should only be used with large fish, such as koi, in hard water.


Topical treatment: The stock solution can be applied directly to a wound, particularly when fungus is present. Keep away from the fish’s eyes and gills.

Malachite and formalin mixture (Leteux-Meyer mixture) Used against protozoan and metazoan parasites.

There are several variations. Two commonly used mixtures are:

Strong mixture: 3.68 grams of malachite green dissolved in one litre of formalin: This is used at 0.025 mls per litre of pond water for 60 minutes bath. This stronger dose can also be used for stubborn parasites on koi in alkaline water as a prolonged immersion. This dosage equates to 0.025 ml/litre formalin and 0.1 mg. /litre of malachite green.

Weaker mixture: 3.3 grams malachite green dissolved in one litre of formalin: This is used at a rate of 0.015 mls per litre of pond water as a prolonged immersion for general pond use. This equates to 0.015 mls/litre formalin and 0.05 mg/litre malachite green

Usnea Lichen
Boil one small sprig (about an adult thumb size) in 6 oz. of water and add this to every 10-20 gallons of water every day until cure is effective +2 days. Make sure to remove the Usnea sprig from the “brewed Usnea tea”, otherwise this will allow the tea/medication to spoil. Refrigeration is recommended after brewing of any unused Usnea brew.
1 tablespoon per 6 oz. of this preparation can also be used for a 1 quart bath as an alternative.

ALL these ich remedies, are toxins! So you don't use this unless you see ick. And they ALL kill ONLY the free swimming stage. Nothing kills the eggs or the ones on fish.
So it may take a week or two tops, for all the cysts to open and drop eggs, the eggs hatch, then ick is killed.

And be warned, some fish are less tolorant of these cures. Especially the dyes. Your shark may be one of them. So either find the copper sulfate cure, one called aquarasol was good if you can find that.
Or you can still use the ones with dye, but at a third of a dose. Raise the temp. (Speeds up the ick life cycle.) And be patient. It still works even at low doses.

However, where the parasite leaves, will leave a very small wound. This can be a path way to infection. Keeping your tank clean is important. Keep running your filters, keep doing water changes. (right before your daily dose is good.)

Useful conversions:

ppm = mg/litre - i.e. 5 ppm = 5 mg / litre

mg / litre x 3.785 = mg / gall (US) - i.e 5 mg / litre = 18.9 mg / gall (US)

mg/ litre x 4.546 = mg / gall (UK) - i.e 5 mg / litre = 22.7 mg / gall (UK)

To convert imperial gallons to US gallons multiply by 1.2

Other useful figures:

1 ounce = 28.35 grams

1% solution =

10 ml per litre

10 gram per litre

38 gram per gall (US)

45 gram per gall (UK)

Referemces:

http://www.aquarium-pond-answers.com/2007/01/usnea-using-usnic-acid-as-fish-remedy.html

What happens when you have to move your aquarium(s) to a new house?

2010-06-30T13:33:00.003-04:00

What happens when you have to move your aquarium(s) to a new house/residence?

Well you finally got your aquariums all set up the way you like them and the fish are all doing great, but now you have to move!!! This can be a very scary prospect the first time you have to go through it. However just like many other things it really is not too bad if you plan things out. In the army they have a saying that I am quite fond of and use a lot in engineering. Please excuse my use of a little slang here but it really doesn't work without the slightly bad word in it..lol They call it the seven P's
Prior
Proper
Planning
Prevents
Piss
Poor
Performance.

Well I think you know where I am going with this, Planning, Planning, Planning thats the key. So without further delay lets see what we might need.

Useful Items to have handy:
Ice packs
heat packs
Cooler to store spare ice packs
battery operated aeration pumps (and spare batteries).
Thermometer: One of these if affordable -Raytek RAYMT6 Mini Temp IR Thermometer -20F to 932F UVB -I happen to have one for my computer work but Ive found it very useful for this hobby as well..lol- Lets you spot check temps!!
Lots of labels (duct tape and a sharpie will do also. Just make sure you remove residue or don't tape anything that actually contacts water.
Masking tape - Great for marking off desired tank locations.
Ammo Chips or Purigen: Great for adding to fish transport containers
Nylon stockings: Great for making filter bags to hold ammo chips
Coleman 150 QT Heritage Marine Plus Cooler 5250B798 (or similar model) great for insulated fish transport container. Remember coolers are just as good at keeping temperatures stable as they are at keeping things cold. Ive even used them in the past as feeder tanks.
5 Gallon Plastic Buckets with lids and handles - Can get them at home depot or similar type hardware stores
Storage bins ( Tall enough to be half way full of water yet still have room from top to avoid excessive splashing yet also have room for fish.)
Plastic Fish baggies - Just in case you have any problems also good for plants.- You can usually buy a few from your LFS and sometimes they will just give them to you for free if you ask nicely.
Extension cords
A few bottles of Prime - renders ammonia harmless for several hours.
A bottle of Liquid B-Complex Dietary supplement - GNC has a nice one. - This boosts the immune system and helps fish cope with stress as well. Dosage is about 1 drop per gallon.

Do you need everything on the list above? Most likely the answer is no but using your own common sense and depending on a few factors like: how important the survival of your fish are to you &
how far you have to travel before setting things back up again, you can decide on the ones you can leave out and the ones you absolutely must have.

Your main concerns are:
1) Logistics: Planning, Labling of : equipt., tanks, fish. What goes where and when?, Man/Woman Power

2) Temperature: stability is more important than a specific temperature, you can also pre aclimate fish to expected conditions in advance.

3) Aeration: Fish and Filter media.

4) Stress (Both yours and the fish)..lol: Plan, Plan, Plan & anticipate obstacles to your plans.

General concepts:

Do not feed the fish for at least 24-48 hours before moving . Especially if it will be a while before you get to set things back up again. Fish can go a few days without food and be just fine. This will cut down on the waste they generate while in transit. Less waste less pollution.

Fish go into 5 Gallon buckets with lids or coolers or Storage bins if it is a long trip you can use the battery powered air pumps on these containers.

Live plants should be bagged up in sealed bags with just enough tank water to keep them moist, or wrapped in moist newspaper.

Remove any 'biomedia'(Floss, filter pasd, bio balls, ceramic media..etc) and transport it separately from the filter, keeping it wet in tank water, to help preserve the bacteria- On long trips it would be good to aerate the container with your biomedia in it.

Always empty the tank completely. Never transport the tank with water or substrate in the bottom. Aquariums really arent meant to be moved with things in them it puts stresses in places they would not not normally be. Even if the tank does not physically crack, the joints may be stressed enough to cause leaks when refilling.

If you really want to assure the fish move goes smooth I would recommend that the fish go on a separate trip.

If the above is not an option and you do it all in one trip you might try staggering the departure times, if that's not an option and you all have to leave at same time then organization and labeling become even more critical.

If you do it all in one trip or in two trips I would still recommend that you have enough people handy to make one or two people dedicated just for the fish. and if possible you just direct and assist as needed to get all things into their proper place. BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT FRIENDS MOVING AQUARIUMS - I have seen many accidents because most people don't know about the special concerns when moving an aquarium. I can not stress enough how important it is to remove all substrate and water completely. Place substrate in coolers or storage bins (Be careful most of the cheaper storage bins can handle the volume but not the weight) Then cover the gravel with just enough water to keep it moist (If the bacteria die on your substrate you can have a potential ammo spike when you set everything back up due to all the dead bacteria decaying). You can also pre mark out where everything goes so that when the fish and rigs arrive there is no confusion as to what goes where.

Remember the most important thing besides your fish is your Beneficial Bacteria - These microscopic organisms live in your substrate and on your decorations and most importantly in your filter media. Make sure these things are kept moist (with tank water) and aerated.

So for the above reason the water from your aquarium is relatively useless except as packing material for your fish plants and substrate. Once everyone is back in their proper tanks and all is set up properly make sure you test the water parameters frequently, feed very sparingly for about one week and don't add new fish for at least two weeks while everything levels out.

As someone who has done this often I feel your pain... Personally I have only moved long distances with tanks & fish 3 times. All the other occasions I have moved typically I buy all my tanks used so when I move I just buy new ones in the place I'm moving to. I sell off all of my tanks but not the equipment that is hard to replace. I stage everything for a pick up date that I am moving and make sure I make space allowances for the occasional person who doesn't come and pick up the item they promised to buy....lol Anyway when all is said and done I end up moving equipment and my most prized hard to replace fish only. And I have tanks already set up only needing fish and a filter. This method saves on manpower and often allows me to upgrade (Sometimes I find even better Creigs list deals in the area I'm moving to..lol)

Well I hope this helps and I wish you a HAPPY MOVING DAY!!! - Tanks

Fish Anatomy

2010-06-20T19:49:00.001-04:00

Fish anatomy

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Fish anatomy is primarily governed by the physical characteristics of water, which is much denser than air, holds a relatively small amount of dissolved oxygen, and absorbs light more than air does.

1 Fins
- 1.1 Spines and rays
- 1.2 Types of fin
2 Reproductive system
- 2.1 Internal fertilization
3 Skin
4 Vertebrae
5 The jaw
6 Internal organs
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

Fins

The anatomy of Lampanyctodes hectoris
(1) - operculum (gill cover), (2) - lateral line, (3) - dorsal fin, (4) - fat fin, -- (5) - caudal peduncle, (6) - caudal fin, (7) - anal fin, (8) - photophores, -- (9) - pelvic fins (paired), (10) - pectoral fins (paired)

The fins are the most distinctive features of a fish, composed of bony spines protruding from the body with skin covering them and joining them together, either in a webbed fashion, as seen in most bony fish, or more similar to a flipper, as seen in sharks. These usually serve as a means for the fish to swim. Fins can also be used for gliding or crawling, as seen in the flying fish and frogfish. Fins located in different places on the fish serve different purposes, such as moving forward, turning, and keeping an upright position.

Spines and rays

In bony fish, most fins may have spines or rays. A fin can contain only spiny rays, only soft rays, or a combination of both. If both are present, the spiny rays are always anterior. Spines are generally stiff and sharp. Rays are generally soft, flexible, segmented, and may be branched. This segmentation of rays is the main difference that separates them from spines; spines may be flexible in certain species, but they will never be segmented.
Spines have a variety of uses. In catfish, they are used as a form of defense; many catfish have the ability to lock their spines outwards. Triggerfish also use spines to lock themselves in crevices to prevent them being pulled out.

Types of fin

Dorsal fins are located on the back. A fish can have up to three of them. The dorsal fins serve to protect the fish against rolling, and assists in sudden turns and stops.
- In anglerfish, the anterior of the dorsal fin is modified into an illicium and esca, a biological equivalent to a fishing pole and a lure.
- The bones that support the dorsal fin are called Pterygiophore. There are two to three of them: "proximal", "middle", and "distal". In spinous fins the distal is often fused to the middle, or not present at all.
The caudal fin is the tail fin, located at the end of the caudal peduncle and is used for propulsion.

types of caudal fin :
(A) - Heterocercal, (B) - Protocercal,
(C) - Homocercal, (D) - Diphycercal
- The tail can be heterocercal, which means that the vertebrae extend into a larger lobe of the tail or that the tail is asymmetrical
  - Epicercal means that the upper lobe is longer (as in sharks)
  - Hypocercal means that the lower lobe is longer (as in flying fish)
- Protocercal means that the caudal fin extends around the vertebral column, present in embryonic fish and hagfish. This is not to be confused with a caudal fin that has fused with the dorsal and anal fins to form a contiguous fin.
- Diphycercal refers to the special, three-lobed caudal fin of the coelacanth and lungfish where the vertebrae extend all the way to the end of the tail.
- Most fish have a homocercal tail, where the vertebrae do not extend into a lobe and the fin is more or less symmetrical. This can be expressed in a variety of shapes.
  - The tail fin may be rounded at the end.
  - The tail fin may be truncated, or end in a more-or-less vertical edge (such as in salmon).
  - The fin may be forked, or end in two prongs.
  - The tail fin may be emarginate, or with a slight inward curve.
  - The tail fin may be lunate, or shaped like a crescent moon.
The anal fin is located on the ventral surface behind the anus. This fin is used to stabilize the fish while swimming.
The paired pectoral fins are located on each side, usually just behind the operculum, and are homologous to the forelimbs of tetrapods.
- A peculiar function of pectoral fins, highly developed in some fish, is the creation of the dynamic lifting force that assists some fish, such as sharks, in maintaining depth and also enables the "flight" for flying fish.
  
  Bigeye tuna Thunnus obesus showing finlets and keels.
  Drawing by Dr Tony Ayling
- In many fish, the pectoral fins aid in walking, especially in the lobe-like fins of some anglerfish and in the mudskipper.
- Certain rays of the pectoral fins may be adapted into finger-like projections, such as in sea robins and flying gurnards.
  - The "horns" of manta rays and their relatives are called cephalic fins; this is actually a modification of the anterior portion of the pectoral fin.
The paired pelvic or ventral fins are located ventrally below the pectoral fins. They are homologous to the hindlimbs of tetrapods. The pelvic fin assists the fish in going up or down through the water, turning sharply, and stopping quickly.
- In gobies, the pelvic fins are often fused into a single sucker disk. This can be used to attach to objects.
The adipose fin is a soft, fleshy fin found on the back behind the dorsal fin and just forward of the caudal fin. It is absent in many fish families, but is found in Salmonidae, characins and catfishes.
Some types of fast-swimming fish have a horizontal caudal keel just forward of the tail fin. This is a lateral ridge on the caudal peduncle, usually composed of scutes (see below), that provides stability and support to the caudal fin. There may be a single paired keel, one on each side, or two pairs above and below.
Finlets are small fins, generally behind the dorsal and anal fins (in bichirs, there are only finlets on the dorsal surface and no dorsal fin). In some fish such as tuna or sauries, they are rayless, non-retractable, and found between the last dorsal and/or anal fin and the caudal fin.

