FishChannel Forums / Freshwater Forums / Everything but Livestock

Aquarium maintenance

the mountain minnow — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:27:17 GMT

I can't afford an aquarium gravel cleaner,and I don't have very many aquarium supplies,not even a glass cleaner! I have a 10-Gallon tank with 3 white cloud mountain minnows and 1 otocinclus catfish, and the gravel gets really dirty. Algae is also a BIG problem. Every 2-3 months I completely tear it down and clean it but that gets really tiring,not to mention traumatizing for the fish.So how do I keep it clean without having to purchase a whole bunch of supplies?
Advice is appreciated because if you haven't noticed, most of the people at Petco or Petsmart have absolutely no clue,they just want you to buy stuff.

Light bulbs

SKeith — Wed, 07 Jan 2009 07:40:29 GMT

I have a 28'' hood for a 29 gallon tank (don't know the watts on the light (came with the tank) doesn't state, florescent) and a 19'' hood for a 10 gallon tank with 15 watts florescent. I know that you need so much light per sqr foot. I've looked for higher watts, but I only see 18'' 15 watts (for the smaller). (I am looking to replace the florescent with florescent)

1) Should I be looking for a higher watt of light?

2) Most lights that are at my same wattage have different labels (fullspectrum, 50/50 50%,intensity purified, ect.....) Should I be looking for the same wattage but with something else?

I have plants that I want to be able to purchase and right now I would consider my tank moderate to low. I would like it to be moderate to a little more than moderate but not super high light. I have read about going to Lowes or Home depot to replace my light, but how can I tell which kind of lights to get, or can I not do that since I plan to keep my hoods and not hang them from the ceiling?

I want more light but not so much that I have to constantly worry about algae outbreak. Please help.

The Problem with Bubbles as a Filter Power Source

math-only aquarium — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 21:56:43 GMT

Hi,

I just wanted to let you guys know a little math regarding bubbles.

You see, one problem I often encountered when working at petsmart was people with bubble-powered filter systems--they almost always had aquariums with symptoms of under-powered filters. After going through the math, I think I might have figured it out: terminal velocity. In any medium involving a fluid that resists flow there is the potential for terminal velocity (a speed at which the upward force is equal to the resistance force). As such, I looked into the terminal velocity of a bubble.

The net force acting on a bubble is given by the following equation:

Net Force = bouancy - weight - (a constant)(velocity)^2

Or, F=B-W-kV^2

Since terminal velocity occurs when the net force is zero, the equation becomes:

0=B-W-kV^2, Or, kV^2=B-W,

Which, when solved for terminal velocity becomes: V=[(B-W)/k]^0.5

Substituting the component equations, V=[(p1Vg-p2Vg)/(pV*constant)]^0.5

Which simplifies to,

V=[(g(p1-p2))/(p2c)]^0.5

This equation makes the assumption that all bubbles have a volume dependent only on diameter, a mass dependent on diameter, and complete dynamic similarity. All things considered, these are not great assumptions to make as bubbles, on average, have the same basic shape and proportions. Consequently, the above equation reveals that all bubbles have the same exact terminal velocity as all the variables left are constant under the conditions experienced by most aquarists.

Thus, for the most part, the max flow rate of a bubble-dependent system is fixed. Therefore, the only way to increase the power of a bubble filter is to increase the number of bubble columns.

The net result of this discussion is that bubbles become impractical for powering larger filter systems. (Duh, right?)

MOA

Thinking about using Prime

FishCreek — Sun, 04 Jan 2009 13:01:31 GMT

I bought a small bottle of Prime to try. Haven't used it yet. Does it remove undesirables INSTANTLY? I use a python for water changes. It says on the bottle " May be added to the aquarium directly, but better if added to the new water first."

Primer and aquarium salt

debbie02civiclx — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 09:50:03 GMT

Can I put Primer and aquarium salt in at the same time?

