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Fish/Questions Answered by Expert Ron Coleman

SubjectDate Asked
My blue circhlid seems ill2/9/2012
  Q: I have a blue circhlid (1-1/2 years old). For months now he has been less energetic as he used to. ...
  A: You really should be cleaning your tank more often than that. I highly recommend changing 25% of ...
apistogramma cacatuoides at petstore1/29/2012
  Q: at one of my local fishstore i found three one inch fish label apistogramma cacatuoides. but these ...
  A: They could be Apistogramma cacatuoides (I cannot guarantee it). Keep in mind that cichlids are able ...
Flowerhorn cichlids1/29/2012
  Q: Where can I go to get info. I understand that there are 4 main breeds: zhen zhu, golden monkey, ...
  A: First, you need to know that flowerhorns are manmade fishes, so there really are as many kinds as ...
Afican cichlids/ co1/29/2012
  Q: I have a 35 gallon I had a 3 1/2 inch plecostomas and a 3 inch Bala shark. I just bought a 1 inch ...
  A: The pleoc will probably be fine but never count on a pleco to clean a tank. You should be cleaning ...
Bubbles on Beta1/26/2012
  Q: I was wondering if you could explain why our beta would be covered with tiny bubbles after having ...
  A: Hmm... my guess is that the bubbles have disappeared by now?? What might have happened is that if ...
Cichlid compatibility question1/26/2012
  Q: I recently purchased a zebra obliquidens, I believe it's a female but its a juvenile at this time so ...
  A: When the fish is young you shouldn't have much trouble. However, as it starts to mature, say when it ...
Cichlids selection1/24/2012
  Q: Heyya. I have a cichlids tank. all are around 2.5 inches. a pair of red devils,a pair of mono ...
  A: Once the oscars grow, they will eat all the other fish. That is what oscars do and they are very ...
lesions on betta fish1/24/2012
  Q: MY beta has what looks to me like white lesions. I have just one in a large fish bowl. I use water ...
  A: First, it is important to treat the water before you put it in the bowl. It is also important to ...
URGENT! Oscar acting weak1/20/2012
  Q: Hey Ron sorry for the hassle but I just purchased an Oscar, about 10cm/4". The place I got him from ...
  A: Sudden water changes of any kind (temperature, pH, even nitrates) are not good. You need to change ...
Fish "waste" problem. Is it serious?1/14/2012
  Q: I have 1 Green Terror and 1 Jack Dempsey in a 55 gallon tank. Both are about 1'5 in long. Little ...
  A: The fact that a fish is always pooping is not a problem, in fact it is a good thing. BUT, the fact ...
breeding oscar1/13/2012
  Q: I have 3 Oscars and i i believe one of them is about to lay eggs. They cleared a spot on the bottom ...
  A: Actually you do not need to do anything. Let them do their thing. You only need to provide food for ...
Oscar body scraped trouble swimming1/9/2012
  Q: I haven't asked a question in awhile. I have an 8 yr old oscar in a 55 gallon alone. I'm setting up ...
  A: The tank is not enormous but it is not tiny either, i.e., it should be large enough for him provided ...
Oscar body scraped trouble swimming1/7/2012
  Q: I haven't asked a question in awhile. I have an 8 yr old oscar in a 55 gallon alone. I'm setting up ...
  A: I would not be overly concerned about the white. It appears that he just "scraped" himself, ...
gender of blood parrot cichlids12/25/2011
  Q: How can you tell the difference between male and female on blood parrot cichlids? We have 3 and ...
  A: The challenge with blood parrot cichlids is that they are a man-made hybrid fish. Males and females ...
Siamese fighting fish has weird white growth12/24/2011
  Q: Siamese fighting fish has weird white growth it looks like it is getting progressively worse.. and ...
  A: It appears to be some sort of fungus. There are various medications that you can get at a pet store ...
fish breeding12/19/2011
  Q: I have recently started up a freshwater tank in my home with 5 Zebra Danios and 3 Black Neon Tetras ...
  A: Zebra danios are not too hard to breed. They lay eggs that drop to the bottom of the tank. The trick ...
Goldfish respiration12/13/2011
  Q: How fast do goldfish normally breath
  A: To be honest, I have never watched and counted that. When a fish is feeling normal you really don't ...
Ocellaris clownfish12/12/2011
  Q: I have some questions about buying Ocellaris clownfish. Would I be able to buy 2 Ocellaris clownfish ...
  A: I have not kept clownfish in a long time, but I can tell you the following. You can keep clownfish ...
Purple Cichlid12/9/2011
  Q: I want to get a purple Cichlid but cannot find one! I saw a picture of one but they said it was ...
  A: There are some cichlids from Lake Malawi (East Africa) that are purple in color; however, it is ...
gold fish paralysis12/8/2011
  Q: my golfish was favoring his right side so i changed the water in the tank... in the process of ...
  A: The most common problems would be moving the fish between two containers of water where the water is ...
Cichlid compatibility12/6/2011
  Q: My brother and I recently set up a 55 gallon aquarium. Right now we have a 5 inch plecostamus in it ...
  A: For now, things should be fine. As the cichlids get larger, you may have problems. The pleco will ...
gold fish paralysis12/6/2011
  Q: my golfish was favoring his right side so i changed the water in the tank... in the process of ...
  A: She could be in shock from the water change, but not from the loss of her tank mate. When cleaning ...
Cichlids12/4/2011
  Q: We have 5 Jack Dempsey cichlids in a 55 galllon aquarium.Is that too many?The largest one is 6 ...
  A: The key is whether you have a lot of "structure" in the tank or not. They will be more likely to ...
Cichlids food12/3/2011
  Q: Does Frozen blood worms and ordinary dry worms enhance the colour of the cichlids? Suggest me some ...
  A: You can try spinach. I would try it raw first and see if they will eat it. Be careful not to let ...
Cichlids aggression12/2/2011
  Q: The Cichlids are very aggressive and are not sparing if i introduce any new inmates. What must i do. ...
  A: Yes, cichlids will tend to be aggressive. You need to introduce many more hiding spots, not just a ...
flower horn11/30/2011
  Q: how to know flowerhorn male or female ANSWER: Hi Sridhar, Actually the only absolutely for sure ...
  A: Please read my first answer -- you cannot tell for sure just by looking at the fish. Anyone who ...
Peacock colouration11/30/2011
  Q: I have a cichlid tank. All the cichlids are of size 3 inch. All these have beautiful and bright ...
  A: Unfortunately it is really hard for me to know what is available to you. Here, in the United ...
Fish11/28/2011
  Q: My Molly has a fin sticking out of his back side. I took it to the fish store and they said it was ...
  A: There really isn't anything you can do. Hopefully the fish will push out the baby. I do not suggest ...
flower horn11/27/2011
  Q: how to know flowerhorn male or female
  A: Actually the only absolutely for sure way to know is to see them spawning. At that time, the ...
Peacock colouration11/26/2011
  Q: I have a cichlid tank. All the cichlids are of size 3 inch. All these have beautiful and bright ...
  A: As I said previously, cichlids display colors for many reasons, typically to indicate their status ...
Swollen Nostrils on cherry barb nasal passages11/25/2011
  Q: My oldest female cherry barb is still only an inch long and I recently noticed her nasal passages ...
  A: I have never kept cherry barbs but I would be cautious about treating this. It is possibly just a ...
sick Betta11/22/2011
  Q: My male Betta looks like pictures I've seen of Dropsy, except that his scales don't seem to stick ...
  A: Dropsy isn't an actual disease, it is a set of symptons. For example, "runny nose" is a symptom of ...
sick Betta11/22/2011
  Q: My male Betta looks like pictures I've seen of Dropsy, except that his scales don't seem to stick ...
  A: Could he be getting old? Bettas typically only live a little over a year. Also, be sure that the ...
New Oscar11/19/2011
  Q: now i have a 55 gallon tank with a mated pair of Electric Blue Jack Dempseys ( which i have only had ...
  A: I doubt if they will make good tankmates in the long run. I have never met an oscar that didn't try ...
Peacock cichlids11/16/2011
  Q: 3 weeks ago ive introduce two pair of peacocks wer in 2 are female. one is an ob peacock male ...
  A: Cichlids change color for all sorts of reasons. They use color to demonstrate their territoriality ...
Regarding Flower Horn11/15/2011
  Q: I am from India, very new in this field. I bought 100 flower horn babies for rising. Tank Size is 48 ...
  A: Neutral water would be best. You must not have chlorine in the water so if there is chlorine in the ...
breeding green terrors11/11/2011
  Q: hey im adam, ive got 2 green torrors that are breeding in my tank at home. i want to know when i ...
  A: You don't have to remove the parents. If you leave them in the tank, they will likely take care of ...
pregnant female betta with no male11/10/2011
  Q: 2 years ago I bought 2 bettas a male and a female...they were in separate tanks facing each other ...
  A: Hmm... female bettas don't build bubble nests. Only male bettas blow bubbles so Tippy Toes is almost ...
Blood parrot cichlids suddenly terrified11/7/2011
  Q: Good morning. I have a 30 gallon aquarium which houses two large (4 - 5 inch) blood parrot ...
  A: I suspect the "seaweed" is sort of "slimy"??? If so, you are likely overfeeding a little and the ...
food11/7/2011
  Q: i have brought a flower horn of 4" size about 6 months and 10 days ago. the growth of his body is ...
  A: I am not familiar with "C.P fish pellets". Most commercially available pellets are a pretty balanced ...
Blood parrot cichlids suddenly terrified11/6/2011
  Q: Good morning. I have a 30 gallon aquarium which houses two large (4 - 5 inch) blood parrot ...
  A: Sometimes a gradual buildup of nitrogen products (ammonia, etc) in the tank can cause fish to become ...
horn size11/6/2011
  Q: i have brought a flower horn of 4" size about 6 months and 10 days ago. the growth of his body is ...
  A: The horn is something that male flowerhorns get when they are fully mature and interested in mating. ...
cold water fish dieing11/5/2011
  Q: please could you give me a bit of advise on cold water fish.in a matter of days i have had five o my ...
  A: Unfortunately that is really hard for me to say. I assume from your message that you have an air ...
cichilids and sea angels11/4/2011
  Q: Long tym. :) i am maintaining cichilids in my aquarium for th past 9 months. and i have learnt a lot ...
  A: Many cichlids do look their best when they reach adult size. I am not sure what you mean by ...
Goldfish are dying11/4/2011
  Q: I'm hoping that you will be able to help me. My daughter has a 20 litre aquarium with two goldfish. ...
  A: It is possible that the fish were poisoned, but that might not be it either. Was there ALOT of ...
molly fish with ick10/26/2011
  Q: i have a 25 gallon tank with a 30-40 gallon filtration system. i have 13 molly fish and 3 ghost ...
  A: Your best bet is to do more frequent water changes. You should be changing 25% of the water once a ...
angelfish10/19/2011
  Q: i have a 20 gal freshwater tank-4 angelfish 1 golden & 3 marble-unsure of sex however the golden is ...
  A: Sorry but that is not mating. You need to either remove her from the tank, or add a lot more ...
electric yellow10/1/2011
  Q: my 2 electric yellow cichlids always bite my pleco, they bite his eyes, body fins? why do they do ...
  A: You need to provide more hiding places for your plecostomus so that he can stay out of sight. Either ...
Lighting9/29/2011
  Q: I currently have a planted freshwater 16 gallon tank. I have low light plants like Java Ferns and ...
  A: Unfortunately I am not a good person to ask for that. Because I keep mostly cichlids, and they eat ...
pike9/29/2011
  Q: i have a fresh water 4" Pike I can put him in 1 of 2 tanks 75 gallon with 4 Oscars 4-8" or 30 gallon ...
  A: By "pike" I assume you mean a native North American pike, i.e., Esox lucius. I can see you having ...
A strange couple9/24/2011
  Q: So I know this is really really weird but I have a molly and a male beta and a little guppy and they ...
  A: Very interesting! I have never heard of that one before. Don't worry -- they cannot produce ...
Please Help!!!!9/24/2011
  Q: I woke up this morning only to find that my blood parrot's nose is swollen. It looks like she ...
  A: Sadly I do not have any idea what you can do. It is most likely some kind of inflammation in the ...
Baby Sunset Platy Premature Fry9/22/2011
  Q: I have a question. Last night (9/21/11) my female sunset/sunburst (not sure which is correct) had ...
  A: For the first few days they will survive off of the yolk they are carrying. After that, they will ...
Green Terror won't eat9/21/2011
  Q: Well, I got a small(1 1/2in.) Green Terror last Saturday along with a smaller Jack Dempsey. And ...
  A: I suspect that the green terror will start eating soon, if he already hasn't. Moving a fish can be ...
New Cichlids9/19/2011
  Q: I recently purchased 2 Turquoise Severum Cichlids and one Red Blood Parrot (hybrid) Cichlid. I have ...
  A: In many cases a stable pH is more important than the actual level that it is at. Also, be wary of ...
techniques for breeding flower horn9/13/2011
  Q: sir give me some techniques to breed red dragon flower horns! or at least give me some best ...
  A: Like any large cichlasomine type cichlid, you need a large tank with some hard spawning surfaces. ...
How can I find a flower is male or female9/12/2011
  Q: Sir please help us how can we identify a flower is male or female ...
  A: There is no fool-proof method, but in general the body shape is subtly different. Females carry more ...
Male Crowntail Betta Fish9/11/2011
  Q: I just bought a male crown tail beta from Petco a few days ago. His body is only about 1 inch long ...
  A: I have no way of knowing how old he is. The size of a fish is a function of his age, but also a ...
Goldfish erratic behaviour9/10/2011
  Q: I just started keeping goldfish as a pet. After two days running my aquarium, I went to the pet ...
  A: There are a few possible problems. First, keep in mind that many of the goldfish that are sold in ...
injured beta9/6/2011
  Q: I just bought a female beta and put it in the tank with my male beta, not knowing that this was not ...
  A: Separating the two was the right thing to do. Now the male needs time to heal. There really isn't ...
Suggest my flowerhorn....9/4/2011
  Q: i am having a floower horn about 6 inches and i am not able to know its a male or what? ...
  A: You cannot tell the sex of a flowerhorn just by looking at a photo. Anyone who tells you that you ...
Parrot fish9/3/2011
  Q: I have a dozen cichlids...electric blue and yellow lab pink, convicts... all are good. aggressive ...
  A: If you put a pair of parrot cichlids in there and they start breeding, it is likely that they will ...
Goldfish laying at the bottom9/3/2011
  Q: I have a fish tank about 2 months ago, I've % Goldfish, 4 i've bought not long after i got the tank ...
  A: Sadly it doesn't look good for the fish displaying the "alien" behavior. That usually indicates a ...
Peacocks9/3/2011
  Q: i would just like to know what i would need to set up a all-male peacock tank? what rocks, substrate ...
  A: The exact kind of rocks doesn't matter much and is going to depend a lot on what you can get ...
My sick oscar fish9/2/2011
  Q: I have a twenty gallon tank with an oscar and three glow fish and some fish i dont know the name of ...
  A: It is hard for me to answer that question since I am not there. In general, I would not use those ...
Green Severum8/29/2011
  Q: I have a very large green severum, I've had him about 3yrs he was quite small at the start but is ...
  A: What does "on a regular basis" mean for water changes? As a general rule, if in doubt, do a 25% ...
green terror eggs8/29/2011
  Q: I have a male and female green terror that have laid eggs they are clear and i can see a little ...
  A: That is exactly what they should look like. Over the next few days the dark part will grow larger -- ...
Oscar fish8/28/2011
  Q: We fed our 3 year old Oscar a very small saltwater crab and he collapsed to the bottom of the tank. ...
  A: I don't see that there is anything you can or should do now, other than never feed a crab to an ...
Injured Groumie8/27/2011
  Q: We have a 10 gal tank that had two groumies, one powder blue and one red. The red has eaten the ...
  A: There isn't really anything you can do for him. Separating him was the right thing to do. He may be ...
37 Gallon8/23/2011
  Q: I want to start up a 37 gallon starter tank that I’ve seen at petsmart. Now the tank is a kit it ...
  A: The choice is yours. You only need chemicals is your water has chloramine in it. Most municipal ...
Aggressive tetra behaviour...8/22/2011
  Q: I have a baby Panda moor (1-2 inch), which is living at the moment in a 22 litre tank, with a filter ...
  A: Hmmmm... in general I would not mix those fish. Moors are cold water fish while tetras are tropical ...
Parrot Fish & Tin Foil Barb8/21/2011
  Q: we have a rio 450 (5tf ) fish tank and currently only have one parrot fish (approx 4"),one tin foil ...
  A: How large is the tank? That will determine the number and size of fish that are possible. As for ...
The Diseased Gold8/18/2011
  Q: Hey... I recently added some 4 pairs of gold wer in a pair is ryukin gold...the other is thai ...
  A: Unfortunately I have never had to deal with that. It sounds like your fish have some form of anchor ...
paradise fish not eating8/17/2011
  Q: we've had our paradise fish for about a month or so and recently he's begun to take a bite or two of ...
  A: Taking food into the mouth and spitting it out is how a fish "tastes" new food. He doesn't know if ...
My beta pair8/17/2011
  Q: I'm manish...recently Ive started breeding a pain of Siamese fighting fish(betas) in a 8inch ...
  A: It does take a lot of effort for the male to build and maintain the bubble nest. I do not ...
High nitrates?8/17/2011
  Q: I have 2 dwarf puffers in a 10 gallon tank and I just added new gravel. I didnt do anything to the ...
  A: A fish swimming up and down the side of the tank is not unusual at all and does not indicate that he ...
Oscar losing scales!8/16/2011
  Q: We just recently rescued an Oscar and a Plecostamus from an abandoned house, renters left them ...
  A: It is very likely that the plecostomus is doing the damage to the oscar. Are you feeding the ...
Crabs8/15/2011
  Q: Are there any freshwater crabs thhat do not require land, or brackish water?
  A: That is a good question. I am not a crab expert but in general I think you will find that most ...
request for fellowship8/14/2011
  Q: Hope you’re fine and having a nice time there. I am Amtyaz candidate from Pakistan. I have completed ...
  A: Unfortunately our program does not include PhD students. We have a Master's program, but no PhD ...
Flowerhorn baby8/13/2011
  Q: hey my flowerhorn pair lay eggs,and yesterday fry are spawn , but when ever that pair give fry is ...
  A: The genetics of color in cichlids such as flowerhorns is very complex. Furthermore, they can and ...
betta fish8/12/2011
  Q: I have had my betta fish for over a year now. Today I went to clean his bowl and noticed he has a ...
  A: Unfortunately there isn't really anything you can do about this. Bettas typically only live about a ...
water change problem8/11/2011
  Q: hey hi sir, I have breeding pair of flowerhorn fish , yesterday babies(fry) spawn and ...
  A: I use a siphon hose to remove water for a water change. If you are careful, you can do the same ...
plecostomus8/10/2011
  Q: I moved in with my sister in '08 and she has a fish tank, 120 gallon, and one of the fish is a ...
  A: It can be very difficult to tell the sex of typical plecostomus and worse yet, two males will often ...
my oscars7/19/2011
  Q: I bought an oscar fish and one he/she began to thrive well in the tank i got a mate for it. The ...
  A: It is absolutely essential that you have some hiding places in your tank so that the weaker oscar ...
My Betta Fish; Sir Paulanca the 2nd.7/18/2011
  Q: I've had Paulanca for a bit over a year, maybe more and it's started moving towards the side of the ...
  A: Sadly, I suspect that Sir Paulanca is just getting old. Bettas do not live very long. It is ...
plecostomus disease7/17/2011
  Q: I have a Pleco in a 15 gal tank. The fish is approx 6 inches long. It has recently developed what ...
  A: It could be that the fish is hanging from the heater. Does it have a nice piece of wood to hang ...
Tank Size7/16/2011
  Q: My question is what is the largest tank an unsupported upstairs floor can handle safely? I want to ...
  A: That is an excellent question. You would really need to consult an architect or structural ...
What kind of fish is this?7/13/2011
  Q: If you could please help me figure out what kind of fish this is. My mom bought them and I wanted to ...
  A: Did you mean to attach a photo? If so, I didn't receive it, so it is really hard for me to answer. ...
pale fish and flashing7/10/2011
  Q: my jack dempsey 7inchs has been pale for the last month and sometimes is flahing fins are not ...
  A: That is hard to say, but when a fish gets skittish there are usually one of a few things going on. ...
emergency with black belt cichlid, please help fast if you can7/10/2011
  Q: I have about a year old black belt cichlid. She has always been very calm and healthy, never any ...
  A: I am very sorry to hear what has happened. I have seen this sort of thing but very rarely. It can ...
geophaugs popeye?7/10/2011
  Q: i think my geophagus has popeye, i have 7 geophagus in my tank and 2 of them have one eye which is ...
  A: Popeye is a nasty condition. I have had very little success treating it over the years. It can be ...
glofish7/9/2011
  Q: how can I tell if my glofish a male or a female.
  A: Glofish are modified zebra danios. There is no REALLY obvious way to tell males from females, but ...
Fish7/7/2011
  Q: Can I cross Breed Two Diffrent Fish
  A: In some cases you can, but why would you want to? Each species of fish has its own interesting ...
Arowana breeding7/7/2011
  Q: how to breed them? what the whole process exactly? is there any risk to die 1 arowana in them? tell ...
  A: I have never kept or tried to breed arowanas. I do know that they are not easy to breed, partly ...
What kind of fish is this?7/6/2011
  Q: I have had this fish for about 7 years. I am looking to get another one of the opposite sex and a ...
  A: It is definitely a gourami. Exactly which kind of gourami is hard to say, as is the sex. Most ...
Kissing Gourami's7/6/2011
  Q: I have two pink kissing gourami's for quite some time, three days ago, I noticed that one of them ...
  A: Hmm.... it sounds like he has (or had) some sort of internal parasite, likely a worm of some sort, ...
EBJD7/4/2011
  Q: I have a 10 galon tank for now for my babys right now i have a young tire track eel and a black ...
  A: The speed at which your electric blue jack dempsey grows is a function of several things. It mostly ...
Red Tiger Oscar7/1/2011
  Q: I have a red tiger oscar which has white things at the ends of his fins and his face. What do I do?
  A: When you say "white things" do you mean cottony growths, or do you mean more like stringy things? ...
filter for my new 46g tank5/18/2011
  Q: i want to keep four red blood parrot cichlid and a rubber lip pleco in my new 46g bowfront tank and ...
  A: That seems reasonable. It will of course depend on how large the parrot cichlids are. As the parrot ...
gourami5/18/2011
  Q: My gourami is pregnant i dono wat to do ? Will gourami lay eggs or give youngones directely ? .
  A: Gouramis do not get pregnant as such. They are egg layers, so you will need a male present to ...
Hurt Angel fish5/17/2011
  Q: I am very new at owning a fish tank so please bear with me. I set up a 29 gallon tank in January. I ...
  A: I am glad that your boyfriend is okay -- you need to be very careful when working around an aquarium ...
Gold fish Pineconing5/14/2011
  Q: 2 orandas in a 20 gallon tank that i keep at 68 degrees. one of them has pineconed scales but is ...
  A: Unfortunately I do not know of any magic bullet. I suggest you keep trying. Be sure that he has ...
Oscar Fish5/13/2011
  Q: I have a young Oscar who tried to escape. He hit the glass top of his tank and got a nasty wound on ...
  A: It sounds like he damaged one of his nerves. There is nothing you can do about this -- it may ...
Tiger Oscar5/7/2011
  Q: I have a Black and Orange (Tiger) Oscar and an yellow and orange or Lemon Oscar,they share a 55gal ...
  A: That hole is no doubt the result of bites by the other oscar. Assuming that you cannot separate the ...
Oscar color5/6/2011
  Q: hes in a 55 gallon tank with another oscar.i heard there color reflects there mood is that true?if ...
  A: Yes oscars use color to indicate mood and this can change minute by minute. Part of the joy of ...
oscar laying on its said4/20/2011
  Q: oscar looks ok but lays on said swims ok and only dose this some times
  A: Believe or not, this is just a thing that oscars do from time to time. Some people think that this ...
molly4/19/2011
  Q: my molly is very fat. i got her today. she is a balloon molly. when i look at her straight on she ...
  A: It is very hard to tell if a balloon molly is gravid. It won't hurt her to be in the breeders net ...
Poor lil' black moor unable to maintain balance - please help her!4/15/2011
  Q: Please help my poor female Black Moor. She has been unwell for 4 days now. All the signs of ...
  A: First please understand that "swimbladder" is not a disease, it is a part of a fish. They have a ...
Betta Fish Depression4/12/2011
  Q: I need your help. My betta is only a couple months old. I fear that he is depressed. I purchased ...
  A: You should be changing 25% of the water in his tank once a week, every week. That is far better than ...
Aggressive pleco4/11/2011
  Q: my goldspot pleco has become very aggressive toward my other fish? he lives in a 70 gallon tank with ...
  A: This is very normal for goldspot plecos. They are a rather aggressive fish. Be sure that he has ...
FlowerHorn Behaviour4/7/2011
  Q: I have a ZZ flowerhorn, its about 5 inchs,recently have observed whenever anyone comes near the ...
  A: This is a little unusual and often indicates that your water quality is getting worse. You need to ...
tail bites4/7/2011
  Q: so I have a pink jellybean cichlid in a 46 gall tank with angel fish puffer fish black fin shark ...
  A: It is impossible for me to say who is biting who in that tank. At this moment it could be any of the ...
jack demp babies4/6/2011
  Q: i planned on breeding and eventually over time making it back lol. i started collecting fish back in ...
  A: First, when to move them. I keep the kids with the parents for 2 to 3 weeks, at which point, it is ...
Please help identify these...4/6/2011
  Q: I am VERY new to African Cichlids. I have been trying to educate myself on these beautiful ...
  A: The problem with identifying these cichlids is that while they are clearly from Lake Malawi, there ...
crossbreeding/true strains/diluting genetics4/5/2011
  Q: where I live fish breeders and shops basically refuse to sell female endlers only the males,I was ...
  A: You can never do what you propose to do. Once a fish has been crossbred, it forever remains a ...
making my male convict cichlid less agressive4/3/2011
  Q: i recently purchased a green terror cichlid (2.5in) and a female convict cichlid(1in) and i placed ...
  A: This is pretty normal for a convict. One way you can reduce the aggression is by adding a lot of ...
Freshwater Eel4/3/2011
  Q: Hey, I'm currently doing a new world cichlid and oscar tank, and right now I'm thinking about adding ...
  A: Unfortunately if you put an eel of any kind in with an oscar, I can pretty much guarantee that the ...
Oscar eye problems4/3/2011
  Q: My Oscar, Sushi, is in a tank with Sake, another Oscar (30 gallons). Yes, they are too large for ...
  A: The eye problems are likely caused by the same thing that caused the hole in the head, namely poor ...
goldfish4/1/2011
  Q: my goldfish has a string hanging from its belly what does this mean i have a lot of gold fish 2 ...
  A: Do you mean a whitish string? If so, that indicates that the goldfish has intestinal parasites and ...
pleco fish4/1/2011
  Q: my pleco fish is black which pleco is he . ANSWER: Hi Natasha, There are over 500 species of ...
  A: Unfortunately it isn't that simple. Most of them are dark brown/blackish. There is no simple way to ...
Free ciclid/injured gill cover3/31/2011
  Q: my local petstore has an Electric yellow ciclid, is that the proper name? This fish has been in a ...
  A: The last line is the most critical to your question. Electric yellow cichlids come from Lake Malawi ...
Stargazer Pike Cichlid3/30/2011
  Q: my names is Dylan and I have owned a Stargazer pike cichlid for a little over a year. He is about 6 ...
  A: I have not kept that particular pike but I have kept others and one thing is common to most of them, ...
pleco fish3/29/2011
  Q: my pleco fish is black which pleco is he .
