144627568 tropical fish secrets

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Your Ultimate Guide to Tropical Fish

BySean LeMay

©2003



Tropical Fish Secrets 2

INTRODUCTION

Welcome to Trop ic a l Fish Se c ret s ! This is truly your ul t imate guide tosuccessfully raising tropical fish – whether it’s in a saltwater tank or fresh

water aquarium – we’ve got the answers to all your questions in one easy-to-use place.

From how to raise the more common species like guppies or tetras, to themore exotic saltwater species like Angelfish or Lionfish, to how to set upyour aquarium to controlling algae, from choosing compatible fish towhat sort of filtration system you should use – it’s all here! Pictures, advice,tips and some really, really interesting facts!

So, c ’mon – let’s get started… we’ve got a lot of territory to cover!




Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION........................................................................................................................................... 2

AQUARIUMS THROUGHOUT HISTORY .................................................................................................... 6

A BASIC SHOPPING LIST............................................................................................................................ 8

STARTHERE.............................................................................................................................................. 8

CHOOSING YOUR AQUARIUM................................................................................................................ 9

LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION .................................................................................................. 9

CHOOSING YOUR TANK .................................................................................................................... 10

WHATSIZE TANK IS RIGHTFOR YOU? ............................................................................................... 10

TANK STANDS........................................................................................................................................ 12

TANK HOODS........................................................................................................................................ 13

HEATING ................................................................................................................................................ 14

LIGHTING ............................................................................................................................................... 15

FILTRATION ............................................................................................................................................ 15

Chem i ca l ......................................................................................................................................... 15 Mechan i c a l ..................................................................................................................................... 15

Biological .......................................................................................................................................... 16

TYPES OF FILTRATION DEVICES.......................................................................................................... 16

Sp ong e Filters .................................................................................................................................. 17

Box Filte rs .......................................................................................................................................... 17

Pow e r Filte rs ..................................................................................................................................... 18

Unde r-g rav e l Filters ........................................................................................................................ 18

AERATION............................................................................................................................................. 18

SUBSTRATE............................................................................................................................................. 19

Com mo n Aqua rium G rave l ........................................................................................................ 20

Sa nd .................................................................................................................................................. 20

Aragon i te ......................................................................................................................................... 20

Crushed Co ra ls ............................................................................................................................... 20

Vermicu la te ..................................................................................................................................... 21

Laterite .............................................................................................................................................. 21

How d ee p shou ld yo u la yer the sub stra te? ........................................................................... 21

Wha t no t to use a s sub stra te ...................................................................................................... 22

DECORATIONS..................................................................................................................................... 22

Star t wi th a b ac kground .............................................................................................................. 22

Add a c en te rp ie ce ....................................................................................................................... 23

Add p lan t s ....................................................................................................................................... 23

LIVE PLANTS........................................................................................................................................... 24

Plan t e sse ntia ls ................................................................................................................................ 24

Lig ht ing ............................................................................................................................................. 24

Sub strat e .......................................................................................................................................... 25 CO2 ................................................................................................................................................... 25

Selec ting You r Pla nts ..................................................................................................................... 25

Ba sic Pla nt C a re ............................................................................................................................. 27

A WORD ABOUTSAFETY ..................................................................................................................... 28

SETTING UP YOUR TANK ...................................................................................................................... 29

A l it t le p rep w ork ............................................................................................................................ 29

For a freshwater tank ................................................................................................................................ 29

ASSEMBLING THE TANK COMPONENTS.......................................................................................... 30




Afte r the ta nk sta b ilizes ................................................................................................................ 30

Introd uc ing the fish ........................................................................................................................ 31

SPECIFIC T YPES OF TANKS.......................................................................................................................... 31

FISHBOWLS OR DESKTOP AQUARIUMS........................................................................................... 31

FRESHWATER TANKS............................................................................................................................ 36

Wa ter Qua lity .................................................................................................................................. 36

Ammonia ..................................................................................................................................................... 36 Nitrites............................................................................................................................................................ 36

Nitrates.......................................................................................................................................................... 37

Wa ter C hem istry ............................................................................................................................. 37

Hardness (GH and KH).............................................................................................................................. 38

pH................................................................................................................................................................... 38

Chlorine and Chloramine ........................................................................................................................ 39

Phosphorous and Nitrates........................................................................................................................ 39

SALTWATER TANKS............................................................................................................................... 40

Ree f Ta nks ........................................................................................................................................ 40

Let ’ s ta lk fo r a m om ent a bo ut inverteb ra te s ......................................................................... 42

The Ba sic Req uirem ents o f Ree f Ta nks ..................................................................................... 44

The Ba sic Req uirem ents of Fish-O nly Ta nks ............................................................................. 45

Lig hts a nd Filters ............................................................................................................................. 46 Wa ter Circ ula t ion ........................................................................................................................... 46

O the r Sup p lies ................................................................................................................................. 46

Set ting Up a nd Te sting Your Eq uipm en t .................................................................................. 47

Putting It All Together................................................................................................................................ 47

Cycling .......................................................................................................................................................... 48

Live Rock (not J azz)................................................................................................................................... 48

After Cycling ............................................................................................................................................... 49

TANK CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE........................................................................................... 51

Ta nk clea ning ................................................................................................................................. 51

Da ily ta sks ......................................................................................................................................... 51

Weekly ta sks .................................................................................................................................... 51

Mo nthly ta sks ................................................................................................................................... 52

Qua rte rly ta sks ................................................................................................................................ 52

HERE FISHY, FISHY, FISHY ........................................................................................................................ 53

TEMPERAMENT..................................................................................................................................... 53

SELECTING HEALTHY FISH ................................................................................................................... 53

WHATTO LOOK FOR IN A FISH .......................................................................................................... 54

FEEDING YOUR FISH............................................................................................................................. 55

Do You Know Wha t Typ e o f Fee d er You Ha ve? ................................................................... 55

Carnivores ........................................................................................................................................ 55

Herbivores ........................................................................................................................................ 56

Omnivores ........................................................................................................................................ 57

Suspe nsio n o r Filte r Fe e d e rs ........................................................................................................ 57

CHOW TIME........................................................................................................................................... 60

How M uc h Sho uld I Fee d ? .......................................................................................................... 60

Ba sic Fo o d Tips ................................................................................................................................ 61

Nutrit iona l C om p osit ion ............................................................................................................... 61

Flake, Tablet and Pelleted Foods ....................................................................................................... 61

Frozen Fo od s ................................................................................................................................... 62

Freeze-d ried Fo od s ........................................................................................................................ 62

Live Fo od s ........................................................................................................................................ 62

Crustaceans................................................................................................................................................ 63

Worms ........................................................................................................................................................... 63




Insect Larvae ............................................................................................................................................... 63

Insec ts ........................................................................................................................................................... 64

Vertebrates.................................................................................................................................................. 64

Micro Foo ds ..................................................................................................................................... 64

Vi tamins ............................................................................................................................................ 65

POPULAR FRESHWATER SPECIES............................................................................................................ 66

Angelfish ........................................................................................................................................... 67

Disc us ................................................................................................................................................ 67

Tige r Barb s ........................................................................................................................................ 67

Ne on Tet ra ....................................................................................................................................... 68

Red Ta iled Sha rk ............................................................................................................................. 68

Silve r Do lla rs ..................................................................................................................................... 68

Severum ............................................................................................................................................ 69

Lem on Cic hlid ................................................................................................................................. 69

Po rtho le C a tfish .............................................................................................................................. 69

Moll ies ................................................................................................................................................ 70

Osc a r ................................................................................................................................................. 70

Siam e se Fight ing Fish (Be tta ) ...................................................................................................... 70

Gouram i ........................................................................................................................................... 71 Gup p y ............................................................................................................................................... 71

Platy ................................................................................................................................................... 71

POPULAR SALTWATER SPECIES............................................................................................................... 72

Clownfish .......................................................................................................................................... 72

Cowfish ............................................................................................................................................. 72

Damsels ............................................................................................................................................ 72

Flam e An g elf ish .............................................................................................................................. 73

Flam e Haw kfish ............................................................................................................................... 73

Go ld en Sea ho rse ........................................................................................................................... 73

Kora n A ng elf ish ............................................................................................................................... 74

Lio n fish ............................................................................................................................................... 74

Nig e r Trig g e rfish .............................................................................................................................. 74

Polka -Dot Group er ........................................................................................................................ 75

Ye llow Ta ng ..................................................................................................................................... 75

WHO GETS ALONG WITH WHOM?................................................................................................... 76

COMMON FISHY ILLNESSES & AILMENTS............................................................................................. 78

FIRST AID KIT........................................................................................................................................... 78

SYMPTOMS THATARE NOTNORMAL:.............................................................................................. 79

BAD WATER QUALITY .......................................................................................................................... 79

FRESHWATER ICH ................................................................................................................................. 81

FIN ROT................................................................................................................................................... 81

INJURIES................................................................................................................................................ 82

DROPSY.................................................................................................................................................. 83 HEAD AND LATERAL LINE EROSION (HLLE OR HOLE-IN-HEAD DISEASE) .................................. 83

SWIM BLADDER DISORDERS.............................................................................................................. 83

LARGE EXTERNAL PARASITES (AS OPPOSED TO ICH)................................................................... 84

VELVET.................................................................................................................................................... 84

CONCLUSION............................................................................................................................................ 85




AQUARIUMS THROUGHOUT HISTORY

The sea has always been an endless source of

fascination for mankind, not just for those whoearned their living from it, but for those who arespellbound by the infinite variety of the creaturesthat live there. It’s a mysterious and mesmerizingplace, and humans have long tried to recapturethat magic in a smaller, more viewable form.

You might be surprised to learn just how far back in history people startedkeeping aquariums. Early civilizations such as the Egyptians, Greeks andRomans were a ll known to have kept fish for purposes other than to eat.

Did you know Aristotle (384-322 B.C.) first started documenting the scienceof fish (called Ichthyology) by writing about fish habits and defining localfish spec ies? Yep, it’s true.

The Sung Dynasty in China was the first recorded (960 A.D.) keepers ofgoldfish, but they kept them in ponds, so it wasn’t qui te the same thing.Close, though. Ponds stocked with Goldfish gained in popularity amongthe privileged class from about 968 to 975 A.D., and eating of the fish wasstrictly prohibited.

In 1136 the Emperor Hiau-Tsung started to breed these fish, and kept themin a more controlled environment, which helped evolve new breeds andmade them even more popular throughout the country. By 1510, Goldfishweren’t just for the rich and famous anymore – but common among thepopulation. Many houses had ponds with a wide variety of goldfish, andsuccessful breeding techniques were a closely guarded secret.

The very first book about keeping fish was written in China in 1596: “Essa y a b out the G oldf ish.”

By 1616 Goldfish had arrived in J apan, where the J apanese quicklymastered the art of breeding. J apan remains today the largest exporterof Goldfish in the world. By 1691, Goldfish had made its appearance inEurope, beginning in Portugal, and moving to England by the 1700’s.




After that, not much changed until 1850, which was a big year for fishbreeding and aquariums in general. First, Goldfish made it to the U.S. in1850, where they quickly became a star attraction. Then, an Englishmannamed Robert Warrington built the first aquarium ever constructed.

Warrington’s theory was that by building a glass structure filled with sandon the bottom, snails and plants, fish could live forever in a completelyself-contained world. The plants would provide oxygen to the fish, thesnails would eat decaying plants and lay eggs and the fish would feed offthe snail eggs. It was a perfectly contained ecosystem.

As far-fetched as his theory sounds by today’s standards, that’s really howaquariums were successfully set up and used for the next hundred years. That’s right – up until the 1950’s there was very little change to aquariums. They were glass-sided, held together by steel construction and had no

filtration systems or heaters as we know them today. As they say… we ’ v eco me a long w ay , ba by !

With today’s modern technology, we now can measure individualcomponents of water conditions – from pH levels to temperature tosalinity, and everything in between. It’s more complicated, but our fishare happier and generally live longer. And isn’t that what it’s all about?




A BASIC SHOPPING LIST

Aquariums are a lo t of work. You need to make sure the water is cleanand aerated, the algae is controlled, the fish have adequate food

supplies and the plants, if you use live plants, receive enough nutrientsand light. The rewards can be endless; just make sure you’re prepared todo the work necessary to cultivate your aquarium and see it thrive!