For every fin, there are a number of fish species in which this particular fin has been lost during evolution.

Reproductive system

Internal fertilization

In many species of fish, fins have been modified to allow internal fertilization.
A gonopodium is an anal fin that is modified into an intromittent organ in males of certain species of live-bearing fish in the families Anablepidae and Poeciliidae. It is movable and used to impregnate females during mating. The male's anal fin’s 3rd, 4th and 5th rays are formed into a tube like structure in which the sperm of the fish is ejected. In some species, the gonopodium may be as much as 50% of the total body length. Occasionally the fin is too long to be used, as in the "lyretail" breeds of Xiphophorus helleri. Hormone treated females may develop gonopodia. These are useless for breeding. One finds similar organs having the same characteristics in other types of fish, for example the andropodium in the Hemirhamphodon or in the Goodeidae.
When ready for mating, the gonopodium becomes “erect” and points forward, towards the female. The male shortly inserts the organ into the sex opening of the female, with hook-like adaptations that allow the fish to grip onto the female to insure impregnation. If a female remains stationary and her partner contacts her vent with his gonopodium, she is fertilized. The sperm is preserved in the female's oviduct. This allows females to, at any time, fertilize themselves without further assistance of males.
Male cartilaginous fish have claspers modified from pelvic fins. These are intromittent organs, used to channel semen into the female's cloaca during copulation.

Skin

Vertebrae

The vertebrae of lobe-finned fishes consist of three discrete bony elements. The vertebral arch surrounds the spinal cord, and is of broadly similar form to that found in most other vertebrates. Just beneath the arch lies a small plate-like pleurocentrum, which protects the upper surface of the notochord, and below that, a larger arch-shaped intercentrum to protect the lower border. Both of these structures are embedded within a single cylindrical mass of cartilage. A similar arrangement was found in primitive tetrapods, but, in the evolutionary line that led to reptiles (and hence, also to mammals and birds), the intercentrum became partially or wholly replaced by an enlarged pleurocentrum, which in turn became the bony vertebral body.
In most ray-finned fishes, including all teleosts, these two structures are fused with, and embedded within, a solid piece of bone superficially resembling the vertebral body of mammals. In living amphibians, there is simply a cylindrical piece of bone below the vertebral arch, with no trace of the separate elements present in the early tetrapods.
In cartilagenous fish, such as sharks, the vertebrae consist of two cartilagenous tubes. The upper tube is formed from the vertebral arches, but also includes additional cartilagenous structures filling in the gaps between the vertebrae, and so enclosing the spinal cord in an essentially continuous sheath. The lower tube surrounds the notochord, and has a complex structure, often including multiple layers of calcification.
Lampreys have vertebral arches, but nothing resembling the vertebral bodies found in all higher vertebrates. Even the arches are discontinuous, consisting of separate pieces of arch-shaped cartilage around the spinal cord in most parts of the body, changing to long strips of cartilage above and below in the tail region. Hagfishes lack a true vertebral column, and are therefore not properly considered vertebrates, but a few tiny neural arches are present in the tail

The jaw

Internal organs

The gas bladder, or swim bladder, is an internal organ that contributes to the ability of a fish to control its buoyancy, and thus to stay at the current water depth, ascend, or descend without having to waste energy in swimming. It is often absent in fast swimming fishes such as the tuna and mackerel families.
Certain groups of fish have modifications to allow them to hear, such as the Weberian apparatus of Ostariophysians.
The gills, located under the operculum, are a respiratory organ for the extraction of oxygen from water and for the excretion of carbon dioxide. They are not usually visible, but can be seen in some species, such as the frilled shark.
The labyrinth organ of Anabantoidei and Clariidae is used to allow the fish to extract oxygen from the air.
Gill rakers are bony or cartilaginous, finger-like projections off the gill arch which function in filter-feeders in retaining food organisms.
Electric fish are able to produce electric fields by modified muscles in their body.
Many fish species are hermaphrodites. Synchronous hermaphrodites possess both ovaries and testes at the same time. Sequential hermaphrodites have both types of tissue in their gonads, with one type being predominant while the fish belongs to the corresponding gender.
The blood circulation of fishes is called "single circuit circulatory system"

I have been getting alot of comments.

2010-06-18T14:16:00.005-04:00

I originally started this blog just for a hobby and to keep track of my tanks. Then as time went on I found there was a lot of information I wanted to have handy to make it easier to get answers to problems and projects.
I have been getting a lot of comments on improvements and requests for specific downloads. I also receive many requests for advice and articles. Long story short I am very limited with downloads and features because this is a free based blogg site. So today I decided to add a donation button and I will see how it goes. If it works out well I will use the funds to get a "Real" website and registered name for the site..lol

So anyway now the button is there on the top left navigation panel. If you want to use it feel free to do so and if you don't feel free to continue normally. Either way don't worry I will still be adding articles and features as time and technical capabilities permit..

I want to thank everyone for all of the comments and suggestions. It is very nice to know people find some of this information useful.

API AQUARIUM TEST KIT COLOR CHARTS

2010-06-17T17:22:00.002-04:00

API AQUARIUM TEST KIT COLOR CHARTS

Images of API Aquarium Test Kit charts / Cards for both Salt Water and Fresh Water.

API Ammonia Test Kit Color Chart / Card

API Nitrite Color Chart / Card

API Nitrate Color Chart / Card

API PH Color Chart / Card

API Phosphate Color Chart / Card

Substrate selection - A primer

2010-06-17T00:49:00.034-04:00

Substrate Selection - A primer

1) Looks are not everything.

1.1) When I look at an aquarium. I see Living art. The design of an aquarium is a direct expression of the owners creativity. Even though many of us may not realize it, a well designed aquarium is also an expression of the owners knowledge in subjects such as Animal Behavior, Biology, Microbiology, Physics, Chemistry, & Geology. So for now at least lets explore a little Geology and Chemestry.

1.2) Besides the stand one of the most visible components of your aquarium can be the substrate. Whats the best substrate a person can use in an aquarium? There is no one answer to that question. First of all we should have an idea of which types of fish we will have. .Different species of fish come from different environments and would be happier in a similar environment to that which they naturally inhabit. Some hobbyists choose to set up "themed" tanks these are also known as "Aquarium Biotopes". Basically an "Aquarium Biotope" is as if you were to go to a specific environment say a river and take a snapshot of a section of that environment. In such a scenario you would only choose the substrate, fish, decorations and plants that are indigenous to the environment you wish to represent. "Aquarium Biotopes" are lots of fun but can be very challenging because some species of fish and plants require very specific conditions of water quality and lighting in order to thrive. The average hobbyist just considers the environment the fish they wish to keep comes from and tries to keep that in mind as they choose the substrate. Most lakes and rivers have a sandy bottom. Many species of fish enjoy digging in the substrate. In those situations sand can be a wise choice. Some streams and lakes have areas with a very rocky bottom. And fish from those environments would often prefer gravel as substrate in their tank. Most fish enjoy a "Planted" environment or the owner might specifically wish to keep a highly "Planted" aquarium. When growing aquatic plants, the Captation Exchange Capacity (CEC) is also an important thing to consider when choosing a substrate. CEC is the ability to adsorb positively charged nutrient ions (so high CEC is good). This means the substrate will hold nutrients and make them available for the plant roots. It should be noted however that CEC doesn’t indicate the amount of nutrients the substrate contains. Some manufacturers produce special substrates for use in planted tanks. Some are designed to be mixed with gravel or sand, whilst others can be used alone. They are usually clay-based and rich in iron and other nutrients and trace elements required by plants. A good example of a preferred substrate for planted aquariums is latterite, or a mixture of latterite and sand. *Special Note* aquarists using UGF (Under Gravel Filtration) can only use gravel type substrates because most other choices will lead to problems in flow and dead spots throughout the substrate. Which ever substrate you may choose the general rule is to use one pound of substrate per gallon of water that the aquarium contains.

1.3) Ok so we have a general idea which fish we wish to keep and we know how much substrate we will need. What other factors should we consider? Substrate basically boils down to four major factors:
1.3.1) Color
1.3.2) Size
1.3.3) Reactivity to water
1.3.4) CEC

2) Lets look at the different types of substrate available then we will examine how the above factors fit into helping you decide.

2.1) No substrate - AKA Bare bottom

2.2) Glass Marbles/ Glass Disks

2.3) Gravel

2.4) Latterite

2.5) Peat

2.6) Sand

2.1.1) Introduction to Bare Bottom Tanks

Many hobbyists enjoy bare bottom tanks. Especially those with very messy fish (Fish that present a very heavy bioload to their environment. Some examples of fish that fit into this category are: Large fish, Predators, & Goldfish. A hobbyist keeping these types of fish might use bare bottom tank so that they can easily identify waste material. Many large fish tend to move things around the tank, A bare bottom tank is one way to avoid having to constantly reorganize the substrate due to the activities of such a fish.
A Bare bottom tank with a choice selection of decorations also has a very "Abstract" "Minimalist" art look to it.which many hobbyists find attractive. Bare Bottom is also a preferred choice in Quarantine/Hospital tanks because in addition to the features listed already it is also easier to sterilize the tank once treatment or quarantine period is completed.

2.2.1) Introduction to Glass Marbles/ Glass Disks

This is also a popular choice in Quarantine/Hospital Tanks for those who cant stand to see a bare bottomed tank because glass has a very small surface area making it very similar in features to having a bare bottom tank.

2.3.1) Introduction to Gravel

Gravel is the most common substrate in use in fresh water aquariums. Aquarium gravel can be as coarse as pea-sized or almost as fine as sand. Three to four millimeters is widely considered the best size to promote optimum water flow throughout the gravel. Gravel is available in a number of colors, and may be naturally colored or dyed. Gravel sold specifically for use in an fresh water aquarium are chemically inert. Some brands actually have a polymer seal to ensure they do not affect water chemistry Gravel for aquarium use is commonly composed of quartz or other lime-free minerals. If the gravel is rough or sharp, it should not be used for bottom-dwelling fish that like to sift the substrate or dig.
For the reasons mentioned above if you get your gravel from an outdoor home and garden supply shop or Hardware Store it is very important to pay close attention to the material the gravel is made of. For instance Marble chips, Holly Rock, Lime Stone, and Coral are all calcareous materials. They react to water, making the water hard and of a higher PH. This would be useful in a tank containing fish that prefer high range PH. Such as Salt Water fish or African Cichlids. But fish that prefer average PH or even softer water will not do well with these materials as a substrate.

2.4.1) Introduction to Latterite

Laterites are clay soil types rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Nearly all laterites are rusty-red because of iron oxides. Most of commercial laterite is mined from the US in areas that were tropical 200million years ago.

2.4.2) Many Aquatic supply manufacturers have thier own versions of laterite. One of the more popular brands is by Seachem its called Flourite and comes in several colors and textures (Black Sand Flourite makes an excellent substitute for sand):

Original Flourite

Red Flourite

Black Flourite

Black "Sand" Flourite

2.5.1) Introduction to Peat

Peat, or decomposed plant matter, is used most commonly in soft water or blackwater river systems, such as those mimicking the Amazon River basin. In addition to being soft in texture and therefore suitable for demersal (bottom-dwelling) species such as Corydoras catfish, peat is reported to have a number of other beneficial functions in a freshwater aquarium. It softens water by acting as an ion exchanger, it contains substances good for plants and for the reproductive health of fishes, and can even prevent algae growth and kill microorganisms. Peat often stains the water yellow or brown due to the leaching of tannins.

2.6.1) Introduction to sand

When it comes to sand for your aquarium there are many choices. Sand is rapidly growing as a choice for aquarium substrate. Several of the more popular choices are::
2.6.1.1) Silica (Silica – Silicon Dioxide) - Many sands used for sandblasting contain Silica. However you must be careful because not all of them are pure silica or contain silica at all. A popular source for this type of sand is swimming pool supply outlets. Where it is sold as "Swimming Pool Filter Sand"
2.6.1.2) Silica is completely Inert in fresh water aquariums -silica sand is 99.0-99.9% SiO2
and is considered "totally insoluble" in water according to the US MSDS. This means that it will not change the parameters of your aquarium water such as PH. It should also be mentioned that silica is not good in a marine aquarium as it promotes the growth of marine algae.

1.2) Play Sand - (Used for sandboxes) which you can purchase at most building supply/hardware hardware stores. Many sands sold as "Play Sand" contain materials other than Silica.

For instance one brand of "Play Sand" by QUIKRETE® marketed as "QUIKRETE® Premium Play Sand® (No. 1113)" contains Limestone & Crushed Quartz. - If you change the water in your aquarium often then you wont notice anything but if you skip a few then the limestone can make your PH rise.

1.2.1) Play Sand and Sand Blasting sand both fit into the "Unknown" catagory and for this reason it is best to avoid them unless you are positive of exactly what they contain.

1.3) Black Beauty - this also very popular in the sand blasting industry It can be purchased online and also in hardware stores, you can sometime get this from places where sandblasting is done. It is made from powdered iron slag (Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide).
1.3.1) Slag as mentioned is Powdered Iron slag as the name implies it contains iron which means it is not inert in either salt water or Fresh water.

