Tank Start Guide
Author: David Bogert
Index: 1 Basics, 2 Cycling, 3 Food, 4 Water, 5 Toxins, 6 Filtration, 7 Media, 8 Filters, 9 Aeration, 10 Diseases, 11 Symptoms, 12 Treatment, 13 Stocking, 14 Equipment, 15 Plants, 16 Algae, 17 Fish, 18 Maintenance
This is a website dedicated to freshwater aquariums. It is based on SCIENCE AND LOGIC, not on parroted internet “advice”, anecdotal “It worked great for me“, or the marketing hype of some profit-driven marketer.
What needs to be emphasized is that this research has pointed out that there are a huge number of ways to be successful with freshwater aquariums. The aquarium is a natural system and Mother Nature is very flexible. One does not need to invest huge amounts of money and time in fish-keeping to have beautiful tanks. Nor does one need to do a ton of research before getting into the hobby. And above all, there is simply no “right way” to do things in this hobby.
So if one is a newcomer to the hobby just relax and enjoy it. If you obsess over every detail and believe all the negativity on social media along the lines of “don’t do this or you will kill your fish” you will not enjoy the hobby and you will leave in relatively short order.
There are 18 chapters leading to over 400 articles on almost all aspects of keeping a freshwater aquarium. These articles have NO links to profit-making sites and thus have no “questionable motivations” in their recommendations, unlike all the for-profit sites you will find with Google. Note I do admit a bias against several companies which blatantly use huge amounts of egregious “pseudoscientific bedazzlement” to sell worthless aquarium products. I can’t help it.
Bookmark and browse! Note that a search bar at the bottom of each page allows one to search the entire site for any particular subject. Note that the entire website is “open” in that any written material can be freely quoted and used without regard to copyrights.
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Multilevel Information
This website is designed in descending levels of difficulty, the first level on any given subject which is very simple, a second more complicated level, in some cases going all the way down to sixth and seventh levels which can be very wordy, convoluted and difficult. Note that because each article has to stand on it own in this hierarchy, we often repeat ourselves as we go from simple to complex explanations.
First Level: Keeping it Simple
We start out with a very simple fifteen-point list of what to do with a new aquarium, This simple list can be found in the article:
Second Level
Then we add a second level of complexity when we discuss three very important topics: chlorine, cycling, and the amount of food in this link:
1.1. Guidelines for Beginners
Third Level: Guidelines for Beginners
Then we add a third level of complexity when we give condensed versions of various topics in articles 1.1.1. to 1.1.14.
1.1.1. What to do with Your First Aquarium
1.1.2. A Simple Way to Cycle an Aquarium
1.1.3. Fish Food Simplified
1.1.4. Water Parameters
1.1.5. Filters for the Newbie
1.1.6. Filter Media
1.1.7. Aeration
1.1.8. Stocking a Tank
1.1.9. Brown Algae in a New Tank
1.1.10. Plants and the New Hobbyist
1.1.11. The Most Common Fish Disease – Ich
1.1.12. How to Make Fish Thrive
1.1.12.1. Guideline Example
1.1.13. Fish for the Beginner
1.1.14. Aquarium Maintenance
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Fourth Level: Basic Fishkeeping
Then there are the rather verbose general interest articles in the “Basics of Fishkeeping” section 1.2. though 1.7., the fourth level of difficulty.
1.2. 150 Myths
1.3. Marketing Hype
1.4. Sources of Data
1.5. Aquarium Options
1.6. Causes of Rapid Fish Deaths
1.7. Causes of Slow Fish Deaths
Fifth and Sixth Levels: Fishkeeping in Depth
Then there is the fifth level of difficulty in the 18 chapters seen at the top of this article in maroon (also seen either below this section [mobile use] or on the right side [computer screen]). These 18 “chapters” then lead to the sixth level of over 400 “articles” on various aquarium subjects.
Seventh and Eighth Levels: The Scientific Research Papers
Some of these articles have a seventh and even an eighth level of difficulty which delve into the basic science underlying the hobby with many scientific journal articles, book excerpts, and other references. These are long and tedious dissertations only for real aquarium nerds like the author.
Hierarchy
The articles are arranged in a hierarchy. Take the three articles on nitrate for instance. The main article “5. Ammonia, Nitrite, Nitrate, and Chlorine” is a general overview. This article links at the bottom of its 5. article to the hyperlink “5.4. Safe Nitrate Levels”. The article, “5.4. Safe Nitrate Levels”, talks only about nitrate. At the bottom of the 5.4. article, there is a link to the article “5.4.1. Nitrate in Depth”. This final 5.4.1. article is a very boring, verbose, and lengthy look at the scientific papers on nitrate. This is a very typical “hierarchy”.
The Author
The author’s credentials are in the following article
97. Author of tankstartguide.com/
The listing of some eighteen chapters in maroon either below or to the right side leads to over four hundred articles on all aspects of keeping tropical fish. These articles have NO links to profit-making sites and are thus unbiased in their recommendations, unlike all the for-profit sites one will find with Google. Bookmark and browse.
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Hi Dave,
I posted a question here about half a year ago about how to handle cyanobacteria in a tank that, according to all internet wisdom, should not have had a cyanobacteria problem (lightly stocked and fed, crystal clear water, good circulation, excessive filtration). I think I may have finally diagnosed what was wrong and found a solution. This is completely anecdotal so take everything I say with a grain of salt, but I figured it would be nice to write an update on the situation.
Suspected causes for the cyanobacteria:
– Too much ambient sunlight. Cyano grew more aggressively on the window-facing sides of my aquarium. My apartment has skylights and large windows, and I’m not willing to black out the apartment just to reduce the cyano.
– Low nitrogen levels. Increasing the fertilization + weekly removal of the cyano did help more than doing weekly removal with my ordinary fertilization schedule. This slowed down the problem and did not get ride of the cyano growth.
How I solved the issue:
– Ramshorn snails. I bought amano shrimp, pond snails, and ramshorns to add a cleaning crew to this aquarium. Only the ramshorns seemed to have an appetite for the cyano. I regularly saw them crawling around on the cyanobacteria mats, but never saw any amano shrimp or pond snails. The gentleman at the pet store said the amanos handled a cyano outbreak in his aquarium, but I didn’t see much activity from them in my tank. They are very shy, so it’s possible they did feed on it at night.