START HERE

Here is a list of the basic supplies you’ll need, regardless of whether youhave a saltwater or freshwater tank:

♦ An aquarium♦ An aquarium stand

♦ Air pumps and filter of your choice ♦ Lights♦ A hood or canopy♦ A background♦ Decorations♦ Substrate♦ Plants (live or plastic)♦ Heater♦ Chemicals

♦ Fish Food♦ Fish - Don’t forget the fish!♦ Thermometer♦ A net♦ Cleaning supplies (such as a scrubby on a stick, a small round brush

and a bucket reserved solely for aquarium use)♦ A vacuum hose/siphon tube♦ A water test kit

Those are the b a sic supplies you’ll need. In each section that follows I’ll go

into more of the specifics you’ll need for the type of tank you have:freshwater and saltwater, and the choices that are available.




CHOOSING YOUR AQUARIUM

The very first decision you need to make is whether to have a freshwatertank, or a saltwater tank.

A word of warning: if this is your first aquarium, my advice would be tostart with a freshwater tank.

While it’s true saltwater tanks are more exotic and beautiful, it’s equallytrue that they’re more expensive and mu c h more complex. In a saltwatertank you’ll need to worry about salinity and water conditioning and eventhe temperature is a critical factor; clearly it’s a much more complicatedsetup.

A freshwater tank, on the other hand, is easier, cheaper and the chances

you’ll be killing a lot of fish drops dramatically with a freshwater tank! Youdon’t want to be a fish murderer do you?

LOCATION , LOCATION, LOCATION

As with a ny housing issue, the choice of real estate must be consideredcarefully. (Well, it is a housing issue – it’s just housing for your fish!)

Before choosing the size of your aquarium, choose the location. Ideally,

you want it where you can see it, and enjoy the sight of your fishswimming around their new home. (If you’re going to put it in the closet,what’s the point?) A couple of pointers:

♦ Don’t put the tank in direc t sunlight – even though it makes thewater and the decorations and the fish look pretty, it alsoencourages temperature fluctuation and promotes algae growth.

♦ Don’t locate your tank near a heating or cooling source – for thesame reasons. If you put the tank directly over your heating vent,

thinking it will help keep the water warmer, think again. It m a y indeed keep the water warmer, but it won’t be consistent, and yourfish will be experiencing hot flashes before their time!

♦ Don’t place your tank against a north-facing wall – this is frequentlythe coolest side of the house, and you’ll either need to stock youraquarium with cooler-water tolerant fish, or run up a higher electricbill using the heater more often.




♦ Find a nice, level floor area for your tank – tanks that sit on unevenfloors have a tendency to develop stress cracks over time.

♦ Make sure you have an electrical outlet within reach – for the

simple reason that you’re going to need plugs for lights, pumps andheaters.

♦ Make sure your tank is completely accessible – you’ll need to easilyreach your heater controls and air valves. Be certain there isenough room above the aquarium to freely maneuver a net, orreach into the tank to replant plants or move the decorationsaround.

♦ Make your tank an integral part of the room – I’m not saying you

have to design your room around the tank, just make it look like youdid some preplanning, and the tank isn’t just an afterthought.

CHOOSING YOUR TANK

There are a bazillion (ok, that might be a slight exaggeration, but it’s prettyclose!) variations of tanks available on the market today, from traditionalfish bowls to rectangular to just about every geometric shape you mightimagine. The most common construction is an all-glass type, with clearsilicon that is used to seal the joints so they don’t leak, but acrylic tanks arebecoming ever more popular.

WHA T SIZE TANK IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

Water is heav y . It weighs 8.3 pounds per US gallon, or 2.2 pounds per liter,so keep that in mind when choosing the size of your tank.

Let’s say you have a big living room, and you want to start out with a nice75-gallon aquarium. Just the ta nk and w a ter a lon e w ill w eigh a b out 650

pounds! You’ll need to have plenty of support for that tank if you want toavoid a sudden tidal wave in the living room.

Trying to calculate the capacity of a tank? Use these guidelines:

For US gallons: take Height of tank X Width of Tank X Length of tankand divide that total by 231




For liters: take Height of tank X Width of Tank X Length of tank anddivide that total by 1,000.

Happy fish need plenty of room, but you’ll also need to consider the priceof the tank, the fish and all your equipment. It does you little good to buythe biggest tank you can afford, if you can’t afford to equip and stock itproperly.

You might be surprised to learn that it’s ac tually easier to take care of alarger tank than a smaller one. All tanks, whether freshwater or saltwater,will accumulate toxins and waste material. These substances aredispersed more in a larger volume of water, so the water stays cleaner fora longer period of time in a bigger tank.

That means it’s a lot less work for you!

My own personal recommendation would be to start with a tank not lessthan 10 gallons – it’s easier to care for than a smaller tank, and gives youa wider selection of fish and plants to choose from.




TANK STANDS

The two most common tank stands are made of wood and wrought iron,although there are also tank stands made of acrylic that are becomingmore popular. As we’ve already discussed, a fully-filled tank is heavy –even a 10 gallon tank, filled with water, decorations and fish will weighsomewhere in the neighborhood of 75 to 80 pounds.

The first criterion is that your stand is strong enough to support your tankand that it will provide a level and stable surface for the tank. A standthat is not level, or that doesn’t provide strong support, can put a twistingstress pressure on the glass, causing fractures and breaks. Not to mentionleaks!

The second factor that you should consider is the aesthetics of the stand –

do you want a wooden stand that can be color-coordinated to matchthe other furniture in your room? Or maybe a wrought iron stands, whichare stronger, but d o have a tendency to rust over time. And acrylic mayor may not be strong enough to hold the weight of the tank when filledwith water, depending on the size tank you choose.

Practicality is the final piece of the puzzle – some stands are made with astorage area underneath the tank platform. This is a convenient place tostore supplies and equipment.

You can always use a table-top, a sideboard, even a bookcase if it’sbolted to the wall, but make sure that the surface where you put theaquarium is stable and level. Ultimately, it’s a personal dec ision based onpersonal preference; just make sure you choose your location careful ly ,because it’s very difficult to move a fully-filled and equipped tank onceit’s all set up.




TANK HOODS

You need to have a cover, or hood, on your aquarium. A hood reducesevaporation, which saves water and helps keep the tank environmentmore stable, gives you a solid surface to place the lights, and keeps yourfish in the tank and the kids’ toys and the cat o u t of the tank.

A cover also serves several other very necessary purposes. It will save youmoney by reducing heat loss. By keeping the air temperature above the

water the same as the tank water temperature, the water will stay warmerand will not overwork your heater.

Tank hoods come in two basic styles: the Glass Canopy style and the FullHood.

The Glass Canopy style is usually made of glass or ac rylic, and has a hingein the center as well as a plastic “filler” strip that can be trimmed to fit thefilter or other accessories.

The Full Hood is just that – a full hood that stretches ac ross the entire top ofthe aquarium. These are frequently made of plastic, sometimes acrylic,and usually match the trim on the tank.

Neither one is especially better than the other – I personally prefer theglass canopy style, only because it seems to last a little longer in my tanks(no warping as I’ve seen with the plastic ones.)

The cover should fit securely and cover the top of the tank. A lot ofretailers sell starter kits which include a canopy designed specifically forthe tank size. Kits are a good idea - usually you get a better price on a

“package” deal. But don’t assume they include everything —like aheater!




HEATING

Tropical freshwater fish require a water temperature of right around 75°F(24°C). Since your typical normal room temperature is lower than this, atropical aquarium must have a heater and a thermometer.

The heater must be powerful enough to heat the aquarium adequately,but not so powerful that, if it malfunctions, it could raise the temperaturetoo much, or too quickly, which can result in a temperature shock to thefish.

If you have a larger tank (usually over 36 inches long) you may want tohave two heaters, one at each end of the tank. This helps to distributeheat evenly throughout the aquarium, and also helps guard againsttemperature fluctuations if one of the heaters malfunctions.

You’ll also need a thermometer. Thermometers come in two basic

designs:

• a typical thermometer filled with mercury which floats on topof the water, or

• a plastic strip with liquid crystals that change colors to displaytemperature. The reverse side has an adhesive strip, so thethermometer can be stuck to the glass of the tank.

I personally prefer the second type (liquid crystal) because it’s easier toread and since it’s stuck on the outside of the tank it doesn’t become

slimed over with algae. Plus, you don’t have to worry about thethermometer breaking in the tank and poisoning all your fish with mercury!




LIGHTING

Lights come in two types, fluorescent and incandescent. Myrecommendation is to use fluorescent.

Fluorescent bulbs don’t radiate enough heat to substantially change thewater temperature, and typically last much longer than incandescentlights. Fluorescent bulbs for aquariums come in many different types andprice ranges, but your best bet here is a plain full-spectrum bulb, since itgives off light that is closer to natural light.

Incandescent bulbs consume more electricity, as well as give off anintense heat that affects the water temperature.

Both forms of lighting stimulate plant growth and enhance fish coloration

but fluorescent appears to perform somewhat better

FILTRATION

Filtration is broken down into three different categories: chemical,mechanical, and biological.

Chemical

Chemical filtration uses activated carbon, which removes harmful gasesfrom the water as it is passed through a carbon filter. Chemical filtrationisn’t absolutely necessary – many tanks operate fine without it, butchemical filtration is typically very easy to use with most filters.

Mechanical

Mechanical filtration doesn’t remove a ny toxic substances from thewater, but instead collects them in one place, where they can still pollutethe water, but can also be removed from the aquarium more easily, sortof like a broom sweeping waste into a dustpan, and then the dustpangets emptied into the garbage. Mechanical filtration also helps to keepthe water clear. Biological filtration and mechanical filtration usually takeplace together.




Biological

The third type of filtration, biological filtration, is the most comprehensive,because it uses the bacteria to change harmful fish waste products,ammon i a and nitrite , into a less dangerous compound, ni t rate.

Biological filtration requires a "breaking in" period while the bacteriaestablish themselves on the filter medium (that’s the stuff used in your filterto … well, filter . Such as the sponge in a sponge filter, or the floss in a boxfilter, for example.) This process takes a few weeks, and requires ammoniafor the bacteria to eat, which can be provided by adding a couple ofhealthy fish full of pee and vinegar (not really, but you get the idea!) untilthe nitrite and ammonia levels have stabilized. (You can test these levelswith your water testing kit, which we’ll talk about shortly.)

This process can be sped up by either adding some filter media from anexisting tank, or by adding a bottle of the bacteria which is commonlyavailable in your local pet store, but make sure it’s been handledcorrectly and that the bacteria are still alive.

The first method is a little better, but it means you have to know someonewho has an established aquarium with an under-gravel filter. They giveyou a cup of gravel, which you then spread across the floor of the tank ifyou’re using an under-gravel filter, or it can be placed inside a box orpower filter, or on top of a sponge filter.

TYPES OF FILTRATIO N DEVICES

The four most common types of filtration devices are♦ sponge filters ♦ box filters ♦ power filters ♦ under-gravel filters




Sponge Filters

Sponge filters are relatively inexpensive, but they’re also limited in whatthey can do. The idea behind a sponge filter is that air is pumped into anairlift tube. When the air moves back up the tube, water is pulled up

through the sponge with it. This creates a vacuum around the sponge,and water is pulled from the area around the sponge to replace thewater that is drawn through the sponge.

The sponge filter has several drawbacks: It’s really inefficient; it canbecome clogged with debris and algae, plus it looks pretty unattractive inyour tank.

Some sponge filters are available with a power head at the top of theairlift tube that replaces the air pump. A power head is simply a water

pump which draws water directly through the sponge, instead of drawingair followed by water. This increases the water flow, aeration, andmechanical filtration, but it also clogs the sponge faster.

To clean a sponge filter, you’ll need to siphon some of the water in theaquarium into a bucket, and use that water to rinse out the sponge. Thenplace the sponge filter back in the tank, and throw out the water youused to rinse it. (Using tank water to rinse the sponge will make sure youdon’t destroy all the bacteria that have been breeding on the sponge.)

Box Filters

Box filters mostly use carbon as the filter medium, instead of a sponge, butthey can also use floss, pH buffers and ammonia removers.

Gravel from an established tank can also be put into the box to helpspeed up the “breaking in” period in the tank more quickly.

Box filters can be either external, e.g. hanging on the back of the tank, orinternal, resting on the bottom. The internal filter works very much like a

sponge filter, except the water comes through the box instead of througha sponge.

The external filter (the one hanging on the back of the tank) works with asiphon and an air pump system. Water is siphoned out of the tank and intothe box, where it cycles through the filter floss and carbon, after which it ispumped back into the aquarium with an air pump.




To clean box filters, you rinse the floss in water from the aquarium, andreplace the carbon periodically, according to manufac turer directions.