1.4) Coral Sand - is sold online and in LFS.
1.4.1) Coral Coral is made by millions of tiny carnivorous (meat eating) animals called polyps. Polyps live in groups called colonies.
Each polyp builds a case of limestone around itself, using calcium from the water. It is like a house, with a floor and walls. This remains after it has died and forms a foundation for another polyp to build a house on, putting a floor on the roof of the old one. When these limestone formations increase, they are called a coral reef. As time wears on these formations die and fall apart and become natural reef coral sand that is collected the ocean.

1.5) Aragonite - also is sold online and in LFS.
1.5.1) Aragonite is a carbonate mineral, one of the two common, naturally occurring crystal forms of calcium carbonate, CaCO3 (the other form is the mineral calcite.) It is formed by biological and physical processes, including precipitation from marine and freshwater environments.

*NOTE* Both Aragonite and Coral Sand are both calcium based so they both will increase the PH of an aquarium that contains them. Many keepers of African cichlids and Marine fish prefer these types of sand because they need the higher PH to maintain the proper environment for thier fish. If you are not intending to keep the above mentioned it is best to avoid these types of sand.

1.6) Black Tahitian Moon Sand - which is rumored to be made from quartz it is also is sold online and in LFS.
1.6.1) Quarts is inert when placed in either salt water or fresh water aquariums.

2) Appearance and preparation for use

2.1) Silica -is a very light tan or off white in color and is very uniform and fine in grain size. It very easy to clean and provides a sharp look to an aquarium,. It is also extremely affordable..

2.2) Play sand - just as affordable as Silica but it is darker and less uniform in grain size & color than Silica sand. It often contains clay and other non essential materials. This can often make it very dirty compared to Silica sand. Requires considerable cleaning and once again I stress that you make sure you know exactly what it contains.

2.3) Black Beauty Obviously quite black in color it is another affordable sand for use in aquariums. Although as mentioned earlier it isn't really sand. It's really not recommended for fish that root around in the substrate because by design it is very sharp. In my opinion it is one of the least suitable choices of the list. It also should be noted that this stuff requires extensive cleaning.

2.4) Coral Sand this is one of the more expensive choices one can make. It comes in a variety of colors including off white and a nice rosy shade. It is considerably Lighter and less uniform than most other sands. As mentioned earlier it is great for aquariums that require a high PH range. Relatively easy to clean although can be dusty.

2.5) Aragonite is is available in a wide range of colors & sizes. It is expensive, however it costs less than Coral Sand. Otherwise it is the same in cleaning requirements & PH buffering properties

2.6) Black Tahitian Moon Sand, is the best choice if you want black sand. It really looks striking in an aquarium. It varies in cleaning requirements, so be prepared some batches can require extensive cleaning. It costs about the same as aragonite.

"So Now that you know all about sand I will tell you which I prefer and list out the "Pros" and "Cons" of my favorite. Most of the points I contrast also apply to any sand you may choose (Except where specifically noted)."

3 ) Swimming Pool Filter Sand as Aquarium substrate

Swimming Pool Filter Sand

"Mystic white" Angular Pool filter sand by U.S. Silica 1-800-258-2500 it is inert and very pretty. See if you can get the large size I got standard and I like it but I think bigger grains would have been better as an after thought.

4) Pros Of Swimming Pool Filter sand in a fresh water aquarium:

4.1) It is very clean since it is made for swimming pool filtration, I lightly washed the sand the first time I set this up. On the second tank I set up with sand I didn't wash the sand at all just rinsed it once. - They both had the same settle time.

4.2) It doesn't "Compact" as much as other sands

4.3) Swimming Pool Filter sand is quite heavy it doesn't cloud up when moderately agitated. I have Balas and they are moderate substrate diggers, I'm not sure what it would be like with hardcore diggers ie: "Geo's". It wont get cloudy in any case but my concern with hardcore diggers is instead of using the siphon method I listed above you might instead actually dig in the sand using the normal fatter end of the siphon tool to get some of the poop as I imagine fish like "Geo's" will bury some of it in their daily rooting about.

4.4) Swimming Pool Filter Sand is more specifically designed to be more "Angular" than other types of sand.
This is so that it can trap debris more effectively. The benefit in an aquarium is that it has more surface area which in turn provides more colonization surface for beneficial bacteria. It is a point of contention by some people that this angularity is bad for fish with soft mouths. Throughout my research and my 2 years of use with this product I have never actually found any supporting evidence to this claim.

4.5) The color is very attractive

4.6) Completely Inert in fresh water aquariums -silica sand is 99.0 - 99.9% SiO₂(Silica – Silicon Dioxide)

and is considered "totally insoluble" in water according to the US MSDS.

4.7) Can be mixed with other substrate materials to achieve what is considered by some to be the perfect mixture for a planted aquarium.

5) Maintenance in an aquarium with sand substrate.

Having sand in an aquarium is very similar to bare bottom when it comes to maintenance, Many sand owners with quartz based sand report having no trouble vacuuming the substrate just as they normally would with gravel. However some others as well as most "Silica" based sand owners report having trouble vacuming their substrate. A lot of sand owners solve this issue by purchasing a very narrow gravel vac. I have learned over the years there is a simpler method.
Basically you Remove the larger tube from the hose. Use the hose by itself and lightly skim the surface Making sure you don't touch the sand. In time with practice you will find the right height to keep siphon to just get the poop and muck and leave the sand in tact.

(Image#1) Dont Use larger Portion of tube for sand

(Image #2) First Start siphon as you normally would.

(Image #3) Next Disconnect Larger tube from hose

(Image #4) Now hover over debris but do not touch surface of sand.

(Image #5) With a little practice you will find the perfect height to get the degris and leave the sand in tack (Well most of it anyway)

*Note*If you have a planted aquarium especially with delicate leaves be very careful using the above method, The suction on the tube is increased dramatically when you remove the wider portion of the assembly and may snatch plants if not watched closely.
You will find if you grade your substrate the poop and ditrus will collect in specific areas according to the currents in your tank, just like it does when you have a bare bottom tank.

5) "Cons" Of Swimming Pool Filter sand in a fresh water aquarium:

5.1) Many Complain that it is more difficult to manage rooted plants in an aquarium that has sand as a substrate
5.1.1) Completely Inert in fresh water aquariums -silica sand is 99.0-99.9% SiO2 (Silica – Silicon Dioxide) and is considered "totally insoluble" in water according to the US MSDS.Thus when used alone as a substrate it it lacks other minerals such as iron that are important to plant roots!

5.2) Dirt and debris are more visible especially with white sand.

5.2.1) This means it must be cleaned more frequently in order to keep the appearance of a clean tank even though there is the same amount of debris as other types of substrate.

5.3) Does not work with Under Gravel Filtration.

5.4) Extra care must be taken in Acrylic aquariums to guard against excessive scratching.

5.5) Some complain that sand can create anaerobic pockets of toxic gas in the aquarium if the sand becomes compacted and is not frequently "Stirred"

**Examples: Recommended substrate choices**
Type of Aquarium	Recommended substrate material
General community tank	Natural pea sized-gravel or pure silica sand
Planted tank	Fine lime-free gravel and/or nutrient substrate additive ie: Peat, laterite
Soft water fishes	Lime-free gravel, Pure silica sand, or Peat
Cichlids from hard water, Marine Aquariums and invertebrates	Marble Chips, Aragonite or coral sand
Breeding tanks	No substrate or thin layer of silica sand
Quarantine/Hospital tanks	No substrate, Glass Marbles, or Glass Disks

6) My thoughts on anaerobic pockets.

Type 2 (Ref # 2.1.2) is most common and pretty harmless. In fact there is a form of filtration called "Plenum" in which one deliberately creates an anaerobic region at the bottom of the tank under the sand so that anaerobic bacteria can process nitrates in that space. Users of that type of filtration state that the by product of this process is Nitrogen gas which simply leaves the tank through the surface not effecting fish at all.
There are two types of gas that in theory can be formed anaerobically in an aquarium:

3.1) Types of anaerobic pocket gas
3.1.1) If rotten egg odor = Hydrogen sulfides gas. In high concentrations this can wipe out a tank.
3.1.2) If no odor = Nitrogen gas. Nitrate are anaerobically reduced by bacteria into nitrogen gas.

Related Links On This Blog You may also like:

135 Gallon Fresh Water Preditor (Monster Fish) tank : Features details on when we switched the 135 Gallon Fresh Water Aquarium to Swimming Pool Filter Sand.

Second Floor Fish tanks – beam loading for the non-engineer

2010-06-16T11:13:00.000-04:00

Second Floor Fish tanks – beam loading for the non-engineer

Taken in its entirety from: http://www.monsterfishkeepers.com/forums/showthread.php?t=164188

As posted by:daleros

This is a question I see come up a lot and I haven’t seen a good answer yet. Also, articles I have read on the internet seem to be geared for another engineer. So, I am going to try to give an reasonable explanation for people who passed high school math. Also, from the questions and comments, I might rewrite a little of the article.

The first assumption is going to be that the building is built to modern American building codes. These were implemented in about the 1920’s and modern codes haven’t changed much since the 1950s. (40lbf/ft2 room load, 16” on center framing, etc)

Modern rooms are designed to withstand a force of 40lbs per square foot. This is a confusing notion because you can safely place an aquarium that has a floor pressure of more than 40 lbs/ft2. This standard means that you can place 40lbs/ft2 everywhere in the room and still be safe. This is a matter of how to safely load a beam.

So, let’s imagine that we did place steel plates that are 1’X1’ and weigh 40 lbs everywhere in a room. We will use a room that is 8’X16’ for an example. This is a safe room load.

Now, we can re-stack these plates and redistribute the load. This is simplified representation of the plates. This is also a safe room load.

Things can be moved around again. This is also a safe room load.

But don’t do this. This is an unsafe room load.

As you can see in the examples, it you take the beam length and multiply it by 40lbs/ft2, you get the total load that a beam can withstand. The longer a beam the more weight it can hold because it is thicker.

Find your fish tank weight
Water is 8.33lbs/gal. A safe assumption to include the stand, filtration, rocks, and the water in filtration is use 10lbs/gal. Then add the dry tank weight.

Full Tank weight=10lbs/gal + Dry tank weight

Now, you can see if the tank can be placed safely using the 40lbs/ft2 stacked load concept. Let’s use a 125 gallon glass tank (200 lbs dry weight) for an example in our room. Also, the stand will be 18” wide and 6’ long.

Full Tank Weight = (125 * 10) + 200 = 1450lbs
Since we are concerned about weight per linear foot
(Total weight)/(stand length) ---- 1450/6 = 241 lbs per linear foot
We could have calculated the pounds per square foot, but we used the same stacking principal as we did with the steel tiles in example 1.

Now, let’s put it into our room. And see what we get.

Since 241 lbs/ft2 per beam is less than our 320lbs/ft2 per beam this is a safe room load.

Summary:
Calculate the safe beam load ---- Beam length * 40lbf
Calculate the aquarium weight --- 10lbs * #gallons + dry tank weight
Calculate the lbs per linear foot of the stand ---- full aquarium / stand length
Make sure the lbs per linear foot of the full aquarium don’t exceed the safe beam load

Assumptions: The room is up to modern building codes, the beam direction is known

A note about approaching safe loads and exceeding safe loads.
1) If you pass the safe load by a small amount, (less than 10%) you might not be past the safety factor and the situation might be OK.

2) If you pass the safe load by 25%-50% this shouldn’t produce catastrophic results, but probably will cause sag over time. This is not only bad for the building, but can cause a glass tank to crack,

3) If you pass the safe load by 100% or more (i.e.: putting the tank parallel to the beams) you are asking for catastrophic failure during filling.

A final thought. You might have a couch or other furniture in the room that needs to be taken into account as well. People don’t count because they are considered a dynamic load and not a dead load.

Most large lumber yards (ones that sell trusses and engineered lumber) have somebody who can help with this problem.

There have been cases where people have put extra joists and columns in their basement to hold the load. If you do this, place a column under each corner of the tank and put one or 2 extra joists under the tank edges. Also, it helps to lag screw the extra joists to the existing framing. Putting in an extra joist that spans from load bearing wall to load bearing wall can double the load that that particular area can hold. This makes sense; a doubled joist can hold double the weight. Also, there are engineered laminates that can hold more than 40lbs/ft2.

Last edited by daleros; 08-15-2008 at 1:47 PM..

How about a change of scenery, background scenery to be precise?

2010-06-15T11:20:00.001-04:00

05-22-2010, 05:26 AM - How about a change of scenery, background scenery to be precise?

Sorry I just couldnt take it any longer...

I have been toying in my mind with the many ways in which I could change the look of my back grounds. I just finally decided to go for it!!
So I want you to "Meet my little friend" - spoken in the voice of Scarface..lol

Flat Black

55 Gal Before...

Removed the lid and lights, moved the HOB to the front of tank, Scraped back completely with razor blade, wiped down back with alcohol, Taped off the borders, Taped up the top with a garbage bag and went to work with "My Little Friend". 15 Mins later, in the words of Emeril the Chef....

BAM!!...55 Gal After :)

Cont.-

47 Gal SW Before

Quick session with my "little buddy" and....

BAM!!! 47 Gal SW AFTER...:)

I will post the 135 Gallon later as well as some alternatives to spray paint.