This solution may not work for everyone. I’ve read there are many variety of cyanobacteria, and the ramshorns may not have the same appetite for all of the different strains.
Sorry mostly a rant post. Although I must congratulate them for coming up with an insane belief that isn’t mentioned in your myths
So turns out someone in a facebook group I am in asked about pH fluctuations. The details aren’t important EXCEPT that this problem had been ongoing for a month.
One of the admins of the group suggested it could be a barometric pressure thing. While I will VAGUELY acknowledge that barometric pressure could increase CO2 and other dissolved gases, given we have zero control over it, AND over any time period longer then a month, it will average out (and excluding rare events, with average out over a week) I quite simply pointed out it wasn’t worth monitoring.
After all, pH change due to photosynthesis and other light based chemical process should be FAR more significant in 99% of tanks.
Yeah that was a mistake. This led to a crazy long discussion where I lost all respect for this admin as he uses a taylor watergram to determine what is ‘balanced’ (you have no idea how much I wanted to beat him to death with the word equilibrium. Water balance is something VERY specific and not applicable to aquariums) aquarium water.
For those of you unfamiliar, its a tool used in the pool and spa industry to determine if your water temperature and chemical composition will damage the pool. And even in those contexts its considered out of date.
But yeah, according to this guy, to get crystal clear water, you should balance your pH, temperature, Hardness and total alkalinity to get a saturation index between -0.3 and 0.3
And regardless how much I pointed out a lifeless pool is a FAR simpler chemistry situation then a living aquarium, AND that the ONLY purpose of that wheel was to make sure your pool water did not damage your pool… he was not convinced.
Hi Dave,
I got a fish that had some odd white spots only on his head, which have been there for going in two weeks now and just today has developed skin lesions. I have tried following the advice of other forums but nothing has helped, and my fish is only getting worse. If you have a moment I would like to send you pictures via email so someone may actually be able to not only help me but also help my fish. Thanks!
In reply to Electrofunk … That is probably canal neuromast inflammation (CNI), a form of hole in the head. It can be caused by a lot of different factors acting together (i.e. a “multifactorial etiology”) so it is not easy to treat. Fish with canal neuromast inflammation typically have two or more of the following problems:
80% are swimming in water with high bacteria counts
70% are being filtered with hang-on-back or sponge filters (i.e. inadequate biofiltration)
30% have mycobacteriosis (“fish TB”)
30% have hexamita (“internal parasites”)
20% have internal bacterial attack such as aeromonas
10% are starved
100% have “secondary” bacterial infections in the lesions
Key question: On your aquarium, if you look down the length of the tank, is the water crystal clear? Does it look like fish at the far side of the tank are swimming in air? If the answer is yes, you have adequate biofiltration. If the water is “dull” and not crystal clear, you need to look long and hard at your biofiltration.
In most cases the solution to CNI is to improve the biofiltration by adding another bigger filter with good media rarely if ever cleaned. It typically also helps to hit the fish with a “shotgun” food approach such as Ron’s medicated food. Read this article for the complete low down. https://tankstartguide.com/index.php/11-1-2-spots-on-head/
Hi Dave,
Just a clarification on dosing for the DIY NH4 fertilizer; “two parts potassium for every one part ammonium added directly to the aquarium” means for every one drop of ammonium solution add two drops of potassium solution?
In other words, you need to add twice the volume of the potassium solution compared to the ammonium solution to achieve the 3.4-0-12
I think I have it right but wanted to double check
Thanks in advance
In reply to Mike … You are correct. Twice the volume of the potassium solution compared to the ammonium solution.
Hello Dave ,
I have an up to date Hailea outside pressure canister filter,that apparently runs its own clean at the turn of a dial.
I have been operating this filter for 3 months for my goldfish pond.
I have never cleaned nor opened the filter since it was set up.
Inside the Hailea is a fitted sponge then under that are a few net bags filled with K1.
My question is :-
Do I clean the filter in an another 9 months. Should I open it and lightly clean it myself or turn the switch and let the Hailea clean its self ?
I am afraid of losing my bacteria colony.
Thank you very much
Yours Suzanne
In reply to Suzanne ….. I would just go head with an automatic clean for a few minutes every three months. The K1 should retain enough bacteria to keep everything going just fine.
@vincent
Did you ask him how he intends to “balance” his water parameters 24/7? Got a feeling his methods might make for very entertaining reading. It’s insanely difficult to measure water parameters to the level of accuracy needed to achieve that so called “balance”.
another possible comeback. If water parameters are so damn important, then the human analogy would be air quality indicators. Has any doctor ever asked their patient for their home “air quality parameters”? Imagine a doctor who prescribes a patient “regular air changes” or attributes every health problem to “air quality indicators”. Hahahahahahhaha….
Forgot to mention the rocks & mineral section was my favorite part!! Super helpful.
@Be
Oh I have no doubt his Saturation index remains between the two variables he wants it to remain between.
We can largely control Temperature. Far better then most pool owners for sure
We can somewhat control Total Alkalinity.
We can somewhat control Gh.
And all together that should make pH stableish.
Keep in mind, despite the fact its near useless in the Aquarium Hobby, maintaining proper SI avoids long term expensive Pool repair bills. To low and your pool’s tile/mortar lining will slowly get eatten away and you will spring a leak… to high and Scaling buildup will cause you plumbing and equipment failure.
Thing is, this is a completely artificial, man made problem so the uses for SI in an Aquarium are…stupid Niche.
Keeping Saturation Index between those numbers would allow you to fill an Aquarium with Limestone and be safe in the knowledge that it will neither be corroded away OR form limescale in your filter.
Well accept of course that as Dave points out, the white buildup in Aquariums is RARELY true Limescale. Aquariums=/= pools. So its even more niche then I am making it out to be.
But according to these people, Saturation Index is the ONLY thing you should care about in Aquariums. All other tests and variables are meaningless.
How they got this idea, when Pool companies make it VERY clear what the purpose of Saturation Index is for, I have no idea.
I just wanted to say thank you for setting up this website. It’s my favourite one since I discovered it! The comprehensive information here is unrivalled. I learned so much from this website and got so much better as a fish keeper thanks to you.