Rena Smartheater - All opinions please

FishCreek — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 12:02:02 GMT

Need any opinions please. I have been looking at the Rena Smartheater for a 125. Is anyone using these? Do you think they would really be a reliable heating source to use on the intake tube on canister filters? They only go up to 250 watts. Would 2 of them be sufficient for a 125?

What do you use to clean glass with?

jsmith11618 — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 15:15:16 GMT

Just checking what everyone uses to clean their glass with.

I used to do it during water changes using an algae pad from the store, but recently bought a mag float to see how they work.

Best investment ever. I can now clean my glass daily and never worry about a build up of algae, not to mention it makes water change day easier.

Distilled Water Calculation

math-only aquarium — Sat, 03 Jan 2009 11:41:12 GMT

Hello,

Though it is problematic, some aquarists reduce concentrations by adding distilled water to their aquariums. For instance, if an aquarist has a high high water hardness, then he/she might add some distilled water to the tank to soften it. One problem that arises, however, is exactly how much distilled water should be added to reach the desired concentration. This is where the distilled water calculation comes into play.

The distilled water calculation is as follows:

A=G[1-(c2/c1)] Where A is the amount (in gallons) of distilled water that the aquarium should contain, G is the gallon capacity of the aquarium, c1 is the concentration the aquarium experiences at present, and c2 is the concentration desired.

As an example, if you have a water hardness of 300ppm in a 20-gallon tank and you would like a hardness of 120ppm, then the calculation would be as follows:

A=20[1-(120/300)]=20[1-(2/5)]=20(3/5)=12 gallons

Therefore, your aquarium would have to have 12 gallons of distilled water (and, implicitly, 8 gallons of regular water) at any given time to make the net result of 120ppm hardness possible.

MOA

Need help with Canister Filter (BIO_BALLS)

jasminehill — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 08:11:29 GMT

I need help guys I know nothing about canister filters at all and one came with my 125........while looking at it to start to set it up I see that it doesnt have any media inside of it except for 1 large sponge. on the bottom rack thingy. So I start to look online for the things it says that I need and its getting pretty pricey so Im wondering if I really need all these things for this filter or if I can use "generic" media or whats the process if anyone has one of these filters and can help me out. The ceramic rings alone are crazy expensive ........so its saying I need microfiltration pads, bio-chem zorb, bio-chem stars or ceramic rings 30 ppi foam, 30 ppi foam, 20ppi foam 20 ppi foam. The only thing it still has as far as media is the last 4 pieces of foam for the bottom but not sure should I just replace as they were used and all?
Any help Im grateful for thanks in advance!!!! I dont even know how to put the durn thing together thank God it still has the instructions but with my ADD I cant read it I will just have to look at the pictures and maybe my daughter will come help me she has more patience than I do.

Thx Jas:)

PS How many Bio-Balls do I need for this size filter? I have no idea how many to get.

Decorative Lime Stone

SKeith — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 06:50:14 GMT

Where I live my water stats are:

NO3 - 0

NO2- 3

Hardness- 300

Chlorine:0

ALk: 300

PH:8.4

My Fish tank Stats are:

No3 - 20 - I am doing a water change right now (it is a very light pink almost could count it as a zero, but I rather be on the safe side)

NO2- 0

Hardness- 300

Chlorine:0

ALk: 300

PH:8.4

I am wanting to soften the water and hopefully that should bring down the PH and Alk as well. I have put in the PH neutralizers from Jungle, but it doesn't seem to help (they state that it can help with the ph and alk). I read on a web site that if I put some limestone in my tank, over time it can help out the hardness, alk and ph. My ammonium meter states that my fish tanks are good, so I know that isn't what is causing my high levels. I have also read that it is harder to bring down the PH, hardness and alk if the tap water is naturally high (since you would be doing water changes with this water) .

Is there any other suggestions on how I can keep a normal level?

I am going to try to use some distilled water (1/2 distilled & 1/2 tap for my next 1/3 water change) and see if that helps for now.