  A: There are over 500 species of plecostomus catfishes and many of them look very similar so ...
Krebensis3/28/2011
  Q: ....but the new female keeps chasing my other one. well the settle or the they kill each other???
  A: Female kribensis are VERY prone to fight other females so the odds are good that the more dominant ...
African Cichlids3/23/2011
  Q: I recently started an african cichlid tank. My tank is 46 gallons. I have 3 demasoni's in it right ...
  A: It is really hard to say. I have seen people keep 40 fish in a tank like that, but only with a TON ...
black of my cichlids3/23/2011
  Q: Some of my cichlids are developing a black on them and i was wondering if you know what it may be - ...
  A: Do you mean that the whole body is going black, parts of it, or just little spots? If it is little ...
African Cichlids3/23/2011
  Q: I recently started an african cichlid tank. My tank is 46 gallons. I have 3 demasoni's in it right ...
  A: Those additions sound okay but it is really important that you have lots of rock structure in that ...
yellow spots3/22/2011
  Q: Well I wont waste time I have a 10 gal tank with 2 sm kissing fish, a couple of crabs (red-claw i ...
  A: Hmm.... yellow spots are very unusual on fishes. Usually I hear about white spots. Or small white ...
flower horn bloated3/21/2011
  Q: My name is Mahesh from India, My flower horn bloated he is not eating food from past 5 day. 3 day ...
  A: It sounds like your fish has an intestinal problem. The medications for white spot, slime and ...
elephant nosed fish3/21/2011
  Q: do elephant nosed and puffer fish go together and if so what other fish go with them im setting up a ...
  A: It is important to understand what elephant nose fish are. They are in the family Mormyridae and ...
flowerhorn cichlid3/20/2011
  Q: We were gifted an approx. 6" flowerhorn cichlid, he is young. We've had him for 3 wks. Up until ...
  A: First, 85 is too warm. The temperature should be around 80oF. If he does not eat his food right ...
elephant nosed fish3/17/2011
  Q: do elephant nosed and puffer fish go together and if so what other fish go with them im setting up a ...
  A: I strongly suggest that you do not mix these fish. I suspect that the puffer fish will quickly kill ...
Our cichlid is alive but cant swim?!3/16/2011
  Q: Our cichlid jumped out of the tank. It was out no longer than a minute at most (30secs maybe) and ...
  A: Being out of the water for 30 seconds is not a problem for a cichlid. Most cichlids can be out of ...
African Cilchlid3/15/2011
  Q: I have an African Cilchlid, i got it from the pet store today. I noticed, once i got her or he into ...
  A: Brown poop is good. That means the fish is eating well. The fish cannot be "expecting" because ...
Nitrite3/15/2011
  Q: I have 4 mollies and a albino bottom feeder. The bottom feeder died ( don't know how) and the ...
  A: You should continue to do water changes and switch pet stores. There is no reason to not do a water ...
Jewel fish EGGS3/14/2011
  Q: My jewel fish have trid to raise their young....but failed...as the young wer eaten by other ...
  A: You can put the eggs in another fish bowl but you need to put an airstone near them to provide ...
Hi, I am afraid if I don't get help soon, my fish will die3/13/2011
  Q: it's me again. I wasn't allowed to ask anymore follow up questions, so I started a new one haha. I ...
  A: A functioning heater should raise the tank temperature in a few hours at most. I can't tell if ...
cross breed3/13/2011
  Q: I want to cross breed with flowerhorn and oscar fish we can do this??and second quetion is how to ...
  A: I have never heard of anyone trying this, nor do I see a reason to do so. As for changing water ...
Identify disease3/12/2011
  Q: Hi i have a festivum cichlid which has 5 white fluffy spots around its head and eyes and a large one ...
  A: Is there another fish in the tank that may be attacking this fish? It sounds like those are wounds ...
Danios and Blue Ram Killing Neon Tetras3/11/2011
  Q: Ron Coleman My Tank size is 30 Gallon Planted and I have 3 Blue Rams, 2 Clown Loach, 1 YoYo Loach, 1 ...
  A: Unfortunately neon tetras are very small and delicate. I seriously doubt if you can keep them alive ...
female black convict loosing its colors3/10/2011
  Q: Good day, I had 2 couples of convicts in my aquarium: a black couple and a pink one (very ...
  A: You need to separate that female. As well, in the main tank, you need to add a lot of structure ...
Have never owned ciclids, would like to3/6/2011
  Q: I have a few questions if you don't mind. First of all, can I put coincides in a tank with a ...
  A: I am not sure what "coincides" are? Do you mean cichlids? If so, yes you can put them in such a ...
my fish's behavior3/6/2011
  Q: I have a small fish and i've had it for quite a while . I used distilled water for a month and a ...
  A: Hmm... it could be the water, but it could be a coincidence. It is important if you are using tap ...
blood parrott has lost it color3/4/2011
  Q: I have a blood parrot that has lost it color and does not want to eat ... it stays away from the ...
  A: The problem with blood parrot cichlids is that they are a man-made hybrid so a lot of the time they ...
Breeding Piranhas?3/1/2011
  Q: my names is Dylan and I have owned 5 red belly piranhas for about 2 years now. About 2 weeks ago I ...
  A: I have never kept nor bred red belly piranhas, but I know some people that have -- it is rather ...
Cichlid death3/1/2011
  Q: I have been fighting my 75 gal fish tank for about 5 months. I have had several African cichlids ...
  A: This is all very peculiar. Just to be sure, I assume that you are not using any soaps, or any other ...
blood parrott has lost it color3/1/2011
  Q: I have a blood parrot that has lost it color and does not want to eat ... it stays away from the ...
  A: I cannot say for sure because I can't see what is going on. The color change doesn't mean much ...
My 2 new babies2/28/2011
  Q: I have 2 new tiger Oscars in a 55-60 gallon tank. Since I brought them which has only been three ...
  A: This is actually very normal behavior for new oscars. It will take them some time (days, possibly a ...
Cichlids being scared,2/28/2011
  Q: I have a 60 gallon rectangular tank with primarily South American cichlids. Recently the fish ...
  A: Do you have bright lights on the tank? That will do it. It can also be that they are just ...
blood parrott has lost it color2/28/2011
  Q: I have a blood parrot that has lost it color and does not want to eat ... it stays away from the ...
  A: My guess is that the other fish are bullying that fish. Is there anyway that you can separate it? ...
Cichlid death2/26/2011
  Q: I have been fighting my 75 gal fish tank for about 5 months. I have had several African cichlids ...
  A: I never use chemicals to deal with algae. Algae grows because of an excess of food in the water and ...
Aulonocara sp dragon blood cichlid2/26/2011
  Q: i was wondering if these fish are aggressive? and can i keep them with my geophagus altifrons? and ...
  A: Aulonacaras can be aggressive but it depends a lot on how large they are relative to the other fish ...
Cichlids being scared,2/25/2011
  Q: I have a 60 gallon rectangular tank with primarily South American cichlids. Recently the fish ...
  A: Have you been keeping up with your weekly water changes? One of the first indications that nitrogen ...
how to tell if fish preg2/22/2011
  Q: i have a tropical aquarium with 2 algae eating sucker fish recently one of them is getting really ...
  A: Plecostomus catfish (what you are called sucker fish) do not get pregnant as such. They lay eggs. ...
oscar scrapped side of body1/30/2011
  Q: Long time guess I'm not having many problems these days. My tank cover fell in the aquarium when I ...
  A: I've done that (drop the cover in the tank). Personally I would just let him heal. I would not add ...
geophagus1/26/2011
  Q: can you please tell me how to sex geophagus surinamensis/red striped eartheater when they are ...
  A: As far as I know, you cannot sex them at that size. In fact, geophagus can be very challenging to ...
sick red devil1/23/2011
  Q: I have a sick red devil, her name is peaches. she has been floating butt up for over a week now ...
  A: "Swim bladder" is not a disease, it is part of the fish. In other words, a red devil has a swim ...
cichild1/23/2011
  Q: All my fish were the same color, then there were 3 yellow and 4 blue. The yellow have out grown the ...
  A: The "kissing" you see, is really lip-locking and it is how cichlids fight. Taking out the large ...
Baby Cichlids1/20/2011
  Q: This is Anna (: I came back from school today and checked on the fish and to my surprise, saw our ...
  A: Sorry for the delay in answering; I was out of the country (actually, I was in Costa Rica, studying ...
Parrot Cichlid ill1/18/2011
  Q: I have two parrot cichilds and one of them is currently sick. I noticed that my biggest cichild has ...
  A: I am unclear about what the "bubbles" might be, other than air bubbles. If they were growths or ...
Identify my cichlid1/18/2011
  Q: Hi im having a problem identifying this cichlid could you please help it is grey with 2 tinge of ...
  A: It looks like one of the "panda" types of Apistogramma (dwarf cichlids from South America). There ...
Odd Oscar Behavior (tail twitching)1/18/2011
  Q: Today I bought my Oscar two new plants for his aquarium for I think he's been getting bored. I ...
  A: I strongly suspect that the "twitching" has nothing to do with how clean the plants are. Cichlids ...
my oscar wont eat1/15/2011
  Q: We just transferred our 4inch long Oscar into a bigger tank as it was too small for its old one. ...
  A: The dropping to the floor is probably not significant. Oscars take a long time to get used to new ...
Leeches?1/14/2011
  Q: My name is Chloe and in my tank I've found somthing that looks like a leech.It is half a centemetere ...
  A: Those invertebrates were likely on the plant that you put in the tank. Most are not a problem, ...
Betta Fish Sickness1/13/2011
  Q: My Beta fish has currently been getting weird flakes on top of the water in his cage. The flakes are ...
  A: How often are you changing his water? You need to change some of the water every week. Also, be ...
Cichlid fish1/11/2011
  Q: We have a tank with 7 cichlid fish - one has developed a bulging eye but seems perfectly happy - ...
  A: You need to do more frequent water changes. I highly recommend that you change 25% of the water ...
What to do with my fish? ):1/11/2011
  Q: it's my first time using this site, so I'm kind of doubtful that you'll answer my question in less ...
  A: 1. Your fish is called a blood parrot cichlid. It is a manmade hybrid cichlid. 2. I think most ...
Is my fish dying?1/10/2011
  Q: Me my mom and dad just bought two fish today for my first pet. When we got home, we cleaned out our ...
  A: Unfortunately goldfish are seldom very healthy and I strongly recommend that people avoid them. They ...
Cichlid in a community tank?1/10/2011
  Q: I was wondering if it is okay to have a cichlid in a small community tank and/or what kind. I was ...
  A: That really depends on exactly which other fish you have in the tank. You might consider a cichlid ...
Severum Breeding1/9/2011
  Q: How are you? This is Rizwan. I need some guidance from you, I have 2 pairs of Severum (green & ...
  A: I have bred severums by putting a large piece of slate leaning up against the side of the tank. ...
ich/ick1/9/2011
  Q: i have a 100 gallon tank with 2 Satanoperca leucosticta,1 Geophagus Dicrozoster,8 German blue rams,8 ...
  A: Eating an infected fish is probably really bad because it puts the parasites inside the larger fish. ...
Is my fish dying?1/8/2011
  Q: Me my mom and dad just bought two fish today for my first pet. When we got home, we cleaned out our ...
  A: Hmm.. something is very wrong here. First, did you use any soap or cleaners when you cleaned the ...
ich/ick1/8/2011
  Q: i have a 100 gallon tank with 2 Satanoperca leucosticta,1 Geophagus Dicrozoster,8 German blue rams,8 ...
  A: It could have been the Geophagus that ate the tetras. That would not be that unusual. As for the ...
my new ciclids1/4/2011
  Q: ok well there was a accident and all my fishes in the 30 gallon died my girlfriend said that she was ...
  A: The fish will be fine for now but as they get larger you are going to have problems. An adult midas ...
dalmation fish vs. angelfish ?1/3/2011
  Q: Me and my wife purchased some new fish for our 75 gallon tank. The pet shop employee told us that ...
  A: Keep in mind that each fish is an individual so there is no guarantee about how it will behave no ...
Dying Koi1/2/2011
  Q: Two days ago one of our largest Koi was attacked by a crane and ended up outside of the water on the ...
  A: That sounds like a good plan. I wish you and him best of luck. As you probably know, a large fish ...
Dying Koi1/1/2011
  Q: Two days ago one of our largest Koi was attacked by a crane and ended up outside of the water on the ...
  A: Sadly there isn't a lot you can do for the koi other than making his life as easy as possible and ...
my red parrot cichlid laid eggs12/31/2010
  Q: i have a 30 gallon tank 2 feeder goldfish a convict , a bumblebee , a jackdempsy , orange-bloch and ...
  A: It is not uncommon for female cichlids to lay eggs even if there is no male present. Because there ...
parrot head12/30/2010
  Q: I have 2 large orange parrotheads, 1 blue and 1 yellow african cichlid (both smaller), 1 albino frog ...
  A: It is hard to say whether the fish was sick first and then the blue cichlid started attacking it or ...
PH and KH12/30/2010
  Q: Salvador Perez I have a 200 gallon tank with a pleco and featherfin cat fish. I recently bought 2 ...
  A: Hmm.... if anything, oscars prefer acidic water so I'm not sure what is going on. Also, if you ...
angel fish eggs dying12/29/2010
  Q: I have a breeding pair of angelfish. The first three or four times they produced eggs were ...
  A: It sounds like the male might not be doing his thing, hence the eggs are not being fertilized, so ...
Chicilid tank12/29/2010
  Q: I have a 150 gal. african chicilid tank and all of my fish have been dying lately. I had a bacterial ...
  A: The green (algae) in the water is not a problem for the fish at all. In fact, many fish eat the ...
Red and Tiger Oscar12/26/2010
  Q: I first bought a Red Oscar about a month ago, around 3 inches long, in a 8 gallon tank. Yesterday, I ...
  A: Unfortunately that is much too small of a tank for an oscar, let alone two of them. Left as is, one ...
Tongue Fish and Aquarium snails12/26/2010
  Q: I would like to know if I can keep a couple of Tongue fish in a big aquarium with my peaceful ...
  A: Unfortunately tongue fish can refer to many very different kinds of fishes. The kind that I am ...
Cichlid12/24/2010
  Q: Chanchito can it go in a thirty two gallon with two firemouth, two convicts, and maybe a terror if ...
  A: That should be okay for now but will get harder as the green terror gets larger and starts to claim ...
external parasites on betta12/23/2010
  Q: we are new to owning a betta. It seemed to be doing well, only a couple weeks here at the house. ...
  A: I doubt if it is an external parasite. That would be highly unusual. Are you sure that that isn't ...
Discus and Co212/22/2010
  Q: I am an avid freshwater fish-keeper and I'm about to set up a 60 gallon tank that I'll use for ...
  A: I am not quite sure by what you mean when you say "before I begin breeding, I'll have a school of ...
Fish Care12/21/2010
  Q: 1 minnow, 6 skirt tetras, 3 bleeding heart tetras and 1 pleco we will have an a small cave like ...
  A: Hmm.... the key to keeping a fish like an elephant nose is that it needs a lot of places to hide. ...
sick betta12/16/2010
  Q: "I have a 1 year old betta female named Fiona(after the girl ogre in Shrek)) and she is like my ...
  A: The trouble with ick is that it is a rather intense disease. Basically the little white spots are ...
AFFECTS OF PROPANE STOVE ON BETA12/16/2010
  Q: This sounds like a bit of a shell game but I will try to keep it simple. I had a wonderful crown ...
  A: Unfortunately the photos didn't get attached. It is HIGHLY unlikely that the propane has anything ...
African Cichlid with swollen anus12/16/2010
  Q: I have what I believe is a Maylandia estherae (red zebra) ciclid with a swollen anus. The fish is ...
  A: It could be a female that has just laid eggs, but if that was the case, she would have a mouthful of ...
fishes12/15/2010
  Q: i just want to ask you, Ihave 25 gallon,it's finish cycle i have about 6 fises in there, bloodfin ...
  A: I strongly recommend that you get and use a gravel vacuum. 24 is a great temperature. You ...
Goldfish dying12/13/2010
  Q: I have a large outdoor above ground pond. It is about 70 gallons in size. We have had it for ...
  A: Green water just means that the water is full of algae. Algae itself is of no harm to fish (in ...
pink convicts with ich12/13/2010
  Q: While I am treating my convicts for ich, should I remove the carbon filter from the filtration ...
  A: You really need to use a proper ich cure (something with copper in it). Salt alone won't really do ...
flowernhorn with weird eye fungus12/12/2010
  Q: well it was around a week back that my flowerhorns condition was bad he had fin and tail rot wit eye ...
  A: A six gallon tank is much too small for a 4 inch fish. While medicines are sometimes useful, in ...
my 30 gallon12/9/2010
  Q: i have a 30 gallon tank with 1 angelfish, 1 rainbow shark, 1 cherry barb, 1 zebra barb, 2 killie ...
  A: If you put two firemouths or two convicts in a tank, assuming you have one of each sex, then the ...
Sick Blood Parrot Emergency!!12/9/2010
  Q: I have a well established 55 gallon tank with 5 BP and 1 Leopard Pleco. I have had all of these guys ...
  A: Unfortunately it just might be that he is getting old... particularly if none of the other fish ...
Gold Fish keep on dying12/7/2010
  Q: i have an almost 300l fish tank which i keep about 20 gold fish, however i changed the water after 2 ...
  A: When you say you "changed the water", did you change all the water? You should really only change ...
Cichlid Parents adopting12/7/2010
  Q: I know this might be an odd question, but have you ever tried switching the fry between two ...
  A: There have been experiments to that effect. The answer is that "it depends". In general, parents ...
hornfish12/6/2010
  Q: I have 4 goldfish in my tank . If i put a couple of horn fish will the goldfishes tolerate them
  A: If by "hornfish" you mean flowerhorns, the problem will be that the flowerhorns will likely kill ...
sick oscar12/6/2010
  Q: i hav 2 oscars and 2 japanese koi in a 200 litre tank dimensions 1.2mx600mm. the oscars are 8 years ...
  A: Unfortunately it doesn't sound good for your oscar. I strongly suggest that you do more water ...
My Jewel Cichlid12/5/2010
  Q: I have a 4-5" Jewel Cichlid (don't know the breed), a 6-7" Jack Dempsey (not sure breed), and a 8-9" ...
  A: The shaking is a sign of courtship and/or aggression. It is often how a male cichlid attempts to ...
my 30 gallon12/5/2010
  Q: i have a 30 gallon tank with 1 angelfish, 1 rainbow shark, 1 cherry barb, 1 zebra barb, 2 killie ...
  A: I don't think a knife fish would do well in there. They need a LOT of cover and many, many places to ...
A few Questions12/2/2010
  Q: Sorry for the extensive message, i am doing this for an Honors Biology Project at Hilliard Darby ...
  A: You can answer #1 by looking at fish food containers. They all differ. #2. There is really no ...
cichlid12/2/2010
  Q: ..we have a cichlid that has stopped eating...and he is being very aggressive with our ...
  A: There are lots of possible reasons, ranging from the water is not in the best of shape to the ...
fish12/1/2010
  Q: i want to you, i have airstone in the fish tank, everyday my aquarium bulb is soak with water from ...
  A: I do not understand what is going on. Is your airstone bubbling too violently? An airstone is ...
red devil hyper?11/29/2010
  Q: I recently bought a red devil cichlid from a local pet store and brought him home to a brand new ...
  A: Digging is perfectly normal for your fish. That is a good sign. He will eat when he feels hungry. ...
Apisto Cacatuoides Orange Flash11/29/2010
  Q: i have a question. My apsito cacatuoides females spawn Tuesday and im pretty sure they hatch because ...
  A: When cichlids hatch, they turn into "wrigglers". Wrigglers cannot swim. They feed off their yolk ...
cloudy tank... Oscar scales patchy and white11/29/2010
  Q: I have two Oscars (about in long each), 2 gouramis (about 4 in long each), 2 placos/algae eaters (6 ...
  A: I think something got messed up in your message because it says that your oscars are an inch long. ...
Tiger Oscar chilid11/28/2010
  Q: I have a tiger Oscar chilid that has 2 bottom fins both damaged by a very aggressive sicklet. I have ...
  A: The fins MIGHT grow back. It depends on how extensive the damage was. If just the frilly material of ...
feeding tiger and albino oscars11/23/2010
  Q: I just got 2 tiger and 1 albino oscar. I have them in a 55 gallon tank. My question is since i have ...
  A: Guppies would make excellent oscar food, but only if they are healthy (as they would be if you raise ...
Kribensis11/23/2010
  Q: I finally got it right that my kribs spawned and now has fry in a 10 gallon tank. I want to move the ...
  A: Personally I hate snails so I wouldn't use them. They are very difficult to get rid of once they ...
cichlid oscars11/22/2010
  Q: i have two new jevy oscars and my tiger one has stopped eating and has had long white poo hanging ...
  A: I have never heard of a "jevy" oscar. In any case, white stringy feces are a very bad sign. They ...
JELLYBEAN CICHLID11/21/2010
  Q: I have a 37 gallon tank with a variety of fish. I have had a "jellybean" cichlid for about 3 years ...
  A: Hmm... that is really hard to say. It could be an age related thing. It could also be a ...
A Catfish I purchased.11/21/2010
  Q: I purchased a catfish yesterday and want to learn more about it's diet, habitat, and background ...
  A: One of the really cool things about catfishes is that there are so many kinds (3000+ species). ...
Glofish11/20/2010
  Q: I've had my 10 gallon tank set up for 5 days before I put in 6 glofish. I had the water tested and ...
  A: That is really hard to diagnose. You are right that the one probably died and then got stuck (that ...
fish11/20/2010
  Q: i have aqua clear 50 filter in my 25 gallon aquarium. Iam thinking about getting a airstone in my ...
  A: Personally, I would purchase the larger air pump. You can never have too much air in a fish tank, ...
Does this setup look ok for a beginner?11/16/2010
  Q: I used to have a small fish tank (15 gallons) 20 years ago. I'm getting a strong urge to get back ...
  A: That tank looks to be about a 20 gallon tank, though it might be a 29 gallon. The cichlid appears ...
Is My Molly Pregnant??????11/15/2010
  Q: there is another Molly in the just like it. I don't know if it is a girl or not how do I tell the ...
  A: It is very possible that she gave birth. The good news is that she will get pregnant again (mollies ...
Guppy explosion11/15/2010
  Q: I just bought an Aquatic plant(Lotus like) and as i live in the tropics thought it was a good idea ...
  A: Your guppies are doing what guppies do best, namely breed. There really isn't anything you can do ...
Jack Dempsey11/15/2010
  Q: (about 2" long) and put it with a large Severum and a large blood Parrot (both about 5") in a 36G ...
  A: Be sure that your tank has lots of "structure", namely wood, rocks, plants etc such that the Jack ...
black convicts11/14/2010
  Q: two of my fish have been floating around the tank nose down. Other than that they act fine. What can ...
  A: Hmm... that doesn't sound good. They could have been attacked by other fish. Alternatively, it ...
eating habbits11/14/2010
  Q: if got a blood parrot, malawi chilid and 4 tiger barbs.the pet store said to feed them floating ...
  A: Definitely feed them during the day. Fishes like the blood parrot and Malawi cichlids will sleep at ...
Is My Molly Pregnant??????11/11/2010
  Q: there is another Molly in the just like it. I don't know if it is a girl or not how do I tell the ...
  A: One way is to buy what is known as a fish "breeder trap". The female goes in the top and when the ...
I bought a fresh water fish ?11/10/2010
  Q: I bought a fiah and was told it was a cichlid for my 35 gallon Tru Vu tank. I have a piguin 200 for ...
  A: Fish like firemouth cichlids in general do not get along well with other fish, particularly in a ...
Neon tetras getting sick.11/9/2010
  Q: I've wanted to ask this question for some time now as I never seem to be able to find the answer. I ...
  A: That is a puzzler. Like you I would have assumed that it would be soft and therefore was a fungus. ...
Blood Parrot Cichild11/7/2010
  Q: I have 3 blood parrot fish; the ages are 4,3,2. Ordinarily, they are active swimmers and hearty ...
  A: Hmm... You should be cleaning the tank more often than once in 3 weeks. In fact, you should be ...
Is My Molly Pregnant??????11/3/2010
  Q: there is another Molly in the just like it. I don't know if it is a girl or not how do I tell the ...
  A: She very well may be pregnant. It is impossible to tell for sure. As for how long it will take for ...
Titanium Flower Horn11/2/2010
  Q: My flower horn has been having constipation ever since I got it, about 6 months ago! I have to feed ...
  A: That feeding problem is rather unusual. You might try soaking the food in water first so that it ...
leopard sailfin10/31/2010
  Q: i was wondering whether a leopard sailfin would suck on other fish? because i have heard that some ...
  A: Most plecos will suck on other fish if the the pleco is starving. This happens because people think ...
MY FLOWER HORN IS NOT WELL.. :-(10/30/2010
  Q: MY FLOWER HORN IS NOT WELL FROM 1 MONTH HE IS NOT EATING ANY THING AND HIS STOMACH IS GROWING BIGGER ...
  A: Unfortunately that does not sound good. It sounds like he has some sort of intestinal blockage. ...
feeding problems10/28/2010
  Q: i recently bought a female borelli's dwarf cichlid but it wouldnt eat!i tried dried ...
  A: Give the fish some time. Moving a fish can be very traumatic and many fish respond by not eating ...
white sots on the surface of the water?10/27/2010
  Q: i am very concerned with these white dots on the surface of my water and it seems to also have this ...
  A: Is your filter working correctly? The filter should move the water in the tank so that the surface ...
Electric Blue Johanni Cichlids10/26/2010
  Q: I bought 2 Electric Blue Johanni Cichlids and after doing some research, I had thought I knew how to ...
  A: The problem is that there are several fish sold as electric blue johanni. The true johanni, namely ...
parrotfish10/25/2010
  Q: i would like to know if you could help me i have parrot fish and the one fish has got black spots ...
  A: Often those spots are the results of fighting. They are in essence "bruises". Do you see any ...
dawf jelly bean convict fish10/25/2010
  Q: I have the undyed jelly Bean fish and one has just given birth. seeing I didn't see this happen, Do ...
  A: Jelly Bean parrot cichlids are egg layers. People dye them all sorts of colors. Take a look here: ...
Paratilapia polleni, swim bladder10/23/2010
  Q: I hope you can help me and my show fish, Bo. I have owned this polleni for over 3 years and have ...
  A: It is really hard to say what is going on. He might simply not like the change from his traditional ...
Blood Parrot Cichilids10/22/2010
  Q: I have 8 Blood Parrot Cichilids and once i got them they were so energetic and colorful, but now ...
  A: Those black spots are likely "bruises" and are the result of fighting. Also, are you doing lots of ...
new Apistogramma cacacatoids sp?10/21/2010
  Q: I'm very new about having these little fellas. But have got the bug about having them. I bought ...
  A: I think the fish you have is Apistogramma cacutoides. It comes from South America. Unfortunately ...
Midas Cichlid questions10/20/2010
  Q: I have a 90 gallon bow front tank. It is already cycled and has been up for about a year with ...
  A: A midas will be perfectly happy by himself. A pleco will also go well in there. He can definitely ...
Tiger Oscar behaviour10/20/2010
  Q: 1 large tiger 20cm, 3 smaller around 8 cm and 1 large pleco 25cm, we moved them all into the larger ...
  A: Yes, it is "normal" but it also suggests that life is not going to be calm in that tank. By the ...
oranda10/17/2010
  Q: i purchased a large oranda today at a fish shop. originally i bought it to put in my pond, which i ...
  A: He has probably started eating by now. At first, after a fish has been moved, they are often very ...
pop eye and swollen belly gold severum10/14/2010
  Q: my 5" gold severum has developed abnormally swollen belly for past one week. Now it has stopped ...