Power Filters

Power filters work essentially the same way as a box filter, but the air pumpis replaced by a water pump. This allows for more water to be drawnthrough the filter in a great quantity, as well as much more quietly. Powerfilters typically have better biological filtration than either sponge or boxfilters.

Under-gravel Filters

Under-gravel filters are located, (oh!) under the gravel in the tank. There’sa plate underneath the gravel, with two tubes attached. Air is pumpeddown these tubes, and when it surfaces, it pulls water up with it. (These airpumps can also be replaced with a power head, which acts the sameway as it does with a power filter in that it pumps more water and is muchquieter. When the water is pulled up the tube, more water is pulled downthrough the gravel. This provides the circulation of oxygen that thenitrogen-changing bacteria need to live.

AERATION

Here’s a news flash – fish need air in the tank to survive! They don’tbreathe with lungs the way we do, of course, but instead they use gills todraw water across thousands of tiny capillaries which extract oxygen andsend it directly to the bloodstream.

On the surface of the water in your tank, a certain amount of oxygenexchange takes place naturally. Dissolved gases in the water (like thecarbon dioxide that fish “breathe” out) are released into the air, where

they are exchanged for oxygen. The bigger the surface area of the tank,the more oxygen can be exchanged.

But most tanks aren’t large enough to provide an adequate amount ofoxygen for the fish to survive, so you must aerate the tank to make surethere’s enough oxygen in the water for the fish to “breathe.” This can beaccomplished in a couple of ways.




First, when you use a power filter, the water is exposed to the air before it’spumped back into the tank, which aerates it, usually providing an amplesupply of oxygen for the tank.

If it appears the power filter isn’t providing enough oxygen for your fish (forexample the fish are turning dull colors and swimming on their sides), youcan connect an air pump to a “bubbler” in the tank – like an airstone orone of those little divers.

SUBSTRATE

Substrate is a fancy name for the sand or gravel material that goes in thebottom of your tank. There are a wide variety of types and sizes ofsubstrate, so listen up!

Substrate serves a number of functions in your tank, from letting the fishknow which end is up (or down, as the case may be!), to giving the tank amore “natural” look, to serving as a colonizing medium for the beneficialbacteria in your filtering system to providing an environment for critterssuch as crabs and crustaceans if you have them in your tank. It also

provides a growing medium for live plants.




Common Aquarium Gravel

This is the most common type of substrate used. Available from any petshop or aquarium shop, this substrate comes in both fine and coarsevarieties. It’s made up of quartz, and won’t change the condition of the

water at all. You can use this in virtually any aquarium, but you must makesure you vacuum it regularly to remove particles of uneaten food.(Housework is just never done, is it?)

Sand

Perhaps surprisingly, it’s not a good idea to use sand off the beach, or seasand in general, primarily because it contains contaminants and

microscopic living organisms which can die off and pollute the water inyour tank.

Much better choices are sandblasting sand or play sand. Sandblastingsand is coarser than play sand, but either one is suitable. Sand compactsmore than common aquarium gravel, making it more difficult for foodparticles to penetrate, and helping to keep the tank cleaner, but youmay have to adjust the filter intake tube to keep the smaller sand particlesfrom clogging the filter.

You can use sand in any aquarium.

Aragonite

This is simply calcium carbonate mineral. It slowly releases calciumcarbonate into the water, which buffers and pushes the pH in the waterup to around 8.2. Because of its effect on the water in the tank, aragoniteshould only be used in saltwater tanks.

Crushed Corals

Substrate of crushed corals was very popular before Aragonite camealong. It acts much the same way as Aragonite, in that it raises the pH inthe water to around 7.6. Sometimes you’ll find the corals mixed withAragonite, or dolomite or calcite, which have a similar effect as




Aragonite. Again, because of the pH effect of this material, saltwatertanks only, please.

Vermiculate

Vermiculate isn’t a term for graduating from fishy school – it’s ac tually amineral mixture of aluminum, iron and magnesium. It slowly releasespotassium and magnesium into the tank over a long period of time, andcan absorb phosphates and even slowly convert ammonia into nitrate.

Because it has a tendency to compact over time, you should mix it withcommon aquarium gravel or laterite to keep it from clumping. This is agreat substrate to use as a lower layer in aquariums with live plants.

Laterite

Laterite is simply weathered clay, more commonly known as cat litter.Laterite doesn’t release any minerals or nutrients, but it can store them forplant use through their root system.

A good substrate to use as a lower layer for planted aquariums, but becareful – the commercial grade of laterite designed for aquariums hasbeen sterilized – common, everyday cat litter often contains perfumesand c lumping compounds, which can play havoc with your tank water.

How deep should you layer the substrate?

That depends on what kind of tank you have. Here are some generalguidelines:

• For Fish Only Aquariums – use Common Aquarium Gravel andSand, and layer it about 2 – 2.5 inches deep

• For Saltwater or Reef Aquariums – use Aragonite and C rushCorals and layer it about 2 – 2.5 inches deep

• For Planted Aquariums (live plants, or combination of live andplastic) – use two layers: 1) Vermiculate or Laterite as the bottomlayer, generally 1 – 2 inches in depth, followed by 2) CommonAquarium Gravel or Sand, at another 2 inches in depth.




For best effect, the surface of whatever substrate you’re using shouldn’tbe completely smooth and flat. Make it an interesting topography, withthe height at the back of the tank slightly more than at the front, so youget the effect of looking uphill from the front of the tank to the back.

What not to use as substrate

• Sea sand (gathered off the beach) – can containcontaminants and microscopic organisms.

• Painted or dyed gravel (yes, they make it) – paint can flakeoff and dye can be released slowly into the water.

• Glass pebbles – (they can diffuse light) - the fish and plantsdon’t like that!

DECORATIONS

There are an infinite variety of decorations to choose from – you’re onlylimited by your own imagination. You can design a “themed” tank,where all of the items match a period in history or a specific design

element, e.g. a pirate scene, a Hawaiian beach or an underwater city.

Or you can arrange it so your tank simply looks like the bottom of theocean, or a coral reef, or a riverbed that just happened to appear in yourtank.

Start with a background

Backgrounds serve two functions: they provide a backdrop for the entiredécor of the tank – adding depth and interest to your design; and they

hide the wires, cords, filters and various pieces of equipment thatfrequently hang off the back of the tank.

They come in virtually any size and style – from J apanese gardens to riverrock to shipwrecks to underground cities – and everything in between.Usually made of waterproof plastic, many styles come with a design on




each side, so if you get tired of one, you simply turn it around and switchit. Buy a size larger than your tank by at least 2 inches, and trim to fit.

Add a centerpiece

By centerpiece I don’t necessarily mean something you have to locateright in the middle of the tank. I mean some sort of decorative piece thatwill be the main focus of your design: a castle, or a pagoda or a wreckedship, or a series of stacked rocks that form a cave or hiding places for yourfish.

Add plants

I’ll go into live plants in much greater detail in thenext sec tion, but here are a few basic pointers.

Plants look most natural when planted inirregularly-numbered groups (i.e. groups of 3, 5 or7 plants in a single grouping.) Taller plants to the

sides and rear of the tank typically look morebalanced, while you can use the smaller, widerversions in the front and middle as accentpieces.




Plastic plants come in as many styles, sizes and colors as real plants, shortto tall, thin and spiny to bushy and wide. Choose an assortment that mixtextures, colors and sizes for more visual interest.

LIVE PLANTS

There is almost no end to the choices you have for live plants to use inyour aquarium. The trick is keeping them that way. Live, I mean.

As long as you remember a few basic tips, you shouldn’t have anyproblem creating an aquascape environment that will allow your live

plants to thrive.

Plant essentials

Aquarium plants need three essential components to flourish: adequatelighting, a good substrate and a CO2 (Carbon Dioxide) level of between10 and 20 ppm (parts per million.)

Lighting

All plants, whether aquarium or otherwise, need light to complete thephotosynthesis process. When we talked about the kind of lighting youneed for your tank, I recommended a full-spectrum fluorescent bulb, andthis was one of the reasons why.

Depending on what kind of plants you choose for your tank, how deepthe tank is, and how many plants you cram into the tank, you’ll needbetween 2 – 3 watts of light per gallon. The more crowded the tank, themore light you’ll need to be able to reach all the plants in the tank. The

fewer the plants, the less light you’ll need.

The light needs to be evenly distributed throughout the tank, and shouldbe left on for at least 12 hours per day to give the plants an adequatesource of energy.




Substrate

The substrate is like potting soil to your houseplants. It gives the rootsystem of the plant space to spread out, and is a source of nutrients(food) that the plant needs to grow.

As we talked about in the substrate section – Vermiculate and Laterite areboth excellent substrates to use as a bottom layer. They can provide thenecessary nutrients for plant growth.

CO2

The third crucial factor for plant survival is CO2 (Carbon Dioxide). CO2

should be kept to a level of 10 to 20 parts per million. You can use yourwater test kit to determine what the level of CO2 is in your tank. Too low alevel of CO2 will inhibit plant growth. Too high a level (over 30 ppm) cancause breathing problems for your fish. (If that happens, simply increasethe output of your air pump or other aerating device to increase theoxygen level in your tank.)

There are several sources of CO2 within your tank – the most common isthe respiration of your fish. As the fish use the oxygen in the water, they“exhale” CO2. The bacterial decay of dead plant material and driftwood

decorations, if you use them, also contributes to the CO2 levels. But thebiggest source of C O2 in your tank is a fully-cycled biological filter.Remember we talked in the filtration section about types of filters? The biofilter is the way to go.

Selecting Your Plants

It’s been estimated that there are some 3,500 species of aquatic plants,but people are generally in favor of using something that will actuallygrow (sort of like houseplants – there are a huge variety of plants that willgrow “in captivity”, but a very limited number of them are actuallycultivated.)




These are the most popular varieties for use in aquariums:

Can tolerate a wide range of water temperatures:

• Cabomba (a.k.a. Fanwort, water-shield and

Washington plant)• Egeria (a.k.a. Anacharis, ditch-moss, Canadian

pond weed)• Myriophyllum (water milfoil, foxtail)• Vallinsneria (eel grass, tape grass, corkscrew)• Sagittaria (arrowhead)

C a b om b a

These do well in warm water (75° to 80°) and bright lights:

• Ceratopterus (water sprite, Indian fern)• Ludwigia• Hygrophila (Nomaphila)• Vallinsneria (eel grass, tape grass, corkscrew)• Sagittaria (arrowhead)• Microsorium (J ava fern)

Va llinsne ria

Warm water – low light tolerant:

• Cryptcoryne (c rypts)

Cryp tcoryne




Good centerpiece plants:

• Echinodorus (swordplants, Amazons)• Aponogeton (Madagascar lace plant)

Ec hinod o rus

Basic Plant Care

• When choosing your plants, pick healthy-looking plants(usually young plants with no bruising, damaged areas ordead leaves)

• Pay attention to proper planting techniques (this means plantat an appropriate depth and cover root system withsubstrate)

• Make sure plants have enough light (12 hours per dayminimum)

• Maintain good water quality. (For fish and plants!) Keep an

eye on CO2 levels! • Pinch back old growth to encourage new. Remove old stems

and dead leaves.)




A WORD ABOUT SAFETY

I know I shouldn’t have to tell you these next few items, but I’m going toanyway. Common sense isn’t necessarily so common, and there migh t

be a few people on the planet that don’t know that water and electricitydon’t mix.

So, as a good rule of thumb:

1. Use only devices that are made spec ifically for aquarium use.2. Make sure whatever electrical device you use (like a pump or

heater) is UL listed. That means it has a tag on it that saysUnderwriters Laboratory.

3. Ideally, the electrica l outlets you use will be GFIC-equipped. Thatmeans it will have a reset button that will be tripped each time the

electricity wigs out. If your outlets aren’t equipped this way, use apower strip that has a built in circuit breaker. (Similar to what youuse on your computer.)

4. Use a drip loop on a ll power cords. This simply means that you needto arrange the power cords so they hang down well below theoutlet before running back up again to be plugged in. Any waterthat accidentally drips down the cord will no t run uphill, and comein contact with the receptacle.

5. And to avoid the possibility of plugs or receptac les or power stripsgetting wet, position the aquarium stand to one side of all the

electrical cords and connections. Yeah, it’s nice to hide all thosecords behind the tank, but you can always use a plant or twoinstead.

6. Unplug a ll cords any time you do any th ing around the tank, such aschanging the water or lights or similar ac tions.

