Posts by Shortie

I always used to wonder about water lettuce and if it would benefit my tank when I had one.

It wasn't until a friend of mine tried it and found just how quickly it would grow and how much you had to do to ensure it didn't take over the tank and cause oxygen depletion that I decided it probably wasn't the best kind of plant to have in an aquarium.

Water lettuce is fine if you have the time to be able to manage it as it grows pretty quickly and can take over fast.

One thing I learned quickly myself when it came to having a tank was that having fake plants only meant more work for me and was never something that was ideal to have in a tank.

Having living plants in your tank not only is less work for you but also looks so much better as well in the tank.

I always found that fake plants never really swayed in the tank but just seemed stiff and living plants tend to sway making it look so much better.

I had heard of Amazon Frogbit but it is not something I personally have had in my tank. I do know at least one friend of mine had this in their tank and they were always saying about how fast it grew but also at how great it was for reducing the amount of algae that would grow in the tank.

One of the worst things to happen in a tank is algae growth and how fast it grows as well so something that can help that is always welcomed in a tank.

Whenever I have had a tank or even friends that have had tanks as well, they never really have a centerpiece so to speak but more just a school of different species of fish that we know will get on and we will not have any issues with them.

Some people like to have a center piece but it really depends on what you are looking for and what you want to keep in your tank.

As much as I do prefer colorful fish, I also like to see a mixture as well in terms of colorful and dull fish.

I feel if you have the space to accommodate both kinds then having a mixture is best. Sometimes I feel that if you have too many colored fish, it can be too much.

At first look, I did think they could maybe be pacific blue eye fish as the colors and also the colors of the eyes as well would indicate that was the case but I could also be wrong.

Hoping someone else could shed some light on this as to whether they may be Pacific blue eye or another species

I have a friend who has a sump and because he has a stand that is big enough to accommodate it, he is able to have it placed under the tank and prefers it that way.

I hadn't really thought about placing it in another room if there is one next to the tank but that is also a great idea, especially if it is a room that is not being used currently.

I believe bubble traps are only necessary and needed if you have a lot of chaos in a sump. If this is not the case then bubble traps may be something you do not need and you can safely do without.

Quote from darrie53

Hey folks,

I have a a light fixture that is about 3 years old that is on about 6 hours per day. I am wondering how long these stay effective? Do they have a shelf life? I am assuming they do.

Thanks!

Is your light LED, fluorescent, or incandescent light?

From my understanding, LED lights can last up to six years but incandescent lights tend to last a little less which is between 6 to 18 months.

Fluorescent lights also last around 28 months as well so it really depends on the kind of light you are using.

Quote from Benji

I did have betta and guppies together but always betta goes to hunt my guppies. It seems that betta doesn't get along with other fishes.

Not from my own experience but from the experience of friends that I know who own freshwater tanks, Betta fish can get on with other fishes just fine but it is always wise to ensure that the tank has a certain environment such as roughly 20 gallons of water and also live plants and plenty of ways that can be used for cover

Betta fish can get overly territorial which can lead to issues unless you ensure the tank has the atmosphere as I mentioned above. Hope that helps.

I have never had any cory catfish and have always gone for goldfish for any tanks that I have had. It is very true that goldfish are the worst for leaving a lot of mess and that can sometimes make it harder for you as a tank owner to keep the tank clean.

I will admit that I have seen rainbow fish and I love the colors on them and they are amazing to look at and see but I have never had any rainbow fish, it has always been goldfish.

This is quite interesting and something I was unaware of. It has always been different to tell the difference between a livebearer that may be bloated or pregnant. I actually find it quite fascinating that if they are see-through you would be able to see their babies even though they may not look like babies at the time.

After some of the stories I have heard about not wearing gloves when you work in your reef aquarium, I would now always wear gloves no matter what.

To be fair, I feel I would always wear gloves no matter what kind of tank it was due to possible diseases that could be present that you may not be aware of yet along with many other reasons.

I always remember asking a pet shop this as I was curious and they told me that they are either caught from their natural surroundings or habitat and then sold to pet shops by those who take them from there and I was also told that they are also bred in captivity as well and then sold to pet shops.

I always remember being a kid, I was always told that fish had a 3-second memory span so I instantly believed that they would probably never remember you as their owner because of that.

Is it true though that is the case or do they remember us and can we train them? I am curious now.

There are a few different types of food you can feed clownfish from what I remember.

Shrimp, cooked mussels, vegetables, brine, bloodworms, and table shrimp are all ideal for clownfish to eat.

When it comes to fish health, ensuring they have a good diet and also ensuring that they have good a good living area as well as their water being healthy for them to live in are two ways you can prevent fish from getting disease.

Of course, you will always find that even though you do everything right, they can still get a disease. There are natural ways you can treat some diseases but I do not believe all diseases can be treated naturally.

I can't say I often see parasites in fish to be honest so I wouldn't say that they are common but I would say that it is something that can happen.

It is quite shocking though that you noticed one in the pet store and even though you told them, the fish was still there. I too would be worried about using that pet store to buy fish especially if they do not take things like that seriously.

This sounds like stress that your fish are going through and this can happen due to either high ammonia, high nitrate levels, and also high or low PH levels.

Diseases could also be a main factor in them being stressed as well. You need to take a look at how they are acting and see if you can spot anything that may indicate disease, if there is nothing it may just be the tank environment.