New 125g tank canopy/light system.

Conner — Sun, 21 Dec 2008 14:14:46 GMT

So, I'm just waiting for the stain to dry on my new canopy. Then I have to add a polyurethane sealer, and then its ready to go on top of the tank! I've already got all the wiring done, which actually wasn't nearly as hard as I thought it would be.

I've got it set up with 8 sockets, and I'm planning on using 75 watt bulbs, for a total of 600 watts over my tank. That'll be about 4.8 wpg. If it turns out to be too much, I can replace however many I need with lower wattage bulbs to really customize the amount of light. And I can put higher wattage bulbs over some parts of the tank, and lower wattage bulbs over other parts if I want. Hopefully I'll be getting all of my co2 equipment here soon, and I can really get it going nicely.

Here's some pics:

I used a roll of aluminum sheathing as a "reflector" on the underside of the hood. It's not the most reflective product I could use, but I already had it and didn't want to buy something else.

I'll get more pics up after its finished and on the tank!

EHEIM Sludge Extractor & Gravel Cleaner

SKeith — Tue, 16 Dec 2008 12:30:55 GMT

I love the EHEIM Sludge Extractor & Gravel Cleaner. It is easy to use and I can clean in a jiff, and no buckets in site. I've been having a problem with cloudiness and one of the ideas was to vacuum the bottom of my tank and I hated that idea ( it's a two hour ordeal). I went to the petco and saw this and used it and absolutely love it. It took half the time and very little mess. It is great for the routine cleaning.

_____________________________________________________________

In principle this handy tool functions like a conventional vacuum cleaner: The powerful pump sucks the dirty water from the bottom via the suction jet into the integrated filter element. Here the dirt particles are reliably caught and removed from the water.

Battery operation
Working duration of up to 4 hours
Easy handling
Integrated, easy-to-clean filter element
Powerful suction pump
Suction jet with extension element
Suitable for marine and freshwater
Supplied complete with batteries

Rock VS Sand bottoms

SKeith — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 14:08:54 GMT

I have a rocky bottom right now but I would like to be able to have a sandy with some rocks bottom for my aquarium. Is this ok with fresh water fish?

1 - Dragon fish Violet Goby or Gobioides broussonetti
1 - Pleco - Pterygoplichthy- s (Liposarcus) multuradiatus
1 - Chinese Algae eater
1 - Male (Red) Betta
3 - Neon Tetra

Will I have to get a special filter for sand? or is this a bad idea?

30 gallon heater

debbie02civiclx — Tue, 23 Dec 2008 09:34:14 GMT

Hey everyone,

I think my heater kicked out last night. I came home to my water being 66.9 degrees. I then turned it all the way up hoping it would help. I got up this morning and my tank is 65.0. This is a huge drop to where I have it between 78-80 degrees. I hope my fish are not in shock (my black tetras are white). I can't do anything until tomorrow when I get payed. Any advice on what I should do? Should I maybye add hot water in through the day? And being as I have to now buy a new heater, what kind should I get? I am looking for something without something you turn, maybe something where you actually program the degree you want. Thank you!

Keeping my hands out of the water

Mindnova — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 05:20:29 GMT

I have a bit of a problem, with my heart attack and back problems I take medications that make it a little bit unsafe to put my hands and arms into my aquariums very often.

I have used garbage bags (careful of sented or antibacterial kind) and other items.

What do you use and could you suggest where to get it. I found this http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?c=3578+3728+11240&pcatid=11240

on foster and smith, has anyone used this and does it work. I need to prune and micro-manage certain items and am considering ordering it.