7. If the air pump, power filter, lights or any other piece of equipmentfalls into the tank – DON’T REACH FOR IT! Unplug it FIRST, thenretrieve it!

8. Inspect your equipment regularly. If it looks like it’s wearing out,replace it.




SETTING UP YOUR TANK

You’re almost there! Now let’s move on to setting up your tank andputting all the components together.

A little prep work

There are some things you need to do be fo re you can begin assemblingall this neat stuff you’ve brought home from the pet store.

For a freshwater tank

Plan on purchasing your tank, equipment and decorations all on thesame day. Then, a few days later, you’ll need to pick up the live plant

material if you’re going to use it.

Then, a couple of days after t ha t go get the fish. I realize that’s probablynot what you wanted to hear, but it’s really the best way to set up yourtank. It allows the tank to stabilize between each step – making it morehospitable for the fish, and less likely that they’ll die the minute you addthem to the tank!

1. Before you put anyth ing in the tank, you need to rinse out the tankitself. Take it outside where you have a hose (or if that’s not

feasible, put it in your bathtub or shower and use the shower head)– basically anywhere the excess water can run off. Take yourscrubby and scrub off all sides (inside and out) of the tank. Rinsewell. Repeat. Rinse well. Repeat. Do n ot use soa p of a ny kind ,since it might contain toxins that will be sure to kill your fish. J ust rinserepeatedly with cool water, scrubbing each time. This will removeany residual possibly toxic material left on the tank in manufacturingor shipping.

2. Rinse off all plant material, rocks, shells, decorations, and anythingelse that will be placed in the tank with cool, clean water.

3. If you’re using driftwood or other wood decorations, soak them inwater overnight so they won’t float away.




ASSEMBLING THE TANK COMPONENTS

1. Assemble the parts of your under-gravel filter, and place in thebottom of the tank. (That’s assuming you’re using an under-gravelfilter. If you’re using another type of filter, assemble permanufacturer’s instruction and place in an appropriate location inthe tank.)

2. If you’re using large rocks as decoration, they need to sit firmly onthe bottom of the tank. Place them d irec t ly on to p of the under-gravel filter, then pour your substrate on top of the filter plates. Forthe best effect, slope the gravel so that it’s higher toward the backof the tank and lower toward the front.

3. Arrange your other decorations as desired. Make sure that none ofthe decorations touches or leans against the walls of the tank.

4. Install the aeration and heating systems.

5. Add p la stic plants, if you’re using them. (Don’t add live plants yet!)6. Add background if you’re using it.7. Fill the tank with water, using a hose or fill jar from tap. Fill to within 1”

of top of tank.8. Turn on all equipment to make sure it’s working properly.9. Wait 2 to 3 days until tank stabilizes before you add anything else.

When I say stabilize, I simply mean you’re giving the tank a chanceto settle down, the dust to settle so to speak, you’re checking tomake sure all the equipment is functioning properly, etc.

After the tank stabilizes

Now you’re ready to add the live plants if you’re going to use them.Depending on the type of plants you chose, some were sold in clusters orbunches.

Separate the bunches so you can plant them individually for a morerealistic, natural look. Before you plant them, wash them under cool,clean water, and remove any dead or bruised leaves and roots.




Don’t worry if your tank water appears a little murky right after you getdone landscaping – that’s to be expected, and your filtration systemshould c lear it up in no time.

Wait 2 more days, and then go get the fish.

Introducing the fish

No, no t to e a c h o ther ! To the tank! Once the tank is arranged exac tlythe way you want it and you’ve given it a chance to stabilize, gopurchase the fish. Introduce a few fish at a time to the tank – if you gobuy several varieties and dump them all in at once you’ll not only causechaos, you’ll severely stress out your new inhabitants, and cause fistfightsat dinner time, so do it slowly and carefully.

The general rule of thumb about how many fish you can put in a tank ishave 1” of fish for every 1-1/2 to 2 gallons of water in the bowl. This meansa fish that is 1” in length for every 1-1/2 to 2 gallons.

You’ll probably bring the fish home in a plastic bag. Float the unopenedbag in the water’s surface for about an hour. This will allow thetemperature in the bag to adjust to the tank temp. Then, open the bagand gent ly remove the fish from the bag with your net. Try not to pour thewater from the plastic bag into your tank – it might contain toxins orcontaminants from the pet store.

Once all the fish are out of the bag, pour the water in the bag down thedrain.

Add different varieties of fish a fe w at a time, and allow time betweenspecies to allow each type of fish to become comfortable in their newhome.

Sp ec ific Typ e s of Ta nk s

FISHBOWLS OR DESKTOP AQUARIUMS

Contrary to popular opinion, smaller tanks are no t easier to care for.Fishbowls and desktop aquariums are supposed to be fun tanks, cutetanks with cute little fishies swimming around for your enjoyment. The




reality of the smaller tanks is that they require more maintenance than thelarger tanks, because they get dirtier faster because the contaminantsthat are in every fish tank become more concentrated in the smaller tanksbecause they can’t be dispersed in a larger volume of water.

Set up for fishbowls or desktop aquariums is essentiallythe same as for larger tanks: assemble filter and lightfixtures (if you’re using lights) per manufacturerdirec tions; rinse gravel and add to tank; fill three-quarters full with water. Add chlorine neutralizer (seethe section on chemicals) and decorations. Wait atleast 24 hours before adding fish or live plants.

The type of filter you get for your fishbowl or desktop aquarium will be

critical in reducing the amount of maintenance you need to perform. There are box filters and sponge filters and under-gravel filters availablethat are small enough for these types of tanks. I would recommend theunder-gravel type, since the box and sponge filters are larger and bulkier,and space in your smaller tank is already an issue.

Temperature control is generally problematic with smaller tanks also. Afew of the slightly larger tanks can accommodate a submersibleaquarium heater, but many times the only source of heat will be the lightbulb in your light, which isn’t thermostatically controlled, so thetemperature in the fishbowl can fluctuate greatly. The point here is to

avoid adding fish that are really sensitive to temperature changes.

In a typical fish bowl or desktop aquarium you should change at least hal fof the water either eve ry da y , or every o ther da y , to remove wasteproducts before they reach toxic levels. Yes, that’s a lot of water changes(much more often that I would recommend for a larger tank) but it’sactually less stressful to the fish than letting the water get dirty.

With a smaller tank, many people use the trick of having a second bowlhandy, and simply transfer the fish from the dirty bowl to the clean bowl

frequently – then clean the dirty bowl, and repeat the transfer at a laterdate.

Also remember to feed your fish sparingly. This means feed the fish once aday, and on ly wh a t they c a n c on sum e in less tha n one m inute . Morethan that is simply a waste, and will drift to the bottom of the tank, whereit will begin to decay and dirty the tank that much quicker.




How many fish can you have in a fishbowl or desktop aquarium? Thegeneral rule of thumb is have 1” of fish for every 1-1/2 to 2 gallons of waterin the bowl. This means a fish that is 1” in length for every 1-1/2 to 2gallons. That’s not very many fish for a small tank, is it? And that’sprobably one of the most frustrating things about dealing with the smaller

tanks – the limited capacity for the number of fish.

This is information that you won’t get from most retailers. Remember,they’re in business to sell you stuff – fishbowls, aquariums, the fish, the food,the decorations – espec ially around the holidays. That’s a big part ofwhat keeps them in business!

Now that you’ve seen how much work they really are, do you really wantone of those cute little tanks? Remember that time you visited yourdoctor’s office, or dentist’s office, or someone that had a cool little tank

with a cool little goldfish in it, and then the next time you visited that officeand that cool little goldfish w a s gone? Now you know why!

A lot of unsuspecting people have been turned off of this hobby, becausethe cute little tank that was so hard to take care of was their introductionto this pastime.

This is a g rea t hobby that can provide a lifetime of enjoyment, but youneed to recognize that it’s a lot of work. I’m not trying to scare you; I justwant you to make an informed decision.

Ok, so you’ve decided you’re willing to do the work necessary to haveone of those cool little tanks - what kinds of fish do well in fishbowls anddesktop aquariums?

This list is by no means all-inclusive, but these fish generally are the bestsuited for smaller tanks:

Danios (zebras, leopard, pearl or gold)




Barbs (tigers, gold or rosy)

Tetras (black, serape, red minor,neon or bloodfin)

Rasbora (scissortail or brilliant)

White C loud Mountain fish




Guppies (common)

Catfish (green or albino)

Goldfish (while they’re still small)

Amphibians (African frogsor newts)




FRESHWATER TANKS

I’ve already covered the basics of setting up your larger freshwater tank interms of assembling the tank components, stabilizing the tank and addingthe fish. Now let’s talk about some of the spec ifics of water qualityconsiderations for freshwater tanks.

Water Quality

Ammonia, nitrites and nitrates in the water are your first concerns aboutwater quality in freshwater tanks.

Ammonia

Fish pee in their tanks. (Well, what did you expect them to do? Take awalk outside?) And when they pee, one of the by-products is ammonia.

In a new aquarium, before it has had a chance to cycle, ammonia levelscan skyrocket, but then usually stabilizes once the biological filter isestablished.

If the ammonia level goes too high in an established tank, there are twoways of removing it: add special chips to remove the ammonia to the

filter, or a partial water change.

Adding chips is a better method for long-term ammonia maintenancewhen the ammonia level is not ext remely high.

A partial water change is a more immediate solution, but a less long-lasting method, because it can be used to quickly lower the ammonialevel when it is dangerously high. But it’s also a "band-aid"; because theoriginal problem hasn’t been addressed: and that is the biological filteryou’re using isn’t large enough to support the bio-load of your tank.

Nitrites

Nitrites are the next step in the nitrogen cycle after ammonia, the rawproduct. Nitrites can also shoot up very rapidly in a new aquarium. Nitritesshould be monitored weekly with a nitrite test kit.




If the nitrite level is above one part per million, then it is too high, and apartial water change should be performed. The level of nitrites variesinversely to the level of nitrates, that is, when nitrites go down, nitrates goup.

Nitrates

Nitrates are not as harmful to fish as nitrites; nitrate levels must beext remely high before the fish become stressed.

The main problem with nitrates is that they stimulate algae growth. Thismeans that nitrates are more of a problem in established tanks than innew tanks. The method for dealing with nitrates is the same as for dealing

with nitrites and ammonia, do a partial water change.

Water Chemistry

Ok, here’s where you have to go back to school for a little while.Remember all those chemistry lessons you hated? Well, they’re back! No,not really – but there a re just a few things we need to go over.




Hardness (GH and KH)

Water hardness is measured in two ways:

1. Carbonate Hardness (KH)2. General Hardness (GH).

Carbonate Hardness (also known as buffering capacity or alkalinity) is ameasure of water's ability to absorb an acid or base without a change inpH. If your Carbonate Hardness is too low , the aquarium will be vulnerableto rapid changes in pH, which stress the fish.

If your Carbonate Hardness is too high, then it will be very difficult tochange the pH of the aquarium. The problem with this is that hard water(referring to GH) has a very high C arbonate Hardness. This makes itdifficult to adjust the pH because when an acid or base is added, it willseem like nothing is happening, until the buffer is depleted, and then thepH will change very quickly.

General Hardness is what people mean when they say that their water is"hard" or "soft".

Areas of the country with limestone deposits usually have hard water,while areas with more granite tend to have softer water. Try not to tamper

with these attributes of water if you’re not experienced in the hobby, but ifyou d o want to adjust the General Hardness of your water, then tryadding coral or seashells to the tank, either crushed in the filter or asdecorations, or you can use marble chips in the filter to increase the GH.

pH

pH is a measure of whether water is acidic or basic. pH increases

exponentially, which means that a pH of 8.0 is ten times more basic than apH of 7.0, and one hundred times more basic that water with a pH of 6.0,and so on. Ne ut ral p H is 7.0.

The most important things about pH is keeping it stable, and making surethat the pH level you have in your tank is appropriate for the kind of fish




you have. The pH in your tank should not change more than 0.3 units perday.

Chlorine and Chloramine

Chlorine and chloramine are two chemicals added to tap water by localcommunities to kill bacteria and make water safe for humanconsumption. That’s the good news. The bad news is that they’re bothdeadly to fish – killing them in much the same way that chlorine gas killshumans, essentially causing them to suffocate.

There are water additives that you can buy at your local fish store, which

will remove both chlorine and chloramine from tap water, as well asheavy metals. These additives are relatively inexpensive and youabsolutely must have them on hand, unless you live in an area of thecountry that has pure, clear, completely unpolluted water. Yeah, I didn’tthink so.