@vincent
It seems SI just sounds like a fancy term for saying that aquarium pH should be in a reasonable range. LOL
I have a theory on why many aquarists get so obsessed with these parameters. A lot of people are subconsciously drawn to the hobby because they enjoy controlling a closed ecosystem. So they’ll fixate on quantifiable parameters for dear life. To recognise that the living system is too complex to control would “take the fun out of it” for them. It’s essentially a kind of denial (in the psychobabble sense).
it’s also like how some health nuts will convince themselves that something or other is THE miracle key to living to 120. In the 1920s and 30s radium spas were very popular in the states. Soaking in radium infused hot baths at exorbitant prices in fancy hotels = youth and vigour. Some people will believe anything. Haha
Anyway, happy x’mas and merry new year to all.!
PS. On aquarium lime scale…. it’s actually very easy to get rid of. I personally use a rotary tool and brass wire brushes. But it takes some skill to apply just the right (meaning feather light) pressure so you don’t scratch the glass.
An easier but slower way to do it is to attach a hard-bristle brush to your power drill. Takes longer, but is safer. Those attachments are very cheap online. Or use something like a purpose-made power scrubber.
So question for everyone
When using most type of Filtration you don’t need much space between the wall and the aquarium. An Inch or two at most, maybe a bit more depending on how the lid of your tank is designed and thus how much mold and fungi caused by evaporation directed at the wall are a risk for you.
Sumps seem to be the exception. (Ignoring tanks drilled from the bottom). However I am not sure how much of an exception it should be. A part of me thinks that if you setup your overflow and plumbing correctly, you should never have to touch it again, and thus 3-4 inches (for the stand pipe) is enough. You just set it up, and use a valve in the cabinet stop and start it.
But then the rest of me thinks about how hard it is to move a 6 foot glass tank, and that if something goes wrong, having to empty the entire aquarium and get 3 people to move it to check your plumbing is… well a nightmare.
And as discussed before I REALLY don’t trust my DIY skills.
So how much space does everyone allow behind their Aquariums for sump plumbing? I have seen 6 inches tends to be the common answer, but I wanted your opinions as I trust you all a little more.
In reply to Vincent ….. My aquariums with sumps are all out five to six inches from the wall. Just how I do it.
@vincent and dave
On the topic of mold and mildew… just interested to know how you mitigate them and/or what your climate and indoor humidity levels are like. Do you have dehumidification/AC on 24/7? Is your climate dry or humid? How do u handle ventilation and does it help?
For me, relative humidity is a constant 70 to 80% throughout the year. No AC or heating ever required in aquarium rooms, so indoor temps and humidity basically mirror those outdoors. I do find that air pumps create somewhat more mildew growth, maybe because the spores get spread more?
Also I use a split AC system, and the ducting does seem to get a lot of gunk like growth inside that looks and smells suspiciously like what you get inside aquarium filters…
Appreciate any tips on how u guys mitigate these problems. Also appreciate any horror stories that you guys might have. Mine – hidden mildew growth on the back and (hidden) sides of teak bookcases that fed a booklice infestation that got very out of hand and that was a nightmare to clean out. Urgh. Calcium chloride dehumidifiers help but they get expensive over time. Still looking for a more efficient solution.
Cheers… =(
In reply to Ben Z …. I do not use air stones. First off they are too noisy for my tastes. Secondly they contribute a whole lot to humidity and aerosols in the home. I’m in subtropical Florida so all the added humidity from air stone has to be removed by the air conditioning. As I like a cool house (70 degrees), air stones will give me some huge electric bills. So I depended on powerheads and wavemakers for aeration of my heavily stocked tanks. They give out a lot less humidity than air stones.
@Dave
That works for bigger tanks. The problem is that I have a bunch of small/nano tanks that i stock rather heavily and there aren’t wavemakers/powerheads that are small enough. Relying on the output from small internal filters for aeration isn’t very reliable either. They get gunked up very quickly in planted tanks, or, worse, their magnetic rotors are so weak that they can stall if something even as small as a leaf gets caught in the impeller blades. Manufacturing isnt what it used to be…
Noise-wise, I solder and hook up small barebones air pumps myself. Those are quiet and can run off a 5v usb port.
Follow up question: do the chemicals used in AC servicing create toxic aerosols after you switch them on again? And, say if i wanted to do some painting or casual furniture repair/refinishing in the house, would the fumes be problematic? If they were, would something like a temporary carbon filter in the aquariums be good enough? (Different rooms, but i live in an apartment, not a house.)
Are there plastic pot scrubbers that should not be used due to composition or additives? I saw a package of Scotch Brite scrubbers that said Not for aquarium use.
In reply to Phil Bunch …. Yes, there are pot scrubbers with soap additives which obviously will cause problems with fish.
Hi Dave, lots of people root pothos and other plants in their tanks, growing the plant above the water. “The Aquarium Specialist” (YouTube channel) did a video claiming that they do NOT remove nitrates as many people claim, but instead remove ammonia directly, thus circumventing the nitrogen cycle. Is this the case? And if so, what happens if you add some to a fully mature cycled tank with an oversized canister filter (full of pot scrubbers)?
Thanks!
Bill
In reply to Bill …. Pothos, while actively photosynthesizing, will remove ammonia. It doesn’t do it when the lights are off. And it requires a lot of light and a lot of pothos to remove a lot of ammonia. So it is a very mixed bag. I much prefer to have a fully cycled filter on a tank before I add any plants. It prevents night time ammonia spikes. And pothos will remove nitrate once it gets through with removing ammonia. It just prefers ammonia.
Hi, first of all thanks for all the times you already answered me, and thanks in advance for any answers you may provide now.
This is a double question about canister filters and power outages.
We know that shutting down the filter can cause death because of lack of oxygenation. Another thing I heard, and that I would like to confirm, is that: when a canister filter shuts down for a long period of time, its bacterial colony may die because of lack of oxygen, and cause the production/build up of toxins, that may kill the animals in the tank once the power is restored and all the content of the canister is thrown back into the tank.
The question therefore are:
1 Is there any data that can tell us how long do bacteria survive in a shut down canister filter?
2 is there any truth in the toxin build up in a “dead” canister?
