Posts by Li0nFish

    I 100% agree with Li0nFish here - show them some good articles, or videos that go over the concepts. I try to also show them the negatives (such as sick fish, tanks not taken care of correctly, etc.) to show them that a little knowledge beforehand can seriously make these fish thrive and act as they would in the wild, in your own tank.

    I remember watching a video where a woman got a tank recommended by a pet store worker, it was a round one. The people in the comments pointed out how bad these are for fish and how stressful these sorts of tanks could be. She went back and changed everything and apologized.

    That's the major advantage of planted aquarium over bare bottom tanks. Because some fishes need hiding places to hide from bigger or more aggressive fishes in the aquarium.

    I guess this is fine if you plan on keeping one type of non-aggressive fish then. If you have different species, it is not ideal. I know they do it in the pet stores a lot but this is to allow people to pick fish out and they are almost always in a tank with only the one species.

    Around the price range you stated seems pretty normal for me, but I personally prefer fish to cost a bit more as it encourages people to take their care more seriously.

    This is true I suppose. The more you pay, the more inclined you are to care for them. I don't think this is the reason the prices have gone up so much though. I would guess it has to do with inflation and import fees.

    I have read on other forums that you can use 3% hydrogen peroxide to clean off items covered in algae in the tank.

    I only tried this on one item and it did not seem to do much of anything. Maybe I did it wrong? I found just letting things completely dry out for a week or two solved the problem for me.

    Maybe that's how initially most of them think having a fish tank i suppose. Even I seriously thought there won't be much maintenance while owning a fish tank. The one and only duty for us is to feed them. Now I feel, I was so dumb about it.

    This is like plant keeping really. You think you just water it and you are done but you have to regulate the temperature and actually feel the plants plant food to keep them alive. Not all plants but most do require it!

    Koi Betta fish are so beautiful with their jewel-bright colors and most spectacular fins. They are available in pairs online and the reviews are also great. These definitely would adorn any fish tank.

    Yes, I know they are online but they are so expensive. I just never see them stocked in pet shops anywhere and I am wondering why that is. I would buy them online if they were not so darn expensive!

    I think some is good but you have to make sure you have fish and other creatures that eat it in the tank.

    Otherwise, you will want to remove as much as possible or you will end up with overgrowth which can be hard to get rid of.

    Otocinclus Catfish are probably my favorite right now. Unfortunately, I have had trouble keeping them. Many of the ones you find in pet stores don't live long. They are amazing fish who loved eating cucumber and other veg treats but all three times I had bought them from the local shops, they did not live past 6 months.

    I too started my first fish tank in the same manner. I did not have any clue how to care for the fish or clean the tank. I was under the impression that just feeding the fishes was enough. One day I was just gazing at the fishes and it dawned upon me that there was something seriously wrong with the way I was treating these poor little things and I started my research and now I know the best way to care for my fishes and my fish tank has become the object of everyone's envy.

    I guess when you just get things on a whim, you don't really consider long-term care. I did this with my first beta fish YEARS ago and I wish I had taken better care of him. He lived to be about 5 or 6 years old but sadly, he spent most of his life in a 1 gallon tank because I did not know any better.