Dealing with a really bad stubborn bacterial infection

2010-06-11T10:09:00.002-04:00

Dealing with a really bad stubborn bacterial infection

When you have tried several medications and it seems you are dealing with a really bad bacterial infection. To save who is left you need to get some hard core antibiotics into them. See if they will eat a broad spectrum medicated flake. If you have already tried several medications and the fish are presenting really bad symptoms I would not really expect them to make it. Here is the thing fish are a lot stronger than they appear and what happens is by the time they are showing major signs of illness it is usually very late in the game. I can not stress the importance of having a QT/HOSP system waiting in the wings for occasions such as this..

Ok now on to the immediate issues.
List of supplies I will talk about using (The numbers are purely for reference purposes):

1) (2) five gallon buckets or similar containers that are clean enough to put fish into.

2) ERYTHROMYCIN or Maracyn (same stuff basically *Please Note Maracyn2 is a completely different product from Maracyn.)
Dosage: 125 mg per 5 gallons of water.
Duration: Every 24 hours.
Procedure: 25% water change before each treatment.
Recommended treatment period: 10 days.
SPECIAL NOTES:Best used as a last resort for stubborn bacterial infections and in cases where pathogen is not positively identified. Very effective to treat "BACTERIAL SEPTICEMIA" (red lines in fins and gills)

3) JUNGLE Brand Anti-Bacteria Medicated Fish Food
Dosage: As much as the fish will eat in a 10 second time frame
Duration: Every 12 - 24 hours.
Procedure: Do not use other foods during this 5 to 10-day period.
Recommended treatment period: 5- 10 days.
SPECIAL NOTES:Also effective to treat "BACTERIAL SEPTICEMIA" (red lines in fins and gills)

4) POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE as Live Plant disinfectant
Dosage: Add just a few grains to a container then add the water. It takes it a little while to dissolve, You want to achieve a dark pink tint to the water
Duration: Soak Plants in solution for 15 to 20 minutes
Procedure: Soak Plants in solution for 15 to 20 minutes. USE GLOVES AND GOGGLES WHEN WORKING WITH THIS CHEMICAL. After soak rinse well with water and dechlorinator mixture. Then rinse again to be safe.
Recommended treatment period: 15-20 Mins
SPECIAL NOTES:THIS IS VERY SERIOUS STUFF. USE GLOVES AND GOGGLES. Do not mix this chemical with anything other than water or dechlorinator as dangerous chemical reactions can occur.

5) HOUSEHOLD BLEACH as Live Plant disinfectant
Dosage: Mix in a bucket with water to achieve 5% solution
Duration: only complete procedure 1 time.
Procedure: Prepare one bucket of 5% bleach solution and one bucket of dechlorinated water. soak plants in Bleach solution for 2-4 minutes. then promptly remove them and swish around in a (double declorinator dosed) doseddechlorinated water solution - Just to be safe add a few extra drops of dechlorinator while in bucket.
Recommended treatment period: only once.
SPECIAL NOTES:use gloves and glasses or safety goggles when working with chemicals. Use caution bleach can easily kill the plant as well as the bacteria you are after. Some plants are more sensitive then others, IE: Anacharis

6) HOUSEHOLD BLEACH For Tank & Equiptment disinfection
Dosage: Mix in aquarium or a bucket (whichever applies) with water to achieve 10% solution
Duration: 24 hours
Procedure: soak equipment and all surfaces that contact the water column in bleach solution for 24 hours. Easiest way is to fill tank with solution, place lids and heaters and nets and hoses into tank,and connect filtration and let it run occasionally wiping down surfaces un touched by water.
Recommended treatment period: 24 hours
SPECIAL NOTES:use gloves and glasses or safety goggles when working with chemicals. Make sure you rinse, dechlorinate and repeat several times after treatment

7) (2) Large bottles of BASIC DECHLORINATOR (the kind with nothing in it but dechlorinator..lol)
Dosage: Typically 1 drop per gallon

8) METHYLENE BLUE
Dosage: (As water treatment for fish) 2.5 ml of a 2.303% solution per 5 gallons of water.
Duration: Every other day.
Procedure: Complete water changes before each treatment..
Recommended treatment period: 10 days.
SPECIAL NOTES: Effective as an antidote for poisoning including damage (assuming damage is not too far along)This med will nuke your BB!! best not to use it in your main tank. Only use in Hospital tank.

9) Hospital tank

10) Liquid B complex vitamins
Dosage: 1 drop per 2 gallons of water
Duration: once a week
Procedure: leave in till next water change
Recommended treatment period: 10 days.
SPECIAL NOTES: Maintains nervous tissue, energy & metabolism.

Ok lets get started!!

Outline of procedure:

We want to accomplish 3 things:
I - Treat sick fish
II - (If yoiu have live plants) Disinfect and salvage as many plants as possible
III - "Nuke" - Disinfect tank and all equipment/decorations that comes in contact with water.

Why so drastic?
Well if you have basically done all of the correct things to remediate this infection including water changes yet the infection persists. This indicates it is rather serious infection. We can go 2 ways either medicate and reset and hope it does not return or tear down and disinfect and be relatively sure we are starting fresh.In this article I assume you are already down to a low number of fish.

DISCLAIMER...lol
I am no plant expert by any means so please get second opinions on the suggestions I make regarding your plants, as all advice regarding plants is purely observational and researched information. As to disease, equiptment, tanks, & fish I have much actual hands on experience in that arena and you may feel free to use the advice in those topics as you see fit...

I) Treat sick fish:
Medicate fish with both medicated flake and treat water with ERYTHROMYCIN or Maracyn II. On alternate days half dose of METHYLENE BLUE. otherwise Follow dosages in list . Remember you cant change the water while dosing so you need to do massive WC just before meds so you can Wait till next dose to do WC again.

II) Disinfect and salvage as many plants as possible:
Remove plants and disinfect with either bleach solution or POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE. Rinse them well and set them aside in appropriate holding container.

III) "Nuke" - Disinfect tank and all equipment/decorations that comes in contact with water.
Well there is no easy way to say this. I feel like the pathogen you had in your tank was pretty strong since it was resistant to tetracycline. You already have a good source of seed bacteria in your other tanks so I would nuke the tank and filtration and start it over. Follow the prescription for Bleach as tank disinfection . Gravel typically doesn't disinfect well so I would throw it away otherwise if you want to risk it just leave it in the tank and make sure you stir it well during disinfection process.

As far as getting the tank and plants back "Online" You will either have to "Jump Start" your cycle with Seeded Media or start your cycle over..

I hope this helps, I always try to write as if the person I am explaining to has no experience in the matter at all. Please keep this in mind when reading my articles, of cource use the parts you like and ignore the comments on things you already know.

Stocking large fish and Non Custom tank sizes

2010-05-30T10:32:00.011-04:00

Stocking Large fish and Non Custom tank sizes

I see a lot of people with different fish in different size tanks. Its a common question for newcomers to ask how to decide what tank can hold what size fish. I don't feel it is my place to tell people what fish they keep in what tank. In reality if you were to ask me what size cage I would prefer to spend my entire life in, I would obviously say none at all...lol That's not entirely true either because for now at least we are all confined to the planet earth. Even in their natural environment the domain of any species of fish is finite. Our modest accommodations for our pet fish are tolerable at best. Before we condemn others for what they choose to keep their fish in we must also realize even a 10,000 gallon aquarium is as a mere "shot glass" compared to the body of water most fish naturally come from.

That having been said, from a humanitarian perspective when asked how large a tank one should have for any fish my thought is as large as you can afford and accommodate. That isn't always practical so there are some minimum sizes that a fish can tolerate without exhibiting negative behavior or health issues. My purpose of this article is to provide the hobbyist with the framework to make the best decision that suits their situation.

I often see veteran hobbyists quoting the adult size of a fish for their recommendations on tank size. I agree as a final quarters for a fish it is important , I also strongly believe one should consider the final adult size of a fish before they buy it or try to get a tank for it. My feelings on this topic differ from the common views in only one way. Although a fish may become a foot or even longer as an adult many of the fish that reach such sizes are slower growing as they get older. Most fish older then juveniles come from trade-in's or auctions, or private hobbyists. A very small percentage of non juvenile Fresh Water fish come from wild caught. This means that if a hobbyist wants an adult or medium sized fish they must raise it from juvenile or buy one from a trade-in or private hobbyist. Those fish would not exist in the market if it were not for people who buy them and raise them till they reach the limits of their tank and then sell or trade them. For these reasons when I see someone who wants to get a fish that gets larger than the tank they currently own I'm ok with this concept as long as they are aware of the final size of the fish and know they will have to eventually either sell the fish or get a larger tank. So it is in this spirit that I offer information on:
"Stocking large fish and Non Custom tank sizes".
The general "Golden Rule" of tank selection is basically that "longer and wider is better than taller". This has mostly to do with the fact that air enters the water through the surface area (the place where the air meets the water) of the tank. It is a common myth that the bubbles rising in a tank from an air stone actually add air to the tank water. The truth is they only add air because they stir the surface which effectively exposes more water molecules to the surface which is the only place they can dissolve oxygen. In the short time it takes a air bubble to reach the top of the water there is really very little of it (so minute that it really doesn't effect anything) gets dissolved into the aquarium. We can achieve the same or even better levels of "D.O." (dissolved oxygen) in our aquarium by simply agitating the surface of the tank with the return from our filtration. Many advanced hobbyist (knowing this fact) don't even own air stones or air pumps. So this is why it is better to have a tank that is as long and wide as possible. Since this allows the water to continually acquire as much oxygen as possible naturally without agitation of the surface. Additional considerations include: Swimming room for the fish you intend to keep, the different strata (areas) of the tank that fish inhabit.

When it comes to recommending tank sizes for large fish, we often find even the advanced hobbyists advising people to get a minimum of 200 gallon tanks etc. This is really not completely accurate. As you read on you will notice that there are very specific tank sizes that yield progressive improvements in width and length of aquariums and for the most part most increases in tank volume is just a matter of the manufacturer making the tank taller. Taller tanks are of little value in giving a fish more room to swim.

Tank Size::
There are basically 5 important aspects of an aquarium. They are listed in the order of importance:
Length
Width
Height
Capacity
Material

http://www.glasscages.com/?sAction=ViewCat&lCatID=

The above link is a very good representation of the standard (Non Custom) tank sizes available in the industry.
Lets look at how aquarium specifications are commonly displayed. Take for example a 55 gallon tank.
The Specifications are 48" x 12½" x 21" Tall 55 Gallon Glass Aquarium: The first number is the length of the tank, The second number is the Width also called the depth, the last number is the height. The word "Tall" in this example is used to make the customer aware that the last number is the height of the tank.
*NOTE* Aquariums are commonly measured and referred to(Named) by their outside dimensions, we should not be confused by this "Name" to think it is the actual holding Capacity of the tank. Due to glass thickness and the physics of measuring somthing from the outside versuses the inside the capacity of the tank is always less than what the tank is "Named", In our example above the tank is called a 55 gallon however if we measure the inside dimensions 47 in L x 12 in W x 20 in H we find our 55 gallon tank only holds 48.83117 US gallons of water - This calculation can also be useful when determining the proper dosages of medication or additives to use in an aquarium.
When looking for a home for a large fish the actual dimensions are more important than the total gallons a tank holds. In fact the first two numbers are very important indeed.

Lets first think about what our goal is. It is to make our fish as comfortable as it is affordable for us to do so within reason. Ok so what is the minimum required to accomplish this goal? As an example lets look at housing an Oscar (Astronotus ocellatus) or perhaps a pair. they can get up to 15" or more although the most common size of an adult is about 12". Lets say we have an adult that is 15 " long. that means if we really want to afford this fish the minimum mobility neccessary we should think of the fish as a ball that is 15" in diameter. Imagine moving that ball around in a fish tank. This imaginary ball represents our fishes ability to assume any position and not have to bend its body or have parts of its body patruding from the water.

Length:
If you notice the dimensions of tanks. When one speaks of large tanks you will notice there are basically four lengths worth consideration:. 48', 60, 72', and 98". A 48" tank is basically the length of three adult Oscars. That is not really a lot of swimming room. Basically the minimum acceptable length for a 15" fish is 72" (even that's only 4 adult Oscars long).

Width AKA: Depth
Now the width a large tank which is typically called the depth varies from 12.5" to 48". An ideal Minimum width for a tank containing a 15" fish would be 18", this allows the fish room to turn around without having to bend its body.

Height
On our reference chart above The heights of large tanks varies from 17" to 31" . We should concider the habits of the fish we plan to stock when we look at height. Here we ask ourselves the following:
What strata of the tank will the different fish we plan on keeping inhabit? What is the swimming habits of the fish I plan to keep? In our example of an 15" Oscar we need to make sure out tank is at least 15" in height so that our fish can point straight up and straight down yet still remain in the water.Looking at the available dimensions we would consider 17" the minimum height.

Materials
The cheapest choice is Glass. It is also the heaviest and most resistant to scratches. The alternative is Plexiglas which is far lighter more flexible but more susceptible to scratches and considerably more expensive. an additional advantage is Plexiglas has a refraction index which is much closer to water. this means, there's less distortion when you look through Plexiglas as water than when you look through glass. You will find it very common for people to say you can easily repair scratches in "Plexi" while this is entirely true it should also be noted that each time you repair a scratch in "Plexi" you will make the area around the scratch appear slightly more "Clear" thus over time you end up with a non uniform view of your fish.

How many fish can go into a tank?