Thank you again in advance and best regards,
Sergio
In reply to Sergio ….. 1, Anecdotally a highly organic (i.e. lots of brown gunk) in a canister filter that shuts down will start producing toxins in as little as a few hours. These toxins will kill the beneficial nitrifying bacteria and they can kill fish 2, Toxins definitely build-up. Several social media posts have been along the lines of “had the power go out on my canister as I forgot to plug it back in after a water change. When I started it back up after 12 hours a foul smell overtook the aquarium and the fish in the aquarium died”. This is because of hypoxic conditions producing bacterial toxins.
@Dave
Your reply to Sergio’s question got me thinking… I’ve had very mature canisters go hypoxic more times than i can count. Primarily because over here aquarium equipment primarily come with the 2.5A europlugs and i have to use adapters to plug them into our type G sockets, and some of these adapters are notorious for becoming loose over time (urgh). I remember you told me that there’s no way to “save” the gunk. One simply has to thoroughly clean them and then re-cycle the media.
What I have noticed is that, after a VERY thorough cleaning, which includes hosing the media thoroughly and scrubbing the canister walls and piping, none of these canisters actually needed any “re-cycling”. At any rate, there were no ammonia or water clarity problems after i plugged them back in. I’m aware that it could be that the nitrifiers died off and the heterotrophs assimilating ammonia, or it could be that the nitrifiers survived and the nitrates are being assimilated. Either way, it suggests that the microbe population of a very organic/mature filter is resilient.
So, my question is, instead of a thoroughly cleaning, what happens if one takes a canister that has gone foul and puts it on a fishless tank, and then aerate the hell outta the water while letting the canister run as per normal? Since some “good” microbes presumably are resilient enough to survive those hypoxic conditions, wouldn’t it be possible that “re-aerating” the canister this way eventually “restores” the filter?
Asking because cleaning out a hypoxic canister is… not fun.
Also, what exactly are some of the toxins produced in hypoxic conditions, and what are the compounds that we are actually smelling?
In reply to Ben z ….. I would hypothesis that the phrasing “it suggests that the microbe population of a very organic/mature filter is resilient” should read ” it suggests that the microbe population of a very organic/mature aquarium is resilient”. A mature aquarium will have sufficient beneficial bacteria in the aquarium to give one an “instant start”. And I have no idea what the various compounds are.
@Dave
First of all, compliments for your wonderful, educational website!
Can I fill my eheim classic 600 (2217) completely with 30 ipp sponges?
I have a densely planted aquarium with small fish and shrimp.
Do these have to be Poret foam sponges because I come from Belgium (Europe)?
I have no idea where to buy them.
kind regards,
Tim
In reply to Tim … You can fill the cannister completely with sponge (i.e. foam). Or one can use static K1 or plastic pot scrubbers. Poret should be widely available in Europe as it comes from Germany????? But any urethan foam made for aquarium filters should work. Get the coarse foam. If you do use foam be sure to very carefully cut the foam to the proper shape with no gaps.
@Dave
Thank you for your answer.
Have some questions:
1:If I were to use plastic pot scrubbers, do you have an idea how many I would need for the eheim classic 600 (6 liter capacity)?
2: Should the canister filter be filled from the bottom?
3:If I were to use sponges, you are talking about a coarse sponge, which ipp would I use?
In reply to Tim …. 1, fifty small pot scrubbers should do it nicely 2, yes fill from the bottom up 3, And I like 20 ppi foam.
@Ben Z
So on your question of mold and mildew, there are a few factors.
Firstly, how close your tank is to the wall and your lid/hood shape play a role. My smaller tank has a lid that vents any evaporation out the top, and thus has never had mold/mildew issues despite being literally against the wall (well the stand is. The tank is probably a few cms away)
My larger tank while being about 2-3 inches from the wall, has a hood that is completely open at the rear, so it channels the evaporation and airstone splashing right into the wall. This one did have issues.
So how did I solve it…. Tea Tree Oil. I removed the hood, removed the mold that I could with chemical free cleaning, and then painted the wall with Tea Tree oil. As its not water soluble, the vapor wouldn’t be a threat to the fish till it dried, and once dry it would form an anti-fungal layer on the wall.
TO BE CLEAR, this solution is expensive if you have a lot of tanks and will need to be reapplied eventually. (Although thus far, 2 years and no issues so far) Repeated applications may also effect the paintwork of the wall.
The SMARTER solution is to either change the hood to a lid, add ventilation holes to the hood, or move the aquarium further from the wall.
Airstone/Sponge filter placement in the tank and aquarium water level obviously also play a role, as will (as Dave said) using aeration methods that create less splashes. How much it will make a difference is hard to say.
As for whole house levels of humidity… Unfortunately I am less help there. Australian insulation and air penetration standards are terrible by international standards, and as such their is a large volume of gas exchanged with the outside even with all doors closed. Its in fact that bad we take advantage of it in home design, literally venting our Showers into the attic, knowing that once their the steam will get out without needing further ventilation. Older houses sometimes don’t have any ventilation over the stove as the steam from cooking will just find its own way out.
The perk of this, is that its EXCEPTIONALLY unusual for internal humidity to exceed external humidity. The water vapor from my Aquarium will not cause mold to build up in any room EXCEPT the room its in and even then only in locations where a lot of water vapor builds up.
(The other perk being that CO poisoning is basically non-existant here as it never reaches high leveIs indoors, but thats somewhat beyond the topic at hand.)
Finally on your question of AC… we need to define AC as the term is thrown around a LOT for things that aren’t AC.
There are three types of active cooling used too cool homes. Evaporative Cooling, Heat pump cooling and air flow cooling. (Technically the last one is Evaporative cooling but relying on your own sweat). The first two are often referred to AC even though TECHNICALLY speaking it should only apply to the second one.
An Evaporative cooler works by channeling the air through water absorbent pads, cooling the air but increasing humidity. Properly maintained it should never cause anything to enter the air except water vapor, but if its not maintained ESPECIALLY if its an older design, mold can end up growing over the pads. This can make YOU sick, let alone what it might do to your fish.
You have an Evaporative cooler if you have been told you must open your doors/windows to run the AC. Given how it works it should NEVER be used in a tropical location as on high humidity days it either fails to function or increases relative humidity to near 100% (which can cause cold surfaces like tiles floors or winds to become saturated… ask me how I know)… but that hasn’t stopped cheap building companies.
Heat pump cooling (true AC) works by repeatedly condensing and evaporating a gas in 2 or more radiators and blowing air over the cold radiator(s). This decreases humidity (and in fact was its original purpose, the cooling just a benefit) as the cooler radiator condenses water vapor.