  A: That seems very peculiar given the extent of cleaning and filtration that you are doing. Are there ...
badly injured severum10/12/2010
  Q: I have a 50 gallon cichlid aquarium. Two weeks ago, I added a pair of Green Terror. They are not ...
  A: You need to keep that severum separated for a while. In many cases, if you catch it early enough, ...
Parrot head injuryed by tank decoration10/11/2010
  Q: Our 6 year old 9 inch parrot head fish was injured by accident while moving a large tank decoration. ...
  A: Actually I do not recommend doing anything. Fish are very good at healing themselves. The most ...
fish indentification10/11/2010
  Q: i just want to know if u can tell me what Kind of fish this is, i got two from walmart and i know ...
  A: They are called blood parrot cichlids. Cichlids are a large family of freshwater fishes found in ...
My cichlid isn't himself10/6/2010
  Q: My cichlid used to rule the tank and now he stopped eating and barely does anything. I have not ...
  A: Hmm... by any chance does he have a swollen mouth, i.e., does it look like he has something in his ...
My Tanks10/5/2010
  Q: Hullo! (was that British? lol) Umm... I am goin to be getting a 20 gallon tank and a 50, 55 or 60 ...
  A: I think the new combinations sound pretty good. You can probably put some zebra danios in the 20 ...
5 Year Old Female Oscar Large Lump On Each Side Trouble Breathing10/5/2010
  Q: I have a very sweet Oscar mates in a 125g Tank. My Female has has a very large Lump on her Side(s). ...
  A: If it is a clogged ovary there is nothing you can do about it. If it is a clogged intestine, the one ...
Lump On Oscar's Side(s)10/5/2010
  Q: The Live in 125g Tank. I had this bid Ideal to Save money and bought a roll of the Filter rap for my ...
  A: The lump COULD be from loose gravel -- oscars will eat lots of things -- but I would be surprised if ...
bristlenose10/3/2010
  Q: i have two bristlenoses(male and female) the female is larger than the male and keeps on chasing him ...
  A: Chasing is perfectly normal. Like many fish, bristlenoses can be territorial. You can't really stop ...
My Tanks10/3/2010
  Q: Hullo! (was that British? lol) Umm... I am goin to be getting a 20 gallon tank and a 50, 55 or 60 ...
  A: You have to be careful which fishes you put together. For example, if you put tiger barbs in with ...
LOSING FISH HELP!!10/1/2010
  Q: Hey Ron, its me again and i'm having some serious problems!!! Yesterday I lost 3 fish one was killed ...
  A: It is more likely aggression than a parasite. Also, when a fish dies, and particularly a large ...
oscars9/30/2010
  Q: I just bought 2 oscars and i was wondering if they could be tankmates with my 2 plecos
  A: That depends entirely on their relative size. If the oscars are large and the plecos are small, the ...
Flowerhorn9/29/2010
  Q: I bought this magnificent Flowerhorn at Mumbai, India three days back. It was very active and used ...
  A: Bhattacharjee, It sounds like he gave himself a concussion. It is impossible for me to say if he ...
convicts in a 10 gallon tank9/28/2010
  Q: can i have convicts in a 10 gallon tank. i already have 2 female convicts in a 65 gallon tank, but i ...
  A: In general the darker one is the more dominant, if by darker you mean that the black markings are ...
Kenyi Cichlids9/28/2010
  Q: I have just recently set up a 29 gallon tank with 4 decorations and 6 plants. I have two Kenyi ...
  A: The digging is perfectly normal. That is what cichlids do. The color change is also normal. A ...
Red tiger oscar9/27/2010
  Q: I just bought a red tiger oscar for my new 55 gallon tank. I have had him about 2 days and he has ...
  A: That is hard to say, assuming you have a proper filter and heater running on the tank. Hopefully he ...
Green Terror9/26/2010
  Q: I will try cutting the feedings down. All of the fish are about 3-4 inches, the Jack Dempsey being ...
  A: You can feed them that often, but you have to give them only a little bit each time, otherwise they ...
Green Terror9/26/2010
  Q: Not too long ago I set up a new tank, and put in a Green Terror, Tiger Oscar, and Jack Dempsey ...
  A: The food type sounds okay. A few pellets 2 or 3 times a day can add up to quite a bit of food. How ...
Green Terror9/26/2010
  Q: Not too long ago I set up a new tank, and put in a Green Terror, Tiger Oscar, and Jack Dempsey ...
  A: There are many possible causes of a swollen belly and anus. It could simply be that your fish is ...
Oscar eggs9/25/2010
  Q: I recently discovered I have a breedng pair. This is the second time eggs have been laid. No ...
  A: The fungus attacks dead eggs. Most likely the eggs were not fertilized correctly. This could occur ...
Convict feeders?9/24/2010
  Q: Hey Ron, my name is Dylan and I keep many aggressive fish from red bellied piranhas to tiger shovel ...
  A: You have to be very careful using a cichlid as a feeder fish. The problem is that cichlids have ...
Parrot fish9/22/2010
  Q: I have a 75 gallon tank with 5 parrot fish (was 6) and a school of 6 Giant Danios and some bottom ...
  A: Unfortunately I can't really answer what to do because I am unsure what is causing the problem. Is ...
african cichlids9/21/2010
  Q: I want to start my first aquarium. Most people that I have spoken to suggest African cichlids b/c ...
  A: If you keep East African cichlids in a tank, then you should not put in fish like parrot cichlids ...
Sick fish9/19/2010
  Q: I have 2 sucker fish, 2 catfish and one fantail goldfish in a 20 gal tank. Just this past day, they ...
  A: When you "clean" the tank, are you doing a partial water change? You should be changing about 25% ...
Kribensis cichlid9/17/2010
  Q: I want to breed kribs,but i need to know the basics.Can you please tell me the basics? Thanks
  A: Kribensis are easy and fun to breed. You need one male and one female kribensis and an aquarium ...
what is the difference between a male and a female flowerhorn fish?9/17/2010
  Q: i would like to ask you how to know the difference between a female and a male flowerhorn from its ...
  A: Actually you likely cannot tell the difference between male and female flowerhorns at that size. ...
apistogramma cacatuoids9/14/2010
  Q: i wanted to know how big a tank would i need for a pair of cockatoo cichlids/apistogramma ...
  A: In that case I would go to a 15 or a 20 gallon long tank. Any cichlid is going to bother catfish ...
red devil9/13/2010
  Q: my 3 year old red devil recently started losing colour, gulping and she lost her appetite.we were ...
  A: Unfortunately it is pretty much impossible for me to say what happened. I can tell you that unless ...
my pretty red betta fish9/13/2010
  Q: I need to know what fruits/veggies I can feed to my little betta fish, Ruby Rose. I'd like to give ...
  A: She really doesn't need/want fruits and/or vegetables. She probably cannot digest those anyway. So, ...
floating bits in tank9/12/2010
  Q: i'm new to keeping fish and recently bought a tank from a friend. when i bought it my friend told me ...
  A: Can you describe to me the kind of filter that you have (there are many, many kinds)? For example, ...
geophagus surinamensis9/11/2010
  Q: are these peaceful? can i feed them floating pellets and will they eat zucchini that i feed my ...
  A: You should have wood in the tank for the bristlenoses to hide around so they should be fine. If you ...
geophagus surinamensis9/11/2010
  Q: are these peaceful? can i feed them floating pellets and will they eat zucchini that i feed my ...
  A: "Peaceful" is a relative term. They can get up to 6" or larger so they are not going to live well ...
sexing bolivian rams9/9/2010
  Q: i have 3 bolivian rams in my tank and i would like to know how to tell them apart. i dont know if ...
  A: While there are differences between the sexes, they are pretty subtle and you need to have looked at ...
salvini cichilds killing other fish9/9/2010
  Q: i need some advice on what to do with my salvini cichlids. i was in pets at home and i asked the ...
  A: I would not put salvini in with ANY so-called community fish. Salvini are interesting fish but they ...
parrot fish9/8/2010
  Q: i have some blue gouriami's, corys,mollies, can i put some parrot fish in with them, sense the ...
  A: I suspect the parrot cichlids will be okay when they are small, but they can get quite a bit larger ...
sexing salvini cichlids9/8/2010
  Q: how do you tell the difference between male and female salvini cichlids? 1 have 3, one is about 3" ...
  A: In general, the one with the black spot is typically a female. Other than that, there are few ...
Bristlenose9/7/2010
  Q: I have a 10cm male green terror and 3 bristlenoses. The green terror always eats whatever i give the ...
  A: Have you tried putting in sinking algae wafers? Also, keep in mind that catfish like bristlenoses ...
What can I do to eradicate fin rot9/6/2010
  Q: I hope you can help me. I have an 11 gallon tank tropical tank. The temperature is at 24 degrees ...
  A: Re: the loach. When a fish "goes over the wall" the fins often dry out and fall off. Fortunately, ...
What can I do to eradicate fin rot9/4/2010
  Q: I hope you can help me. I have an 11 gallon tank tropical tank. The temperature is at 24 degrees ...
  A: Hmmm... in my experience, most cases of "fin rot" are not fin rot at all, but rather the result of ...
O2 issues?9/1/2010
  Q: I have a Jellybean Cichlid and he is about 8-9 years old. He has lived in almost every type of ...
  A: That sounds like a fish in a tank without sufficient air in the water (even though you say the new ...
Chiclids8/30/2010
  Q: I recently started a 55 gallon tank and have 4 midas chiclids in it. I was not properely informed ...
  A: Midas cichlids are wonderfully interesting fish but they are highly territorial, particularly as ...
stocking levels8/26/2010
  Q: I have been keeping aquariums for awhile now and wanted to get some texas cichlids. I was wondering ...
  A: The challenge with Central American cichlids, like the convict and Texas cichlids, comes when they ...
green terror not eating8/25/2010
  Q: I have a 50 gallon cichlid aquarium. Two weeks ago, I added a pair of Green Terror. They are not ...
  A: When the gravel is too thick, it creates a real problem in the tank because food and waste gets down ...
Carp8/25/2010
  Q: A friend gave me two fishes from a nearby industrially polluted canal.( in China)they look like a ...
  A: I would keep trying the fish food pellets. When a fish encounters a new food type, they "taste" it ...
beta not eating but producing bubbles8/24/2010
  Q: I have 2 male betas in a beta buddies bowl. 1 eats good but doesn't flair much when the divider is ...
  A: The bubbles is an excellent sign. A male betta makes a bubble nest to entice a female to spawn. If ...
hiding fish8/23/2010
  Q: we have had our 29 gallon aquarium for several months. We only have 2 parrot fish. Last week they ...
  A: A fish suddenly becoming shy is often a sign of deteriorating water conditions. When you say the ...
stocking8/23/2010
  Q: ..i have recently been very keen to keep African cichlids..so far i have 6 1'' yellow lab cichlids. ...
  A: There are hundreds of species of blue East African cichlids that you could keep with the yellow ...
My fantail goldfish keep dying8/22/2010
  Q: Ok..I bought my 11yr old daughter a 5 gallon tank and live plants for her fish..they died withing ...
  A: Where are you buying these goldfish? Unfortunately, unknown to most people are two key facts about ...
Blood Parrot Cichlid UPSIDE DOWN for over TWO WEEKS! HELP!!8/21/2010
  Q: My 4 yr old Blood Parrot cichlid was swimming upside down for over a week in her main tank. She had ...
  A: There are a few possible things going on here. There is also some confusion out there on the ...
Large Oscar Not Eating8/20/2010
  Q: I was given a 10 inch oscar a week ago along with a large pleco. I moved both of them into a 90 ...
  A: Give him time. Oscars are VERY sensitive to being moved and to new food. A 10 inch oscar can go ...
green terror not eating8/19/2010
  Q: I have a 50 gallon cichlid aquarium. Two weeks ago, I added a pair of Green Terror. They are not ...
  A: Give them time. Cichlids often don't eat when moved to a new tank. They can go many weeks on ...
Question about vibrant plastic plants with my discus8/17/2010
  Q: I have 5 discus in a small tropical community 46 gallon bow front. These are my first discus and I'm ...
  A: I don't think the colorburst plants will matter one bit to the discus. The tie fighter, however... ...
lump in cichlid8/14/2010
  Q: I have an Oscar that is about 4 yrs. old and about 7-8 inches long and has been completely happy ...
  A: It could be several things, sadly, none of them are good. It could be a tumor. It could be a ...
hey8/12/2010
  Q: i have an oscar in a 20 gallon tank. He has been fine up till a few days ago. He isn't eating and he ...
  A: I have no idea why the "pet store lady" would tell you such garbage. The larger the tank you can ...
red devil swim bladder8/12/2010
  Q: I am hoping you may be able to help us with our Red Devil. He is about 7 years old and we got him ...
  A: It is really challenging to restrain a large cichlid. Basically you have to use a lot of force. They ...
Filter too strong???8/11/2010
  Q: I realise you are not an expert on goldfish but really this is more about their living conditions. ...
  A: Hmmm... that is really hard to say. Like I said before, goldfish are often not healthy to begin ...
red devil swim bladder8/11/2010
  Q: I am hoping you may be able to help us with our Red Devil. He is about 7 years old and we got him ...
  A: Sadly it definitely sounds like he has a problem with his swim bladder and worse yet, there really ...
hey8/11/2010
  Q: i have an oscar in a 20 gallon tank. He has been fine up till a few days ago. He isn't eating and he ...
  A: Are you doing regular weekly partial water changes? You need to be changing 25% of his water once a ...
Filter too strong???8/10/2010
  Q: I realise you are not an expert on goldfish but really this is more about their living conditions. ...
  A: Could you use the filter from the goldfish bowl? It is highly unusual for a filter to be "too ...
white tail and fin spots then they split8/10/2010
  Q: geen severums,sharks ,plecks. I have two large filters .water quality is perfect nitate 0 etc But ...
  A: Actually those are exactly the signs of biting. You will see white patches long before you see ...
hurt goldfish8/10/2010
  Q: I have 2 long fin goldfish and 2 small red heads, last night before going to bed i saw all in ...
  A: I suspect that one of the other fish might have hurt him. Keep an eye on things. If possible, ...
Jack Dempseys8/9/2010
  Q: I sent my ? in on 8/5/10 I got an email back that I had an answer but could find it, here it is ...
  A: Here is what I wrote: Hi Debbie, Whether you move them or not depends on what your goal is. If ...
Cichlid Fish8/9/2010
  Q: I have a 30 gallon tank and i wanted to have come green terrors and cobalt blue zebra fish but i ...
  A: There are over 2300 different species of cichlids and hundreds of them would fit the bill. ...
bristlenose8/8/2010
  Q: my bristlenose is scared to come out of his hiding spot because i have a green terror about 4 inches ...
  A: He needs a lot more than one hiding spot. He should have more like five hiding spots, if not more. ...
bristlenose8/8/2010
  Q: i have one 2 1/2 inch bristlenose in my tank with a green terror and the bristlenose hides and is ...
  A: I don't think adding more bristlenoses is going to solve the problem. Bristlenose catfish, like most ...
help my phishie!8/8/2010
  Q: i have a male betta phish (yes with a "ph") name spike:) i left to visit my dad for a few days and ...
  A: I suggest you replace some of his water. When you do a water change, you should not change all the ...
Green Terror Unable to swim well, and with a strange red pimple. Please help!8/7/2010
  Q: I hope you are just fine. I am having a swimming problem with my green terror, I hope you can help ...
  A: That is really challenging. I am not sure that the two problems are related. The swimming ...
Fish8/6/2010
  Q: I was just wondering if a jaguar cichlid and a clown knife fish could live together? If so how big ...
  A: That depends entirely on how large the individuals are. They are most likely to survive together if ...
parrot cichlid8/3/2010
  Q: ! my daughter has two orange parrot cichlids and has had couple of years !! i am pet sitting and ...
  A: Hmmm... it is hard to say without seeing them, but it is very possible that the female has some eggs ...
normal platy waste?8/3/2010
  Q: 2 of my platy fish (sunburst %26 marigold) expel their waste in VERY long strands often as long as ...
  A: Unfortunately, if the waste is very white you definitely need to be concerned. It is a clear ...
normal platy waste?8/2/2010
  Q: 2 of my platy fish (sunburst %26 marigold) expel their waste in VERY long strands often as long as ...
  A: As long as the feces are brown, then it is all good and shows that they are eating and digesting ...
Housing Cichlids8/2/2010
  Q: Can a single Convict or Firemouth cichlid be kept in a 10 gallon aquarium? Does the "one fish per ...
  A: Yes a single convict or firemouth can be successful in a 10 gallon tank. Either is equally easy to ...
my jack dempsey8/2/2010
  Q: i have a jack dempsey and he is about 6 inches big. i have had him for a long time now. but recently ...
  A: Are you doing regular weekly partial water changes? Usually this kind of behavior indicates ...
poorly oscar!!8/1/2010
  Q: ! I was 'donated' what i've been informed is a bronzed oscar by my local fish store, though they ...
  A: If he has ick (white spot), the key is to treat him with one of the medications and hope for the ...
black spot on my parrot fish8/1/2010
  Q: Recently(2 weeks back) , i treated white spot(ich) disease afflicted to one of my parrot fish( used ...
  A: There can be a number of causes for black spots on a fish. Some are caused by parasites, while most ...
Swollen Gill on Jewel Cichlid8/1/2010
  Q: I have a 3 year old Jewel Cichlid that has a large growth on the right gill. It has gradually ...
  A: Unfortunately I do not know what is causing that or how to treat it. It is definitely not ick and ...
why do my fish keep dying7/31/2010
  Q: i bought 2 fish for my daughters i had them about 5 days then they died i then bought a new tank ...
  A: Goldfish are actually very difficult fish to keep alive. Most of them are sick to begin with. ...
white tail and fin spots then they split7/29/2010
  Q: geen severums,sharks ,plecks. I have two large filters .water quality is perfect nitate 0 etc But ...
  A: It sounds like they are biting each other. That is the most common reason for fin damage and is ...
the last question7/28/2010
  Q: also when i read that the females establish a pecking order i thought i would start letting the ...
  A: There is no really easy foolproof way when they are young, that is why they get mixed up. Females ...
Elephant Fish7/28/2010
  Q: my wife bought an Elephant Fish from the pet. when she opened the bag to put the fish into the tank ...
  A: Unfortunately that does not sound good at all. That usually results from the fish being improperly ...
30 gallon cichlid tank.7/28/2010
  Q: green terror and jack Dempsey cichlid in the same tank they get along fine there about an inch each ...
  A: I do not agree with the folks at Petsmart. Imagine that each of your fish is 8-10 inches long -- ...
the last question7/26/2010
  Q: also when i read that the females establish a pecking order i thought i would start letting the ...
  A: Hmm.... in general female bettas do not fight. I have kept lots of females together in a 10 gallon ...
brackish water7/23/2010
  Q: ok so iv started a brackish water aquarium (37 US gallons) .... i have a fiddler crab with a small ...
  A: Unfortunately I have never tried to keep brackish water fish. I can tell you that the plecostomus ...
sucker fish7/23/2010
  Q: I have lost a sucker fish in my tank since yesterday and he is nowhere to be found. Do goldfish or ...
  A: Actually, most any fish will eat another fish given the chance. There are some common ...
Cichlid Floating7/23/2010
  Q: I have a very sick looking fish, Im pretty sure it's a madagascan pollini. A few weeks ago it had a ...
  A: Hmm... unfortunately that does not sound good. It sounds like it has a serious swim bladder ...
best food7/23/2010
  Q: whats the best food to feed cichlids and whats good to bring out there colors?
  A: I feed TetraMin flake food to my cichlids. Large cichlids get TetraCichlid sticks. I have a lot of ...
Dying catfish.7/23/2010
  Q: I just went fishing recently with my dad at Suson park. We were walking to our usual spot when my ...
  A: It is hard for me to say without seeing the situation but a likely cause for such a thing would be a ...
Goldfish have large lumps upon them...7/22/2010
  Q: I have about twenty fish in an outdoor formal pond in England. I recently noticed one of the smaller ...
  A: That is hard to say. The fact that multiple fish have it suggests that it may be some sort of ...
breeding7/22/2010
  Q: Hey I have a flowerhorn that just breed with my red terror my red terror had laid her eggs on a ...
  A: They will remain wrigglers for about 4 to 5 days, then they will be free-swimming. It is only once ...
HELP! My betta fish won't eat, has popeye, swims sporadically and more...7/21/2010
  Q: I was wondering what I could possibly do for my betta fish. He's had popeye for a couple of weeks ...
  A: The best way to clean a fish tank is with a gravel siphon. That cleans the stuff off the bottom ...
big eyed fish7/21/2010
  Q: Hey you see i really want to get a big eyed fish for my son But i don't know a good fish that would ...
  A: Hmmm... that is an unusual request. Let's see. The challenge is that most fishes that have really ...
lilpockus@tmail.com7/21/2010
  Q: My female red terror had breed with my flowerhorn she laid her eggs on a brick that place in the ...
  A: The white eggs are dead -- they probably were not fertilized properly by the male. The female could ...
my betta fish has two small lumps on his side7/21/2010
  Q: i just got my betta fish about two weeks ago. I put him in a 6.6 planted aquarium and he has a good ...
  A: It is hard to say what is causing those bumps, but whatever it is, it is highly unlikely you can do ...
HELP! My betta fish won't eat, has popeye, swims sporadically and more...7/21/2010
  Q: I was wondering what I could possibly do for my betta fish. He's had popeye for a couple of weeks ...
  A: Sadly I don't know of anything you can do. In general, you should keep up the 25% water changes. ...
Breeding7/21/2010
  Q: hello my name is Devon and i was wondering how do i tell if my fish are male or female because read ...
  A: Telling whether a fish is male or female is not simple. In some species the two sexes look ...
Angel Fish Problem?7/20/2010
  Q: I have a 6 litre bi-orb tropical fish tank and have currently 6 fish in it, 1 black molly, 1 ...
  A: The infection can be brief or it can be long lasting or it can be fatal. If the fish is not showing ...
Angel Fish Problem?7/20/2010
  Q: I have a 6 litre bi-orb tropical fish tank and have currently 6 fish in it, 1 black molly, 1 ...
  A: Unfortunately your angelfish has a serious intestinal infection. There are various medications ...
oscar possible fighting7/20/2010
  Q: Coleman, I have had my Oscar for going on ten years. She use to have a mate. I know this cause ...
  A: The trouble with putting adult cichlids together is that fighting and courting look exactly the ...
New bettas7/20/2010
  Q: I adopted 2 female crowntail bettas from my local Petco Sunday and put them in a 2 gallon Betta ...
  A: First, are you sure that they are females? Most bettas sold are males. If they are males, then you ...
the last question7/20/2010
  Q: also when i read that the females establish a pecking order i thought i would start letting the ...
  A: Sorry for the delay in responding. Breeding bettas is technically not that hard. You put a male in ...
Puffers7/20/2010
  Q: Hey, I bought "red eyed puffer at the local pet store. All of the informationm on line especially ...
  A: Unfortunately I am not that familiar with puffers. Keep in mind that many fish can change colors ...
black fin shark7/19/2010
  Q: We have 2 black fin sharks, about 2 inches long each. They do not go to the bottom, but stay at the ...
  A: First, keep in mind that even a 5.5 gallon tank is very small for that kind of fish. You really ...
common name7/19/2010
  Q: may i know what is the common name of the mbumba sp. msobo?
  A: Sorry for the delay in getting back on this one. The proper name is Metriaclima sp. Msobo, but I do ...
floating fish7/18/2010
  Q: i have just got a gold fish it looks sick and keeps floating up to the top can you help thanks wayne ...
  A: Actually just about any other kind of fish would be better than a goldfish. There are hundreds of ...
floating fish7/18/2010
  Q: i have just got a gold fish it looks sick and keeps floating up to the top can you help thanks wayne
  A: Unfortunately it very likely is sick (goldfish are notorious for carrying all sorts of diseases) but ...
Floating Oscar7/18/2010
  Q: I own an Oscar(not sure of his type or age since he belonged to someone else before he was mine) in ...
  A: It definitely sounds like a swim bladder infection. Either that or somehow he has a bunch of air ...
Constipated fan tail fish7/15/2010
  Q: In the past few days I have noticed that my Fan Tail fish has developed a swollen stomach. It's swim ...
  A: Actually those two remedies are the ones I most often hear of, so I would go with them. Of course, ...
How many fish in a tank7/15/2010
  Q: As the subject says, I need help with trying to shift my fish to a different tank but not sure if ...
  A: Counting lots of fish is not trivial. Catching them and putting them in a bucket will give you an ...
Jack Dempsey Cichlid7/14/2010
  Q: I have a 60 gallon tank. I had South American Cichlids. I had the following fish, black/white ...
  A: Fish seldom get "lonely" so that is not likely the issue. Do you have other places in the tank for ...
After a Fish Dies7/14/2010
  Q: We currently have a 10gal. tank with an "up-to-20gal" filter. We established this tank approximate. ...
  A: The tank is cloudy because it is a newly established tank and the bacteria population has not yet ...
Green Terror Cichlid7/14/2010
  Q: i have some green terror fry that are in a tank of there own and they are about 1 inch. the water in ...
  A: It is highly unlikely that the water being brown has any direct relationship with the green terror ...
Zebrafish Breeding7/12/2010
  Q: I am interested in breeding Zebra Danio. I have done some research online about different ways to ...
  A: I have bred them pretty much exactly the way you describe, except that I used a 10 gallon tank and ...
My fish is bullied? Another sick? And another losing it's color!7/12/2010
  Q: My fish Swimmy is about 3 inches. He was the first fish I ever got and I love him. But lately I have ...
  A: Sadly, yes you need to be worried. Once a fish is swimming on its back, things are really bad, and ...
fish wont swim around7/12/2010
  Q: I have a Gourami, Mollie Balloon, a fighter fish and 7 Tetra Neon’s. For a while now (coming up to ...
  A: There are lots of fishes you could put in there but almost all of them will not go well with the ...
Female Betta Fish7/11/2010
  Q: How do I know if my Female Betta is ready to mate? And, how big is a female Betta supposed to be? ...
  A: It sounds like your female may be large enough to breed. The only way to know for sure is to put ...
how do you tell male from female in sunburst wags.7/11/2010
  Q: I have three sunburst wags and i got them at petsmart and i just wanted to know how to tell male ...
  A: I assume that you mean wag swordtails? In that case, the male has a modified anal fin (the fin on ...
Oscar fish7/10/2010
  Q: I have and oscar fish that we have had for about three years last week we cleaned the tank replaced ...
  A: There are many medications available for ick. I use one called Rid-Ick. Follow the directions ...
Oscar fish7/10/2010
  Q: I have and oscar fish that we have had for about three years last week we cleaned the tank replaced ...
  A: Hmm... the white film is very bad. That typically indicates a bad reaction to the water and maybe ...
Schooling freshwater aquarium fish7/9/2010
  Q: Mr Coleman: In your opinion, what freshwater community fish has the "tightest" schooling habit? ...
  A: Danios are pretty tight schoolers if you put them in a large tank. Keep in mind that schooling is a ...
pike cichlid7/9/2010
  Q: Hey Ron, I was wondering if you would be able to give me some information about the Star Gazer. You ...
  A: I have tried "star gazer" pikes a few times but never had them thrive. I suggest that you might try ...
sick beta7/8/2010
  Q: I have had my pet beta for almost a year now. He got progressively sicker and now won't even eat. He ...
  A: Do you have a heater in the tank and 2hat temperature is the tank at? It should be up around 80oF. ...
King the beta fish7/8/2010
  Q: I have a male beta fish named king. He lives in a large vase with a large, tall plant in the center. ...
  A: The problem is that he is living in a vase. He really needs to live in proper aquarium. I suggest ...
Testing Aquarium Water7/8/2010
  Q: I recently lost my dear 6 year old fancy goldfish ( who acted more like a dog than a fish) which I ...