Phosphorous and Nitrates

Phosphorus c a n help control algae in your tank, but it is also contained in

some water pre-treatment products, and also in some fertilizers. Youshould always check these products to make sure they contain nophosphorous, since too much phosphorus can be toxic to your fish.

Nitrates are also contributors to the growth of algae, and they are harderto keep out of the aquarium. Nitrates are the byproduct of the reactioncaused by bacteria on nitrites.

While nitrates are only harmful to fish in very high amounts, they c a n cause uncontrolled algae growth, especially in the brightly lit conditions of

a planted aquarium. Nitrates can be removed from the aquarium throughregular water changes.




SALTWATER TANKS

Now he re ’ s where it gets complicated! Saltwater tanks are much morecomplex than freshwater – you need to prepare the sea salt mixture, test

salinity, water temp is much more of an issue – it’s a challenge, but ifyou’re up for it, the rewards are tremendous in terms of beauty and theoutstanding quality of the fish you can raise.

The biggest downside you need to recognize is that when you’re settingup a new saltwater tank it must cycle, a ve ra g ing six we e ks. You won't beable to introduce a ny fish to the tank until this happens! This is probablythe most disappointing fact about these tanks. (See the section a littlefarther back in the book on exactly what “cycling” consists of.)

However, there are some things you can do during this interim period sothat you have something a little better to look at than an empty tank.

Reef Tanks

These are some of the most beautiful setups, primarily housing live reefand corals. They’re also the most difficult to cultivate, because theyrequire extra equipment and more attention than a “fish only” tank. Notthat a novice can’t set one up and maintain it, but it’s a LOT of extra




effort. My recommendation would be to begin with a fish-only tank. Youcan always upgrade later on down the road.

A reef tank seeks to recreate a tiny portion of a coral reef such as youmight find anywhere in the ocean. While there are many differentapproaches to setting up and maintaining a reef tank, there are somecomponents that most experts agree are necessary for successfulcultivation of reefs.

The first dec ision you’ll need to make is to determine what types ofanimals you’ll be keeping in the reef: from soft corals to stony corals toalgae, your choices will have a direct effect on the different types ofequipment you’ll need. For the most part, corals can be divided intothree categories:

1. Stony – hard exterior skeletons

2. Soft – no calcium-based skeleton

3. SPS – Short or Small Polyped Stony




Let’s talk for a moment about invertebrates

What, exactly, is an invertebrate?

Animals on the earth without backbones are called vertebrate-less

animals or invertebrates. For example, insects are invertebrates, but wedon’t really care about that, because this book is about tropical fish!

A large number of invertebrates other than insects live in the water, andthey are called aquatic or marine invertebrates. Although some of themlive in the fresh water, the vast majority of aquatic invertebrates live in theoceans.

Squids, octopuses, lobsters, or shrimps, crabs, shellfishes, sea urchins andstarfishes are among well-known marine invertebrates, while creatures

with plant-like appearances such as feather stars, corals, and seaanemones are also marine invertebrates. In addition, zooplankton, rotifersor wheel animals, lugworms, sea squirts, sea cucumbers and sea hares areall categorized as marine invertebrates.

You may add invertebrates to your saltwater tank with some spectaculareffects, as seen by this shot of sea anemones.

Invertebrates also include snails, which come in a wide variety of speciesand sizes. Most tank owners use snails to help control algae, since the




most common species, Astraea, Turbo and Trochus all love to dine onalgae, and are among the many varieties of snails found world-wide.

Did you know there are more than 40,000 recognized species of snailsworld-wide? J ust think of all that escargot! (I’m kidding!)

The shell of a snail is its primary means of protection, although there a re afew predatory shelled snails that are murderous bad boys, that either boreholes into their prey and rasp out their flesh (sounds like a bad Hollywoodmovie, doesn’t it?) or kill their prey with venom, usually injected by meansof a “harpoon” and eat their prey whole. Some species can actually belethal to humans as well, but they’re not sold in aquarium supply stores –usually the only way you’d come in contact with them is by removingcoral from the ocean and bringing it home. But since t h a t activity is illegal,you probably wouldn’t do that, would you?

Snails can be astoundingly beautiful: take a look at these two –

Bum b le b e e Sna il

Tig e r Co w rie Sna il




The Basic Requirements of Reef Tanks

For a successful reef tank there are five main factors that you must keep inmind, and keep under control:

• Temperature

• Water Movement

• Light

• Nutrient limitation

• Water chemistry

Temperature must be maintained below 80°F, and ideally should remainbetween 72°F and 78°F. This can be accomplished using standardaquarium heaters, but temperature control with corals and invertebratesis even more critical than with fish.

Because you’ll be dealing with corals and algaes, organisms who can’tmove around the tank on their own to find oxygen, water movement isextremely critical in a reef tank. For optimal results, water should flow insmall eddies and swirls, which means you’ll need multiple water returnsand power heads in the tank, so they interact with each other andproduce a natural give and take of water flow.

Lighting is another important component of a reef tank. J ust as plantsconvert sunlight to produce chlorophyll, corals and other marine animalsconvert light energy into “food”. Depending on the variety of coral andinvertebrates in your tank, the proper intensity and spectrum of light isneeded. Because the choices of reef wildlife are so extensive, it would beimpossible to list all the requirements for each spec ies; check with yourlocal aquarium shop for specifics required by each species.

Nutrient limitation sounds contradictory – why would you want to lim it nutrients if you want your tank to thrive? The two nutrients you primarily

need to control are nitrate and phosphate, which, if left unchecked, canturn your tank into an algae-coated, slimy mess. The best way to controlthese two nutrients is by use of protein skimming and activated carbonfilters.

Protein skimmers, also know as Foam Fractionators, consist of a columnthrough which a very fine mixture of air and water is pumped. A Proteinskimmer collects proteins and other nitrogen-containing organic material




before they are metabolized into ammonia and nitrate. Protein skimmerscome in two basic designs: counter-current airstone driven and Venturidriven. A Venturi skimmer uses a strong water pump combined with asmall air inlet that creates a suction that forms a fine mixture of air andwater in the skimmer. Counter-current airstone models have an airstone

at the bottom of the tube, and the water flows from the top of the tube tothe bottom.

There are also a wide variety of other types of equipment and devicesyou can buy to aid in filtration and reduction of nutrients in your tank –everything from ozone generators, automatic water change and top-offsystems, alternating surge controllers, CO2 injectors, molecular absorptionresins to trickle filters. While these bells and whistles are nice for the“gotta-have-the-latest-gadget” crowd, they’re not necessary for thecultivation of a successful tank. My recommendation is to hold off beforeyou invest hundreds if not thousands of dollars in these devices until youknow if 1) you’ll need them, and 2) you’re more familiar with therequirements and needs of your tank.

The final factor you’ll need to be concerned with is the actual waterchemistry. You’ll need to be able to maintain proper levels of pH,alkalinity and calcium in the tank in order for your invertebrates to thrive.Again, because there are so many species of corals, algaes andinvertebrates, it’s impossible to list all the appropriate levels in this forum.Check with your local aquarium shop for specifics of the species you havein your tank.

The Basic Requirements of Fish-Only Tanks

This term is misleading, because it makes the tank sound like an emptyapartment, but they’re really not like that. Ceramic decorations and liverock can be used in place of a live reef with corals and invertebrates,which give it a similar appearance, without the delicate nature ofmaintaining the perfect environment for the coral. In a fish-only tank, thefocus is primarily on the fish species, not the invertebrates of the reef.




Lights and Filters

Lights in saltwater tanks are the same as with freshwater, but there areseveral types of filters. There are canister, under-gravel (the same asfreshwater), and a unique filter to marine tanks called wet/dry.

Wet/dry filters are the common choice and they're great for first timeenthusiasts. They sit outside the tank so they’re are easier to access andclean. If you decide on one of these, you might get a rough idea ofwhere you’re going to place it in the tank, so you know how much extrahose you might need.

Water Circulation

Unlike aerators that are used in freshwater tanks, saltwater tanks areaerated by water turbulence, which is accomplished by a wave-like

motion provided by your filter via the water import and export hosesattached to it.

Other Supplies

♦ Hydrometer

♦ Thermometer

♦ Heater

♦ Algae scrubber

♦ Salt

♦ Chemicals

The thermometer and heater are the same you would use in a freshwatertank.

The hydrometer is unique to a saltwater tank; it measures the specificgravity in the water: translation, it tells you if you have enough salt in the

water. They are easy to read and clearly marked.

For chemicals, you will need a pH kit, marine test kit, salt and marinebuffers. These various kits measure the levels of ammonia and nitrates inthe tank. This is the hardest part, keeping these levels within normalranges. You must check the levels dai ly and they are also easy to read,but the slightest fluctuations can wreak havoc .




Fish-only tanks should have a pH level of between 7.6 and 8.4. The degreeto which a solution maintains its pH when acid is added is called the“alkalinity” of the solution. A number of chemicals such as bicarbonate,calcium, carbonate, borate and hydroxide act as natural “buffers” thatslow the drop in pH. When the pH in a tank starts to drop, it’s an indication

that the buffers are getting worn out.

Some “quick fix” methods to correcting a drop in pH are addingbicarbonate of soda (yes, baking soda), plus there are any number ofcommercial products available. The amount you add will be determinedby the size of your tank and the level of pH in the tank at the time you testit with your water testing kit. But the most generally accepted method ofstabilizing pH is by doing partial water changes periodically; not only doesthis refresh the natural buffers, but it restores trace minerals in the tankwater.

Setting Up and Testing Your Equipment

Your preparation in this area (at least the basics) won’t be too muchdifferent than a freshwater tank:

♦ Clean the tank with cool, clean water and a scrubby♦ Apply a background if desired♦ Place tank in an appropriate place

♦ Install filtration equipment, heater, lights and any other equipment♦ Fill tank with fresh tap water (Use lukewarm)

Putting It All Together

Mix the salt with the water according to the instructions on the bag, andthen use your hydrometer to make sure you've added enough. There’s achart on the bag that will give you guidance.

Fill the tank near the top and then start running your filter. You’ll notice a

big drop in the water level once you turn it on; especially with a wet/dryfilter (it uses more water internally than freshwater filters. Add more waterto bring it up to the appropriate level. Once it’s filled, check your pHlevels, adjust accordingly, check temperature and adjust heateraccordingly, and add the marine buffer. Temperatures will varydepending upon the fish you’ll be getting, but 76° is a good place to start.Anything over 80° will be too warm for any species. Be advised that when




you first start the tank, the sand will get stirred up – don’t worry, that’snormal – it’ll begin to settle down in a day or so.

Cycling

This next part is very good for your self-control and patience! From thispoint on - it's hurry up and wait!

With freshwater tanks, you can begin introducing fish almost immediatelybut saltwater tanks have to cycle. Cycling is when a new tank goesthrough a period of growing beneficial bacteria that is absolutelynecessary to saltwater fish. If you don’t do this – you’ll start losing themright away.

It takes a good six w ee ks for a tank to cycle. There are some things you

can do to speed it up slightly: one is to buy another chemical called abiological supplement. These add some of the needed bacteria.

Live Rock (not Jazz)

You can also add live rock, if available. Live rock is another contradictoryterm, because what it consists of is the skeletons of long-dead corals. Sothe “rock” itself really isn’t alive, but it does contain living organisms, bothinside and out, such as algae, bacteria and tiny invertebrates which can

all contribute to the overall quality of the tank water. Unlike coral, live rockis not temperamental; it doesn't need the intense lighting or chemicalbalance that coral requires. It's also a great source for biological filtration. The rock contains important enzymes and bacteria as well, which aid inthe breakdown of fish waste.

Using live rock and a biological supplement together, you can shave acouple of weeks off the average cycling. It may still be worth your while towait it out, just to be on the safe side. The last thing you want at this pointis the risk of losing these fish, since they typically cost much more thanfreshwater fish.

You can also add damsels. These are hearty marine fish that are used tohelp cycle a tank. Their waste assists in that bacteria growth, and alldealers have them.

They are typically bright neon blue with yellow fins or jet black with acouple of bright white spots. They're small but, very pretty, and many




people leave them in the tank even after cycling. (As long as you don’tadd really aggressive fish, which consider damsels a great snack!)

Da m se ls

An important point to keep in mind: keep checking your chemical levels

during this entire period!

After Cycling

Once this is all over, you'll do a partial water change, which will be the firstof many. After the growth of the needed bacteria, nitrates build up in thewater. This is a major contributor to the death of fish, and the only way tolower this level is by changing a third of the water periodica lly.