In a properly working AC, NOTHING is entering or leaving the system. Its literally just blowing air over something that is cold, and as such your house air only changes by becoming Drier. The drain and filter pads can have issues if its not maintained but its no risk to your fish.
And if the gas leaks out of the heat pump, again, the risk to you is what you should be concerned about. An external leak is harmless (although will mean your AC will work harder and make your bills skyrocket) but an internal leak can be very nasty. While a leak bad enough to cause asphyxiation is EXCEEDINGLY RARE these chemicals can cause long term damage to your body.
@Dave and…
Is the lowest possible TDS value important in a heavily planted aquarium? Would the plants then absorb the nutrients better? What do you think is the target value (TDS) in a heavily planted aquarium?
In reply to Tim …. TDS is unimportant in all aquariums.
@Tim,
So I am going to take a risk and somewhat pre-empt Dave here with the answer, “No…”
Most ferts will increase your TDS meter’s reading, (as it measures dissolved ionic solids for the most part) and thus ignoring every other lifeform in the tank and only focusing on the plant part…
A theoretical minimum TDS would be the value that equaled the amount of nutrients that the plants in your aquarium would use between doses.
This depends on to many factors to count (Type of plants, amount of plants, lights, and CO2, any interactions between molecules that increase or decrease a plants growth, amount of nutrients added by food, amount of nutrients your animals need, etc, etc) and so is essentially impossible to calculate. That’s ignoring the fact that some plants will be unable to absorb nutrients at leaves others can making this even more impractical.
And as such the actually 100% optimal growth method (which is a lot of hard work) is to do the exact opposite.
El Dosing intentionally doses an aquarium with more nutrients then it needs. Algae under this scheme is caused by running out of something, thus by making sure all plants have excess of every nutrient they need, (including CO2) they will grow to their fullest potential and completely out compete algae.
NOTE: El Dosing depends on dosing various different ferts into the tank EVERY DAY, and changing your water once a week. Failure to dose every day will cause algae, and failure to change your water will likely lead to less health animals due to excess phosphates.
It is the method to encourage the maximum plant growth… not the method to necessarily maximize your enjoyment of the hobby.
@vincent
In Singapore, external humidity is constantly high. 80% is considered very rare. Right now it’s 97%, for instance. And it’s 24C, which is as “cold” as it is possible to reach.
There is no appreciable difference between indoor and outdoor humidity unless you keep your AC on 24/7. First, on the topic of AC. All air conditioning units in Singapore are heat pumps, except that the manufacturers removed the heating function. Nobody in their right mind has “evaporative AC” units. The term AC over here has only one meaning.
As for insulation and such. Just for some context… Insulation of the home is irrelevant over here because over 85% of the population lives in high rise housing built and sold by the government. You can’t even make any changes to your windows if it detracts from the “uniform look” of the building. That’s how little you can customise ur home. So, as far as insulation from the elements goes,you get what you get. A “house” in the usual sense of the word, where u have your own yard, costs something like 3 million at minimum. Our currencies are roughly at parity. So… some parts of ur comments are simply inapplicable to me. But I wish they were!!! Haha
I would also add… Everytime I hear about “make sure your xxx is to code” I get a bit wistful. Over here, we never have to worry about things like that. Over here, “make sure xx is to code” simply means “pay a professional engineer a four figure fee to certify to the government that no regulatory filings are required.”
We live in very different worlds bro…
@vincent
I forgot to add that in true tropical climates like mine, housing is deliberately designed such that air flows freely between the indoors and outdoors, unless you close all the windows and doors. Which you won’t do if ur AC is off, bcoz it will be stifling.
Virtually all residential AC units over here are split units. Compressor hangs outside, and powers the individual fan units, usually one to each room. We are grilled from young to close the door and window when AC is on to save electricity. In the same vein, it’s virtually unheard of to cool the whole house. Generally ppl only switch on the AC in their bedrooms when going to bed.
N unless ur a millionaire who can afford to build ur own house, all electricity is bought from the grid. Tariffs are near an all time high now.
@Dave and @Vincent
Thanks for your answer.
@Ben
I mean the Tea Tree oil idea should still work. Although their maybe a local anti-fungal oil that would be better.
So to be clear, until very recently evaporatives weren’t popular in Australia either. When a strong La Nina rocks around, humidity can skyrocket and thus lead to quite tropical like conditions even in Melbourne. (40C and 85% humidity is fun for no one)
Sadly, it wasn’t actually illegal, just ill advised. So have 10 years of low rainfall due to strong El Ninos and weak La Nina and no one remembered the disadvantages. So builders sold them as the ‘cheaper alternative to AC’
This has started to go really badly for everyone involved EXCEPT the builders, and my hope is that with the phasing out of gas heating it should be the final deathknell for evaporative coolers in Australia.
Its essentially impossible to justify Heatpump heating and evaporative cooling.
And trust me, I get that we live in different worlds… its just my world is SOMEWHAT closer to yours then Dave’s is.
The US and EU has snow, and thus proper insulation and humidity management are critical, unless you want people dying and building suffering structural damage from water freezing solid and expanding stuff you don’t want expanded.
@vincent
i’ll keep a lookout for tea tree oil or stuff like that. Thankfully i have very good DIY skills. And I get the need for building insulation and such in temperate climates. I’ve lived in places where pipes regularly burst in winter.
Further to what you said about the heating and cooling in Australia… I agree with u 100% that it’s really dumb.
Anyway, as far as fishkeeping logistics goes… i would say that both my world is just too different from yours and Dave’s. I never need aquarium heaters, for instance.
Since we’re on the topic of temperatures, I wanna add that Dave is absolutely right on the “right” temperatures for tropical fish in his article on water temperatures. (https://tankstartguide.com/index.php/4-2-aquarium-temperatures/) Take loaches for instance. The temperatures of their native waters can dip quite “low” in monsoon seasons (20C or lower), and go to 30C or higher in the warmer months. This is especially true for higher altitudes. Day/night temperature variations can be quite wide too. So it’s 100% true that tropical fish do NOT need temperatures to be closely held. 70F (21C) is perfectly acceptable. Warmer temps are needed only if u want to breed them.