Thanks in advance for all the help everyone,

Douglas

upgrade your biological filtration

JCHAMPAGNE — Mon, 22 Dec 2008 14:00:37 GMT

I am trying to upgrade my biological filtration capacity on my Hob emperor 400s. I went out and found some bio balls that fit in the secondary plastic take apart filter housings. These are normally used for adding loose activated carbon. The balls fit perfectly (four miniballs per row). i am assuming this will help.

http://www.marinedepot.com/ps_viewitem~idproduct~AS3551~child~AS3551~utm_source~mdcsegooglebase~utm_medium~cse~utm_term~AS3551~utm_content~MarinelandBioBallsfor160360MagnumCSeriesCanisterFilter~utm_campaign~mdcse~site~google_base~tab~0.html

I couldn't find sintered glass anywhere? Are they better?

Any other ideas on improving what you have.

Vortex Freedom Diatom Filter

SKeith — Thu, 18 Dec 2008 10:52:25 GMT

The Vortex states on a seller's website that it can be used instead of a regular filter. Has anyone tried this? I don't think that I will replace my regular filter with this. I was getting it b/c I have green water to get rid of. I was planning to use it once a month or would that be too much or too little. It states that it can clean out a 10 gallon tank within 12 minutes (so a 29 gallon ~ 35 mins). By doing a cleaning of the water, will this also take out the beneficial bacteria as well? Should I add live bacteria solution after the cleaning is done? Is there any operation tips?

10 gallon heater

austin123 — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 19:22:55 GMT

My heater for a 10 gallon is making a high-pitched noise that starts and stops every couple of minutes. What does that mean?

Suggestion or solutions for noisy air compressors

Mindnova — Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:27:55 GMT

I'm trying to figure out how to quiet air pumps. The one I have pumps great but is loud and actually tried to ruin my tabletop. Any Ideas about hiding it and quieting in in plain view.

diy co2

justin30 — Thu, 30 Oct 2008 16:53:52 GMT

When you make a diy co2 canister I understand puting the tube in the top of the 2 liter bottle makeing sure its air tight etc etc. When you put the other end of the tube in the tank people talk about defusers, what is a defuser and do I need to put anything on the end of the hose that is going into the tank

Rena XP2 Filter?

felixpaws — Thu, 11 Dec 2008 01:59:42 GMT

I've been running a Rena XP2 filter for a couple of months now, and was wondering if I should be rinsing the sponges, as well as cleaning the filter floss? I clean the filter floss every week. The sponges are kind of saturated with this slime, which I assume is the beneficial bacteria. Am I correct? Are the filter sponges supposed to be left alone as the bio-filter? The media includes 2 coarse sponges, and two fine? sponges, and several layers of filter floss. Should I replace the sponges with ceramic rings? Any advice on media to include, like carbon, ehfisubstrat or any of those? Any advice would be appreciated. Thanks!

Fish apartment hut

SKeith — Wed, 10 Dec 2008 11:25:06 GMT

I want to make a fish apartment hut. (Kinda like a stackable bird house for the fish) I see online the huts that are located on the gravel, but I can't seem to find one that is stacked ontop of each other. (see drawing, sorry it's a bad drawing). Is there anyway I can build a 2 or 3 story "hut"? I want to make it for my betta and the tetras. I was thinking about also getting a puffer (for a separate tank) and I would need a couple of those for that tank. This isn't for breeding purposes. Any Ideas?

Pictures of homemade rock cave

jasminehill — Sat, 04 Oct 2008 12:42:22 GMT

This are pictures of the homemade rockcave that my son in law made. See earlier homemade rock cave post for info on how this was made. I must say that it looks impressive although Im still not sure about the safety of it. Seems he just made a thin layer by digging out different depths in the ground as he used this for his mold. Then he added small rocks and colored seashells and of course the piping to make the cave/holes. He is planning on adding cichlids to this tank after it is done cycling. I really hope its safe and doesnt hurt the fish as he didnt seal it with anything either.....anyway what do you guys think? Sorry about the pics it took me forever to get them to a decent size there has to be an easier way to post them here?

Home made (fish safe) aquarium cleaner

JCHAMPAGNE — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 16:23:12 GMT

My glass tops, overtime, build up what looks like calcium deposit rings. The build up obscures my lighting, reducing its growing power. In the past, I would srub like crazy with little effect.