J ust remember to add more salt and a marine buffer, if necessary. Re-check all of your pH and nitrate levels as well as the temperature. Youmight also want to collect a sample of your water into a small glasscontainer to bring to the pet shop. They can conduct a more thoroughtest to see that your tank is ready for new residents, but bear in mind mostpet shops charge a small fee for this test.




Finally, you’re ready to add fish! How many can you add? Use this for arule of thumb: one fish per every five gallons of water. Also, keep in mindthere are some breeds, as with freshwater fish, that just don't get along.See more on that in the next section.

Add your fish gradually, a few at a time – using the same method outlinedin the freshwater fish section. If you’ve designed “hidey holes” in yoursaltwater aquascape, you can add fish a little faster than otherwise, sincethey’ll have places to hide from each other while getting acclimated.

Check your temperature and salinity levelsa t lea st eve ry othe r d a y .




TANK CLEANING AND M A INTENANCE

It doesn’t matter what kind of filtration system you use in your tank, it won’tbe enough to keep your tank entirely clean. And it also doesn’t matter ifyou have a freshwater or a saltwater tank; it’s going to get dirty, andrequire both cleaning and maintenance.

Tank cleaning

Your aquarium will need periodic cleaning. How often will depend on thesize of your tank, the filtration system and the number of fish in the tank,your aquarium.

Daily tasks

• Check all elec trical fixtures – pump, heater, air filter, etc. to makesure they’re working properly.

• Check the fish: Are any dead? If so, remove immediately. Are any showing a dramatic change in color; e.g. from

bright to dull? You could have an oxygen deficiency. Are any trying to swim on their side? Again, may be due to

poor oxygen quality

• Check the water Is it clear or cloudy? Does it smell? If it doesn’t look or smell right, test water with your testing

kit to determine if ammonia, nitrate and nitrate levels areappropriate.

Weekly tasks

• Clean tank bottom - Remove any dead material, uneatenfood, dead algae, etc. Use a siphon hose or a vacuum toremove the excess material.




• Clean filters – remove filter medium from mechanical filterand rinse according to manufacturer directions.

• Clean sides of tank – take your scrubby brush and removeany algae from sides of tank. Note: water will be murky for awhile until your filtration system catches up – this is normal.

Don’t worry about it.• Perform small water changes – replace at least 30 percent of

the water in the tank with new, fresh water. (This doesn’t haveto be an exact measurement) – use a standard measuringdevice (a bucket, cup or glass jar) to remove approximatelya third of the water in the tank, and replace the sameamount with fresh water, or a fresh mixture of Saltwatersolution.

Monthly tasks

• If you’re using a filter with activated carbon or charcoal,replace filter medium

• Remove decorations such as pirate ships or plastic plants,rinse under clean, cool water and replace. Do not use soap!

Quarterly tasks

• Remove any rocks used for decoration. Rinse algae off undercool, clean water and replace rocks in tank.




HERE FISHY, FISHY, FISHY

How, exactly, do you choose the best fish for your tank? Do you go on

color? Price? How well they get along with each other?

Well, a ll of these factors go into your choices – there are almost as manyvarieties of fish available for your tank as there are in the sea – it’simpossible to list every variety and species in a book this size – but I willgive you some recommendations and some of the most popular andsuccessful fish that people include in their tanks.

First, let’s talk about what to look for in a fish, whether you have afreshwater tank or saltwater.

TEMPERAMENT

The first thing you need to consider when choosing a fish is thetemperament.

There are three basic temperament categories:

♦ Social varieties – these are fish that generally get along wellwith everyone. They include Danios, Tetras, Corydoras,

Mollies, Guppies and Swordtails.

♦ Semi-social varieties – These fish can be kept with fish of equalsize without becoming overly aggressive, and typicallyinclude Barbs, Gouramis and Angelfish.

♦ Aggressive varieties – These fish must be kept by themselves,or pairs, with another of their own kind. These guys include J ewelfish, Oscars and Male Bettas.

Pet stores can generally tell you which category each fish belongs to.

SELECTING HEALTHY FISH

If you start hanging out at the pet shop or aquarium store on a regularbasis, you’ll begin to get an idea of when your local shop gets a newshipment of fish.




Before selecting any of these fish, ask the pet shop if the fish in stock havebeen quarantined for two or three weeks prior to being offered for sale. Ifthe pet shop takes fish straight off the plane and puts them out for sale,the fish may well be stressed out and jet-lagged, much more vulnerable

to disease or stress. The chances of these fish dying are much greaterthan a fish that has had a chance to settle in and relax, so take your timeand choose carefully.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR IN A FISH

The first thing you’ll look for are the visual c lues that you’re looking at ahealthy fish.

The color should be dense and well-defined – if they have a pattern itshould be clear and crisp with no blurring of adjacent colors. If aparticular pattern is a part of the fish’s appearance, it should conform tothe accepted standard for that species. For example, the blue malebetta seen in this photo is a clear case in point of what this species shouldlook like.

The eyes should be clear, with no sign of clouding or disease.

The fins should be whole and undamaged, and the fish should be free ofbite marks, injuries or tears.




The fish should be swimming strongly and steadily and not hanging backin a corner of the tank.

What you’re looking for is an overall picture of good health.

FEEDING YOUR FISH

Well, they have to eat, right? And since you don’t want them to munchon each other, it’s best if you know the different types of feeders your fishare!

Do You Know What Type of Feeder You Have?

Betcha didn’t know there are different types of feeders among fish, did

you? You’ve probably heard of “bottom feeders”, although when peopletalk about that, they’re usua lly talking about lawyers. But that’s a subjectfor another book!

From time to time you may experience buying a new fish that appears tohave no interest in eating what you’ve put on the table. Whether you’redealing with a non-eating fish, crustacean, anemone, coral or otherinvertebrate, the first step in overcoming this problem is to know whatfeeding characteristics it has, and what feeding category it falls into.What and how does it eat in nature? Is it a carnivore, herbivore, omnivore,suspension or filter feeder? What’s the difference?

Carnivores

Carnivores eat a diet that consists mainly of other marine fishes,crustaceans and invertebrates. These animals are also known as predatorsand/or scavengers.

Predators spend their life hunting or lying in wait for an unwary meal.(Sharks fall into this category.) When a meal is consumed or they’ve hadtheir fill, many species will not eat again for a day or two, or even longer.

Scavengers are opportunistic feeders, generally eating the leftovers fromother predators. Cardinals, Dottybacks, Eels, Frogs/Anglers, Grammas,Groupers, Hamlets, Hawks, Lions/Scorpions, Pipefishes, Porcupines, Puffers,Sea bass, Sharks, Snappers, Soldierfishes, Squirrels and Triggers arepredators, and most are also scavengers.




Even though some Hermit Crabs, True Crabs, Shrimp and Starfish spec iesare herbivores, most are carnivorous or omnivorous, and a ll types shouldbe considered scavengers. Some will eat or pick at invertebrates (whichare stationary and attached at the base) and corals, coraline algae, and

may even attack other fish or tank mates and inhabitants. ManyAnemones are considered carnivorous, but some fall into the filter feederscategory as well.

Herbivores

Herbivores eat a diet consisting mainly of marine plants and algaes. Theseanimals spend their entire day cruising and grazing, picking here andthere when a food source is found. Fish that fall into this category are Tangs, Sturgeons and some Blenny species. Some species of Sea Urchins,

Hermit Crabs, True Crabs and Starfishes are herbivores, but most areconsidered omnivorous, as well as scavengers as mentioned above.

Hermit Crab s




Omnivores

Omnivores eat a combination diet of corals, small crustaceans,invertebrates and some marine plant life. These are not predatory fish, butsome spec ies will sometimes pick at flesh also. Damsels, Clownfishes,

Cow/Boxfishes, Anthias', Blennies, Gobies, Dottybacks, Filefishes,Goatfishes, Seahorses, Spade/Batfishes, Sweetlips, Wrasses/Hogfishes andMoorish Idols all fall into this category. Angels and Butterflyfishes areconsidered to be omnivores, but some species mainly feed on coralsand/or certain types of sponges.

Clownfish

Suspension or Filter Feeders

Suspension or filter feeders are either stationary animals that derive theirnutrition from filtering out nutrients and microscopic foods suspended inthe ocean water, or sand-sifting animals that filter foods from theirsubstrate environment. Animals like corals, tube worms, sponges and thelike are suspension feeders, while sea cucumbers, some species ofstarfishes, marine worms and other similar invertebrates fall into the filterfeeder category.




Mandarinfish/Dragonets, some Blenny, Goby and other similar fish spec iesare predatory sand sifters. They search for tiny crustaceans to feed on,and require a good healthy population of them in the aquarium substrateto survive.

Ma nd a rin Fish

Now that you know what type of feeder you have, you have a betterunderstanding of what foods and feeding methods would most attract it.For example, you wouldn’t necessarily offer a Mandarin Fish a piece of

hot buttered popcorn, since it probably wouldn’t be interested. On theother hand, it may be very interested in a tiny crustacean set on thebottom of the tank

When feeding fish in a captive aquarium, you have to keep in mind thatwhen you throw food into the tank and it is floating around; many fish willignore it at first; that’s not how meals are served in the briny ocean blue.Many species in a short period of time will figure out that it is a foodsource, but some will not.

For herbivores and omnivores, most species in general adapt to tank-fedfoods fairly well, but some Angels and Butterflies can be little stubborn,picky eaters. In nature their food is attached to reef life on the oceanfloor, not free floating. For specific coral eaters, of course this is wherethey’ll look for food, as well as other life that attaches to or lives on corals.As for predatory carnivores, their natural instinct is to hunt for living,moving prey.




You want to feed the marine animal by mimicking, as closely as you can,the way they would eat at home. This not only pertains to wha t they eat,but how they eat in nature as well. By doing this it stimulates their feedinginterest much more than trying to adapt them to an unnatural feedingmethod that is foreign to them.

Since your aquarium probably has a variety of marine life in it with variousfeeding traits, and some inhabitants are pigs disguised as fish, youundoubtedly will need to use a variety of mixed foods and feedingmethods to addressa ll their nutritional requirements.

Some fish are more top and middle tank dwellers, while others grazealong the bottom. Use food combinations that ensure the food is gettingto the bottom fish feeders, like sinking food pellets, or by making suresome of it is secured to the bottom.

For feeding herbivores, for example, use some type of feeding or lettuceclip to secure leafy foods down so it’s not floating around the tank.

• If you do not use a feeding or lettuce clip, place the leafy foodspartially under a rock to keep it on the bottom, with the majority ofthe food sticking out waving in the current.

• When using lettuces and other vegetables, a good idea is to firstfreeze and then thaw them out before feeding. This breaks downthe structure of the food making it easier for the fish to digest it, aswell as making it easier for them to bit off pieces. But don't boilthese foods, because that removes beneficial nutrients.

• Feeding broccoli and carrots can provide valuable Vitamin A,helpful in healing fish suffering from HLLE (Head and Lateral LineErosion).

• For fish that are coral and invertebrate pickers, you can smear, stickor press food down into rocks, cracks or crevices in the tank. Thesefish are naturally looking for food in these areas. One good way todo this is to use chunks or a pasty type food mix.

• Plastic long handled tongs or some type of feeding tool works great

for feeding fish that bite or sting, such as Eels, Lionfishes, Groupers,etc. At first a fish may be startled by the tongs and withdraw whenyou wave the food in front of it, but soon they’ll get used to seeingthe tongs and associates it with feeding time. For stationary foodeating anemones and corals, these feeding tools allow you to bringthe food directly to them as well, without having to stick your arm inthe tank!




• For predatory animals, the feeding of live foods stimulates theirnatural hunting instincts.

If you are having difficulties with a particular tank inhabitant not eatingshortly after you get it home, consult with the fish store where you got it. Inreality, you should have done this be fo re you purchased it. One of thethings you should have done to actually see it eating in the store, andfound out exactly wha t and how it’s been fed.

A marine animal that was eating just fine in the store, but has decided not

to eat now that you’ve brought it home sometimes needs a little time toadjust to its new home and neighbors. Once the stresses of moving haveeased, it usually picks up its normal eating patterns in a few days. If itdoesn' t , and one type of food or method of feeding is not working, don'twait, try something else, and keep trying until you find something thatd o e s work.

CHOW TIME

Now let’s take a look at some of the food choices you have for feedingyour various critters.

If you’re just starting out, start with something basic before moving on tothe more esoteric versions of fish food. It’s kind of the equivalent ofstarting off with home cooking before moving up to a five-star gourmetrestaurant.