  A: Actually, I have 140 aquariums and I NEVER test the water. I haven't done so in twenty years. The ...
fish wont swim around7/7/2010
  Q: I have a Gourami, Mollie Balloon, a fighter fish and 7 Tetra Neon’s. For a while now (coming up to ...
  A: Your water change schedule sounds good (once a week) as does the rest of your fish keeping routine. ...
new fish7/7/2010
  Q: before I ask I am aware that you are not an expert on goldfish but all the other experts are on ...
  A: Goldfish are a type of minnow (family Cyprinidae) and almost all minnows like to school, i.e., given ...
Severum is Sick7/7/2010
  Q: 2 white spots. Now the white spots faded but its right gill has a pimple-sized red spot. What ...
  A: Hmmm.. the most important question is what caused this? Is the fish being attacked by another fish ...
Blood Heart Molly7/6/2010
  Q: I have blood heart molly babies, or fry, and they're about 4 months old now but none of them are ...
  A: Fish growth is dependent on many things, including water temperature, the kind, amount of food, ...
Mollies7/6/2010
  Q: I recently bought 2 blood red sailfin mollies and 2 balloon mollies for my tank. I also have 2 white ...
  A: I seriously doubt that the plants themselves could have anything to do with it. The plants might ...
My Two GoldFishes7/6/2010
  Q: I'm wondering why one of my goldfishes tail is white at the tip? it wasn't like that when i bought ...
  A: Sorry but I cannot tell you which is which sex. As for the white tip, that could be a little ...
Betta Fish Breeding?7/6/2010
  Q: I have always had a love for betta fish. I recently decided to try to breed a pair. I have a ...
  A: Hmmm.. I do not understand why you have a styrofoam cup in there. He will make a bubble nest on the ...
120 semi aggressive fish tank!7/6/2010
  Q: I have a few live bearers in their but wanted to have a semi aggressive tank. Do u have anything ...
  A: Choosing fish is a pretty personal thing. My preference is for cichlids so that doesn't really suit ...
sick betta7/5/2010
  Q: My betta has been ill for most of his life (before he was even given to me) Currently, he has red ...
  A: A betta absolutely needs a heater. They are tropical fish and should be kept around 80oF. Low ...
white cotton fungal infection getting worse with medication7/5/2010
  Q: i am very new to the aquarium world. This is my first aquarium that i have ever owned by myself. It ...
  A: The fungus attacks a fish wound. It will not spread to other fish. The fungus is always present in ...
Betta Fry7/5/2010
  Q: I have a question about raising Betta Fry. I'm using a average size fishbowl, with a plant in it. ...
  A: You can try crushed flake food but that will likely be too large. One of the best foods is "green ...
silver sharks7/4/2010
  Q: I have recently bought 3 silver sharks and and after a couple of hours or so one of them started ...
  A: That sounds like something is very wrong with the water but I cannot tell you what from here. It may ...
tetra7/3/2010
  Q: "Plz give me details of pregnancy and symptoms of Tetra,Gold fish and pepper Gold.I will be glad If ...
  A: Actually none of those fish (tetras or goldfish) get pregnant as such. They are all egg layers, ...
flowerhorn7/3/2010
  Q: how to develope flowerhorn hump and how to make active
  A: The hump gets larger as a male gets older and becomes sexually mature. A fish is active if you feed ...
fish7/3/2010
  Q: how do you when a jack dempsey about to lay her eggs
  A: Like many of the Central American cichlids, the pair will start cleaning a spot in the tank, often a ...
My zebra danio fry7/2/2010
  Q: I own a lot of zebra danio fry which some of them are a month old and already getting their stripes. ...
  A: The issue with selling young fish really comes down to who is willing to buy them. Most pet stores ...
baby fish in my cichlid tank7/2/2010
  Q: Now that you say that, my wife and I have noticed our orange african cichlid shaking its fins like ...
  A: Shaking is courtship for many cichlids. So is the "kissing". It sounds like you might be having ...
my flowerhorn sex7/2/2010
  Q: can you please tell me the sex of my flower horn, will it develop a good head and what type my ...
  A: If either of the fish is much larger than the other, there is a good chance that it will attack and ...
pike cichlid7/1/2010
  Q: Hey Ron, i would like to thank you for the help with my flowerhorn and my red devil, but i got a ...
  A: You will need to be patient with him. I have had those before. It may take him a week or so to ...
Ich7/1/2010
  Q: I have a 240 gallon tank with 4 Gulper Catfish all around 8 to 9 inches with 3 Wolf fish around 16 ...
  A: Ich is an interesting parasite. It has several phases to its life history. There is a ...
fish nipping6/30/2010
  Q: ok i have a cichlid tank its only 10 gallons theres 5 cichlids in the tank but there different kinds ...
  A: The problem is that you have too many fish in too small of a tank. There isn't really any solutions ...
RAMS - FEW QUERIES6/30/2010
  Q: I have 2 tanks with rams in them. In the first tank - a 3 foot tank I have 4 rams (Papiliochromis ...
  A: White fluffy stuff is usually a fungus and that is not good. Most often it results when another ...
Jelly bean & Blood Parrots reproduction6/30/2010
  Q: my family and I are new to the aquatic pet field. We have just stepped into freshwater tanks and ...
  A: Jellybean cichlids are a hybrid but many are able to reproduce anyways, which appears to be what has ...
Lake Fish6/30/2010
  Q: I don't know for sure if you would know anything about lake fish. We have two blue gill and a small ...
  A: I strongly recommend you put a filter in there. As for feeding the bluegills, you can feed them ...
Overall aquariam health6/30/2010
  Q: Good evening. We are new fish enthusiasts that have recently aquired a 20 gallon tank with ...
  A: The key to keeping oscars happy and healthy is regular weekly partial water changes. You must ...
Beta6/29/2010
  Q: I own a female beta and she has strange murky marks on her right side. My stepfather says it's just ...
  A: There really shouldn't be air bubbles stuck on your fish. That said, it is not unusual for bettas ...
Goldfish6/29/2010
  Q: My 2 goldfish are at the surface of their tank and gasping really fast. They acting fine earlier. ...
  A: 84 is very hot for goldfish. Consider putting ice cubes in a plastic bag and floating that in the ...
fish6/28/2010
  Q: i have fed my fish properly and it has been fine up until the afternoon it was just lieing there ...
  A: Separating the weak fish is good. I would take out the "extra" fish and leave the weak fish alone ...
Betta6/28/2010
  Q: Hoping you can help me. I have bought a betta and I'm scared it's going to die. When I first bought ...
  A: It is perfectly normal for a betta to remain motionless near the top of the tank. Spitting out ...
what is compatible with firemouth and jewel cichlids6/28/2010
  Q: I have a 4in firemouth and a 3in jewel cichlid. and i want to know what other cichlids i could have. ...
  A: You are welcome to your own opinion, but I have 30 years of doing actual scientific research with ...
feeding6/27/2010
  Q: If you put raw beans in water (aquarium or sea/lake) will the fish eat them and if so is this good ...
  A: That depends a lot on which kind of fish you are talking about. Some fish will eat them and they ...
Fish6/27/2010
  Q: I have 3 piranhas and a pleck in a tank and unfortunetly the biggest piranha has bit one of the ...
  A: Unfortunately that is what piranhas do, namely bite the tails off other fishes, including other ...
weather loach fish6/27/2010
  Q: Just got a weather loach from my neighbor that is moving. It has big bump on his back. Kind of ...
  A: The hump looks like some kind of tumor. There is nothing you can do about it. Evidentally the fish ...
goldfish behavior6/26/2010
  Q: I have had my goldfish the last 9 yrs, I was told he was a comet fish at the carnival I won him at. ...
  A: Can you lower the water level a little? Sometimes fish will beat themselves against the top of the ...
my flowerhorn sex and type6/26/2010
  Q: can you please tell me the sex of my flower horn, will it develop a good head and what type my ...
  A: In most cases, you cannot tell the sex of a flowerhorn just by looking at a single photo of it. If I ...
betta fish behavior6/26/2010
  Q: My daughter has a male betta,we've had him for over a year.i moved him from upstairs to the living ...
  A: Sadly it could be that he is getting old. Most bettas only live around a year or so, though some do ...
baby fish in my tank6/26/2010
  Q: recently i discovered 15 to 20 baby fish in my tank. I have 3 oscars, 2 jack dempseys, 4 other ...
  A: While they could be Jack Dempseys, you would typically see the parents guarding and there would be a ...
Ick & mag-float labs ICK-EASE6/24/2010
  Q: I recently added a new fish to my tank,a convict chiclid,and now they are starting to scratch them ...
  A: You need to add the stuff everyday and it will take about a week for you to really see a difference. ...
blue rams.6/24/2010
  Q: i have a question on blue rams. i had 6 blue rams to start off with and a few tetras species in a ...
  A: It is hard for me to say from here, but my guess is that it is a wound from fighting. External ...
Betta6/23/2010
  Q: I feed my betta twice a day like it says on the food lable. He eats all plus more! If I give him ...
  A: I recommend feeding your fish only once a day and not very much at that. Keep in mind how tiny his ...
Sick Flowerhorn Cichlid6/23/2010
  Q: We have a 3 year old flowerhorn cichlid. We used to feed her goldfish (we didn't know and the pet ...
  A: It sounds like she has an internal infection. These are tricky to diagnose and cure. The choice is ...
Bettas6/23/2010
  Q: I have some Tiger Barbs,Black Mollies, Red Platys,and a Gourami. I was wondering if i could get a ...
  A: A male betta might be able to survive though I would be concerned that the tiger barbs might nip the ...
Zebra Barb and Goldfish (HELP PLEASE)6/22/2010
  Q: I just got a zebra barb fish today and i was wondering if I put it in my goldfish bowl with my 1 ...
  A: Hmmm... I am not a fan of having any fish in a goldfish bowl. Goldfish bowls are really too small ...
what is wrong with my goldfish?6/22/2010
  Q: I HAVE A NEIGHBOR WHO RAISES GOLDFISH.ONE DAY SHE FOUND A GOLDFISH THAT WAS VERY FAT ESPECIALLY AT ...
  A: That is very hard to diagnose. It could be that the goldfish has some sort of internal infection ...
29g cichlid tank too full?6/21/2010
  Q: I have a 29gal tank which houses African Cichlids. Currently I have : 2 cobalt blue zebras, 1 ...
  A: I would not add more fish to that tank, but as is, it is possible that they will be okay together. ...
Ill Guppy6/21/2010
  Q: I will try to be as descriptive as possible. Three weeks ago I purchased two female guppies to add ...
  A: Sorry for not answering sooner... I am out of the country and email is sporadic. Sadly it is ...
Swollen mouth and lumps6/21/2010
  Q: My goldfish has developed lumps and swollen lips, and is having a hard time eating. Do you happen to ...
  A: Is there something sharp in his tank that he might be chewing? Alternatively, is there another fish ...
Parrot Fish6/19/2010
  Q: we have two of the bright orange blood parrots who are close to ten years old and are living in a 55 ...
  A: Cichlids, such as parrot cichlids, get very used to their environment so when you changed their ...
transport6/18/2010
  Q: We will be moving soon and we will be driving for 2 days. Please advise the best way to move our ...
  A: They can stay in the rubbermaid tub for weeks if need be. It is really just an ugly aquarium as far ...
hiding molly6/17/2010
  Q: I bought 3 Mollies yesterday..my question is why is one of them hiding in the big rocks i have in my ...
  A: It is very likely that the other two fish are bothering it. It may take it some time to feel ...
transport6/16/2010
  Q: We will be moving soon and we will be driving for 2 days. Please advise the best way to move our ...
  A: That sounds like an excellent plan. The air pump is not 100% necessary, but would be a really good ...
My fish tank6/16/2010
  Q: I was wondering why when i went to change the water in the tank i found a worm wriggling, it was ...
  A: A single worm is nothing to worry about. If you have a bunch of worms, then you should be ...
common name6/14/2010
  Q: may i know what is the common name of the apistogramma sp. steel blue ANSWER: Hi Sasuke, Sorry, ...
  A: I don't keep rams, but the key to sexing them has to do with the height of the dorsal fin (males ...
common name6/14/2010
  Q: may i know what is the common name of the apistogramma sp. steel blue ANSWER: Hi Sasuke, Sorry, ...
  A: If you put plants in the tank, over time a few leaves will die and break down and that will lower ...
EMERGENCY6/13/2010
  Q: My goldfish is 5 years old and living in a one gallon fish bowl. I know it is not the best home but ...
  A: Unfortunately that doesn't sound good. As you say, a one gallon bowl is a pretty tough place for a ...
dalmation molly being bullied.6/12/2010
  Q: my dalmation molly has just had babies, i have just taken her out of the floating breeding trap and ...
  A: You can put her in one of those plastic "breeding trap" devices. Another alternative that is more ...
Fatty stomach6/12/2010
  Q: I have a pair of Green Terror for almost 4 months, i am not aware of the sex, but they had been ...
  A: The white feces are a bad sign and indicate that she has an intestinal infection. Unfortunately ...
severum breeding6/12/2010
  Q: i own a pair of golden severum.they are a breeding pair.recently i came to know that if the fry is ...
  A: It isn't quite as strict a timetable as you portray, but the principle is true, i.e., if you remove ...
My fish tank6/12/2010
  Q: I was wondering why in my water there are these little string like things floating aorund ...
  A: Look very closely at them. Do they wiggle a little? I suspect that they are small white worms and ...
breeding6/12/2010
  Q: I have a Sucking Loach and it is very fat could the Sucking Loach be pregnant and if so how long is ...
  A: Unfortunately your "sucking loach" is not pregnant. I assume that by "sucking loach" you mean a ...
gourami6/12/2010
  Q: I have a 3ft tank and one of my paradise gouramis is sick it is laying on it side on the bottom of ...
  A: Hmmm.. that is really hard to say. It is very possible that the fish is just old. It is also ...
Green Terror Cichlid6/11/2010
  Q: i was wondering why my female green terror is hiding in a corner of the tank and losing her ...
  A: Have you been doing your regular weekly 25% water changes? You should be changing 25% of the water ...
betta problem6/11/2010
  Q: I have a betta fish{maile} for tree years in One gallon round Aquarium with artificial ...
  A: First, three years is a long time for a betta. That said, making a bubble nest is a sign of a ...
amonia level out of control6/11/2010
  Q: I will begin by giving a quick history of my tank. It is a 29 gallon fresh water tank approx 3 and ...
  A: The problem is that when a pleco dies, it really pollutes the water. I have had one dead pleco kill ...
Beta Meals6/10/2010
  Q: I'm Deborah and i have a pet beta~ my fish tends to act hungry very often and i don't know if i ...
  A: It is good if he acts hungry, but do not feed him any more. A fish should always be a little ...
flowerhorn disease(swollen stomach)6/10/2010
  Q: I have a small king kamfa flowerhorn about 2 inches. Its stomach is getting swollen day by day. I ...
  A: It sounds like you might be overfeeding your fish. I feed my fish only once a day. Keep in mind how ...
fish setup6/10/2010
  Q: so my tank with a huge pacu and pagasius was in mid cycle, when i stupidly cleaned gravel and ...
  A: Actually there is no problem in cleaning the gravel and filters at any time. That isn't what caused ...
servum fry6/10/2010
  Q: i have to servum chilids that had a bunch of fry there about a week and a couple days old i need to ...
  A: I like to leave the fry in with the parents for at least 2 to 3 weeks. The fry do much better with ...
Black moor trouble6/9/2010
  Q: my black moor got stuck in the tube that sucks in the water to filter the water. luckily i was ...
  A: I am confused. As far as I know, the Aqua-tech filter has a plastic tube that goes down into the ...
cichlasoma salvini6/8/2010
  Q: Sorry to sound foolish, but i was wondering if you could i.d a cichlid for me. I was sold it as a ...
  A: That fish certainly looks like a salvini to me. Keep in mind that salvinis from different rivers ...
black moors6/8/2010
  Q: My larger moor seems to chase my other moor quite often. Im not quite sure if this is a sign that my ...
  A: I would not trust any such general "rules" about which fish can live successfully with other fish. ...
oscar with big belly6/8/2010
  Q: We have a pair of tiger oscars. They have been together for 2 years. One is 8 inches long, one is 6 ...
  A: Hmmm... that is very unusual. I often hear about sick fish (ones that float). And, I hear about ...
gill and body flukes6/8/2010
  Q: My large green severum has flukes, I have treated with a medication for this condition over a period ...
  A: If he is covered in white spots then it is definitely ick and you should treat it as such. You need ...
Sailfin Molly6/7/2010
  Q: Coleman, I was wondering if you know what the highest salinity level, that your common pet store ...
  A: I find them in Costa Rica in puddles right next to the ocean. I suspect that water is almost pure ...
gold fish6/7/2010
  Q: I have a 30 gallon tank with 4 gold fish they all seem to stay in one place in tank left side of ...
  A: Feed them only what they can eat in a minute or two. Never give them food to "eat later". Do ...
Dalmation Fish6/7/2010
  Q: I had never had an aquarium before but when my husband set his up (with nothing but Oscars) I ...
  A: That's good on both accounts. I wouldn't worry about the color change at this point, but keep an ...
black moors6/7/2010
  Q: My larger moor seems to chase my other moor quite often. Im not quite sure if this is a sign that my ...
  A: This is almost certainly not a sign of mating and much more likely a sign that the one fish is ...
Mollies died/ squiggly white very thin worms6/7/2010
  Q: Okay so we had 2 fish 1 male Molly and 1 male Guorami and 2 snails; I know Gourami's are ...
  A: The white worms are a dead giveaway about what is wrong with the tank. You need to do more frequent ...
gill and body flukes6/6/2010
  Q: My large green severum has flukes, I have treated with a medication for this condition over a period ...
  A: Hmm... why do you think that he has flukes? Flukes are extremely rare on a fish like a green ...
Flowerhorn problems6/5/2010
  Q: it's me again I just had another question about my Flowerhorn cichlid. He's about 5 inches and is ...
  A: That is a tough one. I could not guarantee that he would be okay with the piranhas. He MIGHT be, ...
Feeding Red Devil6/5/2010
  Q: I have a Red Devil cichlid about 10.5 inches and I was wondering if feeding him meal worms/wax worms ...
  A: Meal worms should be okay. Crickets are great. P.S. No relation to Ronnie Coleman :) I don't ...
Betta- Swim Bladder, etc.6/4/2010
  Q: I've had my male betta for 8 mos with no problems.. very healthy and happy (with young-like ...
  A: Sadly it sounds like he is getting old. Bettas often only live a year or so and when they get near ...
Dalmation Fish6/3/2010
  Q: I had never had an aquarium before but when my husband set his up (with nothing but Oscars) I ...
  A: Fish can change color for lots of reasons, so it is hard to say what caused this particular change. ...
oscar with big belly6/2/2010
  Q: We have a pair of tiger oscars. They have been together for 2 years. One is 8 inches long, one is 6 ...
  A: That small round thing is her ovipositor (egg laying tube) and it strongly indicates that she is ...
Goldfish6/1/2010
  Q: We have a fish tank in our office, which consists of 4 fancy tail goldfish, 2 algae eaters and 1 ...
  A: It is not easy to tell a boy goldfish from a girl goldfish but it certainly sounds like you have ...
red devils6/1/2010
  Q: i have recently placed 2 red devils in a 125 gallon tank that with a 15 inch pelco they have been in ...
  A: Most likely those are "bruises" that will go away after several days. That certainly does not sound ...
Convicts not growing?5/31/2010
  Q: I have 2 baby convicts in a 29 gallon tank. I've had them almost six months and they are still ...
  A: How often are you doing water changes? You need to be changing 25% of the water once a week, every ...
mandarin dragon fish5/31/2010
  Q: How does the mandarin dragon fish maintain its nuetral bouyancy?
  A: Do you mean that mandarin dragonet? If so, that is an excellent question. As far as I know, all ...
Query on my silver arowana5/31/2010
  Q: After a month of cycling my new tank, I have bought 2 baby silver arowanas (6-7inch) yesterday and ...
  A: I really doubt if this is mating behavior. They need to be three times that size at least before ...
puffer fish with a dragon goby..5/30/2010
  Q: I have 5 puffer fish. One figure 8 and 3 green spotted, and one that looks like the green spotted, ...
  A: I can't say for sure what kind of puffer that is. There are many kinds. I would not get a ...
hurt fish5/30/2010
  Q: I have a jackdempsey the size of my hand and a suckerfish about 7 to 8 inches long. The suckerfish ...
  A: You need to separate those fish to give the Jack Dempsey a chance to heal. The more important ...
fish help5/30/2010
  Q: I have this betta named egg I'm in 5th grade(class pet)and he eats ALOT!! when he's hungry, he looks ...
  A: Only feed your betta once a day, and then, only a few pellets or flakes. Just because he says he ...
Swollen side, scales seem to be sticking straight up5/30/2010
  Q: I know you're not an expert on goldfish, but I believe this applies to many fish, maybe even those ...
  A: Touching the fish will not cause any problems. Your fish has what is often called "dropsy", which ...
my fresh water fish tank5/30/2010
  Q: I have a 50 gal fresh water tank that has been set up for about 6 to eight weeks. I have a peguin ...
  A: You should be changing 25% of the water once a week, every week. That more than anything will help ...
betta sickness5/30/2010
  Q: my male betta live in a 2.5g tank with a filter and a heater set at 76*F. both of his eyes have a ...
  A: He does not need the salt. That kind of a thing typically indicates that there is something in the ...
BROKEN BACK5/29/2010
  Q: I recently noticed that my beta has been having a really hard time keeping herself right side up and ...
  A: I don't see that there is anything that you can do for her. Unfortunately bettas do not live very ...
Strange "mold" in my tank!5/29/2010
  Q: I have two very large Oscars in a 25 gallon tank; I transferred them to this tank about three weeks ...
  A: What are you feeding your oscars? By the way, two adult oscars in a 25 gallon tank is a recipe ...
Red Jewel Breeding5/21/2010
  Q: My question is that on 1st May'2010 My jewel cichlid give fry's in my 75 gallon cichlid community ...
  A: Actually several things could have happened. One of the parents could have eaten the eggs. This is ...
HELP !!!5/20/2010
  Q: I have a telescope fish, and i had a ornage goldfish, untill it died... Its been about 2 weeks that ...
  A: Unfortunately it is unlikely to be a friendly thing. You should probably try to separate those two ...
Female Beta swimming nose down5/20/2010
  Q: I have a female beta in a 1 1/2 gal filtered tank. She was eating healthy and very playful. I was ...
  A: Doing a complete water change is not better than doing a 25% water change, in fact, it can be much ...
Betta fish food5/19/2010
  Q: I have 2 Betta fish and went to the pet shop to get some more food recently and the lady recommended ...
  A: Hmm... that seems like an odd choice for bettas. They are surface dwelling fish so the last thing I ...
Female Beta swimming nose down5/18/2010
  Q: I have a female beta in a 1 1/2 gal filtered tank. She was eating healthy and very playful. I was ...
  A: Do you normally do regular partial water changes on her tank? You need to change 25% of the water ...
My betta5/17/2010
  Q: This shows some white stuff under neath. So i am just wondering what happened thanks. ANSWER: Hi ...
  A: Have you been changing his water? You should change 25% of his water once a week, every week, to ...
swordtails & chiclids5/16/2010
  Q: I was at a pet store and their chart said swordtails and west African chiclids will go together. my ...
  A: It depends on EXACTLY which west African cichlids you are talking about. If it is butterfly ...
Pregnant platy?5/15/2010
  Q: I know I keep on emailing but I'm impatient, sorry. One of my platy females has a rather large ...
  A: I do not know of any way to tell exactly when a platy will give birth. Basically, they get really ...
is my molly ready for giving birth5/14/2010
  Q: i have one pair of mollies. my female is orange with loads of black spot marking's. she gave birth ...
  A: I cannot say exactly when a molly will give birth. It is definitely possible that she is due again. ...
oscars & black ghost5/14/2010
  Q: can my oscars coexist with black ghost knife fish?
  A: Very briefly. Most likely the oscars will eat the knife fish unless it is MUCH larger than the ...
Redcap Oranda5/13/2010
  Q: I have two young redcaps that live in a tank with three other goldfish and a snail. Recently they ...
  A: Any time a fish is belly up is cause for great concern. Is it possible that the other fish are ...
Convict pregnancy5/12/2010
  Q: I recently bought 2 convicts. A male and female and the female was pregnant. They quickly nested ...
  A: Convicts do not get pregnant as such. They are eggs layers. The female lays the eggs and the male ...
how ro determine sex of a flower horn?5/12/2010
  Q: my query is how to determine the sex of a flower horn? they say that generally flower horn females ...
  A: The black mark does not work reliably for flowerhorns. It will be true in some cases, but not true ...
Pregnant platy?5/11/2010
  Q: I have 3 female platies and 1 male. I've noticed that the females are constantly having large ...
  A: Basically female platies can be pregnant all the time. Once a platy mates, she can store sperm for ...
Fish Dying in Cycled Tank5/10/2010
  Q: Help, I am desperate! I have had my fish tanks for going on 3 years now (ranging from 10 gal Betta ...
  A: I have never kept clown loaches but the behavior you describe, namely "napping" is exactly what I am ...
Cichlids (Blood Parrots and Angelfish) Advice5/10/2010
  Q: Last week, my friends tore down their 55 gal tank due to a move. I now have the tank back (it was ...
  A: It definitely sounds like the two are trying to mate. As you say, often the eggs are infertile when ...
oddly behaving black moor5/10/2010
  Q: I have a black moor that for the past three/four days has been floating up on his side. He has ...
  A: It sounds like he was being attacked by the larger fish. As such, putting him back in with the big ...
Sick Siamese Fighting Fish5/9/2010
  Q: I have a male Siamese Fighting Fish whom I've had for a few months. I've recently noticed he was ...
  A: Sadly I think Skippy is getting old. These are the classic signs of a betta starting to age (which ...
My Fish Won't Eat!?5/8/2010
  Q: Yesterday i got two normal walmart goldfish. I figured they fed them that day so i waited until ...
  A: The fish can go many days without eating. Often fish will not eat for several days after they have ...
Mysterious Deaths5/8/2010
  Q: I have an established tank that had 3 platys in. I had had them for about a month when one gave ...
  A: You should not clean the whole tank out, but you should definitely do a 25% water change after any ...
can I add a oscar to my fish tank5/7/2010
  Q: 2 jewel cichlids,a silver dollar and a yellow bullhead catfish. do you think i could get a Oscar ...
  A: Are you doing regular weekly partial water changes? You should be changing 25% of the water once a ...
Parrot fish5/6/2010
  Q: My six inch female parrot fish has just laid numerous eggs, after being placed into a tank with a ...
  A: They might hatch. If they do, it would be in about 4 days, depending on temperature. They would ...
Cichlids (Blood Parrots and Angelfish) Advice5/5/2010
  Q: Last week, my friends tore down their 55 gal tank due to a move. I now have the tank back (it was ...
  A: I don't think the tank is too far into the overstocked zone, but the bigger problem may be the ...
Fish Dying in Cycled Tank5/5/2010
  Q: Help, I am desperate! I have had my fish tanks for going on 3 years now (ranging from 10 gal Betta ...
  A: You sound like a very conscientious fish keeper and I cannot see anything that you are doing wrong. ...
fish behavoir5/4/2010
  Q: we have had three fish for about a month in a 29 gal.a jack dempsey female, a convict male a 3rd her ...
  A: Female convicts have orange on the lower sides of the belly. As far as Jack Dempseys and severums, ...
Ahli Cichlid5/3/2010
  Q: Why is my Electric Blue Ahli Cichlid turning white? He's practically lost all his pigmentation. We ...
  A: Stress can absolutely make him loose his color. Adding more structure (wood, plants, rock) to break ...