@Dave and…
I have another question regarding filling the canister filter (eheim 2217 classic 600) completely with plastic pot scrubbers:
Do the supplied raster still need to be placed back in the filter (1 for the bottom and 1 for the top)?
https://www.olibetta.be/nl-BE/eheim/raster-2217?sai=5675&gclid=EAIaIQobChMIisqy5-vXgwMVCheiAx2zngxpEAQYASABEgKqCvD_BwE
In reply to Tim …. Yes, I would keep both rasters in place just to keep the flow even across the whole unit. It is probably important with 100% foam and K1 and not so important with 100% pot scrubbers.
additional information from below:
https://eheim.com/en_GB/aquatics/technology/external-filters/classic/classic-600
@Ben Z
Agreed on the temperature thing. People really don’t understand how much variation their is in tropical climates, EVEN IF on average its more stable then the temperate zone. And they also don’t appreciate how slowly a box of water warms and cools.
I regularly turn my Heaters off in the Summer, because Melbourne doesn’t get cold enough inside to harm the fish.
Funnily enough its not Tropical or even cold water keepers I have had the biggest problem with accepting that the enviroment isn’t as stable as we think.
Its Hillstream Loach keepers.
“They have to be in fast flowing water”
No, they don’t. Have you not heard of the Dry season? Most Hillstream Loaches go through periods of low flow. SOME need high oxygen levels due to the amount of waterfalls, but flow isn’t important.
And even then only some. Some rivers stop flowing entirely in the dry and those loaches have adapted to that water as well.
“They need cool tropical temperatures (20-24C) because they can’t handle the heat.”
No, they do not. Again during the dry the water flow stops and the temperature goes up. Also the Wet, is still hot outside the water, and these fish are famous for being able to climb waterfalls… If they are climbing a waterfall on a 30C day they are GOING to get warm.
Its insane to me that they KNOW Clown loachs live in the same rivers as Hillstream Loaches do in the Dry and then migrate to the lowlands in the wet…
Yet Clown Loaches need to be kept in really hot water, and Hillstream Loaches need to be kept in the opposite.
@Dave and…
Concerns a stable, richly planted aquarium:
1: Can a (small) dead fish in the aquarium be eaten by a large group of shrimps?
2: Can a dead fish digest naturally in the aquarium without the help of shrimp, for example?
3: Is the biological balance disturbed?
In reply to Tim …. Shrimp will scavenge and eat small dead fish. If the aquarium is mature one can push a small fish into the substrate where it will harmlessly decompose. I wouldn’t recommend doing that for any dead fish over two inches. ALL aquarium filtration schemes CAN be overloaded and the biological balance disturbed. Dan Hiteshew had a four inch fish die in his 120 gallon without him noticing and it almost killed off his tank.
@Dave and
In my adult, richly planted aquarium, I have virtually no visible algae formation on my plants, but my back and side walls are FULL of algae.
Do useful micro-organisms develop on the algae-covered walls? Do the algae-covered walls function as a useful natural filter, also with the help of the water flow in the aquarium?
(I hope this is translated correctly by Google Translate)
In reply to Tim ……. Emphatically yes and yes. The microorganisms in any wall of algae form an important part of the ecology of a typical mature aquarium.
The father fish method of keeping plants and fish intriges me : the substrates seems to get richer after 1 or 2 years with nutrients without putting new fertilizer in the tank.
In reply to Joost …. The substrate doesn’t “get richer”. Rather it becomes more mature. The more mature a substrate the better plants like it. https://tankstartguide.com/index.php/2-14-the-mature-aquarium/
@Dave,
concerns algae on the back and side walls:
Can I then conclude that I can put a piece of that algae between the filter medium of a new biological filter before starting a new plant aquarium? (aquarium cycling)
In reply to Tim …. Green algae will jump start a cycle a little bit but brown gunk from a filter is better.
@Dave and…
Why do aquarium plants sometimes get long internodes, such as Limnophila aquatica?
Tim … abnormally long internodes are generally associated with low light conditions.
Hi Dave,
My tank is having a disease outbreak. The tank (180g rainbowfish only) is couple years old, had been mostly problem free, has a continuous drift water change system, and a large sump filled with 160+ pot scrubbers, and a UV light running 24/7. For unknown reasons, 3-4 of my fish are sick, lost 1 fish already, others are probably also infected. They act like trying to cough up some stringy clear mucous from mouth, sometimes dart around suddenly as if there is something irritating and settles down after a minute, but no other visible external signs/wounds. It is different than the hexamita symptoms I had experienced before. I know identifying a disease over the internet is difficult, but I thought to ask in case you have seen such conditions.
I’m feeding the whole tank pellets mixed with antibiotic (KanaPlex). I also tried adding MetroPlex to the mix, but fish won’t eat the food, probably too bitter. So, I’m sticking with the antibiotic only, thinking it’s better than nothing. Since a few fish are not eating and I was concerned about the disease spreading (and it is), I also treated the water with Seachem’s NeoPlex and SulfaPlex, hoping to kill off the bacteria/parasite in the water column.
So, I have several questions:
1. Would you think this is likely a bacteria infection or a parasitic infection?
2. Is raising the temperature going to help?
3. After dosing the meds in the water column, my tank is little hazy after 3 days. The meds probably killed off some of my autotrophic and heterotrophic bacteria in the filter. This is surprising: I thought a mature filter shouldn’t be affected by the meds. Regardless, I’m interested in learning about the underlying biological process causing this haziness. Is it because some auto and hetero bacteria are dead, and therefore not enough of them to consume the nutrients? So what I’m seeing is the newly formed hetero bacteria feeding on the nutrients in the water column? Or is the haziness the dead bacteria? If the meds kill the “good” bacteria, should it also kill any other bacteria in the water column, and therefore the water should remain clear??
Thanks in advance for any advise. Hope all is well!
Brent
In reply to BrentL ….. 1, Sounds like a fluke infection. Treat with Praziquantel. 2, Raising the temperature won’t help 3, Don’t overthink the haziness. It could simply be that most medications are insoluble powders which form a milky suspension in water.