How Much Should I Feed?

Overfeeding tank fish is the single biggest reason tanks become dirty soquickly. Here’s a general rule of thumb – ok, tw o rules of thumb (or wouldthat be two rule of thumbs?):

• Feed your fish o n c e a day• Feed no more than they will eat in less tha n o ne m inute .




I know that doesn’t sound like much, but if they’re not scarfing up thefood that quickly you’re feeding too much.

Basic Food Tips

Although protein is the essential nutrient in any fishy diet, like all goodthings too much, too little, or the wrong type of protein can poseproblems. The very best protein comes from - you guessed it - other fish.Look for fish meal, shrimp, and other seafood on the label.

Like a ny food, the nutrients in fish food deteriorate over time. In fact theydeteriorate pretty quickly, so it's best to only buy what you can use in a

month or less.

Nutritional Composition

Depending on the fish’s feeding habits (carnivore, omnivore, herbivore, orstrainer feeder), the percentage of fat, fiber, and protein varies.

Carnivore Omnivore Herbivore Strainer

Fat 3-6% 2-5% 1-3% 2-4%

Fiber 2-4% 3-8% 2-6% 5-10%

Protein 45-70% 30-40% 30-40% 15-30%

Moisture 6-10% 6-10% 6-10% 6-10%

Here are some of the most widely used varieties:

Flake, Tablet and Pelleted Foods

These are the most commonly used foods, and for good reason: They’rewidely available, they provide balanced nutrition and they’re relativelyinexpensive. These foods come in many forms including speciallyformulated mixtures for certain fish or conditions.




Select a variety of flakes, and rotate for each feeding. This gives you ahigher chance of supplying the proper nutrients, without making your fishbored to tears with getting served the same old thing day after day.Some manufacturers are now packaging several different kinds of flakesin a single can, and all you have to do is twist the top to get a different

selection. It's a great way to offer your fish variety. Your local aquariumsupply store should have these in stock. Ask them for suggestions aboutpopular choices for your species of fish.

Feed your fish a varied flake selection together with a variety of live foods,and you can't go wrong. Your fish will not only be healthier, but they’ll behappier, too.

Frozen Foods

There are a wide variety of frozen foods available for freshwater fish,including krill, plankton, squid, vegetable-based foods, and other meat-based products. There are frozen foods containing a mixture ofingredients formulated spec ially for certain fish types.

Freeze-dried Foods

Freeze-dried foods have a big advantage over live foods, because theyretain all the nutrients of live food without the hassle of keeping live crittersaround. To make sure you’re provided a balanced diet, I’d recommendyou feed freeze-dried foods in addition to a good flake food.

Live Foods

There are some advantages to feeding live foods – namely your tankcritters like them because they’re familiar with dining on other little crittersin their natural environment. But there are also drawbacks to feeding live

foods – they can be difficult to keep and store and serve.

Here are some of the more popular varieties of live foods by category:




Crustaceans

• Brine Shrimp - very popular. Comes in live, frozen and freeze-dried forms, and can also be cultivated at home using brineshrimp eggs.

• Water Fleas – Can be fed as a supplement about every 7-10days. Also comes in live, frozen and freeze-dried forms.

• Cyclops - A good food for large fry and small fish, although thesecrustaceans w ill attack small fry. Available in frozen and liveforms.

• River Shrimp – A natural food for many large fish, but in order tokeep them alive you must have a cool water tank with strongaeration

Worms

• Black Worms – these are segmented worms usually raised on fishfarms

• Tubifex Worms – these nasty critters live in muddy, pollutedstreams, and can carry parasites and toxins. (They’re theequivalent of human fast food.) Stay away from them if possible– I only mention them because they c a n be used temporarily ifyour fish refuses any other food.)

• White Worms – fatty and should only be fed occasionally. Theycan be cultured at home, and are usually used to feed older fry.

• Earthworms – yep, regular old earthworms out of your garden.Clean them off and feed them to larger, meat eating fish.

Insect Larvae

• Bloodworms - A favorite fish food that can be purchased frozen,freeze-dried, or live.

• Black Mosquito Larvae - Black Mosquito larvae are an excellentfood, full of vitamins that appear to help trigger spawning insome species. Easily caught in ponds and can be raised instanding containers of water.

• White Mosquito Larvae (Glassworms) - Glassworms are found inponds. These insect larvae develop into gnats. Glassworms areavailable in live and frozen forms.




• Meal Worms - Meal worms are the larvae of beetles and areavailable in many pet shops. They’re an occasional supplement,not a steady diet.

Insects

• Fruit Flies - Use only short-winged, non-flying fruit flies which areless likely to escape.

• Flies, Crickets, Beetles, Back swimmers - House flies can becaptured, disabled, and fed to medium-to-large, carnivorousfish. Crickets can be captured or purchased at a pet store.Beetles and back swimmers can also be captured.

• Mollusks, Snails - Small water snails, can be fed to many speciesincluding Pufferfish.

Vertebrates

• Feeder Fish, Frogs, Tadpoles - Goldfish and guppies are widelyused as feeder fish for larger species, as are frogs and tadpoles.

Micro Foods

Micro foods are easier to collect or culture than they are to buy. Microfoods are usually used for raising small fry.

• Green Water (Suspended Algae) - Easily cultured. Take a jar ofaquarium water, add some algae from the aquarium, a fewdrops of plant fertilizer and leave it in a sunny spot. Feed withan eye dropper.

• Infusoria and Rotifers - Infusoria is the name given to certainsingle-celled microorganisms. Culture infusoria by addingcrushed banana or lettuce to a jar filled with aquarium water.

Feed using an eyedropper. Rotifer eggs can often be purchasedat pet shops.

• Egg Yolk – strain an egg yolk into a jar, add water and shakeuntil water is cloudy. Feed using an eyedropper.




Vitamins

Like any living organism, vitamins have an effect on fish as well. Here aresome of the benefits of a balanced diet for your critters.

• Vitamin A – stimulates cell growth• Vitamin B1 (Thiamin) – breaks down carbohydrates and

promotes growth and fertility• Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) – controls enzymes and proteins• Vitamin B3 (Nicotin acid) – helps aid in breakdown of proteins• Vitamin B5 (Pantothene acid) – hormone production and

metabolism• Vitamin B6 (Pyridomin) and B12 (Cyanocobalamin) – aids in

enzyme and protein metabolism• Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid) – aids in bone development,

healing and digestion

• Vitamin D3 – bone development• Vitamin E – development of sex organs and fertility • Vitamin K – blood formation and blood clotting • Choline - growth and fat production and coloration




POPULAR FRESHWATER SPECIES

As we discussed before, it would literally be impossible to give youdescriptions of every possible choice for a freshwater tank, but I will giveyou a rundown of some of the most popular and the most successfulspecies.

There are several categories of fish that have proven popular infreshwater aquariums:

• Cichlids – these are freshwater fish from tropical America ,Africa and Asia. There are literally hundreds of sub-species –some of the more familiar are Angelfish and Discus.

• Cyprinids – these fish also come from Africa, Asia and

America, as well as Europe. They’re hardy and colorful, andinclude such recognizable species as Barbs and Danios.

• Catfish – normally native to Africa and South America, catfishare now recognized the world over. They’re very tough andvery placid, making them an excellent choice for anaquarium.

• Anabantoids – this more aggressive species hails from Africaand parts of Asia, and includes Gouramis and Siamesefighting fish.

• Livebearers – these fish are native to Central America for the

most part, and are very popular in aquariums since they areso hardy. Platys, Mollys and guppies belong to this category.• Characins – the ever-popular Tetras, Silver Dollars and

Piranhas belong to this family.

On the following pages you’ll see some examples of each of thesecategories of fish.




Angelfish

A member of the Cichlids genre,

Angelfish are intelligent and “pet-like”, but can be more aggressivewith smaller spec ies. They can alsogrow up to 6” in length, so Irecommend keeping them withlarger species.

Discus

Also C ichlids, Discus are pretty laidback and peaceful, so they do wellin community tanks. One downsideis that they’re sensitive to waterconditions, so a clean tank and softwater are a necessity.

Tiger Barbs

A member of the Cyprinids, Tiger

Barbs are active fish who love toschool. They do well in communitytanks.




Neon Tetra

One of the most popular aquariumfish, Tetras are C haracins, and like Tiger Barbs like traveling in schools.

Tiny little guys, keep them out oftanks with larger meat-eaters so theydon’t become lunch.

Red Tailed Shark

Like most sharks, the Red Tailed Sharkis a carnivore and a bottom feeder,and a member of the Cyprinidgenre. They are particularlysusceptible to poor or changingwater quality – so if you seen themacting strangely although the rest ofthe fish in your tank seem fine, checkout the pH, nitrite and ammonialevels in the tank.

Silver Dollars

A member of the Characins, SilverDollars are non-aggressive fish thatdo well in community tanks. Theymind their own business and travel inschools, but they an be excitable

when something interesting goes onoutside the tank.




Severum

Personable and “pet-like” Severumare members of Cichlids, and can

grow from nickel-sized to larger thanyour hand. They should be kept in alarger tank (30 gallons or bigger.)

Lemon Cichlid

Similar to the Severum, this fish is onlyaggressive when spawning. They arequiet and peaceful and well suitedfor community aquariums with othernon-aggressive fish.

Porthole Catfish

These catfish are a very low key, laidback kinda fish. Other than eating,they’re pretty quiet. They hangaround in plants or on rocks untildinner time, minding their ownbusiness.




Mollies

Mollies are hardy and breed readilyin captivity, since they’re a memberof the Livebearer group.

Oscar

Oscars are cichlids, and prefer livefood. So if you have a smallerspecies that you want to keeparound, use a different tank to keepthem in, otherwise they maybecome an “Oscar snack.”

Siamese Fighting Fish (Betta)

The Siamese Fighting Fish is abeautiful fish that comes in a widevariety of colors. The males can be

extremely aggressive and will fightconstantly if housed together. Theircolor is enhanced in a very smalltank; in a larger tank their brilliantcolors tend to wash or fade out.




Gourami

One of the most popularAnabantoids, these fish come inmany different shapes, sizes andcolors. They are great for communitytanks but som e typ es grow to bevery large...possibly up to or over 3

feet in leng th!

Guppy

Perhaps the most popular livebeareron the market, guppies are easy tocultivate and are very hardy. Didyou know that no two guppies look

exactly alike?

Platy

Another Livebearer, Platys do wellwhen kept with other Livebearers. They’re happiest when schoolingwith their buddies.




POPULAR SALTWATER SPECIES

Clownfish

Clownfish can range in color from thistypical orange and white to black toblue. They’re active, which issometimes mistaken for “clowningaround”, hence their name.

Cowfish

This odd-looking critter is a cowfish,one of a family of fish that haveunusual characteristics, such asbeing able to move their eyes

independently and exuding toxinswhen frightened or threatened.

Damsels

Small and active, these brilliantlycolored little guys are also known asthe anemones fish, because theylive and breed among anemones inthe wild.




Flame Angelfish

This glow-in-the-dark angelfish is very

hardy and does well in a communitytank. They like to graze on algaeand prefer established tanks.

Flame Hawkfish

The Flame Hawkfish, also known asthe Brilliant Hawkfish, can be foundhanging out on the coral reefs androck perches of your tank, waiting forprey to swim by.

Golden Seahorse

This little charmer uses his prehensiletail to hold onto seaweed and coral

as it makes its way around the tank.No Seattle Slew, this racehorse is tooslow to chase its prey, so it uses itslong nose to suck in smallcrustaceans.




Koran Angelfish

A brilliantly-colored species of

Angelfish, the Koran is a very popularand hardy fish that thrives in acommunity tank. It loves hangingout in the rocks and grazing onalgae.

Lionfish

This spectacular fish is a little lazy – itsfavorite hunting tactic is to hang outat the edge of the reef and wait fordinner to swim by. They particularlyenjoy small crustaceans.

Niger Triggerfish

This fish that resembles a brightly-

colored Goodyear Blimp actuallychanges color from day to day –switching from blue to green andback again. It makes a gruntingsound, and can rearrange the rocksin your tank.




Polka-Dot Grouper

Also known as the panther grouper, this fish

is very hardy and long-lived, and will addenormous visual interest to your tank. Theygrow rapidly, so make sure they don’toutgrow the tank too soon.

Yellow Tang

This little guy, also known as the YellowHawaiian Tang, isn’t as goofy as thispicture makes him look – he’s actually fairlyaggressive, even to its own spec ies, andyou should only keep one per tank.




WHO GETS ALONG WITH WHOM?