A home aquarium is a balancing act of many factors. Just to name the main few.:
The number, size, and metabolism of the fish you keep,
Filtration,
Surface area of the tank,
Available space in the strata of the tank that the types of fish you keep, inhabit (Bottom, Middle, Top),
Feeding,
Aeration,
Temperature,
Enviornmental stress,
Temperment of fish.
Interrelationships between different species
All of the above plays a huge role in the health and longevity of your fish in a "Home Aquarium."
When you ask people or search online about the capacity of a given tank size. The formulas used to calculate the proper capacity are basically templates to build in a certain level of safety to allow for mishaps and mis- calculations and things that there simply isn't enough time to explain properly to someone who possibly isn't familiar with this balancing act called the home aquarium. As with any "Cookie cutter" formula you can bend the rules. However before you can do so with any hope of success, you need to completely understand the relationships between each of the factors I listed above. You just might find that by the time you do fully understand the above principals you will no longer even want to overstock... - Which is the meaning behind the opening statement, and the reason many people have several tanks.

As mentioned above the stocking capacity is decided by several factors however two of these factors stand very high on the list. They are:
D.O. - Disolved Oxygen (Aeration of the water)
Common sense

There are two basic rules for tank capacity. These rules like most rules are designed to be simple and avoid lengthy explanation (and possibly boring new fish keepers like I am now..lol) of the underlining principles. Giving a new user a simple Semi-fool proof guide to which to go out and succeed.

1) Volume Calculation rule - This is most popular one used due in part to its simplicity in explanation. (1 inch of fish per gallon of water.)

2) Surface Area Calculation rule - You seldom hear of this because it is more complex. (The surface area is calculated by multiplying the width times the length of the tank, the tank can be stocked with one inch of fish for each twelve square inches of surface area.)

Both of these rules assume that the fish are slender common variety and must be adjusted for bulkier/more active fish.

Adjustments to Basic rules:
1) Heavier Fish require 1.5 to 2 gallons of water for every one inch of fish
2) Heavier fish require twenty inches of surface area for every one inch of fish.

Since oxygen for the fish in a fish tank is basically supported by the surface area of the tank. In a fresh water tank both of these rules will cover you provided you have ideal conditions plus or minus a few notches in any one parameter (room temp, water temp and barometric pressure.).

Both of these rules allow for electrical failure under semi-ideal environmental conditions as mentioned above. This is the foundation for avoiding overstocking in which case the surface area of the overstocked tank would not be able to support the oxygen needs of the fish.

Now as hobbyists we like to tip the odds into our favor and agitate the water and stock plants. These things further increase the aeration of the tank.

Understanding the Diagnosis & Treatment of Infectious Disease in Aquatic Animals Part 1

2010-05-25T19:28:00.032-04:00

This essay is under construction

Understanding the Diagnosis & Treatment of Infectious Disease in Aquatic Animals P1

What is a disease? What is an Infectious Disease? In a fish or a human these terms have the same meaning for all animals.. According to The medical section of "TheFreeDictionary"

Disease /dis·ease/ (dĭ-zēz´) any deviation from or interruption of the normal structure or function of any body part, organ, or system that is manifested by a characteristic set of symptoms and signs and whose etiology, pathology, and prognosis may be known or unknown.

According to the same on-line dictionary:

Infectious disease
An infectious disease is a clinically evident disease resulting from the presence of pathogenic microbial agents, including pathogenic viruses, pathogenic bacteria, fungi, protozoa, multicellular parasites, and aberrant proteins known as prions. These pathogens are able to cause disease in animals and/or plants.
Infectious pathologies are usually qualified as contagious diseases (also called communicable diseases) due to their potentiality of transmission from one person or species to another.^[1] Transmission of an infectious disease may occur through one or more of diverse pathways including physical contact with infected individuals. These infecting agents may also be transmitted through liquids, food, body fluids, contaminated objects, airborne inhalation, or through vector-borne spread.^[2]
The term infectivity describes the ability of an organism to enter, survive and multiply in the host, while the infectiousness of a disease indicates the comparative ease with which the disease is transmitted to other hosts.^[3] An infection however, is not synonymous with an infectious disease, as an infection may not cause important clinical symptoms or impair host function.^[2]

symptom
[simp′təm]
Etymology: Gk, symptoma, that which happens
a subjective indication of a disease or a change in condition as perceived by the patient. For example, the halo symptom of glaucoma is seen by the patient as colored rings around a single light source. Many symptoms are accompanied by objective signs, such as pruritus, which is often reported with erythema and a maculopapular eruption on the skin. Some symptoms may be objectively confirmed, such as numbness of a body part, which may be confirmed by absence of response to a pin prick. Primary symptoms are symptoms that are intrinsically associated with a disease. Secondary symptoms are a consequence of illness and disease.

Pathogen
path·o·gen (pth-jn)
n.
An agent that causes disease, especially a living microorganism such as a bacterium, virus, or fungus.

According to Yourdictionary.com:

Stressor (stres′ər)

noun

any stimulus producing mental or physical stress in an organism

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2010 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

I know there is a lot of medical stuff in those definitions but if we just concentrate on the parts we can easily recognize then a layman's definition becomes evident. In cases of Infectious disease: When animals get sick or act or appear abnormal, these are considered symptoms. Especially when there is an underlying illness suspected as the cause. If these abnormalities can be grouped together into a general set of symptoms associated with an Infectious disease then one is often considered as having that disease.
With fish there is often no laboratory testing to acquire a confirmed diagnoses. Very often the response and/or dissipation of the symptoms to the prescribed treatment is considered confirmation of the presence of the disease. To put it bluntly we often treat symptoms not the disease itself or the pathogen causing the disease. Even worse we often don't alleviate or avoid the stressors that brought on the illness in the first place. So you may ask what does this mean for the health of my fish?

In an aquarium it is our goal to provide an ideal environment for the beneficial bacteria that Process nitrogen compounds so that they do not build up to toxic levels and make our fish sick. This environment is a double edged sword because there are many other organisms that are banine or harmful that also require the same environment we provide for the beneficial bacteria.

ThijmenJP — December 08, 2007 — Aquarium Filter under the Microscope...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLfva03U210&feature=channel

Fish like humans are surrounded by pathogens every day. It is only our immune system (that is the first line of defense) that can ward off these constant attacks to our health. The immune system of a fish is a delicately balanced system. It is made up of many components and it is only as strong as the failure or weakening of any one of those components. It is not the subject of this essay to go into detail on the components of the immune system. It is however my intent to make you aware of how important its general strength is in the ability of fish to avoid and recover from disease.

I don't believe like medications I think they should be employed as a last resort.
However many times by the time we notice the symptoms in our fish it is already very late in the game. So I recommend using a phrase that I call "ESOM".
What is ESOM?

ESOM stands for:

Enviornment
Sound Maintainance Practices
Observation and
Medication

Lets explore these in more detail.
Environment - As you can see in the movie above there is a lot more in our aquarium water than we often believe there is. There are many different bacteria (Some useful and some harmful). There are organisms, proteins, dissolved solids, harmonies, and many many other things the list literally goes on and on. Then there are things like the size of the tank, comparability with tank mates, Temperature, PH, Nitrogen compounds, aeration. Believe it or not all of these things play a major role in the strength of the immune system in your fish. As mentioned earlier a weakened immune system is a likely an open door to Infectious disease. How do we relieve or avoid these stressors? Well simple things like not over feeding fish, Changing the water frequently, choosing carefully the tank mates through research and observation can go along way in this effort.

Sound Maintainence Practices - The key word here is Prevention. For instance it is very important that hobbyist have a Quarantine tank handy for new fish prior to introduction into your main tank. Regularly Scheduled Water changes, a Varied quality diet, Regular monitoring and testing or water quality (Ammonia, Nitrites, Nitrates, PH, KH),

Observation - Even if we do all the things listed above sometimes aggression by tank mates or frisky behavior of our fish can lead to injury. There are also times when things we believe do not matter or may miss can become stressors to our fish. As mentioned these stressors can lead to disease. In any of these situations observation is often the difference between such an event being just an event or turning into a disaster. Fish cant talk. They can however tell their keeper many things about their physical and emotional health by their behavior. You must learn to be a "Fish Whisperer". A hobbyist should learn the natural behavior of their fish. Things like normal respiration (How many gill pumps per minute) of a fish. and then observe the fish on a regular basis. Watching for any deviations from normal behavior. Also taking the time to examine the body, fins , eyes, mouth, gills as well. When I first got into this hobby and ran into my first few diseases in fish, I thought to myself "Gee Fish are really weak and fragile creatures". Well as time went on I learned it is actually quite the opposite. Fish are a lot stronger than we think. It often appears they are fragile because once the average hobbyist notices the symptoms the fish is presenting it is typically very late in the game and a lot of damage has already been done.. So, remember fish are experts at hiding illness, The earlier you can catch symptoms the better.

Medication - I only recommend medication as the last resort. Even then it is advisable to start with the least invasive drugs and work your way up. It is important to not just go into the store and ask what to buy. Do your research there are many websites that have diagnosis flow charts and picture charts showing what various symptoms look like and the possible diseases associated with them. Once you feel like you have pinpointed your disease don't just go for the "Elephant Gun" look up the possible medications you can use and try to make an informed decision on which is best for your situation. Remember the typical pourpose of most medications is to kill off unwanted life forms that have taken refuge in or on the patients body. The inherent danger in this endeavor is that the patient is also a living creature and so the medication chosen often has undesirable effects (Side Effects) on the patient as well. Once again I can not stress the importance of having a quarantine tank and another benefit is it can double as a Hospital tank when not in use. Believe it or not they are not the same although you can use the same equipment for either purpose. Anyone having more than one or two fish should have what I call a "Fishy First aid Kit".

"Fishy First Aid Kit"

Hospital/Quarantine tank - Must be always at the ready to act as your first line of defense in the event of illness breakout or as a preventative to keep newly purchased fish from infecting your main tank.

A cheap pair of womens pantyhose = (these are very useful to pour water treatment granules (ammo chips, Nitrasorb, charcoal, etc.) into and tie off the ends thus making a filter sock.

Ammo chips - Placing this in the filter can keep you sick fish safe from ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate. while you are medicating. Since you are removing the ammonia you don't have to worry about itrites and Nitrates

because there is no ammonia to be converted into the latter.

Activated Carbon Granules - Useful for removing certain chemicals from the water.

Household Bleach - Best general purpose disinfectant

Battery Operated Air Pump - Great for situations where you loose power or need to transport sick fish.

Sponge filter and Air pump - Can be a life saver in situations involving filtration failure.

METHYLENE BLUE - Effective for lite treatment of bacteria and also as an antidote for poisoning including damage due to nitrogen poisioning (assuming damage is not too far along)This med will nuke your BB!! best not to use it in your main tank. Only use in Hospital tank.

Liquid B complex vitamins - Maintains nervous tissue, energy & metabolism.

Any Preferred Brand of Anti-Bacteria Medicated Fish Food - Good for initial treatments of many symptoms especially if caught early while fish still has an appetite.

Proper Dosages and use for items listed above:

ERYTHROMYCIN or Maracyn same stuff basically.)

Dosage: 125 mg per 5 gallons of water.
Duration: Every 24 hours.
Procedure: 25% water change before each treatment.
Recommended treatment period: 10 days.
SPECIAL NOTES:Best used as a last resort for stubborn bacterial infections and in cases where pathogen is not positively identified. Very effective to treat "BACTERIAL SEPTICEMIA" (red lines in fins and gills)

JUNGLE Brand Anti-Bacteria Medicated Fish Food
Dosage: As much as the fish will eat in a 10 second time frame
Duration: Every 12 - 24 hours.
Procedure: Do not use other foods during this 5 to 10-day period.
Recommended treatment period: 5- 10 days.
SPECIAL NOTES:Also effective to treat "BACTERIAL SEPTICEMIA" (red lines in fins and gills)

POTASSIUM PERMANGANATE as Live Plant disinfectant
Dosage: Add just a few grains to a container then add the water. It takes it a little while to dissolve, You want to achieve a dark pink tint to the water
Duration: Soak Plants in solution for 15 to 20 minutes
Procedure: Soak Plants in solution for 15 to 20 minutes. USE GLOVES AND GOGGLES WHEN WORKING WITH THIS CHEMICAL. After soak rinse well with water and dechlorinator mixture. Then rinse again to be safe.
Recommended treatment period: 15-20 Mins
SPECIAL NOTES:THIS IS VERY SERIOUS STUFF. USE GLOVES AND GOGGLES. Do not mix this chemical with anything other than water or dechlorinator as dangerous chemical reactions can occur.