Betta Fish Vase5/3/2010
  Q: Mr. Coleman Over the pastt 2 weeks I have been caring for a roommate's two betta fish in individual ...
  A: Seems like you have ended up in the middle of something. Sorry to hear that. In general, I highly ...
Upside-down Dempsey5/3/2010
  Q: I have 2 Jack Dempsey Cichlids that are about 5 years old. The larger of the 2 has become ...
  A: As you have most likely found out by now, once a fish goes upside down the end is pretty near and ...
Sick Turquoise Severum Cichlid5/2/2010
  Q: I have a 55 gallon fish tank with several cichlids in it which all seem to be healthy. I have a ...
  A: Unfortunately that is typically a sign of an intestinal infection. That sort of thing is very ...
fish behavoir5/2/2010
  Q: we have had three fish for about a month in a 29 gal.a jack dempsey female, a convict male a 3rd her ...
  A: It could be that the convict and the severum are trying to mate. This shouldn't normally happen, ...
convict5/1/2010
  Q: Ron Hello I have seven Convict Chichlids about 10days old in a 30gallon tank with a 2in Pleco. Do ...
  A: The trouble with plecostomus is that they hunt mostly at night, whem most cichlids, particularly ...
parenting5/1/2010
  Q:
  A: I suggest you leave both parents in with the fry, but keep an eye on things in case one of the ...
yellow lab cicilids5/1/2010
  Q: i was wondering how you can tell the difference between a male cicilid and a female. i have 2 yellow ...
  A: There are no hard and fast rules that cover all cichlids. In fact, the way to tell the sexes is ...
zebra danio4/29/2010
  Q: i'm a newbie in breeding danios and i have a 5 gallon aquarium and a 1 gallon fish bowl....i know ...
  A: You do not need to separate the adult males and females. They are fine together. You can place the ...
green terror eggs4/28/2010
  Q: my female green terror has just laid eggs but i have no male to fertilize them. should i remove the ...
  A: You can just leave the eggs in there. After a few days they will go white (with fungus) and either ...
small black and silver Angel fish4/28/2010
  Q: My small black and silver angel fish has some kind of growth completely around its mouth area which ...
  A: Sadly I have seen this, but I do not know of anything you can do about it. Essentially it is a ...
Payara and Peacock Bass and Tiger Shovelnose4/27/2010
  Q: I know these fish grow two feet or more I read online they are found in the same location in the ...
  A: There is no way to know if they will be compatible for sure. It depends on many, many things ...
Sick Guppy4/27/2010
  Q: I have a male flamingo guppy that is sick. He is in my 25 gallon fish tank that currently is ...
  A: It is pretty difficult for me to say exactly what is wrong with your guppy or your swordtail, but I ...
Platies4/27/2010
  Q: I have a 25 gallon tank with 2 black mollies, 2 silver mollies, 2 swordtails, one guppy(which I will ...
  A: You can keep the fry in the little tank for now, but you should strongly consider getting something ...
goldfish dying4/27/2010
  Q: we had great success in a little plastic fishtank with filter, so when i was given an 80litre glass ...
  A: Sadly many of the goldfish that are sold carry all sorts of diseases due to the way that they are ...
fish pregnancy4/27/2010
  Q: This is Steven. I wanted to know if my fish was pregnant. It is a goldfish. There is also another ...
  A: Goldfish are egg layers and cannot get pregnant as such. A female will get fatter as she loads up ...
Bala Shark4/26/2010
  Q: I have unfortunately just lost one of my Bala Sharks, I had two Bala Sharks originally (bought a ...
  A: It sounds like he was a little weaker from the start and that only got worse over time. No doubt the ...
Sucked into Filter?4/26/2010
  Q: I'm a brand new aquarium owner (never had one before.) I really enjoyed the look of the Biorb 8 ...
  A: In almost all cases, the fish dies (or gets very weak) and then gets pulled into the filter. In ...
fish4/26/2010
  Q: why dose my goldfish likes dirty water and when i change it my fish stays at the bottom if the tank
  A: When you change the water, it is important that you only change some of it at a time. I recommend ...
Flowerhorn Cichlid4/25/2010
  Q: I am looking for information for my brother he has just noticed that his flowerhorn has a swollen ...
  A: It might get better, but I would suggest separating them. The fact that you don't see them fight ...
A curious matter4/25/2010
  Q: Coleman, I have been keeping fish for a long time now, but I keep hearing this argument about tank ...
  A: There are many issues involved in captive versus wild caught. Are you asking "which is better?" If ...
Pregnant Platy4/25/2010
  Q: I own a 25 gallon fish tank with 2 swordtails, 1 male guppy(I have to get another one because the ...
  A: You really can't predict exactly when she will give birth. If you are concerned, put her in the box ...
theres a lumps on my beta fish's chest4/24/2010
  Q: my beta fish has a huge lump on it's chest and you can see his insides. That are black and his ...
  A: It doesn't sound good for your betta. There really isn't anything you can do about this. Keep in ...
red jewel cichlid died and turned white4/24/2010
  Q: I had 2 red jewels and yesterday i realized that they had grown and had beautiful flowing fins. ...
  A: Unfortunately it is very likely that the jewel that died was either a younger male or a female and ...
fantail goldfish4/22/2010
  Q: from the same shop at the same time, one has blown up to twice its size it also has a large growth ...
  A: Unfortunately because of the way goldfish are produced, they tend to get all sors of weird and ...
need your help4/22/2010
  Q: my friend has a 4 inch flowerhorn who is suffering from gill disease his gills have gone dark red in ...
  A: Do you have an airstone working in the tank? Gill disease is extremely rare in cichlids; red gills ...
Pregnant Gourami4/22/2010
  Q: I have three gouramis in a 90 gallon tank among other fish. Two of the gouramis are blue and one is ...
  A: Gouramis are egg layers and so they cannot become pregnant as such. A female will often get ...
Blood parrot4/21/2010
  Q: my orange blood parrot has recently (1 week now) decided to hide next to a drift wood and defend it ...
  A: Hmmm... it could be that your fish is trying to spawn. When parrot cichlids try to spawn they ...
Overfed Betta4/20/2010
  Q: Ron, I think my 12 yo daughter may have overfed (3 times/day) the betta she bought on Sunday. I ...
  A: If it is survived to now, it is probably out of the danger zone. Your action to change the water was ...
What kind of african cichlid is this?4/19/2010
  Q: I bought this african cichlid in one of those tanks just marked african cichlids. I've been trying ...
  A: Unfortuantely I am not good at identifying Malawi cichlids. The other trouble is that many of the ...
breeding tropical fish4/19/2010
  Q: I have two gourami's one is blue and one is gold. The gold one is a female, and the blue gourami is ...
  A: I believe you have two different species of gouramis so it is unlikely that they would breed ...
starting a Tropheus Duboisi tank4/19/2010
  Q: hey there Ron, ive been looking around for what type of cichlid i would like to start keeping. Ive ...
  A: 28 is a little hot for Tropheus but I don't see that there is much you can do about that. The key ...
Nitrates and Kribensis4/19/2010
  Q: I have two tanks one is a 36gal and the other is a 55 gal.I do weekly water changes of 25% with the ...
  A: The best nitrate remover is water changing. I am not a fan of other devices that claim to do the ...
Possible Outbreak of Columnaris--Need Help Fast!4/19/2010
  Q: I’m fighting a vigorous battle in my freshwater 55 gallon tank with what I believe to be Columnaris. ...
  A: Hmm.... the spikes sticking out of the head sounds more like columnaris than does the white fuzzy ...
Fuzzy Eyes4/18/2010
  Q: My question has to do with my little buddy Raoul, a sail-fin molly. First, I find it most ...
  A: While it could be a disease, I strongly suspect that the problem is that one of your new fish, the ...
Nitrates and Kribensis4/18/2010
  Q: I have two tanks one is a 36gal and the other is a 55 gal.I do weekly water changes of 25% with the ...
  A: The fish that was hurt in the bag was likely attacked by the other fish in the bag. The nitrate ...
sick/dying african cichlids4/17/2010
  Q: We have an african cichlid who is not eating and has red spots on his fins.he also seems to have ...
  A: Hmmm... I have never put African clawed frogs with fish so I don't know how they will interact. It ...
sick/dying african cichlids4/17/2010
  Q: We have an african cichlid who is not eating and has red spots on his fins.he also seems to have ...
  A: Is he alone in the tank or are there other fish in the tank? If there are other fish, those ...
Lump on Molly fish chest4/15/2010
  Q: I have a male molly that has developed a lump just under his head on his chest. I have read that he ...
  A: I do not think it necessary to separate him. The fact that he has a lump does not even necessarily ...
Mollies generally and specifically4/15/2010
  Q: I'm glad to see that not everyone who will answer molly questions is on vacation! I've been keeping ...
  A: You cannot do water changes too often. You could change some water every day and that would be ...
fish4/14/2010
  Q: I got some driftwood from a friend i started a new aquarium put driftwood in my tank it came out of ...
  A: Unfortunately hair algae is EXTREMELY difficult to get rid of it. I have it in one of my tanks and ...
Betta Fish4/14/2010
  Q: Yesterday after hasting changing my betta fish's water, I forgot to put the conditioner before ...
  A: I suspect his is dead unfortunately. Dead fish only start to float after they have been dead for ...
Betta Fish4/14/2010
  Q: Yesterday after hasting changing my betta fish's water, I forgot to put the conditioner before ...
  A: That does not sound good. You must always add the conditioner to the water before you put it in the ...
can I add a oscar to my fish tank4/14/2010
  Q: 2 jewel cichlids,a silver dollar and a yellow bullhead catfish. do you think i could get a Oscar
  A: If you add an oscar, he will sooner or later, eat all the other fish, possibly including the ...
Big Blister on Goldfish4/12/2010
  Q: I have had the same goldfish for over 7 years. We have had several different fish in the same tank ...
  A: That is really hard to say without seeing the fish directly and even then, it might not be obvious. ...
fish problems4/12/2010
  Q: my molly after a couple of days could not swim right and when ever he went through our bubble decor ...
  A: The first thing you should know is that those little test kits that people use are not very ...
siamese fighting fish4/12/2010
  Q: my Siamese fighting fish aka Oscar hasn't been feeding well he has been eating his food but spiting ...
  A: Did you get your fish relatively recently? Often when a fish encounters new food the fish will ...
Goldfish4/11/2010
  Q: Recently I moved my 5" goldfish, (Puff Puff, whom we have had for 3.5 yrs) to a 10 gallon tank ...
  A: A 10 gallon tank is way too small for a 5" fish. He needs a much larger tank than that. You cannot ...
Green Terror Cichlids4/10/2010
  Q: We have 2 Green Terror Cichlids. The Male "Jack" is 10-12 inches. The Female "Jill" is about 4 ...
  A: Very sorry about mixing up Yellowknife and Whitehorse. I should know better -- I guess I have been ...
Lump on Molly fish chest4/10/2010
  Q: I have a male molly that has developed a lump just under his head on his chest. I have read that he ...
  A: A swim bladder is a part of a fish, like a kidney, so your fish cannot "have swim bladder" as if ...
Female betta picks on my neon tetras4/9/2010
  Q: I have a ten gallon tank with two juvenile iredescent sharks a small pleco and four neon tetras. I ...
  A: Are you sure that it is a female betta and not a male? Does it have long fins? If so, it is most ...
betta fish breeding4/9/2010
  Q: can you mate any type of betta fish for example [crowntail male and double tail female]
  A: Crowntail and double tail bettas are all just varieties of the same species. In fact they were all ...
paralyzed guppy4/8/2010
  Q: Is there any cure for a paralyzed guppy? High ph levels may have been the culprit. I had the same ...
  A: There is nothing wrong with that pH, but you have a lot of nitrate. Are you doing regular weekly ...
dwarf gouramis4/7/2010
  Q: My dwarf gouramis- I have four and one is twirling in circles and one other one looks a little ...
  A: The water should not smell musty. In addition to topping off the tank,it is essential to actually ...
Fish4/6/2010
  Q: Do fighter fish lose there tails? Or is another fish eating it? I felt sorry for it in that tiny ...
  A: A fish's tail can shrink either because of disease or because of attacks by another fish. The latter ...
All my fish are dying!!4/6/2010
  Q: It all started with one of our guppies, started to look like it had bloat! This morning I found him ...
  A: What is happening is that as one fish dies, it pollutes the water. This makes the water more toxic ...
Breeding Green Terrors4/5/2010
  Q: I have bought a pair of Green Terror (GT) of 4" last month. Last few days, i find that male GT is ...
  A: They might be a male and female but you can never be entirely sure. The shaking and tail wagging ...
Green Terror Cichlids4/5/2010
  Q: We have 2 Green Terror Cichlids. The Male "Jack" is 10-12 inches. The Female "Jill" is about 4 ...
  A: I don't get too many emails from the Yukon. It is certainly challenging to be a fish keeper up ...
pregnant4/5/2010
  Q: how long are mountine minnows pregnant for? ive placed her in a breeding tank where the aggs drop to ...
  A: White Cloud Mountain minnows do not get pregnant as such. They are egg layers. The male has to ...
please help my baby trimac cichlid4/5/2010
  Q: I am having a very strange problem with my baby trimac cichlid.He was fine when i bought him.But now ...
  A: Is there chlorine in your water? If so, that will easily kill him. You have to add the chlorine ...
Dalmatian Molly4/4/2010
  Q: I have just got two dalmatian molly's and they seem to be acting a little weird, eg the smaller one ...
  A: My guess is that the smaller one is a male and the larger one is a female. In these species, males ...
molly with flexibacter4/3/2010
  Q: 14 gallon tank, kept clean with frequent water changes.24 hours ago i noticed white matter on one ...
  A: Hmmm... that doesn't sound good but never give up on a fish. They can overcome some pretty nasty ...
What sex are my Jack Dempsey's?4/3/2010
  Q: Good morning MR. Coleman. I have a couple of Jack Dempseys and am trying to figure out what sex ...
  A: Jack Dempseys are one of those cichlids where males and females look a lot alike. Females carry ...
goldfish4/3/2010
  Q: why do goldfish going after one another
  A: Like any animal, goldfish can be territorial which will cause one to chase away another. ...
Cichlids4/2/2010
  Q: Are peacock bass, jaguar cichlids, and tiger oscars compatible if given a good size tank and fed ...
  A: That depends on what you mean by a "good size tank". If you want those fish together in a tank, ...
lost cory cat4/2/2010
  Q: i was trying to vacuum my tank for the first time and not having much success i am treating my fish ...
  A: I have never heard of a cory cat jumping. They can be pretty good at hiding, though it is unlikely ...
Tank aeriation4/1/2010
  Q: I have a mature 55 Gallon Malawi Cichlid Setup. I have kind of a controlled crowded set up. Several ...
  A: Your best bet is to get an airpump and a good airstone. That will provide the best aeration. Your ...
Fish4/1/2010
  Q: This is really sad. My biggest fish swallowed a smaller fish. But now it's stuck in his mouth. I can ...
  A: Unfortunately it isn't that simple. If you can get the small fish out easily, I would do that. The ...
african cyclid4/1/2010
  Q: Yellow african cyclid, 4-5 years old, first when it would go to bottom of tank would go ...
  A: Sadly it doesn't sound good. When a cichlid starts to bloat there is very little you can do about ...
Pregnant platy? Red gills & medicine3/31/2010
  Q: I havent been keeping fish long but I have a 100x50cm tank with 3 platys, 2 algae eaters (bought 3 ...
  A: Hmm... I'll try to answer your various questions First, platys and other livebearers can often ...
betta fish companions3/31/2010
  Q: My betta fish is a male, but he seems lonely. I've looked on other sites for good examples of betta ...
  A: A betta does not need a companion. They are perfectly happy to be alone. If you want him to have a ...
Compatibility3/30/2010
  Q: I have a 100gal acrylic aquarium and I was wondering if the mixture of fish in my tank are ...
  A: Male frontosa are heavier built and have a larger nuchal hump. Also, you should be able to "vent" ...
Persistent swim bladder/constipation problem3/30/2010
  Q: For the past week or so, my betta has been floating at the top of his tank. I'm pretty sure it's ...
  A: Good quality fish flakes are actually fine for bettas -- that is what I feed my bettas and they ...
Compatibility3/30/2010
  Q: I have a 100gal acrylic aquarium and I was wondering if the mixture of fish in my tank are ...
  A: I think that you are going to find that most of those fish are too aggressive for your frontosa. ...
discus3/28/2010
  Q: I have another question for you. My discus that I have had some months now are acting strange. They ...
  A: I think you are a bit of a glutton for punishment by getting more discus, considering your water :) ...
Green terror Fry3/28/2010
  Q: what should the ph be for green terror fry and what should i be feeding them when they are still ...
  A: The speed of development depends entirely on temperature. The numbers I gave you were for 80oF. If ...
Flowerhorn3/28/2010
  Q: How to find the breed of the flowerhorn ? How to find its male or female ?
  A: There is no easy way to tell males from females. Females carry more of their weight in the belly ...
Jack Demsey and Parrot Fish3/28/2010
  Q: .we have a 4 1/2 inch parrot fish and a 5 1/2 to 6 inch jack demsey. Jack always follows her/him ...
  A: That is hard to say. It could be that the parrot cichlid and the Jack Dempsey are forming a pair, ...
Cichlid issue3/27/2010
  Q: I have a male Yellow Lab Cichlid that is constantly harrassing a female yellow lab to the point that ...
  A: A 10 gallon tank is not much space for Malawi cichlids. As soon as they start getting any larger ...
my fish3/27/2010
  Q: i have a red bellied oscar and a red latino oscar. they seem to be moving alot of gravel around ...
  A: , It sounds like they are thinking about laying eggs. That is why they are moving all that ...
Green terror Fry3/27/2010
  Q: what should the ph be for green terror fry and what should i be feeding them when they are still ...
  A: The pH should be roughly neutral. You do not feed them when they are wrigglers. When they are ...
cichlid ca/sa3/26/2010
  Q: was wondering if you could tell me what kind of fish this is supposedly its from ca/sa
  A: It is definitely a new world cichlid but it could be one of many different species ranging from one ...
Hardness3/26/2010
  Q: I live in an area with hard water when I test the water with the water testing kits it reads 300 and ...
  A: Hardness is not about heavy metals. Heavy metals are things like iron and lead that can poison your ...
Compatibility3/26/2010
  Q: I have a 100gal acrylic aquarium and I was wondering if the mixture of fish in my tank are ...
  A: I have no idea what a chilean nicaraguense is -- Hypsophrys (or Cichlasoma) nicaraguense comes from ...
Betta bleeding3/25/2010
  Q: I got my first Betta during this past summer, and I recently got another one about three months ago. ...
  A: That is very peculiar. Perhaps he bashed it on something? Unfortunately I don't know of anything ...
mixing African and American cichlids in a 90 gallon tank3/24/2010
  Q: I have a 90 gallon fish tank and already have four small assorted africans in there and wanna ...
  A: I do not recommend mixing African and American cichlids. In general, African and American cichlids ...
betta with beginnings of fungus..3/23/2010
  Q: My betta Mercutio has what I finally realized 2 days ago is a fungus. I have since done some reading ...
  A: The most important thing you can do for a fish is give him good clean water. That means putting him ...
is my tank over crowded?3/23/2010
  Q: i have a, i think, 55g tank and the other week we bought five green puffers, 2 black fin sharks, and ...
  A: Your problem is not so much about over-crowding as about the particular fish you have. Puffers do ...
mean hostile fish3/23/2010
  Q: i own one female cockatoo dwarf cichlid and a pair of agassiz's dwarf cichlid,one female and one ...
  A: Add a lot more caves and structure in the tank so that the weaker fish have a place to hide. Then ...
Jack Dempsey3/23/2010
  Q: Now he is about 2.5/3" and his color is more or a light tan or brown. And I have been feeding him ...
  A: Is it possible that the place that you got him from had a bunch of Jack Dempseys? In that case, your ...
my male betta3/23/2010
  Q: I have a male betta whom is all red his name is razz =) he has always been super active and has ...
  A: Sadly I think that razz is getting old. Bettas do not live very long and when bettas get old they ...
pregnant for a long time3/22/2010
  Q: i have 2 young black mollies (from original birth) and i think they have been pregnant, for a looong ...
  A: Just as with any animal that gives birth, it doesn't always work correctly. Hopefully it will go ...
Green terror fry3/22/2010
  Q: What temperature should the water be for my green terror fry? ANSWER: HI Brendon, About 80oF is ...
  A: It takes 3-4 days until the eggs hatch into wrigglers. They will be wrigglers (which can't swim) for ...
another two sick fish3/22/2010
  Q: My angelfish got sick two weeks ago, I started maracyn 2 one week ago. Although they look much ...
  A: Judging from the stringy white feces that I see in the photo, I suspect that your fish has an ...
Cichlid issue3/22/2010
  Q: I have a male Yellow Lab Cichlid that is constantly harrassing a female yellow lab to the point that ...
  A: You need to add much more structure (wood, rock, plants, etc) to the tank to give the female many ...
discus3/21/2010
  Q: I have another question for you. My discus that I have had some months now are acting strange. They ...
  A: Hmm.. that doesn't sound good. Discus have a way of slowly deteriorating and unfortunately the two ...
Dalmation Lyretail Behavior3/21/2010
  Q: I have a female Dalmatian lyretail Molly who has just given birth, @ 2 days ago. I removed her from ...
  A: Hmm... I'm sorry to hear that. Clearly something went very wrong, likely during the birthing ...
tiger oscar3/21/2010
  Q: i have an oscar it is in a 35 gallon for now it is about 3" i just got it 2 days ago and we have an ...
  A: Give him time. Oscars really do not like being moved from one tank to another and it may be days or ...
Water3/21/2010
  Q: I have a question about cement tanks. I have them and they are over 20 years old. I get my water for ...
  A: Hmm.. you are fighting nature. Cement is alkaline and no matter how old it is, it will constantly ...
Black moors3/21/2010
  Q: I have two black moorsand I have a feeling I might behaving moresoon. They actreal weird they have a ...
  A: The eggs are small spheres about 1 mm in diameter and basically clear. They are not laid in a ...
Pregnant Balloon Molly3/20/2010
  Q: This balloon molly has been this large for just about 2 months, is she pregnant? I assume so. I ...
  A: It is pretty hard to tell with balloon mollies because they were bred to look like that, i.e., ...
advice on algae eaters3/20/2010
  Q: I have a 20 gallon tank with 3 black skirt tetras, 3 red minors, and 3 peppered cory cats. I also ...
  A: You could go with either, but do not expect the fish to completely "take care of" algae. Every ...
Dwarf Gourami3/20/2010
  Q: I have a question regarding my Dwarf Gourami. I have recently done a 50% water change in my fish ...
  A: It could be old age, but it also could be the tiger barb attacking the gourami. It is doubtful if ...
HELP!3/18/2010
  Q: I have a tank that’s about 4 weeks old. I set it up a week before adding fish and had my water ...
  A: I would not put so many fish in a tank of that size. Stay with just one or two fish. Also be very ...
Catfish Information3/18/2010
  Q: I was wondering if you may be able to identify this type of catfish. A family fisherman said he ...
  A: He is not a sturgeon but I cannot tell you which kind of catfish he is. There are almost 3000 ...
Fish Identification and Information3/18/2010
  Q: We recently got some fish from a friend who no longer cared to keep his fish. We have been trying to ...
  A: He is a cichlid fish from Central America. He is often called a jaguar cichlid. His scientific name ...
Green terror3/18/2010
  Q: What are the breeding behaviours of green terrors?
  A: They will court by brightening in color and locking lips. This might happen on and off for weeks. ...
Air pumps3/18/2010
  Q: I was wondering how would you set up an air pump to go in with an airstone and how to put in the ...
  A: You attach a piece of airline tubing about a foot long to the pump, attach the other end to the ...
cycling3/17/2010
  Q: I have a 75 gallon aquarium that has been cycled for a long time. I filter with a rena xp3 and a ...
  A: Moving gravel and water from an established tank is how we often quick-start new tanks, i.e., yes, ...
flowerhorn 2 mnths old3/17/2010
  Q: I have a 2 mnths old flower horn fish,am feeding it with red floweerhorn fish food for"baby" it ...
  A: You need to be patient. Eventually it will eat. Personally, I use TetraMin flake food and ...
Fungus in aquarium filter and in tank3/16/2010
  Q: I have a 29 gallon fresh water fish tank with angel fish, bala sharks, and black skirts. I have had ...
  A: You can't "get rid of it" by putting some chemical in the tank or something like that. All you can ...
oscars3/16/2010
  Q: i have 2 Oscars. one about 5", the other about 6". they twitch their bodies, vibrate their tails, ...
  A: They are courting. If it goes well, they might lay eggs. They typically lay the eggs on a hard ...
pregnant platy or fat platy3/16/2010
  Q: my platy is fat she has been that way for a month and a half is she pregnant?how long can a platy be ...
  A: She can be pregnant for many months. During that time, she might actually give birth to a few kids ...
Oscar Rejecting Food3/15/2010
  Q: Hey Ron, I recently purchased two Oscars. One is a Tiger Oscar and the other is a white one. I ...
  A: Give him time. When he takes it in then spits it out, he is "tasting it". So far, he has decided ...
Filter3/15/2010
  Q: i am intrested in keeping aquarium plant in my aquarium.iam having 6 oscars and the plant that i ...
  A: You can't really argue whether biosponges are better or worse than bioballs. It depends on the ...
tuberculosis3/15/2010
  Q: I think my 30 gal. tank has tb I cleaned it as best i could with out totaly shutting it down. I have ...
  A: Why would you think that it has tuberculosis? That is very rare. There are many reasons why fish ...
Green terror3/15/2010
  Q: I was wondering why has my female green terror turned very dark and is lip locking with the male? Is ...
  A: It sounds like courtship behavior. Keep an eye on things because sometimes courtship results in ...
Tiger Barb Breeding3/15/2010
  Q: Coleman, I currently have a well established 30 gallon freshwater tank with a 55 on the way. In it ...
  A: If she is carrying eggs, there is nothing you can do to make her lay them. That is entirely up to ...
convict fish3/14/2010
  Q: someone told me that female convicts can turn male and male convicts can turn female anytime to have ...
  A: There is a very slight possibility that this might happen in extremely rare cases, but in general, ...
rainbow cichlid fry3/14/2010
  Q: my pair of rainbow cichlids have managed to lay eggs and they are all hatched now wiggling in the ...
  A: You can move them anytime. I move fry by sucking them up with a clean (never used) turkey baster. ...
tetra3/14/2010
  Q: I just got a new tank and have 5 neon tetra's and 2 glowlight tetra's. One of the glowlight is ...
  A: I suggest you add more structure (rocks, plants, wood) to the tank, to help break up the space. This ...
red tiger oscarfish3/14/2010
  Q: We moved our oscar two nights ago from a 30 gal. tank back into a 55 gal.tank which until recently ...
  A: pH isn't typically the problem with a fish like an oscar. Dissolved waste in the water can be a ...
Betta Fish3/13/2010
  Q: I was wondering if betta fish can eat raw meat. I heard they can but I want to be sure and how do I ...
  A: I see no reason whatsoever to feed a betta with raw meat of any kind. Why would you want to do ...
Help?3/13/2010
  Q: I have some tequila sunrise guppies. I am no expert on fish, but this morning I have realized there ...
  A: "Bubbles" can be caused by bruising (typically the result of bites by another fish) or they can be ...
water softener and fish3/13/2010
  Q: Until a week ago, I filled my 55 gal freshwater tank from a hose connected to a sink and mix ...
  A: It is hard for me to say exactly what your water is like from here, but it sounds like you've got ...
red claw crab3/13/2010
  Q: i bouught a fluval aquarium a week ago and added a few fish and a crab. i just noticed as the crab ...