@Dave and…
1) concerns pH value in a high-tech aquarium:
a) This should fluctuate between 6.4 and 7.4 in the water column for all the nutrients to be properly absorbed? The trace elements would prefer an acidic and the minerals alkaline pH?
b) same for the bottom? (I have inert gravel of 1-2mm)
2) concerns phosphate in a high-tech aquarium:
a) What are the ideal values (mg/liter) in the water column. My kh is 3 and ph around 6.6? Aren’t phosphate and iron dissolved in an all-in-one liquid plant food?
b) Can a gelatin capsule filled with potassium phosphate powder be placed in the inert gravel together with a gelatin capsule filled with iron powder?
Don’t these dissolve each other?
c) what chemical composition do I use for potassium phosphate powder and iron powder?
3) Can all (tropical) swamp plants ultimately adapt to underwater culture?
Can they all absorb nutrition through the leaves so that adding nutrition to the gravel ultimately becomes unnecessary?
4) What could be the cause of the new leaves of aquarium plants starting to curl? You will come across many stories on the internet.
5) concerns an oil-absorbing substrate:
a) Aren’t nutrients lost into the water column when I pull out plants?
b) What are the considerations if I buy one?
6) Is it possible to provide an ingredient list of the miracle-gro all purpose, NPK 24-8-16 (soluble powder) for a high-tech aquarium? Usage advice as on the website?
This would probably need extra potassium and magnesium?
On your website there is one for a standard planted aquarium, I think.
7) At what time is it best to add plant food in a high-tech aquarium?
8) Does it offer added value to install an oxidizer in a high-tech aquarium?
thank you in advance
1)
concerns pH value in a high-tech aquarium:a)
This should fluctuate between 6.4 and 7.4 in the water column for all the nutrients to be properly absorbed? The trace elements would prefer an acidic and the minerals alkaline pH?The pH in a high tech planted tank will fluctuate all over the map depending on the time of day. Don’t worry about it. Most plant like 6.0 to 7.5 after a period of at least 8 hours of darkness.b)
same for the bottom? (I have inert gravel of 1-2mm)Same for the bottom. Do not worry about it.2)
concerns phosphate in a high-tech aquarium:a)
What are the ideal values (mg/liter) in the water column. My kh is 3 and ph around 6.6?No idea of the ideal for phosphorus or iron.Aren’t phosphate and iron dissolved in an all-in-one liquid plant food?Many all in one plant foods do put iron with phosphorus. This simply doesn’t work, even if the iron is chelated. Highly insoluble iron phosphates are formed, especially at high pH.b)
Can a gelatin capsule filled with potassium phosphate powder be placed in the inert gravel together with a gelatin capsule filled with iron powder?No, if placed in close proximity the two cancel each other out by the formation of highly insoluble iron phosphates.Don’t these dissolve each other?
c)
what chemical composition do I use for potassium phosphate powder and iron powder?For phosphate in root tabs I prefer calcium dihydrogen phosphate, available from the internet. While the calcium hydrogen phosphates are preferred here, this can be any phosphate salt, including dipotassium phosphate, monoammonium phosphate, and diammonium phosphate. The iron can be ferrous sulfate, chelated iron, iron fillings or cut up iron wool pads.3)
Can all (tropical) swamp plants ultimately adapt to underwater culture?NO. a large number of plants sold for aquariums will NEVER grow well underwater.Can they all absorb nutrition through the leaves so that adding nutrition to the gravel ultimately becomes unnecessary?It all depends on the plants. Some prefer to absorb through the roots and some prefer to absorb through the leaves.4)
What could be the cause of the new leaves of aquarium plants starting to curl? You will come across many stories on the internet.No idea.5)
concerns an oil-absorbing substrate:a)
Aren’t nutrients lost into the water column when I pull out plants?Yes, small amounts go into the water column.b)
What are the considerations if I buy one?Make sure it is fused clay or zeolite6)
Is it possible to provide an ingredient list of the miracle-gro all purpose, NPK 24-8-16 (soluble powder) for a high-tech aquarium? Usage advice as on the website?I do not know what the exact formulation isT
his would probably need extra potassium and magnesium?Yes it would need extra potassium. Magnesium is going to depend on the amount in the tap water.On your website there is one for a standard planted aquarium, I think.Yes there is one that add only potassium sulfate to Miracle Gro.7) At what time is it best to add plant food in a high-tech aquarium?
8)
Does it offer added value to install an oxidizer in a high-tech aquarium?No oxidators are worthless. I have an article on them somewhere in the site. https://tankstartguide.com/index.php/16-2-7-chihiros-doctor/Dave,
Thanks for your suggestion. I’m gonna give Praziquantel a try. My ammonia now reads 0.25ppm. It seems that the meds I put in 3 days (Seachem NeoPlex + SulfaPlex) ago affected my filter bacteria count.
Followup questions please:
1. The brands mentioned on your page appear to be in shortage, either with a huge premium or not available. Therefore I searched for alternatives and found a 100% pure Praziquantel on Amazon by the brand name: WholesaleKoiFarm Praziquantel. I suppose that works just as well?
2. Should I put the powder in both the water and food? For food, what would be a good dosage for 100% pure Praziquantel powder?
3. Would Praziquantel kill filter bacteria, in theory? I’ve learned so far that Seachem antibiotics (NeoPlex, SulfaPlex, especially KanaPlex) kills filter bacteria 🙂
Much appreciated!
Brent
In reply to BrentL ….. 1, Yes it is the same stuff. 2, Powder in both the water and the food. But only the size of a poppy seed in two tablespoons of food. 3, Praziquantel won’t kill bacteria
@Vincent and
You are 100% right regarding loaches. And 100% right regarding how a lot of people don’t appreciate the climate variation in tropical regions. Altitude matters! Some highlands along the equator have average daytime temperatures around 16C to 18C. Whereas temperatures can easily reach 35C in sea-level cities. Now consider the fact that rivers, almost by definition, flow downhill.
I’ve visited a couple of their native rivers. Conditions there are sometimes as you describe. Of course, I can’t speak for all species. But the fact is fish are far more hardy in this respect than the internet thinks.
As a sidenote, a lot of rooted aquarium plants are only partially submerged in nature. Water levels rise n fall. That’s how they are able to thrive in turbulent river waters that have close to no CO2. The jungle humidity keeps their leaves moist enough too.
Similarly, arums can do well in aquariums if their leaves are above water while their roots are in the substrate. That is actually how a lot of them live in the wild. I also have arums in pots of water around the house. They do very well if I add some gravel and lava rock from my tanks to their containers. Well enough to need monthly pruning anyway. I would say that adding terrestrial tropical plants to an aquarium in this fashion is something that is fun to try and can work well, as long as relative humidity levels are not too low. If the air is dry, that’s a different story.