HOUSEHOLD BLEACH as Live Plant disinfectant
Dosage: Mix in a bucket with water to achieve 5% solution
Duration: only complete procedure 1 time.
Procedure: Prepare one bucket of 5% bleach solution and one bucket of dechlorinated water. soak plants in Bleach solution for 2-4 minutes. then promptly remove them and swish around in a (double declorinator dosed) doseddechlorinated water solution - Just to be safe add a few extra drops of dechlorinator while in bucket.
Recommended treatment period: only once.
SPECIAL NOTES:use gloves and glasses or safety goggles when working with chemicals. Use caution bleach can easily kill the plant as well as the bacteria you are after. Some plants are more sensitive then others, IE: Anacharis

HOUSEHOLD BLEACH For Tank & Equiptment disinfection
Dosage: Mix in aquarium or a bucket (whichever applies) with water to achieve 10% solution
Duration: 24 hours
Procedure: soak equipment and all surfaces that contact the water column in bleach solution for 24 hours. Easiest way is to fill tank with solution, place lids and heaters and nets and hoses into tank,and connect filtration and let it run occasionally wiping down surfaces un touched by water.
Recommended treatment period: 24 hours
SPECIAL NOTES:use gloves and glasses or safety goggles when working with chemicals. Make sure you rinse, dechlorinate and repeat several times after treatment

(2) Large bottles of BASIC DECHLORINATOR (the kind with nothing in it but dechlorinator..lol)
Dosage: Typically 1 drop per gallon

METHYLENE BLUE
Dosage: (As water treatment for fish) 2.5 ml of a 2.303% solution per 5 gallons of water.
Duration: Every other day.
Procedure: Complete water changes before each treatment..
Recommended treatment period: 10 days.
SPECIAL NOTES: Effective as an antidote for poisoning including damage (assuming damage is not too far along)This med will nuke your BB!! best not to use it in your main tank. Only use in Hospital tank.

Hospital tank/ Quarantine Tank - Complete with:
- Aeration,
- Heater,
- Filter (a very simple HOB is best, Reason being that you can easily access the filter media area. When used as a QT tank the Filter should have normal Bio Filtration Media. When used as a Hospital Tank the media should be replaced with ammonia chips.)
- Size: Should be minimum of 10 gallons (try to get the smallest size that can comfortably house any sick fish or any new fish you may buy.)
a few plastic plants, maybe a cave. You should however avoid substrate as this tank should be stripped down and disinfected on a regular basis and having gravel makes that process extremely difficult. If you are one of those people who just cant stand bare bottom tanks then I suggest you try glass marbles or the glass disks (The kind that look like squished marbles). These are preferred because they are non porous thus they present the least surface area making them almost as easy to disinfect as the tank itself.. The basic rule of thumb here is to avoid any decoration that makes it too easy for the fish to hide. Also avoid anything that is complicated or delicate as these things can often be very difficult to disinfect.
QT/HOSP. Tank Set Up and usage:

As the name implies the "QT/HOSP. tank" will have 2 purposes:
1) Quarantine tank - Keep new fish in there for 2-6 weeks (I personally recommend 6 weeks) as needed
2) Hospital tank - Sometimes fish in your main tank or new fish you quarantine will become sick.

Here is the set up for each:
Advance Preparation methods:
A) Keep an extra few filter pads or sponge media stuffed into your filter on your main tank.
- When needed you simply remove the extra media and rinse it thoroughly in a small bucket or container of dechlorinated water (The container only needs to be large enough for you to connect your QT tank filter to it - No larger than that). You then connect the QT tank filter to the bucket or container and let it run for a few hours till the water looks clear. (At this point all of the BB is evenly distributed into the new filter and it is ready for action in the QT tank.
B) Another is to keep am extra sponge filter in your main tank.
- When needed you simply move the filter to the QT tank. *Note* I don't prefer this method because when the filter is finished service in the QT tank you place it back in the main tank and I do not like putting things from the QT tank into my main tank except fish...lol

Set Up:

1) Quarantine - As a QT tank you will use method A or B to place filtration on the QT tank. and place the newly purchased fish into the QT tank using the drip acclimation method. Let the fish serve their time in QT observing them for illness or odd behavior. when the time is completed and you deem the fish healthy you will place them in the main tank using the drip acclimation method. Once the tank is empty you should sterilize the whole QT tank, filtration and all. And then reset for the next batch.

2) Hospital - As a Hospital tank you will replace the bio filtration with ammo chips (This will keep the tank from having ammonia /nitrite problems while you medicate.). Since it is chemical filtration you you do not have to worry about the adverse effects of antibiotics and similar medications on your Beneficial Bacteria because your filtration does not depend on bio-filtration. Once the fish are returned to health you will change the water and run the tank as a QT tank for about 1-2 weeks to make sure the fish is indeed back to health. While this is going on you can soak the ammo chips in salt water (This recharges them) so that they are ready for the next time. Once fish get clear bill of health you can drip acclimate them back into the main tank. Once the tank is empty you should sterilize the whole HOSP. tank, filtration and all. And then reset for the next batch.

Note on QT/HOSP. Tanks:
*Salt Water QT/Hosp Tank* Exactly the same as for FW however it is very important to always have some extra saltwater ready in case you need to perform any emergency water change or for regular water changes due to medications. Make sure to monitor the water parameters daily. Never mix up saltwater and add it right away. Freshly mixed saltwater can be harmful to fish. For this reason It is a good practice to always have enough premixed saltwater on stand by for water changes and top offs.

I know it all seems like a lot but trust me if you ever catch a really nasty disease from new fish or if a fish in your main tank ever becomes seriously ill you will really learn to appreciate the above methods. ie: http://tanks4thememories.blogspot.com/2010/06/dealing-with-really-bad-stubborn.html#top1 It becomes very "Routine" once you have done it a few times.

Liquid B complex vitamins
Dosage: 1 drop per 2 gallons of water
Duration: once a week
Procedure: leave in till next water change
Recommended treatment period: 10 days.
SPECIAL NOTES: Maintains nervous tissue, energy & metabolism.

Recent trip To Baltimore National Aquarium!!

2010-05-25T11:05:00.001-04:00

Recent trip To Baltimore National Aquarium!!

As part of our Mothers day celebration weekend and as rewards for great work in school by all the kids and also as partial celebration of my youngest child's birthday we recently packed up the whole tribe and went to the Baltimore National Aquarium. It was somewhat of a long drive but it was well worth it and everyone had a BLAST!!

National Aquarium in Baltimore
501 East Pratt Street, Baltimore, Maryland, 21202
E-mail
Due to the high volume of e-mails we receive we cannot guarantee a timely response. You may want to use our search engine.
* Conservation: conserve@aqua.org
* Education: teachers@aqua.org
* Events Planning: party@aqua.org
* Immersion Tours: immersiontours@aqua.org
* Intern Opportunities: intern@aqua.org
* Reservations/Group Sales: reserve@aqua.org
* Media and Public Relations: media@aqua.org
* Membership: members@aqua.org
* Visitor Services: visit@aqua.org
* Volunteer Office: volunteer@aqua.org
* Web Management: webmaster@aqua.org
Phone
General Aquarium questions may be addressed to:
* 410-576-3800 (daily 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
* TTY/TDD: 410-727-3022
For assistance when purchasing tickets online:
* 410-659-4239 (daily 9:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.)
Mail
Contact the Aquarium in writing at:
National Aquarium
501 E. Pratt Street
Baltimore, Maryland, 21202

We had an awesome time and here are pics from some of the exhibits.

*Note * - I have a strict personal policy of not posting personal pictures of myself or my family publicly to the internet. Thus you may see some reflections and people in the pictures but I assure you before anyone asks none of them are of myself, my family or anyone I know...lol Also sorry for the quality of the pics but it was crowded and a lot of the viewing panes were smudged and many of their tanks don't have pristine water conditions (I was surprised at this).

PS It was also a source of great pride to hear my family say Our specimens at home looked better than most of the same species in the exhibits...lol I told them "Well they have a lot more fish to care for than we do"...hehehe

Thanx for stopping by. Hope you enjoyed this post.

DIY Feeding Bell For Angler Fish

2010-05-22T01:55:00.017-04:00

DIY Feeding Bell For Angler Fish

Problem:
I have been having a problem getting food to "Blue Eyes" (Hispid Angler Fish)
(Click this link for full information on our 47 Gallon XT SW FOWLR Predator Tank )

Special considerations:
The tank is a "Column" tank which means it is very deep. Most pre made tongs and similar target feeding devices don't come long enough to do the job properly.

Possible solutions:
I thought about:
- A tank divider
- Feeding Stick
- Aquarium Tongs

Just to name a few

Solution:
While cruising the forums I noticed in one of my favorite forums " www.AquaticCommunity.com" That a lot of the reef tank hobbyists use feeding bells to feed their corals. I went to youtube and noticed some very interesting DIY feeding bells made from soda bottles. Finally I decided to try something of my own and here is what I came up with.

“I do not think there is any thrill that can go through the human heart like that felt by the inventor as he sees some creation of the brain unfolding to success... Such emotions make a man forget food, sleep, friends, love, everything.” - Nikola Tesla - Hmm well Nik I agree with ya except the Friends and Love part...lol

DIY Angler Fish Feeding Bell

Close Up of the "business end"

Here is how it works.

In Action!!

Blue Eyes didn't like it a whole lot at first (Actually there was a lot of testing before final design- However No Angler Fish were harmed in the making of this photo session...lol)

Ummm I can't say the same for the feeder fish though...
Ok so anyway they go into the cup.

Add some tank water.

Pour contents of cup into tube

Raise tube above assembly and let water gravity take over

Cover end of tube with mouth and blow - DING>>DING>>DING Dinner is served...lol

Once he realized during testing (not pictured in this set of pics) He really didn't mind much being in the bell as he now knows it is his personal dinning room...lol

Here is how it was made.

You may notice there is no glue involved in the assembly of this project. All fittings are pressure fit. The purpose of this is two fold:
1) No worry of toxins to contaminate water
2) easy assembly and disassemble allows easy cleaning and replacement of warn parts or future upgrades to design.

Here are the tools I used. You may use other tools that serve the same purpose depending on what you have available.

Starting from left to right:
Scissors
Serrated Knife
Cordless Drill & Drill Bit that is smaller than the smallest animal you will be feeding to your fish.
Circular Saw

Materials:

Starting from left to right::
1" PVC Pipe

Quality Clear PVC Tubing
Vinyl Tubing (The soft pliable kind (Those are the little pieces in the bottom middle)
A Hawaiian Punch container (1 Gallon Size)

Drilling and Cutting::

Drill holes in top region of Hawaiian punch bottle make sure to stay clear of the area you intend to cut the bottle. I found its easier to drill the wholes while the bottle is in one piece.

Identify the area you want to cut to achieve the height of bell that you desire (Make sure you leave your fish enough head room but not too much or when you put feeders into the bell they will hide at the top.) Use serrated knife to separate bottle at the area you decided upon.

Finish cutting with scissors and trim as necessary to insure bell sits level on the ground.

Cut PVC pipe to desired length - Make sure it is at least 6" taller than the height of your tank

Measure and cut Quality PVC tubing - Make sure it is 2-3' longer than the PVC pipe.

Cut a 4" length and a 2" length of the soft vinyll tubing. Then split them both length wise.

Assembly:

Thread PVC Tubing Through PVC Pipe until it is about 2-3 inches longer than the portion you want to have hanging down in the finished Bell.

Wrap Vinyl Tubing around PVC Tubing (Wrap as tightly as possible)

Keep wrapping till assembly fits snug into PVC Pipe.

Stuff Assembly into Pipe.

The goal is to have Vinyl Flush with edge of PVC Pipe Yet Have 1-3 Inch over hang of PVC tubing.

Place remaining piece of Vinyl over PVC Pipe As shown above.

Hold Vinyl in place while forcing the whole assembly into mouth of Bell assembly.

Once properly inserted it will look as above.

Adjust as needed so that it is balanced and can stand on its own and Bingo you have Done it!!

Remember all fittings are secured with pressure only for a reason. This way should your fish grow or you destroy the bell you can easily replace it. It also makes cleaning simple.

Enjoy your new toy!!! Don't forget to comment if you like this.

Few words on PH

2010-05-17T11:37:00.004-04:00

Few words on PH

pH refers to water being either an acid, base, or neither (neutral). A pH of 7 is considered "neutral", a pH below 7 is considered "acidic'' and a pH above 7 is Considered "alkaline''. A pH of 5.5 is 10 times less acidic than water at a pH of 4.5. a rapid change of as little as .4 in either direction can be deadly to fish!!

Acidic = Low PH
Alkaline = High PH

If there is a problem with the buffering capacity(the ability of a solution to resist changes in pH.) of your water You most likely have very soft water which means it is susceptible to wild swings towards the acidic PH range (Low PH).

If you look up key words like:
buffering capacity
PH
water hardness
Water softness
in Google you will find tons of information explaining the concepts in full detail.

"The Relationship Between pH and kH"

"kH is a measurement of the carbonate hardness of your water. In other words, it measures the concentration of carbonate and bicarbonate ions in your aquarium. kH also indicates your water’s buffering capacity – your water’s ability to neutralize added acids without significantly changing the pH. Therefore, a higher kH corresponds to a more stable pH in your aquarium and a lower kH can correspond to large swings in the pH. Generally, if your kH is below 4.5 odH, you need to closely monitor your pH for large changes. You will also need to be more consistent in your water changes as the low kH will cause the pH in your aquarium to consistently drop with time. Frequent water changes are the best way to keep the pH up to an appropriate level."

You basically have 2 options to resolve a low PH with low buffering capacity situation:
1) Additives

adding calcium carbonate (CaCO3). 1/2 teaspoon per 26 gallons of water will increase both the KH and GH by about 1-2 dH. Or simply add some crushed sea shells, crushed coral, limestone, marble chips, etc. to your filter.

adding sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3), (AKA: baking soda). 1/2 teaspoon per 26 Gallons raises the KH by about 1 dH. Sodium bicarbonate drives the pH towards 8.2.

2) Do very frequent water changes

*Note* All quantities listed are approximations because it is not possible without having many other variables to be precise in the amounts needed to effect specific changes. The best thing you can do is get the proper test kits and use the above techniques and slowly adjust then test then adjust some more.