  A: Unfortunately I have never kept crabs so I really don't know what the bubble is. It certainly could ...
mysterious spots on fish3/13/2010
  Q: I had 2 red-eye tetras that are dead and dying. The one who is dead, had a red "pimple" or "bump" on ...
  A: It sounds like you need to pay much more attention to water quality. You should be changing 25% of ...
7yr old goldfish with ich3/12/2010
  Q: I have been treating my 7yr old common goldfish for ich the past 9 days with rid ich+, I have ...
  A: It takes a while to treat ich. Ich is a parasite that goes through a weeklong or so life cycle and ...
Distressed fish after water change3/12/2010
  Q: Mr. Coleman, I understand that this question may not fall under your expertise, but it appears the ...
  A: I do not understand the part where you say "...when introduced to the aquarium". This suggests to ...
jack demspey cichlid3/12/2010
  Q: 55gallon tank, 1jack dempsey7-8", 1black convict5", 1crawfish, 1pleco8". NO live food. Penquin ...
  A: Each kind of filter has its pros and cons. In my largest tanks (150 gallons+), I use MarineLand ...
breeding gouramis3/12/2010
  Q: I just bought my son three gouramis, one is a pink kissing, one is a blue, and one is a dwarf. ...
  A: I'm sorry to hear that. It could have been any of the other fish. The idea that some fish are ...
Green terror cichlids3/12/2010
  Q: I was wondering why does my female green terrors gold edged fins fade a litle bit they dont look ...
  A: Cichlids change colors depending on many factors, including health and breeding status. So, for ...
hi, please tell me how to sexing cichlids3/11/2010
  Q: ok...i was wondering how come some female cichlids have egg spot on their lower back fin too and how ...
  A: Many male cichlids from East Africa have egg spots on the anal fin. Rarely females will have these, ...
My Columbian Catfish3/11/2010
  Q: I've had my sharks for about 2 months now. They are about 3' each and housed in a 60g tank. The tank ...
  A: I think you need to do more water changes. In general, I recommend that you change 25% of the water ...
Arowana3/11/2010
  Q: Can you put a Silver Arowana and a Jardini Arowana together in a same tank if it is large enough and ...
  A: I see no reason why you could not keep two arrawanas together other than that you would need a very ...
Fungus in aquarium filter and in tank3/10/2010
  Q: I have a 29 gallon fresh water fish tank with angel fish, bala sharks, and black skirts. I have had ...
  A: You should always use a gravel siphon when doing a water change. When you say a "fungus", is it ...
ph fungus3/10/2010
  Q: i have a 32ltr hood tank and my ph is at 7.4 in the morning and goes up during the day and is back ...
  A: Is the tank in direct sunlight? If so, that could affect water chemistry. I do not see any ...
elephant nose fish3/10/2010
  Q: I have 4 elephant nose fish in a 40 gallon tank.They're all about 2" long.Trouble is, one will not ...
  A: You need to put a lot more structure in the tank. For instance, if you are going to have four ...
My Betta3/9/2010
  Q: Hello i just got my fish yesterday and hes face is up to the surface and hes not eating much maybe ...
  A: No there is nothing wrong with him. Many fish do not eat for several days or even a week or more ...
my oscar fish; choking3/9/2010
  Q: My oscar fish just ate a feeder fish tail first and is now acting like he is dieing, what should I ...
  A: Hopefully he will be able to cough it up. You could try pulling it out, but you risk seriously ...
My goldfish3/9/2010
  Q: Is it possible for my goldfish to get lonely? I have a quite large tank and I used to have 7 ...
  A: It is possible for some fish and goldfish are likely one of those. They prefer to be in groups. ...
jack demspey cichlid3/8/2010
  Q: 55gallon tank, 1jack dempsey7-8", 1black convict5", 1crawfish, 1pleco8". NO live food. Penquin ...
  A: I assume that the wood was from a pet store and not just something that you collected in a local ...
Convict Fries3/8/2010
  Q: Ron This is Rizwan from Egypt. I have a set pair of convict cichlid, 15 days before this pair laid ...
  A: Convicts are egg layers with external fertilization, meaning that the male has to be present when ...
electric yellow cichlids3/7/2010
  Q: I have started a freshwater tank with 2 electric yellow cichlids. Do I need a bottom feeder? if so, ...
  A: You do not need to have a bottom feeder. There are catfish called synodontis catfish that come from ...
Corydoras3/7/2010
  Q: Our Cory's keep laying eggs, first bunch we removed from the tank, and put them in a littler one- ...
  A: If they have a little dot inside, then it sounds like they are developing. They should hatch in the ...
swollen stomach3/7/2010
  Q: my mbuma's got a really swollen up stomach after stop eating for about a week.
  A: Unfortunately this is a condition known as "bloat". Bloat is not a specific disease but rather a ...
White Substance3/6/2010
  Q: I was wondering what is this clear type substance at the surfce of my tank and is it dangerous to my ...
  A: There should not be a substance on the surface of your tank. Yes it is dangerous to your fish and ...
stocking a 55 gallon3/6/2010
  Q: I am in the process of restocking my 55 gallon tank after a heater malfunctioned and cooked my ...
  A: A blood parrot would not be a good idea. They get large and heavy bodied and that will ultimately be ...
Convict Fries3/5/2010
  Q: Ron This is Rizwan from Egypt. I have a set pair of convict cichlid, 15 days before this pair laid ...
  A: They will breed again. What were you feeding the babies? You need to feed the babies once they ...
HIGH nitrites-reddish gills3/5/2010
  Q: I just did water test my nitrites are off the charts im doing a water change now....this must be why ...
  A: High nitrates can cause damage but there is nothing you can treat him with to fix that. All you can ...
MURALIDHARAN K FROM INDIA3/5/2010
  Q: Now i found that my flowerhorn colour is fading.The fish loses its black patches at the center and ...
  A: Keep in mind that flowerhorns will naturally change color as they get older. The hump changes size ...
Green terror cichlids3/5/2010
  Q: I was wondering how i know if my green terror has enough oxygen in the tank and if they are ...
  A: When a fish breathes heavily you can see its gills moving in and out and often the fish will be ...
Jack Dempsey Fish3/4/2010
  Q: I have a large Jack Dempsey alone in a 55 gallon tank. Periodically he will start rolling over and ...
  A: That is unlikely to be playing. Those symptoms are often a sign of deteriorating water quality. Are ...
Airstones3/3/2010
  Q: I was wondering what does an airstone do and where can i buy them? ANSWER: Hi Brendon, An ...
  A: They might push it around. I used to have a large wolf cichlid that would get really angry at the ...
Male / Female3/2/2010
  Q: My mum has given me her 3 pink parrot fish and they are gorgeous, but we don't know how to tell if ...
  A: There are no simple ways to tell the sexes of parrot cichlids. In general, the males will be a ...
Airstones3/2/2010
  Q: I was wondering what does an airstone do and where can i buy them?
  A: An airstone puts a fine stream of bubbles into the water. This allows the air to dissolve into the ...
Molly Fish - Chasing...?3/1/2010
  Q: I'm not sure if you know much about mollies, but I thought I'd giv'er a shot. I'm a beginner molly ...
  A: Probably the best thing you can do is put a lot more plants and/or wood in the tank. That will break ...
Sex of my Jack3/1/2010
  Q: My Jack is about 7inches now I have had two different answers as to the sex of my Jack. Could you ...
  A: Jack Dempseys do not have any obvious sexual differences so it is not trivial to tell the sex. If I ...
My fish in my freshwater tank keep dying?3/1/2010
  Q: I wanted to make sure my fish was properly cycled before adding new fish in, or at least on the way ...
  A: The fact that your water is cloudy coming out of the tank is not very encouraging (do you drink that ...
Green terror Cichlids3/1/2010
  Q: My male green terror seems to have some sort of twitch when he is near the female what is it? ...
  A: Java moss would be great for the fry to hide in. As for providing oxygen, I wouldn't say yes or ...
Cichlid compatibility3/1/2010
  Q: I am trying to re-setup my tank. Earlier I had guppies and mollies, but now I want to try out ...
  A: All cichlids are definitely NOT compatible with each other. I generally only put East African with ...
My fish in my freshwater tank keep dying?2/28/2010
  Q: I wanted to make sure my fish was properly cycled before adding new fish in, or at least on the way ...
  A: They all don't have to be infected originally to cause a problem. If one of them is infected, the ...
fish loss2/28/2010
  Q: I bought a 17 gallon hexagon aquarium one week ago. I set it up exactly the way the pet shop ...
  A: I am surprised that the pet store let you buy that many fish at the start. That is very ...
Green terror Cichlids2/28/2010
  Q: My male green terror seems to have some sort of twitch when he is near the female what is it? ...
  A: That is up to you. Catfish can be a problem, but usually the parents can fend them off. Personally, ...
oscars2/28/2010
  Q: I have 2 oscars that are about 6 inches long and today was the first time ive every seen them have ...
  A: In cichlids like oscars, courting and fighting look exactly the same. The only difference is the ...
Lump now Hole...?2/28/2010
  Q: I currently have three 2" red-bellied piranhas. All are active, eating, and have been provided ...
  A: If it was a parasite, it has come out now so there likely isn't any need to "cure" him. The big ...
Behaviour2/27/2010
  Q: I have two fish, I've had them for about ten months now, and one of them has been acting strangely ...
  A: That is very hard to say, e.g., you didn't tell me what kind of fish it is. In general, though, I ...
Green terror Cichlids2/27/2010
  Q: My male green terror cichlid is always attacking my female green terror. She is smaller than him and ...
  A: You need to add a lot of structure to the tank, i.e., things like wood, rock and/or plants to break ...
Lump now Hole...?2/26/2010
  Q: I currently have three 2" red-bellied piranhas. All are active, eating, and have been provided ...
  A: That is hard to say. It could have been some sort of parasite that has emerged, or one of the other ...
Sick Green Spotted Puffer fish2/26/2010
  Q: I just got my Green Spotted Puffer fish about 5 days ago. My puffer is in a 3 gallon tank and i put ...
  A: You need to give him time. It is very normal for a fish not to eat anything for days or even weeks ...
oscar fish2/25/2010
  Q: But one of the two is starting to get black developing on all of the fins. I was just wondering if ...
  A: It could be normal color change or it could indicate a little bit of damage due to abrasion. I ...
Growth on side of Parrot Fish2/25/2010
  Q: I noticed two weeks ago my parrot fish has a very large bump almost looks as if it's a tumor on his ...
  A: If it is a tumor (which is very likely) I do not see how Pimafix can do anything about it. Tumors ...
Are my Molly's Fighting or Playing?2/24/2010
  Q: I recently got my first aquarium, it is a 10-gallon. I did some research beforehand so I set up the ...
  A: Putting two male mollies in a small tank is pretty much asking them to fight, which is what is ...
goldfish question2/24/2010
  Q: My name is Jose, I came up on your website combing the internet about fish diseases. I have a ...
  A: It looks like a tumor, i.e., a cancerous growth. This isn't likely contagious but there really isn't ...
Platy fish being pregnant2/23/2010
  Q: My fish is a female platy and we have got 2 males in our tank. She has a really round shaped belly ...
  A: They don't give you any clear indication. They just give birth. As for what you should do, that ...
Problem with electric yellow2/23/2010
  Q: Im wondering if you could help me with what may be wrong with my female electric yellow. Over the ...
  A: After the fish died, did you do a lot of water changes? If not, you should. I would change 25% of ...
Sick Dovii Fish2/23/2010
  Q: I need help with my Dovii Cichlid. He shows signs of sickness which looks like mouth fungus,rag tail ...
  A: Sadly, the most likely cause of those symptoms displayed by your dovii would be attacks by one of ...
Bristlenose Catfish Fighting Injuries2/22/2010
  Q: I have a very successful breeding tank after only 12 months of setup. I currently have a large male ...
  A: Personally, I would not put any medications in with young catfish. Catfish are extraordinarily ...
Sudden Death2/22/2010
  Q: Have two tanks. One 4ft and one 20inch.Both have thorough weekly changes of one third of the volume ...
  A: I would not count out the angelfish as attacking other fish. A male angelfish can be quite ...
Mystery Deaths2/22/2010
  Q: Lately, I've have lost a large number of my fish. I can't find the cause. I have a 15 gallon tank ...
  A: Unfortunately that is really hard to diagnose. If it were me, I would slow down on the feeding -- ...
Molly Fish - Chasing...?2/22/2010
  Q: I'm not sure if you know much about mollies, but I thought I'd giv'er a shot. I'm a beginner molly ...
  A: The problem is that male mollies want to mate. Ideally they want to mate with a female molly. But ...
Blue Lobster or Crayfish2/22/2010
  Q: I have just got my first Blue Lobster. I have a 20 gallon long tank. I have looked on line to see ...
  A: They live completely under the water, i.e., they do not need any land to crawl out on. In fact, they ...
oscar fishes?2/22/2010
  Q: I have this female Oscar that is just laying at the bottom of the tank and the male is not wanting ...
  A: I am curious how you know that the one is a female and the other a male? Oscars have no visible ...
Fish will no teat2/21/2010
  Q: I have a 2 and a half year old female platy which I raised from fry that had stopped eating and is ...
  A: The stringy poop strongly suggests that she has an intestinal infection. There are medications that ...
My fish in my freshwater tank keep dying?2/20/2010
  Q: I wanted to make sure my fish was properly cycled before adding new fish in, or at least on the way ...
  A: The stickers aren't the problem. You do not need to add the "Stability" stuff everyday. You add it ...
Chasing male platys2/20/2010
  Q: Is this normal? I think I have a pregnant female platy in my tank but we only have 1 female and 2 ...
  A: This is perfectly normal. The last things a male platy wants to see in HIS tank, is another male ...
Please help!2/20/2010
  Q: I have a 10 month old Oscar ("Bluto"), that started showing the sores associated with HITHD about 2 ...
  A: The regular weekly water changes are a very good way to go. I don't know about the "natural foods" ...
My fancy golfish2/20/2010
  Q: I have a 40 gallon freshwater fishtank, and I have 4 fancy faintail goldfish. The one that is sick ...
  A: Sadly he doesn't sound like a very healthy little fellow and that is unlikely to improve. Yes it is ...
jack Dempsey2/20/2010
  Q: How often does the Jack Dempsey lay eggs
  A: A female Jack Dempsey CAN lay eggs every three weeks or so if she wants. Whether she will do that or ...
african mbuna2/19/2010
  Q: I have a 37 gallon cube aquarium, 24 wide by 18 deep by 20 tall, I would really like to do a mbuna ...
  A: You can put mbuna in there, the number is going to depend on how much structure you have in the ...
Flicking2/19/2010
  Q: I have a Convict Cichlid, 2 Jack Dempsey Cichlids And two firemouth Cichlids. A while back i noticed ...
  A: Fish will "flick" a little without there being anything wrong, i.e. if a fish does it once or twice ...
Bristlenose catfish2/19/2010
  Q: I was wondering what would i need in my tank if i decided to buy some bristlenose catfish? And what ...
  A: Pieces of driftwood would make a bristlenose catfish feel right at home. You can feed them sinking ...
green terrors2/19/2010
  Q: Hey how u doin im wordering why my green terrors arent breed i gave them a tank by there self i ...
  A: Lip locking between two fish can mean many things. If it is a male and female, it is a form a ...
Leopard Crabs2/19/2010
  Q: Im currently looking at getting one from the store but I want to know a little bit more information ...
  A: Sorry but I have absolutely no experience with leopard crabs. Sorry. I would be cautious because ...
pH Drops with Water Changes2/18/2010
  Q: I have two tanks. A 42 gal hex with a Penquin 200 bio filter and a 12 gal Eclipse. Both tanks have ...
  A: Hmmm... that is mysterious. I am unsure as to why you are adding salt to the tank. Neither the ...
My fish keep dying!!2/17/2010
  Q: So heres the thing: I wanted to make sure my fish was properly cycled before adding new fish in, or ...
  A: I am sorry for the delay in responding; I was out of the country. The key to a fish tank is not ...
Gormi Fish2/17/2010
  Q: the Platty fish that I have has eaten on the big Gormi fish what do I need to treat the gormi fish ...
  A: I suspect you mean "gourami"? The best thing you can do is to separate the fish (as you said you ...
plants2/17/2010
  Q: i am intrested in keeping aquarium plant in my aquarium.iam having 6 oscars and the plant that i ...
  A: I doubt if you will be successful if you try to put Amazon sword plants in with oscars. Oscars will ...
Strange Behavior2/17/2010
  Q: I have a young Jack Dempsey cichlid who has been acting strange over the past few days. He is ...
  A: Erratic swimming is often one of the first signs of deteriorating water quality. Have you been doing ...
Black Moor Goldfish2/15/2010
  Q: I've had a Black Moor Goldfish for about 4-5 months now, and I've been keeping him in an ...
  A: Actually I did see that paragraph. My answer still applies. The trouble is that when a fish is in a ...
Flower Horn is Critical2/15/2010
  Q: I have a 6 inch female Red Dragon Flower Horn. she is alone in 40 Gallon Tank with canister filter. ...
  A: Have you been doing regular weekly water changes? You need to change 25% of the water once a week, ...
Goldfish2/15/2010
  Q: My fantail goldfish is kept in a 10 gallon tank with four other goldfish but now she is being lazy ...
  A: It could be that she is getting older, but it could also be that one of the other fish has been ...
black fin shark2/15/2010
  Q: ok we have a problem we bought this fish a few days ago and the store owners did not inform us how ...
  A: A black fin shark is not really a shark at all, but actually it is a type of barb. They come from ...
Jack Dempsey?2/14/2010
  Q: I have a fish that I bought over a year ago, which I at the time believed to be a Jack Dempsey. ...
  A: From that picture, he could be a young Jack Dempsey. Keep in mind that there are many Central ...
fresh water aquarium problem2/14/2010
  Q: I have a 46 gallon freshwater tank with about 20 fish, mostly neon's, tetra's and barb's. After ...
  A: You are vastly overfeeding the tank. There should not be any flakes lying on the bottom ever. Only ...
gold piranha2/14/2010
  Q: i have a 4" gold piranha in a 20G tank i want to find a tank mate for him but every tank mate that i ...
  A: That is why they are called piranhas. They don't play well with others. I can't think of anything ...
Black Moor Goldfish2/14/2010
  Q: I've had a Black Moor Goldfish for about 4-5 months now, and I've been keeping him in an ...
  A: That is really too small of a home for your fish. While he might be just fine for a while, ...
Pacu2/13/2010
  Q: I got a 300 gallon tank with 3 Peacock Bass and 2 Red Belly Pacus I was wondering about the red ...
  A: Fish color is a product of many things, including age, diet and how the fish feels. For instance, ...
Goldfish On Bottom Of Tank2/12/2010
  Q: I have two goldfish, a Black Moor and a Calico Telescope, and up until about 2 days ago they have ...
  A: Unfortunately that doesn't look good. You said you did a 25% water change -- I assume that you do ...
Distressed gourami2/12/2010
  Q: saw your profile and don't know if you can answer since it looks like you deal with cichlid fish ...
  A: Unfortunately that is really hard to say. Doing the water changes is good. BTW, I never use ...
South American-Red Tiger Cichlid/Oscar2/12/2010
  Q: I've had (Mr.Peabody)for soon one year! he has a 60liter Tetra Aqua Art Aquarium we live in Sweden. ...
  A: The good news is that he will likely heal, given time. It is important to change the water in ...
swollen stomach2/12/2010
  Q: i had a pulse spotted flower horn no he is turned in white and his stomach is swollen and from week ...
  A: What did you feed him before the problem? Also, are you doing regular weekly water changes? ...
White Sand2/11/2010
  Q: Hey Ron, Its too cool that you and others with such knowledge help us hobby guys the way you do, its ...
  A: The biggest problem with really fine sand is that it can get compacted. That creates problems ...
garbage bags?2/11/2010
  Q: just a quick question. if i had to make a quick fix aquarium, say is one of mine started leaking, ...
  A: I always keep a Rubbermaid tub around, just in case. Get a new one, and rinse it a bunch of times ...
white cotton on Oscar fin2/10/2010
  Q: Im a long time person of questions on Experts. You have helped me many times. I have a 7 yr old ...
  A: You could try the Maracyn. I notice also that he has some hole in the head. Be careful that you ...
black moor goldfish2/10/2010
  Q: I recently got 2 black moor females. They seem very happy and healthy but it looks like they are ...
  A: A fish should never "shed". This is often a sign of ick. Ick is treatable. There are many ...
Feeding2/9/2010
  Q: I have had an albino tiger Oscar for a little over a year and he eats like a monster. I recently got ...
  A: Are you doing regular weekly partial water changes? You should be changing 25% of the water once a ...
identification2/9/2010
  Q: my sons science teacher sent home 2 fish. one i know is a guppy, who was pregnant...the other i have ...
  A: Unfortunately (or fortunately depending on how you look at it), there are thousands of different ...
Sick Beta2/9/2010
  Q: This is our first Beta fish and I have grown quite attached to the guy! We've had him about 5 ...
  A: That is hard to say. Moving him to larger quarters was a good idea. You didn't by any chance use ...
white cotton on Oscar fin2/8/2010
  Q: Im a long time person of questions on Experts. You have helped me many times. I have a 7 yr old ...
  A: From the photo, it appears to be a very small amount of damage. Personally I would not treat it and ...
blood parrots just laid eggs! dont know what to do2/8/2010
  Q: i have a 55 gallon tank with 2 blood parrots, 9 tetras and an algea eater. i thought my bps were ...
  A: Actually, if they hatch, the parents will become very protective and I would worry more about the ...
Oscar cloudy inside eye2/8/2010
  Q: Ron Sorry I just asked you a question about one of my oscars. I have a question on the other. They ...
  A: Given that he is the only fish in the tank, banging his eye on something is a very likely ...
white cotton on Oscar fin2/8/2010
  Q: Im a long time person of questions on Experts. You have helped me many times. I have a 7 yr old ...
  A: It sounds like a fungus. Could he have bashed himself against something? I would try one of the ...
blood parrots just laid eggs! dont know what to do2/7/2010
  Q: i have a 55 gallon tank with 2 blood parrots, 9 tetras and an algea eater. i thought my bps were ...
  A: The one with the larger breeding tube is most likely the female. The good news is that you do not ...
Green Severum2/7/2010
  Q: I have a very large green severum whom I've had for a approx two years, he has always eaten very ...
  A: When you say "10% on a regular basis", how regular is that? Ideally you would be changing 25% of ...
sick catfish, angel fish are fine2/7/2010
  Q: I have just transferred my 3 angelfish, and my three catfish into a larger tank. (1 week ago). The ...
  A: That is hard to say but my first guess would be to suggest that maybe the angelfish attacked the ...
how to recognize flower horn is male or female2/5/2010
  Q: how to recognize flower horn is male or female. plsss i want 2 know wether my fh is male or female ...
  A: There is no perfect way to tell male from female flowerhorns. Males are going to be more robust and ...
Breeding Platy2/5/2010
  Q: I have a 10 Gallon tank with about 5 platy's and 3 tetras with a good amount of live plants. I ...
  A: Putting her in the 3 gallon tank is a good idea. Putting the tank in the dark is not necessary, nor ...
can a suckerfish go with goldfish2/5/2010
  Q: CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME IF A SUCKERFISH GO IN A TANK WITH GOLDFISH PLEASE......
  A: Yes and no. There is no physical reason why not, but keep in mind that suckerfish (I assume you ...
High nitrates, excessive algea2/4/2010
  Q: I have a 55 gl aquarium with 9 cichlids (all are about 3"-4"), 2 clown loaches, and a bristlenose ...
  A: I don't have a good answer for you. In general, you can really reduce algae growth by simply ...
Pregnant Molly Fish2/3/2010
  Q: I apologize if this question is no appropriate for you. I didn't see anyone else available until the ...
  A: Here's the cool thing about many livebearers: you don't need a male present! Many of them can store ...
african cichilds are dying!!2/3/2010
  Q: For the past two weeks my african cichilds have been dying off. This is the third one that has died ...
  A: Is one of the other fish chasing the smaller fish incessantly? Also, have you been doing regular ...
Feeding2/1/2010
  Q: I have had an albino tiger Oscar for a little over a year and he eats like a monster. I recently got ...
  A: Drop in a bunch of algae wafers when the light is off on the tank. The pleco can easily smell them ...
angel fish2/1/2010
  Q: Can I keep tiger barbs with two angelfish? What is a good tank mate for angel fish? also can I keep ...
  A: Angelfish are cichlids. They are cichlids that come from South America. Personally, I would not ...
goldfish2/1/2010
  Q: my daughter bought 3 fancy gold fish a week ago we believe one is caring eggs will theses eggs hatch ...
  A: Goldfish do not mate internally. A female is always carrying eggs in some stage, but she only lays ...
Ich1/31/2010
  Q: .. I've been looking through info on Ich and can't find what I need to know anywhere. My question ...
  A: There are no obvious signs that the treatment is working. Many people make the mistake of seeing a ...
goldfish1/31/2010
  Q: my daughter bought 3 fancy gold fish a week ago we believe one is caring eggs will theses eggs hatch ...
  A: Goldfish are egg layers. That means that the female lays the eggs (often on plants or on the gravel) ...
Maintaining My Tank1/31/2010
  Q: I would like to know some pointers on how to maintain my fish tank of 20 gallons.First I just ...
  A: The most important thing to do is regular weekly partial water changes. You should be changing 25% ...
tankmates1/31/2010
  Q: i have a 55 gal with 2 blood parrots and i just got 2 yellow african cichlids. is that ok? i was ...
  A: One can never say for sure, but in general, I do not mix Central/South American cichlids with East ...
Green terror cichlid1/29/2010
  Q: i have two green terror cichlids that have just spawned and the babies have hatched two days ago and ...
  A: I wouldn't count them out until it has been at least a week that you haven't seen them. The parents ...
Green terror cichlid1/29/2010
  Q: i have two green terror cichlids that have just spawned and the babies have hatched two days ago and ...
  A: The parents will often move the kids from one pit to another, sometimes several times a day. Yes, ...
/////////////////////URGENT HELP NEEDED!/////////////////////1/29/2010
  Q: help me. my new male guppy came with 3 others and one of them was found on the bottom of the tank ...
  A: Do you know what the disease called "ick" looks like? It could be that. If so, there are various ...
/////////////////////URGENT HELP NEEDED!/////////////////////1/28/2010
  Q: help me. my new male guppy came with 3 others and one of them was found on the bottom of the tank ...
  A: It sounds like one of your fish is attacking the others but it is hard to say which. Are you ...
fish spots on tail1/28/2010
  Q: i have a 100 gallon tank with cichlid fish and some of the fish have white spots on their tails can ...
  A: Are you referring to the large white dots on the anal fin (the fin on the bottom rear) or the ...
african ciclid injury1/27/2010
  Q: I have a male Frontrosa african ciclid that was beat pretty bad by another fish the lump in his head ...
  A: Time will tell. Removing him was a good thing to do. Cichlids are pretty tough and can recover ...
Green terror cichlid1/26/2010
  Q: i have two green terror cichlids that have just spawned and the babies have hatched two days ago and ...
  A: Once they hatch, they become "wrigglers". Wrigglers cannot swim. The parents will often hide these ...
sleeping fish1/26/2010
  Q: I know your not a goldfish expert but my fish is NOT sick just strange. Is it normal for a fish to ...
  A: It would be best if you did water changes before it gets to that point. You should be changing 25% ...
CATFISH1/26/2010
  Q: .. My shark catfish has some white fluffy growth on its body. The area near its gills was red one ...
  A: I am unclear about what you are saying. You saw white cotton growth on the fish food pellets and ...
stinky snail problem1/26/2010
  Q: Okay so we're all 10th graders in chemistry. We had have to do an experiement with snails and ...
  A: Unfortunately I do not have any experience with snails so there really isn't anything I can offer to ...
tiger oscars1/26/2010
  Q: ANSWER: Hi Kim, Are you doing regular water changes? You should be changing 25% of the water ...
