AboutRon Coleman Expertise I am an expert on cichlid fishes, particularly New World cichlids. My broader expertise includes the behavior, ecology and reproduction of fishes in general. (I am NOT an expert on Goldfish). Please do not use abbreviations, such as "my GT has a swollen eye" because I don't know what a "GT" is. The more clearly you can explain your question, the better chance I have of understanding what it is that you seek. I keep fishes both as a scientist and as a hobbyist and I currently maintain about 140 aquariums.
Experience I am an Assistant Professor at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page . I also write for many popular aquarist magazines, and I am editor of Cichlid News magazine. I am a scientist and I spend my time teaching fish biology, ecology, behavior and evolution and doing research on the reproductive biology of fishes, particularly cichlids. I do research in the laboratory and in Costa Rica, Nicaragua and Mexico. My main interest is understanding the evolution of parental care in fishes. I am interested in encouraging greater public awareness, understanding and participation in science.
Publications Cichlid News, Tropical Fish Hobbyist, Freshwater and Marine Aquarium, Science, Behavioural Ecology and Sociobiology, Copeia, Canadian Journal of Zoology, Trends in Ecology and Evolution, AUK, Environmental Biology of Fishes
Question Hi marc i was wondering, is it normal for my aquarium to have white marks on it(crusty minerals)?can i clean it with vinegar?can i use a normal paper towel ti whipe off the few algae off of the glass(i tried it and it works and beside the pet shop is out if algae scrape util next month and it need to be cleaned before that)?on my mess cover ispot 2 tiny spot of rust is this ok(the pet shop tell me that it was ok)?
Answer Hi Harvel,
This is Ron, not Marc.
The white crusty stuff is lime and it comes from having "hard" water, i.e., water with lots of minerals in it. The minerals precipitate on the glass. You definitely do NOT want to clean that while there are fish in the tank. Any cleaner you use will kill the fish. If the tank is empty, you can use a product like "lime-off" to get rid of it, but then you need to rinse the tank MANY, MANY times before putting fish into it again.
Yes you can use a normal paper towel to wipe off the algae.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