R/O is of no help in low PH/Buffering capacity situations, because it has no buffering capacity thus would basically leave you in the same position you are in now.

*Note* Once you do go down the road of altering your PH please note you are forever chained to keeping a close eye on it and making sure to adjust as needed.

**Note** In a situation of a tank with low buffering capacity even the nitrification cycle (Which releases Nitric Acid as a by product) would change the PH over time. .

ANY rapid change in PH above or below .3 can kill fish and often will depending on the species and its resiliency to such activity.

Without testing we do not know what his KH and GH values are. They are not the same thing GH will not directly affect pH although "hard" water is generally alkaline due to some interaction of GH and KH. Thus often they should typically be discussed in the same subjects. You may have personally observed stronger reactions to changes in GH because different species of fish prefer different KH and GH values and changes in GH can effect KH which in turn effects PH if there are already elements in the environment trying to shift the PH but being held in check by the KH.
For those who might be rusty on this GH is simply the General Hardness of water (measurement of Magnesium and Calcium ions in the water). This is the reading that people are generally referring to when they speak of "Hard" or "Soft" water.
General Hardness Table
0 to 4 dH 0 to 70 ppm Very Soft
4 to 8 dH 70 to 140 ppm Soft
8 to 12 dH 140 to 210 ppm Medium Hard
12 to 18 dH 210 to 320 ppm Fairly Hard
18 to 30 dH 320 to 530 ppm Hard

KH (Carbonate Hardness) often referred to simply as Buffering Capacity = on the other hand is specifically and simply a measurement of the alkalinity. Which is a measurement of the waters buffering ability, or its ability to absorb and neutralize acid.

So anyway if we look up our fishes needs you will often see most fish prefer GH in the mid range of the scale. So since they do effect each other although indirectly it is best if you find you have a buffering problem to check for soft or hard water as it will also effect the longevity of your fish.

All of this leeds me back to one of my most common suggestions which is if you test your water and see what it is and buy fish that fit the water you have you have far less things to worry about. Otherwise know what you are getting into. and Knowing what you are getting into is half the battle...:)

Awesome article on replacing the center Brace on a 55 Gallon tank. By user name: cm11599ps - http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/members/cm11599ps.html

2010-04-30T09:06:00.000-04:00

The full article in its original location can be found here:
http://www.fishlore.com/fishforum/freshwater-tank-equipment/66920-how-replace-top-frame-aquarium.html

Posted on March 18th, 2010 in www.fishlore.com/fishforum by a user of that forum named:cm11599ps.

How To Replace The Top Frame Of An Aquarium

As some of you may know, the top center brace of my 12 year old 55 gallon aquarium snapped about 2 weeks ago when I was trying to adjust my automatic feeder. My frame finally came in today and I just sat down after finishing the job. Here are some pics for your enjoyment.....

Below is a shot of the tank with some of the required materials needed. You will see the new black frame, aquarium silicone, razor blade, python and more.

My first step was to pour myself a nice cold draft beer from my kitchen. This is the most important part in ANY project you undertake. lol

Below is a shot of my automatic feeder. It is placed right over the center brace and when I went to adjust the feeding schedule the center brace of the tank snapped.

A pic of the broken brace.

I then had to remove the aerator on my kitchen faucet in order to attach my python.

Attaching an adapter to connect my python the my faucet.

Finally attaching the python.

You then need to turn the water on and the python hose gets full of water. The other end of the python hose (the gravel cleaner) in in the tank. This is the first step in using the python.

You then need to unscrew the bottom of the python. You will see the water going into the sink now. As the water from your faucet goes down through the green plastic and into the sink it creates a siphon and brings in the water from your tank. The water that is going into the sink is a mix of your tap water as well as your tank water.

Below you will see one end of the python nestled in the red plants in the tank with the other end in the sink and the hose going across the floor. Please say hi to my Maltese, Timmy. I ended up draining about 50% of the tank to relieve some of the pressure on the glass since I was removing the entire top frame.

I began by using a razor blade to cut the silicone on the inside and outside of the glass. This didn't work well.

I then went to the garage to get this 5 in one paint tool. I grasped the handle and used that pointy side to score all around the tank. This worked MUCH better then the razor blade and I highly suggest this tool if you ever need to replace your frame.

It took over an hour but you can see that I was finally able to get the frame up a bit. It's about 1/4" above the glass at this point but the rest of the tank still needs some work.

I was finally able to get the entire thing off. Once you got some of it up the rest was a LOT easier.

Side by side shots of the old oak frame and the new black one. The color doesn't matter because I have a full wooden hood so the frame doesn't show at all. Plus the black is cheaper too.

Little bits of silicone floating that I removed with my net.

Removing some of the loose silicone cuttings.

Have a drink!

Dry fitted the new top.

Use a razor blade to scrape off the remaining silicone from the glass.

This should be above, but I used a piece of wood to tap up on the frame to loosen it.

Using the gun to silicone the inside of the frame. I also siliconed the corners because I was using my tools in the area so I wanted to play it safe and recoat them.

New frame on and tank being filled with python.

Getting there. I didn't want to fill the tank all the way up because I siliconed the top few inches of the corners.

Everything back in place!

Then the worst thing happened!!!!!

An empty glass.

So I had a refill.

Last edited by cm11599ps; March 18th, 2010 at 09:56 PM.

I got the frame from my LFS. Total cost for the frame plus the tube of silicone was about $35.
About 3 weeks ago I thought my tank was ruined and that I would have to get a new one. I did research on trying to replace or fix it and I really didn't find much info. Some places did say you could replace the frame but it didn't really give you step by step directions or even pictures for that matter. I need to be able to SEE something done and then it becomes a lot clearer.

I figured if I snapped a few pics and wrote up a brief summary then I might be able to help someone in the future. The whole process wasn't that hard now that all is said and done. If I didn't take pics or beer breaks then I could have had the whole thing done in 2 - 3 hours. If I had to do it again then I could probably have it done a lot quicker because I would be using the right tools from the start.

The first 1.5 - 2 hours was not fun. With all the cutting I was doing I still couldn't get even a corner to budge a little bit. After some more cutting I tried pressing up on the frame with my fingers and I was finally able to push it up a tad!

I did a little more scoring with that painters tool then tapped up with the piece of wood and it began to come off pretty easily. Once I was able to get it up a bit the rest of the process (removing the top) was a cinch and only took about 15 minutes.

My wife and I are glad this is finished. For the past 3 weeks we have been worrying about the tank breaking because you could see it bowing out in the middle. It's not the kind of bow front tank I wanted. lol

`D` - PIII-ka.....PIIIII-KAAAAA.....PIIIII-KAAA-CHUUU - "Pikachu The Electric Catfish" (Malapterurus electricus)

2008-09-24T15:11:00.000-04:00

I have @ 20 yrs exp off and on keeping these babies both personally and professionally (back in college days I had part time job in a friends aquarium shop to support my MTS "Multiple Tank Syndrome"...lol) @ 10 yrs if you just count time actually keeping them.

In those many years I have witnessed things many people would not think can happen: I have seen my Jardini only allow 1 specific bala to clean his wound and not fuss or chase him however chase all the other balas. I have seen My elec cat only allow the other cats and snail in his cave (he instinctively knows it needs to be cleaned-they leave when they are done except the snail). When it gets too crowded he discharges and everyone comes spewing out of the cave..lol however I notice he doesnt use a voltage level that knocks them out or anything just enough juice to say "ENOUGH ALREADY!!"

This hobby has a lot of guides and they exist mainly to protect the novice. As you learn the reasons behind the guides you can bend and often even break them as an advanced Hobbyist. My strong point in this hobby is large "Oddballs". In keeping "Oddballs" I have learned that each fish is unique in it's personality and sometimes if you are willing to invest the time and money (depending on your negotiating skills and creativity it might not be much money involved at all) to switch them around until you have a good match up you can be rewarded with a truly unique tank. My 135 Gallon Predator tank is a "tough love" tank...lol. I do not let any fish continuously beat on another but I do let them work things out to an extent and occasionally blood is shed. Usually nothing serious but hey these are "big boys and girls", they can play rough when lines are crossed. After an aggression things usually go to normal peace and tranquility. I feed Live foods that I have quarantined prior to feeding. I supplement the live foods with vitamins and occasional veggies and frozen raw fish/shrimp to maintain the needs of the supporting fish - Plecos, snails, balas.
I personally do not agree with those who say you should only feed predators frozen, and pellets and flakes because I find myself asking the question what would this fish eat in the wild? Yes it does make them more aggressive, yes it is time consuming but hey they are predatory fish this is what they do man...lol Also note Predatory animals have naturally increased immunity systems due to the fact that their job in nature is to weed out sick and dieing prey.

I can personally attest to the power of these awesome creatures (Malapterurus electricus) both when small and when 6 to 8 inches in size. When small it is very similar to touching a 9 volt battery to your tongue, it is a cute tingly sensation. When large I liken it to touching a car battery, it actually knocked me back away from the tank and onto the floor. For this very reason I have special gloves when working in a tank containing this fish:

CORALIFE" "AQUA GLOVES" PN# AF9505 - www.esuweb.com

As humans our experience of getting shocked by this wonderful fish differs from fish in that we are grounded, so a very small amount of voltage goes a long way. Fish are not grounded, so it takes a little more juice to have similar effects.

I have seen Pikachu shock several fish and I guarantee you one thing it never happens three times to any fish...lol Fish occupy different strata of the tank and pikachu is basically a bottom dwelling fish. As long as he finds food on the bottom he never goes topside. When "Pikachu" does come out everyone except the plecos clear the runway and go to higher ground. This is another thing I find useful with large ego fish such as Jardini. You need to have something that is humble yet powerful enough to keep the egos in check. There is nothing like @ 300-350 volts to give you a reality check!!! "Pikachu" also loves a good cave that is closed in on all sides with only 1 entrance in or out. I used a large plastic spice container with a nice large opening (I think it had parsley in it):

Cave for "Pikachu" my (Malapterurus electricus)

With such a home he will seldom leave his cave except to eat and a quick check of his surroundings. Malapterurus electricus are purely nocturnal and prefer to seldom venture outside unless it is very dark. In fact sometimes he will hunt from the doorway of his cave, just sitting there motionless until a minnow wanders too closely and gets the "Shock of its lifetime" or should I say its death...lol
Pikachu never goes after fish he can not eat.
He uses electricity for three purposes:
1) Low voltage - emitting a field around his body to navigate in pitch darkness or low visibility environments.
2) Moderate voltage - As a defense basically saying "move!!" or "Leave me alone!!".
3) High voltage - as a offensive move to stun his prey so he can catch and eat them.

A little more about (Malapterurus electricus) - Electric catfish

Scientific classification:
Kingdom: Animalia
Phylum: Chordata
Class: Actinopterygii
Order: Siluriformes
Family: Malapteruridae

Common name:
Electric Catfish

Fish name:
Malapterurus electricus

"Pikachu" Our Electric Catfish

Maximum size (min-max):
To 39" (100 cm) in nature, although usually not larger than 12" (30 cm) in an aquarium.

PH of water:
7-7.8 (7.0),

Water hardness(dGH):
5-20 dH (10)

Recommended temperature:
73-86°F (23-30°C)

Temperament to its family:
territorial of its cave typically will not tolerate others of its kind in the same tank.

Temperament to other fish species:
aggressive to smaller for best results keep this fish in its own aquarium.

Place in the aquarium:
Bottom levels

FOOD:
Live/frozen: fish, crustaceans, worms, insect larvae ; chopped meat.

The way of breeding:
Males are thinner than the females.
This species is a cave spawner,
However it has not be accomplished in aquaria.

Short description:
This is a nocturnal species.
A predatory species that should be kept singly.
Other tank mates may be "shocked."
he adult Electric Catfish can produce an electric shock of about 300-350 volts (in a 500 mm fish; Keynes, 1957). (Johnels, 1957; Keynes, 1957; Lissmann, 1958; Sagua, 1987; Skelton, 1993).
This species is equipped with electrical organs in the cutaneous layer of the skin. The fish insulates itself against shock by a thick fatty layer. The head is the negative pole, and the tail is the positive pole. This species will grow accustomed to their keeper and may take food from ones hand.

The three different species of Malapterurus can be differentiated by the following key (after Sagua, 1987):
1a. Gill rakers on proximal two-thirds of first ceratobranchial, usually not exceeding 15; adipose fin short, sloped posteriorly M. minjiriya
1b. Gill rakers throughout entire length of first ceratobranchial, usually 15 to 23; adipose fin rounded, see 2a and 2b below.
2a. Mouth relatively narrow; snout relatively long M. microstoma
2b. Mouth relatively wide; snout relatively short, M. electricus

Preliminary data suggest that what is currently considered M. electricus consists of at least nine species (of which four miniature species with highly reduced electric organs from Zaïre possibly belong to a separate, undescribed genus) (Moller, 1995).

Take extreme care when preforming maintenance.

Widespread throughout tropical Africa; Zaire, Niger, Volta, and Nile Rivers.