  A: When you do the water changes, be sure that you are using a gravel siphon to vaccuum the gravel. ...
breeding1/26/2010
  Q: can a female dovii breed with a male jack dempsey
  A: Most Central American cichlids CAN breed with each other, particularly if proper mates are not ...
treating new tank syndrome-- move fish out?1/25/2010
  Q: I have done a lot of online research for two days and haven't been able to find a specific reference ...
  A: When you start up a fish tank it takes a while (about 6 weeks to be exact) for the tank to balance ...
bettas1/25/2010
  Q: I got a male betta for christmas. I feed him and change his water. I just changed his water last ...
  A: When you change his water it is important that you only change 25% at a time and that the water you ...
water1/25/2010
  Q: I have a freshwater aquarium tank. i wanted to know can i add water in my tank without using water ...
  A: It depends entirely on what is in your water in the first place. For example, in the United States, ...
Bristlenose male1/25/2010
  Q: My mother's bristle nose pleco has an extremely swollen belly and seems to have red dots/splotches ...
  A: It does sound like it is sick, however, there is very little you can do about it. Catfish are very ...
tiger oscars1/25/2010
  Q: hi would like to know what causes my oscars to change colour from black to grey i have had all the ...
  A: Are you doing regular water changes? You should be changing 25% of the water once a week, every ...
acid problem in freshwater aquaria1/24/2010
  Q: 1) Is there really such a thing, as we've been told, as "old tank syndrome" i.e., tanks that have ...
  A: I have never heard of the "old tank syndrome" per se. If a tank has plants or wood in it, over time ...
Betta fish tank1/24/2010
  Q: We unknowingly bought a mirrored 5 gallon tank as a starter kit in the box, after setting it up and ...
  A: That is an interesting issue. Out here in California we have a store called TAP Plastics that sells ...
Neon Tetras.1/24/2010
  Q: I am curious about neon tetras. Do they make good beginner fish? Also, where is the best place to ...
  A: Neon tetras are very pretty but not necessarily the best beginner fishes. If you do go with neons, ...
re : tankmates for acei cichlids1/23/2010
  Q: I have a tank with a bumblebee cichlid and an acei cichlid. Can i put in my convict? She is in ...
  A: In general, I do not recommend mixing cichlids from Central America (convicts) with cichlids from ...
Goldfish1/22/2010
  Q: lately my goldfish has slightly began discolouring around one side of the body, fins and the tails ...
  A: You need to be doing regular weekly partial water changes. You should be changing 25% of the water ...
Betta with open wound1/20/2010
  Q: I've had my red betta (Ronin) for the past 1.5 years. Water parameters are good & clean. He's in a ...
  A: Sadly I don't know what else you can do. Hopefully the Maracyn will help. Keep in mind that 1.5 ...
How's this for stocking?1/20/2010
  Q: So I have a 55 gallon tank that is currently cycling.It has a peguin 350 filter (75 gallons), one ...
  A: I wouldn't worry about the cories eating firemouth eggs. It could happen, but it seems highly ...
How's this for stocking?1/20/2010
  Q: So I have a 55 gallon tank that is currently cycling.It has a peguin 350 filter (75 gallons), one ...
  A: In terms of number of fishes, that seems okay. Personally I do not mix Asian fish (barbs) with ...
angelfish fry1/20/2010
  Q: i have a pair of angelfish and they laid some eggs... i totally know how to take care of fish ...
  A: You can feed them "green water". Take a bucket and put it outside in the sun. Algae will grow in it ...
re :venustus tankmates1/20/2010
  Q: Can a blood parrot fish and venustus be tank mates. If not, what are the best tankmates for a ...
  A: A venustus comes from Lake Malawi in East Africa. A blood parrot fish is a manmade cichlid that ...
bloated fish1/20/2010
  Q: I was wondering if there was some kind of illnes that convicts get that effects their swim bladder ...
  A: There are various intestinal or swim bladder infections that can cause this. It is a bit unusual for ...
oscar fish pregnancy1/19/2010
  Q: I have recently acquired 2 large fish, I was told by the previous owner that they are oscars. one ...
  A: They could be cichlids. An oscar is one type of cichlid. However, cichlids do not get pregnant as ...
Blood Parrot Cichlid1/19/2010
  Q: I was wondering if a Blood Parrot Cichlid would be a good fish to complete my 40 gallon tank set up. ...
  A: Are you aware that blood parrot cichlids are manmade hybrids? Personally, I would not put a blood ...
angelfish were killed please help!1/19/2010
  Q: i have a 55 gallon tank with 2 blood parrots,3 high fin tetras,and 1 angel. today i went out and got ...
  A: My guess is that the larger blood parrot attacked the newcomers. The parrot cichlid would regard ...
Crowntail Betta1/18/2010
  Q: I've had regular Betta fish for several years without problems. They seem to last about 3-4years. I ...
  A: That is really hard to say. It is very possible that he had some disease before you got him. ...
Selling1/18/2010
  Q: Hey! I was wondering on what people are "into" I'm 14 and I decided to start a little business ...
  A: The challenge of selling fish is that unlike other things like car parts or stereos, fish can die ...
oscar has bloody tissue in one eye1/18/2010
  Q: He is in a 50 gallon tank with an angelfish and a crayfish. The water is good. A few months back ...
  A: That is a tough one. There are many possible causes for a bad eye. The most likely is that he ...
Urgent... Ick problem came back, treatment not working, what now??1/17/2010
  Q: I was wondering what was safe to use for Ick in a freshwater tanks? In my aquarium I have two ...
  A: First you need to understand what ick is. It is a little organism with two stages to its life. In ...
parrot fish eggs1/17/2010
  Q: hi i was wondering what color are fertilized parrot fish eggs or what color are if they will ...
  A: Fertilized eggs will start to go dark after a couple of days. They will hatch in about 4 days or ...
Injured tiger cichlid - need help1/17/2010
  Q: We have a 100 gallon tank, with over 50 pounds of lace rock, which has been housing three Oscars ...
  A: I suspect that there is more going on here than a fish getting stuck. I suspect he stuck himself to ...
Oscar1/16/2010
  Q: I am thinking about getting a couple of Oscars but i also want to know if there is any other ...
  A: The general answer is no, unless you have a really large tank, e.g., 150 gallons. Basically, an ...
Silver Shark has a problem with one of its eyes1/16/2010
  Q: I have a 180 litre fish tank with three common Plecs 3 Clown loaches and 3 Silver sharks. The tank ...
  A: It is very likely that he suffered some physical damage to his eye during the ordeal. The good news ...
Beta fish water temp heat source1/16/2010
  Q: Since the ambient temperature in my home will not bring the water above 65 degrees, I have attached ...
  A: Most fish do not care a lot about "sleeping". They will sleep if there is no light, but otherwise, ...
white bubles on my betta1/16/2010
  Q: I just cleaned my fish tank and I put some JUNGLE START RIGHT with Allantoin in there Iwaited ...
  A: First, you should never clean out a fish tank completely. That disrupts the whole balance of the ...
Sick Blood Parrot Fish1/15/2010
  Q: One of my parrot fish (Blush) died this week and the other one (Tango) has been laying on the bottom ...
  A: I am sorry to hear that. The best thing you can do right now is more frequent water changes. It is ...
Listless pleco1/15/2010
  Q: My pleco is very listless -- lying against the side of the tank rather than sucking on it, not ...
  A: Sadly that does not sound good. Have you been doing regular weekly partial water changes? You ...
Mollies1/15/2010
  Q: When i barely started my 10 gal aquarium i started with a betta, silver molly, and i think its ...
  A: They could be thinking about mating. Fish like mollies do a little courtship "dance" before mating ...
Dieing/Disappearing Snails1/14/2010
  Q: We had 4 small apple snails in our 10 gallon goldfish tank, which they have thrived in for approx. ...
  A: Hmmm... that is a bit of a mystery. Unfortunately I do not have any experience with apple snails. ...
Betta Fish1/14/2010
  Q: My Betta fish has recently had some color changes. he majorily mostly red and pink when i got him, ...
  A: Bettas can change colors in a couple of ways. They will change color to express mood -- they go ...
oscar ciclid1/14/2010
  Q: ive had my new family member"Oscar ciclid" for two months almost now.i love him to bits,i have other ...
  A: It sounds like he or she is thinking about making a nest and that is why your fish is clearing the ...
goldfish blisters1/14/2010
  Q: I bought a goldfish a month ago, which a week or so ago has got some red spots near its head, which ...
  A: Air bubbles in the tank are not a problem. I am concerned that your fish is waaaaaay too ...
ventral or pelvic fin1/13/2010
  Q: I understand you are a chiclid expert and I have a girl betta, so this is not your expertise, but ...
  A: Hmm.... does your betta have long fins? If so, it is 99% likely to be a male. Females have short ...
Beta fish water temp heat source1/13/2010
  Q: Since the ambient temperature in my home will not bring the water above 65 degrees, I have attached ...
  A: You can leave the light on if you want but you would be MUCH better to buy a proper heater. It will ...
information about sucker fish1/13/2010
  Q: hi i want to ask that sucker fish ...
  A: Yes, a plecostomus really should have either an airstone in the tank, or a filter which moves the ...
compatibility1/13/2010
  Q: I love Oscars but the chiclid and the plecostumas are too small to have in a 30 gal tank with these ...
  A: I am not quite sure what you are asking. An oscar is a type of cichlid, but a 30 gallon tank is too ...
A white color in the edge of the dorsal fin1/13/2010
  Q: Yesterday, I bought two fishes and I put them directly into my aquarium. unfortunately , I saw after ...
  A: Most likely this is the result of a little bit of fighting among the fishes. Keep an eye on them to ...
hump head1/13/2010
  Q: i am having four flowerhorns, each of 4 months old what should i do to get humphead for all 4 ...
  A: The hump gets largest on males. They get a hump when they are sexually mature. It is not something ...
sharks and oscars1/12/2010
  Q: Can I put a Blue Torpedo Shark in the same tank as a Tiger Oscar? i have a 55gal tank... how many of ...
  A: Briefly. If you put anything in with an oscar that will at all fit in his mouth, he will eat it. He ...
Male or Female1/12/2010
  Q: please clarify whether it is male or female FH. Thanks, Shruthi
  A: Unfortunately, you cannot tell the sex of a flowerhorn just by looking at it in a photograph. Some ...
goldfish1/11/2010
  Q: my son has two goldfish and one of them is passing thick white faeces.it doesnt seem ill.we feed ...
  A: Unfortunately that means that the fish has intestinal parasites. There are various medicines that ...
Sick GoldFish1/11/2010
  Q: My fish started acting strange and swimming in circles and going mad around the fish tank 3 weeks ...
  A: I suspect that the fish's problem has nothing to do with the water change. Fish will sometimes get ...
my algae eater1/10/2010
  Q: in my tank i have one shubumkin fish a Bata and of course an algae eater my tank is 20"L by 10"W by ...
  A: It is not unusual for algae eaters to hide, in fact, that is quite normal for them. If your ...
plecos1/10/2010
  Q: Is it alright to have gold fish in the tank with a pleco? And do plecos like light?
  A: It should be okay to have goldfish and plecos in the same tank. Plecos do not care about light. A ...
jack dempsey and parasites1/9/2010
  Q: i have 2 6-7in jack dempsey and a juvenile dempsey. They are in a 75 gal tank with 2 carbon filter ...
  A: It sounds like one of your fish is beating up the other one severely. You really need to separate ...
hump head1/9/2010
  Q: i am having four flowerhorns, each of 4 months old what should i do to get humphead for all 4 ...
  A: The best thing you can do is to do lots of water changes to keep the fish happy and healthy. Clean ...
Betta Fish1/8/2010
  Q: We have 2 1.5 gal. fish bowls with 1 fish in each. How do we keep the water temperature warm? How do ...
  A: In general fish bowls are too small for keeping fish in permanently. A fish should be in an ...
male/female flowerhorn1/8/2010
  Q: I have 2 flower horns in my tank and they fight mouth to mouth. Does it mean they both male? Do ...
  A: Face to face fighting could be between two males, between two females or between a male and a ...
Betta Over-eating1/7/2010
  Q: I've had a betta for about three months now and he seems to always be hungry. My mom's betta will ...
  A: No it is not okay. You should only feed him a little and only once a day. Otherwise your betta ...
Flowerhorn Even Worse!1/7/2010
  Q: I sent an email earlier regarding my Flowerhorn that seems to have some sort of fungus on his lips. ...
  A: It looks like he has been in a fight with another fish and the other fish has bitten his lips. Yes ...
betta fish1/7/2010
  Q: One of the experts suggested I buy Daphnia to feed my beloved Betta, which I did. It is in small ...
  A: Take a cup of tap water and put the cube in there for about 10 minutes. It will dissolve and then ...
Sick Flowerhorn1/6/2010
  Q: I have a beautiful Flowerhorn which has been in my tank a little over 2 years. He is about 12 inches ...
  A: To be honest, in all my years of fish keeping, I have never seen that. Sadly that also means I ...
illness?1/6/2010
  Q: I have a 120ltr aquarium and is working with a filter that contains ceramic and carbon. In this ...
  A: If they all die, I suggest you take everything out of the tank, and wash the tank in a mild solution ...
How many guppies can fit in a 4 gallon aquarium?1/5/2010
  Q: I'm planning on getting some guppies. The aquarium they are going to be in is the baby biorb ...
  A: Two males shouldn't be too much of a problem, though you never know for sure. In general, you ...
illness?1/5/2010
  Q: I have a 120ltr aquarium and is working with a filter that contains ceramic and carbon. In this ...
  A: Unfortuantely all you can do is try to treat the fish but the odds are not good. For ick, you use a ...
Sick Parrot Fish1/5/2010
  Q: I do believe my parrot fish is a type of Cichlid (not 100% sure). It is about 6 years old and ...
  A: White fuzzy stuff is almost always a fungus. Fungus will often appear as a secondary infection after ...
two oscars1/5/2010
  Q: allright i have two oscars one tiger and one blue barry and the tiger has a weird looking white ...
  A: Hmm.. does it look like little white dots on his scales? If so, that is a disease called ick and ...
Tropical Fish.1/4/2010
  Q: I just cleaned my fish tank today for the first time since I got it for Christmas. It is a 3 gallon ...
  A: You should only change 25% of the water in a tank at once. You also need to feed a lot less food. ...
Sick Parrot Fish1/3/2010
  Q: I do believe my parrot fish is a type of Cichlid (not 100% sure). It is about 6 years old and ...
  A: That growth does not look good. Basically it looks like a prolapsed intestine, i.e., part of the ...
oscars1/3/2010
  Q: hey there. i have an albino oscar, that just died, and a tiger oscar. they have been great buddies ...
  A: That is really hard to say. Starting a tank over is seldom a good plan. You are much better to do ...
red devil fish and jack dempsey fish1/3/2010
  Q: how do you tell the sex of each of these fish?
  A: These fish can be a bit challenging to sex. There are no 100% obvious signs. Males tend to be ...
Dwarf gouramis and cherry barbs?1/2/2010
  Q: I have an empty 10 gallon tank (I had 3 baby platies in it but I sold them to a breeder) and I was ...
  A: In general, fish do not get "lonely". I strongly suspect that barbs might pick on a gourami. ...
my beta is dying?1/2/2010
  Q: I recently have taken possession of my 5 year old sons beta. Kid liked him for a day and then ...
  A: Unfortunately it doesn't sound too good for the betta. There really isn't much that you can do for ...
Aquarium Cycling1/1/2010
  Q: I am new to the hobby so some background. I set up a new 30 gallon freshwater tank on Dec. 25. I ...
  A: You can probably add the 5 or 6 guppies. Just be sure not to feed them too much and do not let ...
unknown fish1/1/2010
  Q: I recently inherited 2 convicts,2 Oscars,2 jack dempseys and an unknown fish to me.The fish is about ...
  A: Unfortunately, that description could fit thousands of fish species so it is really hard for me to ...
I think my fish is dieing!Please help!12/31/2009
  Q: ok, so, i have 2 canary yellow goldfish, and they were both in this pretty big tank. After awhile ...
  A: Sorry for the delay in responding; I am actually out of the country right now. That said, there ...
Betta on side12/30/2009
  Q: I have a betta who is about 6 months old named Portka. He has never had any issues, always been very ...
  A: Sadly, it is very possible that Portka is just getting old. Bettas typically do not live very long. ...
black pests inside my fish tank.12/30/2009
  Q: The filter i have is a tetra tech for a 30 gallon tank. Help! My problem and concern with this tank ...
  A: The problem is nothing to do with your gravel or anything like that. Basically, a kind of fly is ...
Please help my fish!!12/30/2009
  Q: Well my fish is a crossbreed between a manganese and a Texas cichlid. The incident happened about 18 ...
  A: As far as I know, neither of those medicines is going to do anything good for that fish. ...
how to get clear water in my tank12/29/2009
  Q: I have 15 african chiclids in my 55 gallon tank thats been set up for a week. i can't get the water ...
  A: You have started with way too many fish. It takes 6 weeks for a tank to "cycle". You should start a ...
What fish get along with puffer fish?12/29/2009
  Q: I might get another fish tank for my birthday. I want to know what fish get along with puffer fish. ...
  A: The problem is that a puffer will eat most anything you put in the tank with it, possibly including ...
Lake malawi cichlids12/29/2009
  Q: quick question,can i put mainganos,eureka red peacocks,and golden mbunas in one 100gal,i have lots ...
  A: That seems possible, though there are no guarantees with cichlids. I would only put in a single ...
Ich Again??12/29/2009
  Q: I'm hoping you can help me! I have a 75 gal w/4 Blood Parrot Cichlids, 4 Cory's, & 4 Black Skirt ...
  A: If it is ick, you need to use Rid-ick or something like it. Salt only helps a little. The ...
Please help my fish!!12/28/2009
  Q: Well my fish is a crossbreed between a manganese and a Texas cichlid. The incident happened about 18 ...
  A: Give him time. He can actually go a couple of weeks without eating and trying to force feed him ...
Best Fish Choice12/27/2009
  Q: Ron, I am just got a 30 gallon BiOrb Fish tank for christmas and i was wondering what are some of ...
  A: That's really impossible for me to say. There are over 28,000 species of fishes and I like them all! ...
Small Strange Bubbles12/27/2009
  Q: i have a 55 gallon fish tank and it is occupied by a tiger oscar and pleco. i had another oscar and ...
  A: First, you need to be doing much more frequent water changes. You should be changing 25% of the ...
New Tank12/27/2009
  Q: I have a 32 gallon tank that I was using to house a few gouramis, angels, etc. but I recently moved ...
  A: If you go with pufferfish, you can have basically one. You also cannot typically put any other fish ...
fish12/25/2009
  Q: what are these creatures in my 55 gallon fresh water oscar fish tank.they are highly populated in my ...
  A: Hmmm.. it is hard to say from the photograph what those things are. It is very unlikely that they ...
How can I touch my cichlids?12/24/2009
  Q:
  A: If you touch your cichlids, be absolutely sure that your hands are wet. Dry hands or fingers will ...
cichlid questions12/21/2009
  Q: I have what i think is a flower pot cichlid, and when i bought her she had spit one fry out at the ...
  A: I think it is probably okay for now but in the long run you are going to have troubles. As the ...
cichlid breeding and oyther cichlid questions12/21/2009
  Q: I have what i think is a flower pot cichlid, and when i bought her she had spit one fry out at the ...
  A: Do you mean a flowerhorn cichlid? Hmmm... that can't be right because flowerhorns are not mouth ...
my parot cichild fish12/21/2009
  Q: why is my parrot cichild fish killing all my other fish in my aquirum. i,ve had him and all other ...
  A: As fish get larger and mature, they start to think about breeding and that often means establishing ...
algae eater12/21/2009
  Q: I have a algae eater that we have had only a couple of years. he is about 8 in long and about 2 or 3 ...
  A: I suspect that you have a plecostomus catfish. I have seen what you refer to and sadly I do not know ...
mbuna cichlids12/20/2009
  Q: how many mbuna cichlids can i keep in a 20g tank? is it better to keep one or two? or overstock? ...
  A: The answer depends on which kind of mbuna. If you have one of the smaller species, such as some of ...
Long Tailed Zebra Danio12/19/2009
  Q: I have a 5 gallon tank with 5 zebra long-finned danios and 1 cory albino bottomfeeder. One of the ...
  A: Hmm... that is really hard to say. It is true that old fish often get bent spines but I can't say ...
my fishes are acting really wierd12/19/2009
  Q: i have a 20 gallon tank and all my cichlids look like they're have seizures and there all together ...
  A: That can be either a good thing or a bad thing. If they have little white speckles on them, it is a ...
sick oscar12/18/2009
  Q: i have a 60 gallon tank with 3 oscars, 2 jack dempseys, 2 firemouths. all juveniles. the ph is at ...
  A: It is more likely that one of the other cichlids was attacking your oscar. Oscars are funny. When ...
Water tempature & changes Betta fish12/17/2009
  Q: We have 2 Beta fish each in a 1.5 gal. tank. How do we keep the water warm %26 when making a water ...
  A: When you put new water in the tank, put in water the same temperature as the water already in the ...
Sick cichlid12/15/2009
  Q: We got this medication for her;Name:Mardel Maracyn Plus antibacteria for mouth fungus popeye dropsy ...
  A: Unfortunately that sounds like a very sick fish and I don't know that there is anything you can do ...
DRAGON GOBY12/15/2009
  Q: I just bought 2 silver tipped sharks,(columbian sharks) the pet store said they grow to 12 inches ...
  A: The "columbian shark" is a catfish of the genus Arias. They do grow very large (possibly a couple ...
newborn fry stuck together12/15/2009
  Q: I purchased a pair of Flowerhorn/Blood Parrots, and they began spawning as soon as I got them home. ...
  A: Sorry for the delay in responding. No doubt the situation is resolved now. The best thing to do is ...
Ich12/15/2009
  Q: I'm hoping you can help me! I have a 75 gal w/4 Blood Parrot Cichlids, 4 Cory's, & 4 Black Skirt ...
  A: Part of the problem is that treatments for ich often contain copper which is very hard on ...
My betta fish12/13/2009
  Q: Is my betta fish ok? He thrashes around the tank I have, then gently drifts down to the botten, ...
  A: Have you been changing his water regularly? You need to change 25% of his water once a week, every ...
alge eater12/11/2009
  Q: 12/10/09 I lost an alge eater today. He was fine yeaterday eating, etc. The tank is just over 6 mos ...
  A: That is really hard to say. He could have been attacked by one of the other fish. Were you putting ...
Ich12/10/2009
  Q: I'm hoping you can help me! I have a 75 gal w/4 Blood Parrot Cichlids, 4 Cory's, & 4 Black Skirt ...
  A: Ick doesn't appear as one or two white spots. It appears as dozens or hundreds of spots. It is ...
please help my fish! :(12/9/2009
  Q: I am sorry to bug (this is my 3rd question) BUT... I have 3 goldfish and 1 suckerfish for over a ...
  A: I do not recommend that you buy fish from Walmart. I encourage you to buy your fish from a fish ...
Red Belly Pacus12/9/2009
  Q: I have a similar question...I have 2 Red Belly Pacus and 2 Oscars,is it okay to give my red bellies ...
  A: I never feed any of my fish with feeder fish. Feeder fish all too often carry various parasites ...
Can damsels live w/True Percula Clownfish12/8/2009
  Q: I am the one with the mantis shrimp in my tank. I bought a true percula clownfish today and my ...
  A: Whether two fish can live together is not a simple matter if what species they are. It also depends ...
my goldfish12/7/2009
  Q: I asked about my fish floating vertically and you answered back that I should be changing 25% of the ...
  A: That depends on the condition of your tap water. For many people, their tap water has had chlorine ...
My beta fish12/5/2009
  Q: My beta fish,{Red}his eyes started turning white the other day. But the white that was on his eyes ...
  A: Unfortunately that sounds pretty bad. It sounds like he is either getting very sick or he is ...
goldfish pregnancy12/4/2009
  Q: do goldfish change shape at the back end in any way when their pregnant
  A: Actually goldfish do not get pregnant as such. They are egg layers. A female will get larger in the ...
oscar12/2/2009
  Q: I HAVE TWO OSCARS IN A 100 GAL TANK. THEY ARE ABOUT 2 1/2 YEARS OLD. IN THE LAST TWO WEEKS ONE OF ...
  A: First, you should never feed anything with live goldfish. They are notorious for carrying all sorts ...
Bredding German Blue Rams12/1/2009
  Q: I just have a couple of questions regarding my current water condition for German Blue Rams. A few ...
  A: It sounds like you are doing a good job trying to maintain a good environment for the fry (i.e, all ...
Sick Pleco12/1/2009
  Q: Coleman, I wondering if you could help me identify what disease my pleco has. I believe it is ...
  A: I cannot say for certain, but I would suspect some kind of bacterial infection. The trouble is that ...
fish that dont get on12/1/2009
  Q: recently put three male guppies in my 45 gallon tank but one of them always picks on the other two ...
  A: You need to add more structure (plants, wood, rock) to the tank to break up the space. Like most ...
water cloudy & murky12/1/2009
  Q: Ron, can the nitrogen cycle be started over again in an established aquarium after large water ...
  A: Even a large water change will not get rid of all the various bacteria in a tank, unless you ...
Tankmates for my Rasboras11/30/2009
  Q: I just got 4 Harlequin Rasboras for my 5 gallon tank. It has a power filter labeled 10 - 20 gallons ...
  A: Even a new tank should never be foamy. You absolutely need to do those weekly water changes or I ...
Oranda emergency11/30/2009
  Q: I've come home and my Oranda fish is now upside down, breathing heavy. I went to the pet store ...
  A: Unfortunately I don't know of anything else you can do either. I assume that you have a proper ...
what are they eating?11/29/2009
  Q: It's a 4 ft 55 gallon that 's been set up for 9 years. I keep african cichlids(mbunas). The ph was ...
  A: I would never put bacteria in an established tank. It won't do anything other than cost you money. ...
what are they eating?11/29/2009
  Q: It's a 4 ft 55 gallon that 's been set up for 9 years. I keep african cichlids(mbunas). The ph was ...
  A: You can't do water changes too frequently, however, you can change too much water at once. I ...
Angel fish with large growth11/27/2009
  Q: ..I had an angelfish that I had for about 5 years and all of the sudden it developed a large growth ...
  A: It's really hard to say in this case. It sounds like some sort of tumor. You could try cutting it ...
blue catfish11/27/2009
  Q: i have two blue catfish in a ten gal tank. with other feeder fish. i think one of the catfish is ...
  A: Catfish are egg layers and do not get pregnant as such. It could be that it is a female that is ...
clouded eye11/27/2009
  Q: I have 3 oscars (1 year old). One has a clouded eye and it seems he can't see out of it. The others ...
  A: Most likely his clouded eye is the result of biting by one or both of the other oscars. A clouded ...
lobster11/27/2009
  Q: My granddaughter has a blue lobster and, today, I noticed that it has a fungus, like cotton, on one ...
  A: To be honest, I don't know of anything that would be effective, but does not contain copper. You can ...
compatability11/26/2009
  Q: im setting up my 30 gallon tropical tank, aand i think i have fianlly figured out what fish i want ...
  A: I would keep an eye on the ram and hopefully that will go away. Most cases of "fin rot" on cichlids ...
oscar cichlid11/26/2009
  Q: I have a 3 month old Oscar in a 35 gallon tank and all was well until I changed the lighting from ...
  A: It could easily be the lighting. Tropical fish in general do not like bright light. It makes them ...
Ammonia Poisoning11/26/2009
  Q: Coleman, Thank you so much for answering my question, my poor guppies are in need of serious help! ...
  A: It is largely a myth that you can cycle a tank without fish, unless you know exactly what you are ...
