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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>
---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------
QUESTION: my mes cover have 2 ting spot of rust it is ok right?
Hi Harvel,
I am not sure what a "mes cover" is. I also don't know what "2 ting spot" means? Can you explain it to me and I can try to help.
In general, a little bit of rust is okay.
-- Ron
rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com
Cichlid Research Home Page <http://cichlidresearch.com>
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Answers by Expert:
Ron 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 Associate Professor at the California State University, Sacramento in the Department of Biological Sciences, and I run a website, called the Cichlid Research Home Page
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
Education/Credentials
PhD (Toronto, 1993) MSc (Simon Fraser, 1986) BSc (British Columbia, 1983)
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