Take a look at the chart below. Those fish listed in the “Community” groupcan generally safely be mixed together in the same tank. I say generallybecause fish are individuals, too, and you may have fistfights and

squabbles break out from time to time, even among passive fish thatnormally get along.

Regardless of how docile each species appears, keep an eye on themand make sure you separate individuals who appear likely to cause greatbodily injury to their tank mates.

Fish Compatibility Chart

Category Community Semi-Aggressive Aggressive=======================================================================Anabantids

Dwarf Gourami Honey Gourami Black Paradisefish

Flame Gourami Kissing GouramiOpaline GouramiPearl GouramiSiamese Fighting Fish/Betta(1)Spiketailed Paradisefish

CatfishBanjo Catfish Bumble Bee CatfishBristlenoseChinese Algae EaterCorydorasGreen Catfish

Leopard CatfishPlecostomusSpotted CatfishUpside Down Catfish

CharacinsBlack Neon Tetra Black Widow Red Belly PiranhaBlack Phantom Tetra Bleeding Heart TetraCardinal Tetra Buenos Aires TetraCongo Tetra Silver DollarEmperor TetraFlame TetraGlowlight TetraHead & Tail Light TetraNeon TetraRummy Nosed TetraSerpae TetraHatchetfishPencilfishBloodfinPenguin FishX-Ray Fish




CichlidsAngelfish Firemouth ConvictBlue Acara Severum Green TerrorDiscus (2) Jack DempseyFestivum Red Oscar

Ram

CyprinidsCherry Barb Flying FoxBala (Tri-Color) Shark Green Tiger BarbBlack Shark Red Tailed SharkBlue Danio Rosy BarbGiant Danio Tiger BarbWhite Cloud Tinfoil BarbZebra DanioHarlequin Rasbora

KillifishLyretail

LivebearersGuppy Swordtail Knife LivebearerMollyPlaty

LoachesClown Loach

Dwarf LoachHorseface Loach

Unclassified

Australian Rainbowfish Archer Butterfly FishBoesmani Rainbowfish Freshwater PufferBumble Bee GobyElephant NoseRainbowfish




COMMON FISHY ILLNESSES & AILMENTS

Probably one of the most common questions I get asked is “What’s wrong

with my fish?” Well, that’s a little hard to diagnose without actually seeingthe fish itself, but there are some common ailments you should be familiarwith, and you should be able to identify when something is really wrong.

First off, you need to have a “Fishy First Aid Kit” handy.

FIRST A ID KIT

Yes, you c a n have a first aid kit for your fish. My advice is to set one upbe fo re something goes wrong.

• Water quality test kits: pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate

• Aquarium salt (NOT table salt. Most table salts contain additives tokeep them from clumping. Kosher or rock salt is OK).

• Malachite green/formalin ich remedy

• Methylene blue

• Chlorine bleach for disinfection

• Maybe one antibiotic (Kaynamycin or Furanace)

• Antibiotic-containing food

• Copper remedy for parasites

And for fish big enough to handle:

• Q-tips

• Malachite green or mercurochrome




Now that you have all those emergency items on hand, here are a fewbasics to watch out for that are indications your fish m a y be in trouble.

Most important: wa t c h your fish and know what their no rma l behavior andappearance is. If you don't know what no rma l is, you can't possibly knowwhat sic k looks like.

SYMPTOMS THAT ARE NOT NORMAL:

• Clamped fins (fins are held abnormally close to body)

• The fish refuses its usual food for more than 2 days.

• There are visible spots, lesions, or white patches on the fish.

•

The fish gasps at the surface of the water.• The fish floats, sinks, whirls, or swims sideways.

• The fish shimmies (moves from side to side without going forward).

• A normally active fish is still.

• A normally still fish is very active.

• The fish suddenly bloats up, and it's not due to eggs or young.

• The fish is scratching against tank decorations.

BAD WATER QUALITY

Symptoms: Your fish are gasping at the surface, or swimming lethargically,or even changing color – from bright to dark or dull. There are no visiblelesions you can see, but they may be swimming with fins clamped. Manyfish of different spec ies are affected, and possibly the whole tank.

If the water has been bad for a while, the fish may have finrot, or streaksof blood in their fins.

• If fish are gasping at the surface, or have purple gills: high ammoniaor low dissolved O2 may be the problem; test ammonia, dissolvedO2




• If the main symptom is inactivity: test nitrites, pH, dissolved 02,nitrates

Depending on your test results, try the following:

Ammonia

Change enough of the water to reduce ammonia levels to 1-2 ppmfor freshwater or below 1 ppm for saltwater. If that means changingmore than a third of the water, be sure the water you add is thesame temperature, salinity, hardness and pH of the tank water. It isalso okay to do multiple smaller water changes for a few days.Aerate, and make sure pH is at or below 7.0 for freshwater tanks. Inaddition to or instead of changing water, you can also add a dose

of AmQuel to give fish immediate relief. Find out why ammonia ispresent and correct the problem.

Nitrites

Change enough of the water to bring nitrites down to below 2 ppm(as with ammonia, if this is a lot of water, do multiple waterchanges), add 1 tbsp/gallon salt (not all fish may tolerate this much-- start out with 1 tsp), and add supplemental aeration. Find out whythe nitrite levels are high and correct the problem.

Nitrates

Change water and clean the filter. If your filter is dirty, there is morewaste material present to break down into nitrate. Start feeding lessand changing water more often.

Low oxygen

Run an airstone. If this helps a lot, the fish probably don't have

enough oxygen in the water. Your tank may need cleaning, fewerfish, or additional water movement at the surface from a powerhead, airstone, or filter.

Improper pH

If pH is too low: make sure carbonate buffering is adequate -- atleast 5dKH. In general, adding baking soda at 1 tsp. per 30 gal.




raises dKH about 2°. For a 10-20g tank that just needs the pH a littlehigher, try about a quarter teaspoon. If that isn't enough, add up toa teaspoonful more. You can scale this up to 1 tsp/30 gal for largertanks. If the pH is still too low and the KH is at least 5-6 dKH, cleanthe tank. For long-term buffering in saltwater and alkaline freshwater

systems, add crushed coral. If pH is too high, pH down (phosphoricacid) can be added. Don't rely on this stuff, except in extremesituations like ammonia poisoning because it can cause excessivealgal growth. To lower pH long-term, filter over peat, or use distilledor deionized water mixed with your tap water.

FRESHWATER ICH

Symptoms: Fish look like they have little white salt grains on them and may

scratch against objects in the tank.White spot disease (Ic ht hy o p th irius m ultifiliis) is caused by a tiny organismthat starts with one fish, falls off and attaches itself to the tank glass orgravel, then grabs onto another fish and spreads to the entire tank.

To treat it, you must treat the entire tank. Medicine must be added to thetank to kill the parasites – but be careful – if it’s a reef tank, invertebratesare very sensitive to reef medications, so really the only alternative is toremove the fish to a quarantine tank.

Some people think that ich is probably dormant in most tanks, and is

probably triggered by temperature fluctuations.

Remedy: For most fish, use a medication with formalin and malachitegreen. These are the active ingredients in many ich medications at fishshops. Some commercial products are Kordon's Rid Ich and AquariumProducts' Quick Cure. Use these products as directed (usually a dailydose) until all of the fish are spot-free. Then dose every three days for atotal of four more doses.

FIN ROT

Fishes' fins turn whitish and die back. Fin rot often follows damage or injury.It can also be caused by poor water quality.

Remedy: First, fix the water and remove any aggressive species that arebiting your other fish. Change about 25% of the tank water and add 1




tsp/gallon salt to promote healing. Healing should begin within a coupleof days.

If it worsens, it could be fungal or bacterial.

Fungal finrot looks like clumps of cotton on the fins and usually followsinjury. Treatment for fungus: For fish large enough to handle, catch thefish, and dab malachite green directly on the fungus with a Q-tip. This isextremely effective. Repeat treatments may be necessary.

For smaller fish, try a commercial product such as Maroxy. For severeinfestations, try a bath in methylene blue (enough so you can barely seethe fish) until the fungus turns blue or for about 20 min. Don’t addmethylene blue directly to the tank; or you’ll kill your plants and ruin thebiological filter.

Bacterial finrot is whitish, but not cottony and can be contagious. The fishthen need to be removed from the tank and medicated.

Treatment for a bacterial infection: Remove the fish to a quarantine tankand treat with Antibiotics. This is stressful for the fish, and doesn't alwayswork, so be sure of what you’re doing before you try this. If the fish is stilleating, try an antibiotic food.

If the fish is not eating, a bath treatment is necessary. A combination ofKaynamycin and Furanace usually works, especially for Columnaris.Remove to a separate tank and aerate heavily.

INJURIES

Sometime fistfights will break out in your tank among species, and thecombatants may sustain injuries that are severe enough to bleed. Otherfish may run into tank decorations, walls, or rocks.

Larger fish can be netted and their injuries dabbed with mercurochrome(available at drug stores) or Betadine (iodine-based antibiotic alsoavailable at drug stores) to help prevent infection. Do Not Get TheseChemicals in the gills and eyes!

For really small fish, put the affected fish in dilute methylene blue (paleblue) and 1 tsp/gallon salt in a separate tank.

Watch the fish to be sure injuries are healing cleanly, and repeat themercurochrome dosage if necessary. If finrot or fungus sets in, see theabove section on finrot.




DROPSY

This is what makes fish swell up like a balloon and their eyes bug out.Dropsy can be caused by a variety of things – the most common are highnitrates in the tank and bacterial infections. The swelling is caused by thefish is absorbing water faster than it can eliminate it,

Your fish may recover with no treatment whatsoever, or may die despiteyour best efforts to save it.

If there are no water quality problems, you may want to attemptantibiotic treatment in a separate tank.

HEAD AND LATERAL LINE EROSION (HLLE OR HOLE- IN-HEAD DISEASE)

This disease can affect discus, other cichlids, and many saltwater fish. Thefish develops holes in its head and sometimes along its lateral line. Thecauses are unclear but as in any disease, stress and poor water qualitylikely play a role.

It’s interesting to note that fish in p l an ted tanks rarely get HLLE, whichsupports the nutrition idea, since fish can nibble on the plants and obtainextra nutrition. Or it may have something to do with the interchange of

plants and oxygen. Scientists just aren’t sure.Remedy: First, make sure water quality is optimal and reduce stress.Carbon filtration may facilitate this problem, since it can remove nutrientsfrom the water. So if you are using carbon filtration, switch to another formfor a while, and feed a vitamin-enriched food in the meantime, payingparticular attention to vitamin C supplementation.

For stubborn cases, some experts suggest metronidazole (Flagyl) toeliminate Hexamita (a mildly pathogenic protozoan) from the lesions.

SWIM BLADDER DISORDERS

Fish floats upside-down or sideways. This is particularly common in fancygoldfish because of their bizarre body shapes. Dry food eaten quicklyswells up in the fish's intestine and keeps the fish from controlling its swim




bladder properly. This is a little like bloat in a dog, if you’re familiar withthat malady.

To help, feed the fish pre-soaked or gel-based foods. Green foods are alsohelpful.

As with finrot, these disorders can also be caused by bacterial infection. Treatment is much the same. Use antibiotic food if the fish is eating, or addantibiotic to the water in a quarantine tank if the fish is too sick to eat.

LARGE EXTERNAL PARASITES (AS OPPOSED TO ICH)

Add a copper remedy to the tank and monitor it with a copper test kit.Also, Mardel's Maroxy works well. For anchor worms or leeches on pond

fish, remove them from the affected fish with tweezers and swab the areawith mercurochrome to prevent infection.

VELVET

Fish look like they have been finely dusted with flecks of gold. Fins may beclamped and the fish may shimmy.

Treat with an anti-parasitic medication such as copper orformalin/malachite green.



CONCLUSION

Well, there you have it – a comprehensive look at all things fishy – from

setting up your tank to safety concerns to health issues and what to doabout them. We’ve looked at various species of freshwater fish andsaltwater fish, and the best way to care for each. We’ve covered a lot ofterritory, and whether you’re a complete novice at Tropical Fish raisingand owning, or someone who’s had years of experience – I hope you’vefound Tropical Fish Secrets chock full of useful and fun information. Icertainly had fun writing it.

My own personal experience has been that once this hobby gets its hooksin you – it never lets go! It turns into a lifetime obsession because there’salways something new to learn, or a new fish to buy, or a new piece of

technology that comes out to make your life easier and your fish happier.

Thanks for coming along on this journey of discovery with me, and maythe fish be with you!

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