I removed the tops and and libely tried vineger. I just poured it directly on the tops and let it sit for about a minute or two. Man it worked like a charm. I didn't have to use any elbow grease at all.

Are there any other "tricks" you have discovered?

Natural Gravel is causing Grey water

DjkartaIsMyHyde — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 03:07:39 GMT

I just bought a 55G tank and I went to set it up the other night. I brought 20 kg coarse-ish natural gravel/sand because I want to add about 5 Kuhli loaches and 5 Corydoras catfish. I added the gravel and filled it up but the gravel has made the water murky and grey. I added 5 White Cloud minnows and 2 Goldfish and turned the heaters and the filter on and left it going over night and hoped it would settle over night. It didn't. I did a 50% water change in the morning and left it. Came back this arvo and it hadn't improved at all. I've taken out the fish and removed the majority of the water.I know it's the gravel causing the problem because when I stir it up it worsens the murkiness. Please help!!

undergravel filter

SKeith — Wed, 03 Dec 2008 12:54:58 GMT

Do the undergravel filters work? I tend to look at my rocks and there is always stuff stuck in between them. Would this help filter out the extra food and plant bits that get stuck between the rocks? I have two 20 gallon filters for a 20 gal tank and it doesn't seem to keep up with the dirt, plant life and other bits. Is there something that someone could recommend?

air stone?

staffordmom — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 16:28:26 GMT

I have had my 29 gallon up and running for 8 months. I have a HOB filter. My fish are all doing fine. My question is; do I need an air stone? In all the photos I see people have airstones.

staffordmom

Sponge Filters

jasminehill — Sat, 22 Nov 2008 05:48:34 GMT

I just got a few sponge filters mainly for when my Angels spawn again. But while I was at the mom and pops store I noticed that they used them in every tank......I know nothing about these except that they are NOISY :w00t:............Im just wondering if anyone else uses these and how exactly they work? I realize that the bacteria attaches to the sponge but not sure how it is attracted to it to begin with? The ones I got appear to be basic sponges with a little weighted thing in the middle to hook up to an air pump, the thing I dont get is does it actually clean your tank like a HOB one does or is it just a fancy airstone that gathers bacteria?

Also do you use these in conjunction with another filter such as a HOB or cannister or even a UGF?

Sponged and confused here

light bulb

austin123 — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:23:58 GMT

There is an ad for lights on the back cover of the newest dr. foster and smith magazine and the most expensive was a bulb and stand were almost $1200. The bulb is 1080 watts and 72". That's about as bright as a street light right? Hot enough to practically kill the fish? I'm just wondering what kind of tank that's for.

Heaters

Pokey71 — Sat, 15 Nov 2008 12:45:21 GMT

What is the average lifespan of a heater? I have a couple that have been working fine for a number of years but lately I've been buying Visitherm Stealth heaters and I'd say they're lasting me about 2 years before I start having trouble with them. Has anyone else encountered this problem?

~Carlos

need a very bright light for 55gal tank

tim heiny — Sun, 19 Oct 2008 13:26:49 GMT

I'm looking for a brand of lights that are insanly bright in order to bring out the colors of my guppies in my 55 gallon tank, i'm also contempating

growing plants so the brighter the better.

thanks

air pump

austin123 — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 14:10:07 GMT

My air pump for a 10 gallon in my room is very loud and makes it hard to sleep. It sits on a table and rattles it. How can I make it quieter?

CO2 Happy

Nikita — Wed, 12 Nov 2008 19:40:27 GMT

Just reporting that my DIY CO2 system has never looked better! Running the airline tubing into the filter intake tube was a wonderful idea and I haven't had absorption this good since using an airstone (not feasible after only a few days because of pressure issues).