References:

http://animaldiversity.ummz.umich.edu/site/accounts/information/Malapterurus_electricus.html

`D` About Our Tanks - P01 - Update

2008-09-18T02:31:00.000-04:00

About Our Tanks - P01
Name: P01
Start Date: Sunday June 15, 2008
Status: Established

Tank: 55 gal
Deminsions: 48 in L x 12 in W x 21 in H = 52.36364 US gallons
Water Type: Freshwater

Average Water Condition:
Temperature: 82 deg. F
Amonia: 0.0 ppm
Nitrites: 0.0 ppm
Nitrates: 0.0 ppm
PH: 7.2
PH TOD (Time of Day for test): 10:02 PM
Hardness:
Hardness (GH):
Hardness (KH):

Softening agents:
Driftwood
Live Plants

Hardening agents:
None

Lighting: Natural indirect sunlight + 2 flourescents in Hood.

Filtration: Undergravel Filter, Two aquaclear 70 power heads, @ 70 Pounds of gravel

Heating: N/A

Cooling: Large room fan pointed at the tanks and air conditioning in the room.

Airation: Powerheads, and a Circular air ring fed by a Wisper AP 300

Decoration: Mostly Low light Plants, Rocks found outside and treated to be placed in aquarium, Extralarge driftwood shaped like an arch.

Current Stock:
Empty

Maintanance:
Feedings schedule: Twice a day once in AM and once in the late PM
Water Change Schedule: 25% Once a week.

`D` Common Plecostomos Description

2008-09-17T21:13:00.004-04:00

Common name
Common Pleco catfish
Fish name
Hypostomus borellii
Maximum size (min-max)
15.0 - 16.0 cm ( 5.9 - 6.3 in)
PH of water
6.5 - 7.1
Water hardness (dGH)
dGH 4.0 - 19.0 N
Recommended temperature
22.0 - 25.0 C ( 71.6 - 77.0 F)
Temperament to its family
peaceful
Temperament to other fish species
peaceful
Place in the aquarium
Bottom levels
The way of breeding
Spawning
Fish origin
South America
Short description

`D` Chocolate Plecostomos Description

2008-09-17T21:13:00.003-04:00

Common name
chocolate Pleco catfish
Fish name
Pterygoplichthys pardalis
Maximum size (min-max)
14"-16" (35-40cm)
PH of water
6.0 - 7.5
Water hardness (dGH)
dGH 4.0 - 19.0 N
Recommended temperature
21.0-26.0°C (69.8-78.8°F)
Feeding
Omnivorous and a good algae eater, especially when young.
Temperament to its family
peaceful
Temperament to other fish species
peaceful
Place in the aquarium
Bottom levels
The way of breeding
Spawning
Fish origin
South America
Widespread in the amazon river system.
Commercially bred in outdoor ponds in both the U.S. and Far East.
Short description

`D` Bala Shark Description

2008-09-17T21:13:00.002-04:00

Common name
Bala shark
Fish name
Balantiocheilos melanopterus
Maximum size (min-max)
30.0 - 40.0 cm ( 11.8 - 15.7 in)
PH of water
5.8 - 7.9
Water hardness (dGH)
dGH 4.0 - 12.0 N
Recommended temperature
22.0 - 29.0 C ( 71.6 - 84.2 F)
Temperament to its family
peaceful
Temperament to other fish species
peaceful
Place in the aquarium
Middle levels
The way of breeding
Spawning
Fish origin
East Asia
Short description
This fish is also known as Silver shark, Tri Color Shark.

`D` Jardini Description

2008-09-17T21:13:00.001-04:00

Common name
Gulf saratoga
Fish name
Scleropages jardinii
Maximum size (min-max)
90.0 - 100.0 cm ( 35.4 - 39.4 in)
PH of water
6.4 - 7.0
Water hardness (dGH)
dGH 5.0 - 13.0 N
Recommended temperature
22.0 - 26.0 C ( 71.6 - 78.8 F)
Temperament to its family
Aggressive
Temperament to other fish species
aggressive to most fish after 8"
Place in the aquarium
Top to Mid levels
The way of breeding
Spawning
Fish origin
Oceania
Short description
Also known as Australian pearl arowana, or Australian bonytongue.

`S1` Tank P02 Tests

2008-09-17T21:13:00.000-04:00

Name: P02
Status: Establish
Tank: 135 gal
Water Type: Freshwater
Water Condition:
Temperature: 82 deg. F
Ammonia: 0.0 ppm
Nitrites: 0.0 ppm
Nitrates: 0.0 ppm
PH: 7.2
PH TOD (Time of Day for test): 10:05 PM
Hardness (GH): 5.0
Hardness (KH): 4.0

`D` The Short & Sweet Of Cycling a fish tank

2008-09-09T14:09:00.003-04:00

The Short & Sweet Of Cycling a fish tank

This post is in the process of being updated. Please feel free to read it anyway and come back anytime to observe the changes.

The Nitrogen Cycle in the world around us:

Schematic representation of the flow of nitrogen through the environment. The importance of bacteria in the cycle is immediately recognized as being a key element in the cycle, providing different forms of nitrogen compounds assimilable by higher organisms.
Courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nitrogen_cycle

The Nitrogen Cycle in an aquarium:
Fish, invertebrates, fungi, and some bacteria excrete nitrogen waste in the form of ammonia (which converts to ammonium, in acidic water) and must then pass through the nitrogen cycle. Ammonia is also produced through the decomposition of plant and animal matter, including fecal matter and other detritus. Nitrogen waste products become toxic to fish and other aquarium inhabitants at high concentrations.

^{Courtesy of: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquarium}

There are two primary methods one uses to Cycle an aquarium:
1) Traditional (Cycle With Fish)
2) Fish Less (Cycle Without Fish)

Traditional Cycling:

Fairly simple.
Fish choice: Any fish from the Danio family If you don't like Danios Here is a great link to choosing your Stater Fish.

What you are looking for in a starter fish:
- Very hardy,
- Very cheap,
- Easy to either take back or euthanize when cycling is completed.
- 3 - 5 of them running around a tank is fun to watch.

PROS - Traditional Cycling
Fun to have something to watch while your tank cycles.
Progression through the phases of the cycle is very consistent.

CONS - Traditional Cycling
You will have to get rid of the fish if they aren't consistent with your long term stocking plan once cycle is completed..
Constant Feeding
Constant Water changes
Buying fish you possibly may not keep is an additional cost to setting up the tank.
Any fish used for cycling has the possibility of bringing with it disease that might effect the new fish you buy.
Once Completed you can only add a few fish at a time because the BB (Beneficial Bacteria) must be grown for each set of additional fish added to the aquarium. (Once cycle is completed then you typically add fish wait a week, then add more, repeat...etc)
Some consider this method not very humane to the fish.

Fish Less Cycle:

PROS - Fish Less Cycling
Can often be Faster
No Water Changes
No possible contamination from fish used to cycle tank.
Once completed you can add a lot more fish at one time since the BB (Beneficial Bacteria) Levels are very high.
Considered to be most Humane way to cycle a fish tank.

CONS - Fish Less Cycling
Can occasionally become "Stuck"
Boring
Boring
Boring
OH and did I mention it is boring...lol

My personal feelings on either method is I do which ever I am in the mood for.
Once you have at least 1 tank set up you can "Instant Cycle" where you use the media from one tank to cycle another. But once again the risk of disease is present in this method. I strongly recommend not using other peoples water or media to accelerate your cycle because you never really know what is in someone else water...lol

If you do decide to use fish to cycle your tank a lot of LFS will take fish on trade in and will give you a store credit even several months later. Or it doesn't matter with Giant Danios (or any such inexpensive fish) cause they didn't cost you much to begin with (You can give them back to the LFS for free and you are only out of a few bucks!!)..Here is a great link for "Cycling With Fish"

Otherwise do a "fish less cycle". It is faster and safer. No chance of diseases from prior fish. Only down side to Fish less is you don't get anything to look at while tank is cycling...:(

Good link for Fish less Cycle:

http://www.aquatic-hobbyist.com/profiles/misc/fishlesscycling.html

Here is the Page Referenced above in its entirety written by "Loachaholic" as it appears in "Aquatic-Hobbyist":

Aquatic-Hobbyist fishless cycling
Foreword:

* First, let me state that this will not be a scholarly article about Nitrobacter, Nitrosomas or the hows and whys of the nitrogen cycle. Many more learned men and women than I have already covered that ground, and done it much better than I ever could. I have included some links at the bottom of this article. PLEASE read them for more in depth information.
* Second, this is an article intended for FRESHWATER TANKS ONLY!!! If you are beginning a marine tank, please refer to other sources.
* Third, relax!! This sounds complicated but it isn't. Think of it as a chemistry experiment. You have no fish in there, so the only thing you can kill if you make a mistake is some bacteria. Don't get hung up on exact readings on your test kit - the only the reading must be exact is when you reach zero.

My intent is to give concise, step-by-step instructions for fishlessly cycling a tank. A few caveats on fishless cycling: This isn't a quick-cycle method; it still takes 3-8 weeks for the tank to cycle - sometimes more. The only really reliable way of quick-cycling a tank that I am willing to recommend is to move the filter sponge, gravel, ornaments and/or plants from an existing tank, and even then some cycling time will be needed. Take your time. This initial cycle is one of the most important steps in ensuring that your experience with this tank will be a good one.

What you need:

* Aquarium.
* Substrate (usually medium to small gravel, but can be of your choice).
* Filter and filter medium.
* Heater.
* Thermometer.
* Dechlorinator/Dechloriminator (be sure it's not something that "neutralizes ammonia" or you'll get false readings on your ammonia tests).
* Tests for ammonia and nitrite (nitrate is handy, too, but not necessary).
* Pure ammonia (also called clear ammonia). Check the ingredients - if it has anything other than water and ammonia (fragrance, surfactants, etc.) it's not the right kind.

Optional:

* Rocks, wood or other decorations such as sunken ships, bubbling treasure chests, etc.
* Plants - real, plastic or silk.
* Lighting (not optional if you have plants).

Preparation:

Set up the aquarium, including substrate, filter, and heater, and fill with water. Be sure to dechlorinate the water. Turn everything on. Add your plants and decorations.

Set the heater to keep the temperature of the water up in the mid to high 80's.

Provide extra aeration if possible. Aeration in a body of water only happens at the surface. To increase aeration, keep the water surface moving. With an outside hang on-the-back power filter, you can lower the water level a couple of inches so that water falling from the filter outflow makes a bigger splash. If the sound of the splashing makes you nuts, don't do it. An airstone and small pump works, too.

If you have access to materials from a SAFE source (not your fish store), see if you can get a cup of gravel, a used filter sponge, a decoration - anything that has been in an established aquarium a while - and put it in your tank just before you start. This will speed up the process, but is not necessary.

Now You're Ready:

Keep the filter running at maximum capacity throughout the cycling process.

Do not change water or clean anything in the tank during the cycle - it's not necessary and you might disrupt things. Besides, once the fish are in there you'll change water often enough. Enjoy your hiatus. If the water level gets too low, you may top off the tank with dechlorinated water.

Put 3-5 drops of pure ammonia per gallon in the tank, or enough ammonia to make your test kit read 4-5. Now fire up your computer and start researching the fish you want to put in there once the cycle is finished - you are done for now.

Test ammonia levels every day. When the ammonia reaches 1, add more ammonia to bring the level back to 4-5. Continue to put ammonia in the tank until the ammonia level goes to zero within 8-12 hours after the ammonia is put in. Once the tank shows the ability to lower the ammonia level in this time interval, a sufficient population of bacteria is resident in your tank and you're halfway there. This part usually takes about two weeks, but can take as long as four weeks.

Now test for nitrites. They should be VERY high. The nitrites will probably exceed the highest limit of your nitrite test. This isn't a problem, if course, because you have no fish to worry about. Continue to add enough ammonia each day to bring the ammonia level to 1 or 2.

The high-nitrite stage seems to last forever. It seems to me that Nitrobacter (the nitrite-consuming bacteria) grow more slowly than Nitrosomas (the ammonia-consuming bacteria).

When the nitrite drops, it will drop rapidly. When the test reads zero for 24 hours or more, your tank is cycled. This is the payoff for all your patience.

Keep adding ammonia until right before you add fish. Then adjust the heater down to a liveable temperature and do a very large water change (at least 90%). (Remember, to add dechlorinator.)

Recommended reading on fishless cycling:

http://www.skepticalaquarist.com/docs/startover/fishless.shtml
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/articles/article14.html
http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/cycling2.htm
http://www.marineland.com/articles/1firstthirty.asp

Loachaholic

`D` Chemical Notation Test

2008-09-08T10:10:00.001-04:00

http://www.ironspider.ca/format_text/fontstyles.htm

H₂O

`D` Aquarium water disposal.

2008-09-07T15:43:00.001-04:00

Alot of the disease research I am doing for an up coming essay on Mycobacterium leads me to believe that it may be possible for Bacteria infecting a dead fish carcass to survive being flushed and end up in the water supply. For humans it is kinda OK because we disinfect our drinking water. The creatures living in our waterways do not have this protection. Also when we flush aquarium treated water down our drains and toilets there is potential for increased release of bacterium and viri that are resistant to medications.

Waste goes to the treatment plant ,is liquidized,any solids(cotton buds and stuff) removed by a coarse filter and put in a large pond to settle.The semi clean water is drained off and sprayed over a filtration medium,such as gravel or stone chips where bacteria dine on any organic particles (poop).The very near clean water is drained off into the environment at which point it is probably cleaner than the river it goes into
The sludge that remains can be used for agricultural fertilizer or burnt as a fuel substitute.

By flushing things down the toilet, Fish tank water from treated fish, especially chemicals (cosmetics, cleaning supplies and medications) will eventually end up in the water supply. Most water treatment plants are not designed to destroy or even remove these things from the waste water.