Hi Dave, I have a well established planted 15 gallon with 10 cardinal tetras and a betta. Oversized canister running for about 3 years with lots of bio-filtration and clear water. In a short time, 5 of the tetras died, and the betta does not look good. I am treating with Kordon Ich Plus because it did resemble Ich, but really think it is epistylis based on your descriptions. Unfortunately, they stopped eating so the antibiotic won’t work. At this point, it isn’t looking good. My question at this point is if the remaining fish die, and I completely re-scape the tank (which I wanted to do anyway), is it a problem re-using the filter / biomedia and some of the plants in the new setup? Not sure how whatever they have spreads. As always thanks for your advice.
In reply to Bill ….. If you have four weeks without a disease symptom the bacteria should be reduced to “non-pathogenic” levels and you should be safe with new additions.
First of all I have been trying to digest as much info from this site as I can and it’s a beast. So thank you for taking the time to put this all out there.
I just wanted to see if I could get your input about setting up a 75g peacock tank. I would love to keep it energy efficient and quiet. So I’ve been leaning on the UGF with power heads and a canister optimized with K1 and pot scrubbers. Ideally an aquael ultra max with 5 levels of filtration. Would this be a solid way to start up a tank and maintain the proper biological filtration and clarity? Thanks for any insight!
Regards,
Keith
In reply to Keith ……….. Sounds like a great setup. Go for it. Just change the “five levels of filtration” to a canister filled with only one media: 30 ppi foam, K1 media or plastic pot scrubbers.
@Dave
Is the miracle gro all purpose solution suitable as root food?
I could put the solution in a gel capsule?
Hello, I have cycled my Aquarium and finally got fish in there. Wanted to reach out and say thank you for your amazing website. I have spent hours reading all the information and returning to it time and again.
I enjoy the different level approach as well and the honest opinion you give.
@Dave
I want to build a wooden tank to use as a large sump. It’s much cheaper for me to get my hands on raw lumber/plywood planks than to get glass or plastic for the size I’m envisioning. So I’m thinking I’ll glue the planks into boards, and then build it from there. The question I have is: what adhesives should I use for gluing the boards n waterproofing the whole thing? There are plenty of waterproof glues and such out there, but which would you use and why? Your articles on pvc joints, silicones and o-ring grease helped us out a lot – could you tell us more about glues? What’s the best balance between cost, longevity, strength, flexibility, and toxicity to fish/invertebrates?
Thanks!
PS. The skills and tools needed to actually build the thing are all available.
Ben z. I have no experience or knowledge about wood tanks. Sorry.
Hi!
Im wondering if you have any good resources for finding out more about certain fish? Im really interested in adding a pea puffer to one of my already established tanks, or possibly to my 20gal when i get that set up. Im finding all sorts of conflicting information about what fish they can be housed with, what kind of habitat they like ect. Ive found your site to be extremely helpful, this is my 3rd go at fish keeping and I already have 2 aquariums going and thriving and 2 more that ill be setting up soon.
In reply to Vicca ….. Go up on forums dedicated to the fish you want and ask questions. It is basically all you have.
Hi Dave,
Hope you are well?
Posted a few questions of late but not heard from you. Not sure whether you get alerts for other comments on other pages or I have really, really upset you! (Which I hope I have not!!).🙁
Not hassling, just wanted to check in!
Thanks,
Brad
In reply to Brad Last comment form you was on the discus filtration page about a “no water change” discus tank. I answered in that it was a combination of plant trimmings and zeolite which enabled this youtuber to do what he did. No problem.
@Vicca
The Secret History Living in Your Aquarium YouTube channel has some really nice videos featuring pea puffers with other fish. IMO the best resources for finding out things about specific fish species are things like photos and videos. Forums can be full of ppl parroting (contradictory) opinions but photos/videos are the best proof you can get from the net on whether something CAN work.
I’ve kept all sorts of puffers and mixed them with all sorts of fish. My two cents’ worth is… pea puffers are like teenagers, they need their space and their “privacy”, or else they’ll fight. So, the usual stocking density rules don’t apply very well to them. And, it goes without saying, but they don’t do well with fish that are much larger. They’ll get eaten.
May I also recommend the fish writeup on aquariumglaser’s site? They’re usually quite reliable for the “oddball” species.
You show great respect for Dr. Tom Barr, even if you don’t follow his methods (due to the sheer amount of work EI involve) but I am curious of your opinions about his beliefs around BBA.
While the most detailed list of his opinions of it can be found here:
https://barrreport.com/articles/the-freshwater-red-algae-rhodophyta-volume-3-issue-3.30/
The basic summery is this:
In a high tech tank, if you have a BBA bloom, the most likely cause is a CO2 issue. This is why as High tech tanks have become more common, so has BBA and especially extreme blooms rather then a bit here and there.
In a low tech tank, its likely a sign of high Dissolved Inorganic Carbon, unless you have overstocked OR have recently disturbed the sediment without a followup water change, in which case NH4 and Urea maybe potentially causal factors.
This somewhat reflects my own experience….in that reducing food feeding and improving its quality in my first tank killed off the BBA, while the increase in feeding in my breeding tank has slowly led to a bloom of BBA (although the causation there could also be explained by the breeding Hillstream Loaches eating the other kinds of Algae, thus reducing competition for the BBA.)
In reply to Vincent …. “Correlation does not imply causation”. I deliberately left out some of Dr. Barr’s recommendations with regard to algae. I wish it were that simple. It is not that simple! Algae can be controlled by having very good plant growth. Beyond that simple statement all advice is anecdotal at best, even if it comes from Dr. Barr.
I hate to double post but I figured I would ask…
Is there a reason that a powerhead UGF shouldn’t be used on a Shrimp tank?
Are the shrimplets small enough to move through the gravel bed? Or is this purely precautionary?
In reply to Vincent … IN THEORY a powerhead will tear up some shrimp. So , IN THEORY, one shouldn’t use powerheads with shrimp. Shrimp will be found on the underside of any shrimp undergravel filter set-up. But I know of no good way to test the destructive power of a magnetic powerhead motor. So I would use air operated lifts on the shrimp undergravel filter just to be safe.