I put netting over the intake filter today. I assumed that the width of the airline within the intake tube would prevent anything getting sucked inside, but it clearly wasn't. I lost two neons today because of it. :(

But with that moment of ill planning aside, I'm loving the results! There is significant O2 production among the plants in the tank - bubbles rising constantly! I purchased some myriophyllum at the LFS today, and I'm still not sure of the species; it's most likely M. heterophyllum but I'll have to wait a while for better color and growth. But get this - it's already started pearling in the tank (less than three hours time)! I'm just about as happy as a clam and I hope these good results continue.

Just a heads-up for anyone wanting to try this diffusion method.

Adding BIO wheel to Canister filter

fisher_really — Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:12:49 GMT

I wanted to add a bio wheel to my cichlid tank for extra filtration. I was hoping to somehow add it "inline" with my canister filter return line. Is this possible or should I just run them as separate units?

I was also considering a wet/dry filter but the plumbing is confusing to me. Drilling and such. What a mess and the tank is already filled.

air injection nozzle

georgiapeach — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 18:26:01 GMT

I have a 40 gallon tank that has a wet/dry filter built into the back of it. I was wondering if anyone know what the air injection nozzle was used for and how I would use it. I have never used it before and tank as always run fine. I just learned what the tube was. Thanks.

DIY CO2 system

hiddenrunes — Tue, 28 Oct 2008 06:38:38 GMT

I built a DIY CO2 system for my 28 gallon planted tank but it doesn't seem to be working. I used a 2 liter soda bottle and then I drilled a hole in the cap, ran an air hose through it and sealed it with aquarium sealant. I cut the tube and connected it with a plastic air valve and then ran the tube into the tank and it is going through an upside down cut water bottle that is suction cupped to the glass acting as a diffuser. 24 hours ago I made a mixture of 1 tsp. of yeast, 2 cups of sugar and warm water filling the bottle until it curves. I have no bubbles though. I keep my appartment kind of chilly and was thinking maybe it was too cold in my apartment for the yeast? or maybe I just need to wait longer? If anybody has any experience with these systems and can offer some advice that would be great.

Need some opinions!

Johnny5 — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 13:31:15 GMT

Hey all,
I am having indecision problems with some equipment for my 55 gallon freshwater tank. Its stocked with mollies and platies and guppies and such.

My issue is this. I have both a HOB filter and an undergravel filter. One of my air pumps being used to run the undergravel filter died, leaving half my uplift tubes without airflow.

I am considering two options. Simply replace the airpump and keep my setup as is, or remove the uplift tubes, and replace the HOB filter with a better one (or maybe a canister).

The first option is the simplest since I am just replacing a defunct piece of equipment. The second option would remove the uplift tubes to give my aquarium a more natural look, but then I lose some of my aeration.

I dont really want to initiate a "is an undergravel filter useful" conversation, I just want thoughts on which route I should take. Either way will cost me about the same amount (unless I do a canister).

Thanks for any ideas!

Custom Stand

gulfsidebo — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 06:37:25 GMT

I am redoing a stand I recently bought with a used setup and I'm somewhat handy, but not ultra-handy (I'd like to be one day).

Anyways, while looking for ideas on moldings for mine, I stumbled on these great plans to build one from scratch. You can save a ton of money and really feel great about your accomplishment after building things. I just built a pergola in my backyard in one weekend.

If you are interested, here are some great plans with pictures, parts list and everything.

http://www.arbreptiles.com/cages/75g_stand/index.shtml

Cleaning the glass

gulfsidebo — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 20:25:04 GMT

I have a 90 gallon saltwater pre-drilled tank that I am going to use for a freshwater planted tank. I've read somewhere that Oxiclean is very useful for taking off the excess salt stains on the glass. I've tried vinegar and water and it didn't help much. Anyone have any opinions or experience with Oxiclean?

Sponge filter

pufferrocks — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 17:59:30 GMT

I am trying to make a sponge filter for baby betta fry and I can't figure out why they work.

I have been searching the internet on a good way to make them with materials I already have and I even put together one but I don't know if it is working or not. How could I test it?