AboutBenty Expertise GOT A QUESTION ABOUT:
Basic needs for specific fish, illnesses, best tankmates, breeding, water chemistry, tricks to safely cut corners, and/or “stupid” questions? Maybe I can help! :)
I like to explain why you do things in aquariums (like why to use spring instead of distilled, or what pH numbers mean, ect.) so you understand why and not just taking someone’s word for it. I also like giving answers where you have two choices so you can choose which is best for the time and money you can commit to your fish. I understand how tight money can be and how expensive fish related things get.
I will NEVER leave you with an “I don’t know.” Ever. I hate that. That would waste your time and that's just mean. :)
Puedo contestar tus preguntas en español también.
Experience I have had tropical fish since 1999. I currently have: a 55gal, ten 10gal, 3 five gallons, three 2gal, and a bunch of jars and bowls. At the time I'm typing this, I have: 14 angels, 13 goldfish, 73 bettas, 12 barbs, 5 catfish, too many guppies, 4 gouramis, 2 plecos, 10 loaches, bunch of swordtails, and probably a few others, lol.
I love to rescue fish. I've had everything from mutant danios, to one eyed goldfish, to my newest adoptee, a 2 year old betta with a MASSIVE tumor problem. He was brought to a pet shop and left there because the lady didn't know what to do with him. He's pretty scary looking. One of the guys at the store there I know let me have him. :D YAY! Elephant Man lives in a gallon bowl with pretty stones in my bathroom.
Plus!!!
I sell: veil, delta, halfmoon, plakat, and crowntail bettas as well as halfblack and blonde tuxedo fancy guppies. Ask me about it sometime.
Expert: Benty Date: 11/12/2007 Subject: greenw water part 2
Question We have had tank for 5 years. All of a sudden the water turned green and we can't keep that from happening. we have kisisng fish and a few tetras. Once we cleaned the whole tank completely, changed gravel and filter and within 3 days water was green. Any suggestions? Thaks for your help, Lesley
Answer Something weird was going on with Allexperts.com and I couldn't send the rest of the answer before but... anyway!
Algae are single-celled, aka microscopic. If a tank has enough tiny algae to affect the overall water color, that seems like enough algae to give the fish some serious competition for the aquarium's resources. Oxygen mainly. They breathe just like they do. Make sure you keep the tank well aerated. The algae and fish are fighting for air now. Now would be a good time to turn the filters on high (if not already). They should be on low or medium normally to have better water filtering but they need more air right now.
Keep up the water changes! Aerate the water used for water changes too. Air stones are ok but the best is stirring up the water harshly. You know how when you see a boat and there's a white wake behind it? That's highly aerated water. White is the best. Just take a net and stir around the water hard with the airstones in it.
The cheap way (what I do, lol) is if your tank isn't too big... you can take gallons of water (either fill with tap or buy them full) and empty them halfway into a clean bowl and shake the half in the jug until you can see little bubbles coming up when it's still. That's only like 3 or 4 shakes. Pour that in the tank and do the other half. Good arm work out if you have a bigger tank, lol.
How is your lighting? Lighting plays a BIG factor in the growth of these little plants. Let the tank stay in darkness for a little bit. The tank WILL take at LEAST 2 weeks to clear naturally.
If you have live plants in the tank anything more than 10 hours is doing nothing for the plants anyway. You can't turn off the lights logically without killing your plants. You can leave the lights on but cut it back a few hours. If you have it on for 10... go to 8. If you're up to 12 (shame shame!) go to 9. Don't do much more than 3 hours less a day. Anything less may trigger the plant to think it's winter and go into a dormant stage and not really grow and never flower for a while. If you're already down to 8 or so... don't change it.
Also, overfeeding adds to the surplus of algae. (They need food too!) Cut the food into two halves and feed it twice a day if you aren't already. If you are (GOOD!)... cut down to 1/2 you feed until the tank is better. Less food is fine for fish. Nearly everyone overfeeds anyway, lol. It's hard not to.