Tankmates for my Rasboras11/25/2009
  Q: I just got 4 Harlequin Rasboras for my 5 gallon tank. It has a power filter labeled 10 - 20 gallons ...
  A: Hmmm... your tank should never be foamy. Have you been doing regular weekly partial water changes? ...
what are they eating?11/24/2009
  Q: It's a 4 ft 55 gallon that 's been set up for 9 years. I keep african cichlids(mbunas). The ph was ...
  A: Are all your fishes accounted for? In other words, could there be a dead body somewhere in the back ...
Compatible fish11/24/2009
  Q: I just bout a 55 gallon Aquarium and an eheim canister filter. I would like to have 2 Blood Parrots ...
  A: Yes that tank would be large enough. The issue with blood parrot cichlids is that they are not a ...
Swim Bladder Disorder possibility?11/24/2009
  Q: I think my betta fish has swim bladder disease caused by constipation. He has all the symptoms. He ...
  A: That's a tough one. It doesn't sound good but at this point you might as well try the Maracyn. ...
Jack Dempsey11/24/2009
  Q: My Jack Dempsey is acting more unusual than in the past. I have been out of town for about a month ...
  A: That kind of behavior is often a sign of deteriorating water conditions. You need to change 25% of ...
Malawi cichlid Advice needed !11/23/2009
  Q: i Have 2 Yellow lab malawi cichlids that are holding eggs , i was wondering what the next steps ...
  A: You have a choice. You can let the cichlids release their kids in the main tank, in which case a ...
Black Blotches11/23/2009
  Q: I have a Blood Parrot fish in a 55 Gallon tank (running for over a year now) along with a few ...
  A: Fish produce ammonia every time you feed them. You need to be changing 25% of the water once a ...
HI i need help!11/23/2009
  Q: Hey i have a fish tank with tiger fish or tiger barbs, the ones you get at WALMART And she looks ...
  A: Those would be tiger barbs (which are very different than tiger fish). Tiger barbs are egg layers, ...
Oscar's11/23/2009
  Q: Helly i was wondering if my oscar is about to lay eggs 2 like hang out together and they have been ...
  A: You don't need to do anything. If she hasn't already spawned, she will likely do so in the next few ...
Africans11/23/2009
  Q: We just replaced our side filter with a canister type and all of our africans are dying. Please ...
  A: It isn't the type of filter per se that is the problem, i.e., lots of people keep African cichlids ...
cleaning out the tank after ick problem11/22/2009
  Q: they have all died i just caught them at the stage that was to late. Its a right kick in the teeth. ...
  A: In that situation, here is what I do. Anything which is glass or plastic (including the tank ...
Oscar's11/22/2009
  Q: Helly i was wondering if my oscar is about to lay eggs 2 like hang out together and they have been ...
  A: It does sound like they are making a nest to spawn in. They will lay their eggs on the tank bottom ...
lobster11/21/2009
  Q: My granddaughter has a blue lobster and, today, I noticed that it has a fungus, like cotton, on one ...
  A: That is a tough question. The medicines that one typically uses to treat fungus typically contain ...
compatability11/21/2009
  Q: im setting up my 30 gallon tropical tank, aand i think i have fianlly figured out what fish i want ...
  A: Gold and blue rams are just color varieties of the same fish so there is no problem in mixing them. ...
saltwater aquarium fish11/21/2009
  Q: i have a clown trigger fish that has severe pop eye from a secondary infection after recovering from ...
  A: The problem with things like popeye is that it can be the result of many different things. That is ...
Petting Oscar11/21/2009
  Q: I was just wondering how can I pet my oscar? He is now around 5". Everytime I put my hand in the ...
  A: It just takes time and patience. Also, be sure that your hand is wet. You never want to touch a fish ...
Breeding11/20/2009
  Q: I have two fish tanks both containing cichlids, I do love these fish, but due to their ...
  A: Actually, if the tank contains ONLY males, the aggression will likely be much less. However, if ...
green terror lying on the bottom11/20/2009
  Q: she always comes to the tank to great me but yesterday she started acting alittle weird and now she ...
  A: Is she "lying on the bottom", i.e., on her side, or is she "sitting on the bottom", i.e., upright? ...
sick firemouth fish11/20/2009
  Q: i had this firemouth fish for 7 years, healthy the whole time but about two weeks ago it started ...
  A: We call that condition "bloat". The trouble with bloat is that it is just a description of the ...
Blue gourami11/19/2009
  Q: I have had this gourami for almost 3 years now. He is in a 30 gallon tank with a red blood parrot ...
  A: It could be a swim bladder problem but that doesn't fit the symptoms. The swim bladder really only ...
Velvet11/19/2009
  Q: I have a 65 gallon hex tank with African Cichlids. I believe they have contracted Velvet. Once I ...
  A: It sounds like a disease called ick. Ick can appear slightly different on different fishes but in ...
Dead Fish11/19/2009
  Q: I've been very busy lately and haven't taken my dead fish out of my tank. They have been there for ...
  A: They shouldn't make you sick unless you eat them. Use a net and you should be fine. Wash the net ...
green terrors11/19/2009
  Q: Hey my name is terry I have a 80g and I have 3 green terrors and a jack dempsey and a red tail cat ...
  A: That is hard to say. There are various medications that attempt to treat intestinal infections. And ...
breeding jewel cichlids11/18/2009
  Q: I am lucky enough to have a pair of blood jewel cichlids, they have spawned and laid eggs 3 times ...
  A: Sometimes it just takes a few tries for a pair to get the timing right. The fact that the eggs were ...
Worried11/18/2009
  Q: Right i have 8 baby parrot fish 3 larger parrots a baby red devil and a pleco but the pleco is fine. ...
  A: White spot is also called "ick". It is a tough customer, but it can be treated. Be sure to continue ...
sick fish11/18/2009
  Q: hey there how r u i have a 3 year old red devil and he swimmin side ways and when he swims his head ...
  A: That is hard for me to say, other than to ask if you have been doing regular weekly partial water ...
Convict Babies11/18/2009
  Q: I have a 60 Gal with 1 auratus, 1 jack Dempsey, 1 firemouth, 1 pleco and 2 convicts. My convicts ...
  A: The kids are probably just a few days old. The parents as you have noticed will fiercely protect ...
Oscar wounds11/18/2009
  Q: I noticed that recently our pet Oscar (about 6 in long) keeps getting fresh scratches and wounds, I ...
  A: Biggest doesn't always mean that another fish is fighting with him. I would keep an eye on the ...
green terror lying on the bottom11/17/2009
  Q: she always comes to the tank to great me but yesterday she started acting alittle weird and now she ...
  A: Are you doing regular weekly partial water changes? The fact that the water "checked" out fine ...
Velvet11/17/2009
  Q: I have a 65 gallon hex tank with African Cichlids. I believe they have contracted Velvet. Once I ...
  A: Hmm.. velvet is very rare with cichlids (it is much more likely on livebearers and killifishes) and ...
Blue gourami11/17/2009
  Q: I have had this gourami for almost 3 years now. He is in a 30 gallon tank with a red blood parrot ...
  A: Hmmm... there could be a number of reasons, one of which is that he is getting old. The other most ...
Worried11/16/2009
  Q: Right i have 8 baby parrot fish 3 larger parrots a baby red devil and a pleco but the pleco is fine. ...
  A: I strongly suggest you start doing some regular weekly water changes if you haven't already. You ...
Angel Fish and a Black Ghost Knife11/16/2009
  Q: I am thinking about getting two baby angel fish and a ghost knife, about 1 inch long. Do you think ...
  A: The key to success here would be to have lots of plants and/or wood in the tank to break up the ...
red oscar behavior11/16/2009
  Q: iv had my red oscar for just over a year now, im used to his behavior and characteristics but he ...
  A: Have you been doing lots of regular weekly water changes? The kind of behavior you are seeing is ...
55 Gallon11/15/2009
  Q: I have a 55 gallon planted tank along with another 55 gallon with jack dempseys. I am selling the ...
  A: I would think carefully before doing this. First of all, even a partially full 55 still weighs quite ...
Build at home stands vs already built stands11/15/2009
  Q: I've been looking at stands for my 55 gallon tank, and so far I've come down to two options: there ...
  A: If someone else puts it together, you are going to pay for the labor of doing that, so that is one ...
green terrors11/14/2009
  Q: Hey my name is terry I have a 80g and I have 3 green terrors and a jack dempsey and a red tail cat ...
  A: Unfortunately, if it is long white stringy feces that indicates an intestinal infection, ...
aquarium11/14/2009
  Q: can you tell what type of gravel or rocks harbors the largest amount of good bacteria.please also ...
  A: I suggest gravel that is about 1/8" in diameter or so. Really fine gravel tends to pack down very ...
Goldfish/Ryunkin11/14/2009
  Q: I have found a Gold Fish would best suit me as I am looking for a fish that can withstand cold water ...
  A: You are right to wait to get a larger tank rather than putting them in a 10 gallon tank. ...
Oscar behaviour11/13/2009
  Q: I have two Oscars, I am pretty sure one male one female since the male has the "growth" on the ...
  A: Male and female oscars are what we call monomorphic, i.e., males and females look the same. Put ...
Oscar fish11/13/2009
  Q: can i keep two rb piranhas and two oscar fish in a 100 gallon tank?
  A: Not for long! If the piranhas are small, the oscars will eat them. If the piranhas are large, they ...
green terror11/13/2009
  Q: i have 2 green terror's and 2 golden severums in my 60 gallon tank, the terrors where lip locking ...
  A: That very well could be mating behavior. If they are about 3 inches or larger, they can spawn. ...
Inherited large fish & tank, what are they?11/12/2009
  Q: I inherited a huge fish tank with 3 big fish. I was told they were gouramis, however the photos ...
  A: No those are not gouramis. (FYI, gouramis come from Southeast Asia). What you have are called ...
Tank size11/12/2009
  Q: I have just purchased a 10 gallon tank, and i was wondering if i could keep the same fish that my ...
  A: I think that might be a few too many fish. I would go with 1 male and 3 females in a 10 gallon. ...
tin foil barb11/11/2009
  Q: i have a 12 to 13 year old tin foil barb who has been acting strange. not eating, swimming a lot ...
  A: It may be his time, but I would suggest doing more 25% water changes just in case it is something in ...
Tiny jumping bugs on surface of water in 55 gal. fresh water tank11/11/2009
  Q: I have recently just noticed these very tiny jumping bugs in my fish tank along with my Oscar and 2 ...
  A: Hmmmm... it is interesting that you have these in both tanks. Perhaps you are overfeeding your fish? ...
Sexing firemouth cichlid11/11/2009
  Q: I have a firemouth cichlid and i cant sex it i was wondering if you knew of any sites with pictures ...
  A: A 13" arrowana is still a youngster. An adult is over 2 feet, so I doubt if you will get any ...
swollen bottom lip11/10/2009
  Q: I have a red-bellied pacus that the bottom lip became very enlarged. It started about 2 days ago and ...
  A: Hmm... that would be very unusual for a lack of oxygen to cause an enlarged lip. The fact that they ...
Cichlid problem11/10/2009
  Q: I have had 2 chichi for about 8-10 months now. Everything has been fine up until now. I usually feed ...
  A: The problem is most likely from feeding them feeder fish. I NEVER feed my fish with feeder fish. The ...
My pet fish11/10/2009
  Q: So I bought 5 goldfish and they lasted about 2 weeks but they slowly kept dieing how can I prevent ...
  A: I strongly recommend against keeping goldfish. They are actually rather tricky to keep, and easily ...
Swordtail age11/10/2009
  Q: I have only had my aquarium for about a month and when i got it, my uncle, the local fish guru, gave ...
  A: There is no way to age swordtails that I know of. That said, a swordtail that is about 3 cm long is ...
angelfish11/10/2009
  Q: i have a 30 gallon tall tank and a 55 gallon tank, i was wondering how many angelfish i could put in ...
  A: That's a tough question. If you are talking about small angelfish (say about the size of a 50 cent ...
Gourami and rams11/9/2009
  Q: I set up my 30 gallon tropical tank, and i have 6 zebra danios and an albino bristle nose pleco. My ...
  A: You MIGHT be able to get away with rams and gouramis provided you had a lot of plants in the tank. ...
Saltwater fish who eats and moves rocks11/9/2009
  Q: My husband has a 500 gallon saltwater aquarium and he just got a new fish that we don't know the ...
  A: I strongly suspect that you have a yellowheaded jawfish. (P.S. There was no picture attached) They ...
Gourami and rams11/8/2009
  Q: I set up my 30 gallon tropical tank, and i have 6 zebra danios and an albino bristle nose pleco. My ...
  A: It is very hard for me to pick fish for other people. Personally, I really like cichlids. But, I ...
cloudy water dying fish11/7/2009
  Q: I have a 60 gallon tank, contains 2 blood fins, 2 blueberries, had 3 angels all have recently died, ...
  A: For most of my tanks I use sponge filters. They are cheap, simple and never need to be replaced. I ...
fishes11/7/2009
  Q: how can you tell if a fish is a boy or a girl?
  A: Telling a boy from a girl fish depends entirely on which species you are looking at. In some ...
Malawi Cichlid problem11/7/2009
  Q: I have a 200 gallon malawi tank, I have problems with fish flicking, I have treated with malachite ...
  A: Chronic deaths in Malawi fishes are tricky. I have encountered the same thing myself and not come ...
water and minerals11/6/2009
  Q: I normally would use reverse osmosis water for my pet betta. Recently I have read from a few ...
  A: Bettas are not that fussy about water. I use tap water and they spawn for me, in fact, I had a pair ...
My fish cannot see!!!11/6/2009
  Q: My fish, Troy, just had a bad case of fin rot and is recovering (we still are giving him Rid Fungus ...
  A: Hmm... why do you think that he cannot see his food? He simply might not want to eat it. Have you ...
Bala Sharks11/5/2009
  Q: I have lost a Bala shark the last two times I did my monthly 25% water change. The tank is ...
  A: If your water has chlorine in it, then letting it sit 24 hours before using it does the trick. That ...
Angelfish11/5/2009
  Q: I have a juwel 26 gallon tank with 2 breeding angels, who are now laying thier 6th batch of eggs,and ...
  A: Unfortunately this is a common problem with aquarium strains of angelfish. Sadly because of the way ...
help please??11/5/2009
  Q: Can you tell me what order i should be setting up my filter? I have a top filter setup with ...
  A: The exact ordering is not critical, however, it will work better if you put the wool where it will ...
Help with gold fish pregnat11/4/2009
  Q: How do i know my fish is pregnant it a gold fish and it stay at the lower bit in the tank and it ...
  A: Goldfish do not get pregnant as such; they are egg layers. A female may get larger before she gets ...
bata11/3/2009
  Q: My bata is in a fish bowl. Have had it for 5 months.three weeks ago it had a bubble on the belly ...
  A: I think you mean a "betta"? Unfortunately the bubble sounds like some sort of tumor and there ...
Silver Molly pregnant?11/3/2009
  Q: I've seen this question asked a lot but I'm still not sure how to tell if my molly is pregnant. I ...
  A: You can't really tell exactly when she is going to give birth. If she is very fat, I would put her ...
Malawi cichlids11/3/2009
  Q: i have a fish that is breathing heavily and is not swimming around alot just resting on a rock . i ...
  A: If the fish is alone in the tank, I would suspect that you do not have enough oxygen in the water. ...
cichlid behavior11/3/2009
  Q: I have a newly established 60 gallon tank with 5 zebra danios and 2 blood red parrots. I just ...
  A: The behavior you are seeing is perfectly normal. Give them time. It will likely take them several ...
Cichlids11/3/2009
  Q: 1. Can I put a Albino Tiger Oscar, Electric Blue Jack Dempsey, and Red Dragon Flowerhorn into the ...
  A: I suspect that the oscar will eat the Jack Dempsey sooner or later. It might not be today but I ...
coy fish11/3/2009
  Q: we have 1 coy fish and would like to know what kind of other fish can and will live with and not eat ...
  A: Do you mean "koi" fish, i.e., it looks like a large goldfish? Probably the best fish to keep with a ...
Large oscar fish11/2/2009
  Q: Coleman, First off I have a 55 gallon fresh water tank that has a undergravel filter with two ...
  A: It could be that they are maturing but that generally doesn't result in less activity, quite the ...
Bala Sharks11/2/2009
  Q: I have lost a Bala shark the last two times I did my monthly 25% water change. The tank is ...
  A: It could be coincidence. It could also be that your tap water has changed. It may be that your ...
cloudy water dying fish11/2/2009
  Q: I have a 60 gallon tank, contains 2 blood fins, 2 blueberries, had 3 angels all have recently died, ...
  A: Undergravel filters are not a good way to go. They are very picky. You have to have just the right ...
Mbuna aggression11/2/2009
  Q: I purchased a OB peacock today. My mbunas have been beating him up all day. I changed the tank ...
  A: If you put females in there, his aggression is only going to INCREASE. Now he will really have ...
New Oscar11/1/2009
  Q: i have a 30 gallon tank with a fairly small Tiger Oscar about 2 inch. I've read allot about this new ...
  A: Oscars take a long time to get used to a new tank. It might be days or even weeks before he eats. ...
Parrot fish11/1/2009
  Q: I have had a parrot fish in my 29 gallon tank for over a year now and recently bought another (about ...
  A: There is no foolproof way to tell their sex. Have you been doing lots of regular partial water ...
Jack Dempseys11/1/2009
  Q: What size tank is good enough for four Electric Blue Jack Jempseys? They are only about 2 inches ...
  A: I would go with a 55 gallon tank. Anything less and you are going to have problems with aggression ...
Mbuna/ Peacock11/1/2009
  Q: I purchased a OB peacock today. My mbunas have been beating him up all day. I changed the tank ...
  A: I think you are really asking for trouble if you start putting more Central American cichlids in ...
Molly fry10/31/2009
  Q: about two weeks ago my one of my female mollies had a baby. The wierd thing was though she only had ...
  A: It is possible that she had more and ate the rest. It is also possible that she only had one this ...
GloFish danio fry again!10/31/2009
  Q: I have two 10 gallon tanks I keep my fish in while I am in my dorm, and back home waiting for me is ...
  A: The little wriggly things attached to the side are most likely small worms, and not danio ...
are my jack gona make babys?or do I have 2 boys?10/31/2009
  Q: my jack dempsey fish fight and fill the tank with sperm for the last 4 weeks. before this they have ...
  A: The lines on the chin do not indicate sex in Jack Dempseys. You can look at the vent (just in front ...
Small Loaches for a Community Tank10/30/2009
  Q: ) I'm setting up my 180 gallon (6x2x2) peaceful community and am looking to add a loach species. My ...
  A: I am not very familiar with loaches, but I think you are definitely correct NOT to put clown loaches ...
Cichlid kills new cichlids10/30/2009
  Q: We began our 20 gallon cichlid tank about 2 months ago with 3 cichlids. We do not know the specific ...
  A: Your two fish have claimed that tank as their territory and it is very likely that if you put other ...
Beta won't eat10/29/2009
  Q: Your suggestion of the heater worked. He's moving alot more, but still will not eat. Any thoughts? ...
  A: I would give him time and keep trying. Just be sure not to leave any uneaten food in the tank -- it ...
Bloat with my new African Cichlids in a 55 gallon10/29/2009
  Q: About a week ago I introduced 3 pairs of African Cichlides to the 3 pairs that I had put in the tank ...
  A: The problem is that "bloat" isn't really a disease, it is a set of symptoms, in particular: not ...
baby fish10/28/2009
  Q: Do you know of any stores that actually take fish that you have that are born? my tank is going to ...
  A: Many stores will take the fish but they won't give you anything for them, i.e., you can't often sell ...
Large oscar fish10/28/2009
  Q: Coleman, First off I have a 55 gallon fresh water tank that has a undergravel filter with two ...
  A: I am always concerned when people say that their "water conditions are fine". Are you trusting a ...
Mbuna/ Peacock10/28/2009
  Q: I purchased a OB peacock today. My mbunas have been beating him up all day. I changed the tank ...
  A: The convict was likely left alone because it is so different -- it doesn't register with the mbuna ...
cichlid eye bleeding10/27/2009
  Q: I have a large red devil who has popeye. am treating with salt and Jungle Fungus Clear. Did second ...
  A: Unfortunately that sounds very bad. For fungus I use a product called Paragon II. I don't see how ...
Betta fish may have air pocket/bubble?10/27/2009
  Q: We have a beta in our office. He was moved into a new 2 gallon tank last Thursday and has not acted ...
  A: When you say "What about an air bubble" do you mean that he might have an air bubble inside? Fish ...
Betta fish may have air pocket/bubble?10/27/2009
  Q: We have a beta in our office. He was moved into a new 2 gallon tank last Thursday and has not acted ...
  A: A possible problem could be that the water temperature is too cold. Do you have a heater in the ...
cichlid eye bleeding10/27/2009
  Q: I have a large red devil who has popeye. am treating with salt and Jungle Fungus Clear. Did second ...
  A: The problem with salt is that there is no reason to use it on a fish like a red devil. What can it ...
pink convict sick/dying?10/27/2009
  Q: My big male pink convict cichlid Johanus is lying on the bottom of the tank, listless, has been for ...
  A: I strongly suggest you do a 25% water change immediately and then do that again tomorrow and again ...
some problem with my cichlads fish tank10/27/2009
  Q: i had this new tank from one month now i did add fish on 2nd week and some on 3rd week i have mix of ...
  A: The problem is that it takes a while (about 6 weeks) for a tank to fully stabilize (to "cycle" as we ...
fresh water fish10/26/2009
  Q: I have a 20 Gallon tank with angels and Gourami fresh water fish. Last time I changed the water was ...
  A: Hmm... Angelfish and gouramis often have red eyes -- that is a normal thing for them. In fact, with ...
Oscar odd behavior10/26/2009
  Q: When I first saw them, one was head down in the tank. The lady said he' been doing this because he ...
  A: I would give them time. Oscars can take several weeks to adjust to a move. The good news is that ...
compatability10/26/2009
  Q: "I would like to know I work at a pet shop and am shutting down a brackish water tank and have three ...
  A: Unfortunately I do not know the Indiana area very well in terms of fish. There are lots of clubs in ...
sick beta10/26/2009
  Q: I have a female beta...she seems to be fine and responds to even my voice each day. My husband put ...
  A: The peas are to try to clear her digestive tract, the possible problem being that she has some sort ...
white10/25/2009
  Q: I bought 2 oscars one is black and orange the other is white, the black one has tripled in size but ...
  A: Most likely the black and orange one is getting most or all of the food. Is this normal: yes. Is it ...
cichlid eye bleeding10/25/2009
  Q: I have a large red devil who has popeye. am treating with salt and Jungle Fungus Clear. Did second ...
  A: I'm sorry to hear about your red devil. The eye will stop bleeding on its own eventually. ...
compatability10/25/2009
  Q: "I would like to know I work at a pet shop and am shutting down a brackish water tank and have three ...
  A: The problem is not so much compatibility as water type. Brackish water fish really do prefer ...
Blood Parrot Cichlid Got Beat Up!10/25/2009
  Q: I have a Blood Parrot cichlid and a Jack Dempsey cichlid in the same tank. They apparently got into ...
  A: The fish does not have black spot, nor does it have fin rot. The problem is that the Jack Dempsey ...
Tiger Oscars10/24/2009
  Q: Good Evening Mr.Coleman My Name Is Shawnell And I Have 2 Tiger Oscars And They Are Sick I Think They ...
  A: An oscar can go a long time (weeks) without eating. It is far more important to take care of the ...
Tiger Oscars10/24/2009
  Q: Good Evening Mr.Coleman My Name Is Shawnell And I Have 2 Tiger Oscars And They Are Sick I Think They ...
  A: Algae cannot hurt fish. Poor water conditions can cause both algae and hurt the fish. You need to ...
Lathargic Ciclids10/23/2009
  Q: I have a 47 Bow front with about 6 Africans in it. Last week I did a 25% water change and all of a ...
  A: That is not too many fish. When you put in the water, did you deal with the chlorine? Most ...
Fisthank Problems10/23/2009
  Q: Because of the fact that i am no expert on fish and have no idea what is important, i will go into ...
  A: You need to change 25% of the water immediately! You then need to do that again tommorrow and again ...
What kind of fish do I have?10/23/2009
  Q: my friend moved and gave me some fish. I wasn't sure what i had received. I think it's a tetra ...
  A: It might be a tetra but keep in mind that there are over 1000 different tetras. Can you possibly ...
new tank syndrome problems...10/22/2009
  Q: ) I recently purchased a 10 gallon tank from a pretty nice pet store (a small chain, not anything ...
  A: Personally I think you should stay away from goldfish. They are actually not the simplest fish to ...
Female betta10/21/2009
  Q: I have had a female betta for about 5 months. She did very well until about 2 days ago. I noticed ...
  A: It is really hard to say, but one of the main reasons bettas die is that they get old. They do not ...
My fish tank10/21/2009
  Q: My fish tank is going crazy!My tank is clean without my algae eater but apparently some how my ...
  A: It is a myth that algae eaters keep your tank clean. Yes, they will eat algae but you still need to ...
sick beta10/21/2009
  Q: I have a female beta...she seems to be fine and responds to even my voice each day. My husband put ...
  A: Hmm... there is an important difference between foam and bubbles. Male bettas blow bubbles to make ...
One Oscar Per Tank10/20/2009
  Q: Coleman: A website I peruse (Oscarfish.com) is conducting a poll regarding successful attempts at ...
  A: It is unfortunate that people think that just because we (people) don't often like to be alone that ...
Oscar growth!10/20/2009
  Q: ..Ron I have 23 gallon fish tank with 1 tiger oscar(6' inch)from past one year 2 sliver dollar(3' ...
  A: Unfortunately that tank is far too small for an adult oscar. You need at least a 50 gallon tank. ...
new tank syndrome problems...10/20/2009
  Q: ) I recently purchased a 10 gallon tank from a pretty nice pet store (a small chain, not anything ...
  A: The first thing to realize is that you seldom fix water problems by adding chemicals to the water. ...
cichlid lathargic10/19/2009
  Q: I have a 20 gal tank with a regular striped convict (female) and a Jelly bean parrot, which is a ...
  A: Actually jelly bean parrots are not convicts, nor convict hybrids. They are a manmade fish that ...
1 oscar not eating as much10/18/2009
  Q: i bought 2 baby oscars about a week a ago and left the tank running over night for them. wehn i ...
  A: I do not understand what you mean by "left the tank running over night for them". It is essential ...
Sucker fish10/18/2009
  Q: I bought my sucker fish yesterday and as soon as I put him in the tank he was hiding in the plants ...
  A: Sadly that does not sound good. The fact that he hasn't eaten isn't important. Fish can go many ...
Tiger Oscar9/6/2009
  Q: Tiger Oscar has been not as active, lying on the bottom of tank,at one time he got kind of white but ...
  A: You need to stop feeding him feeder fish! Feeder fish very often contain parasites and it appears ...
gold german ram eggs9/6/2009
  Q: I have a 55g tank with 6 rummy nose tetras, 6 serpae tetras and a pair of gold german rams in it. My ...
  A: Yes the little black dot is the developing embryo. Yes they can hatch, but it is hard to say ...
my betta "Blue"9/5/2009
  Q: Can you tell me the best medicine to use for a tiny open wound, to fight infection and speed ...
  A: The best "medicine" is clean water. I do not encourage people to put chemicals in the water; these ...
green terror eggs9/5/2009
  Q: I have 2 green terrors, and on Wednesday the female layed eggs, and the male I guessed fertilized ...
  A: It is very possible that the eggs hatched. They become what we call "wrigglers". Wrigglers are ...
striped barb pregnant?9/5/2009
  Q: I got my tank from a friend that moved. It is a 55 gallon. It had 2 sharks, 1 catfish, 2 kissing ...
  A: Unfortunately barbs do not get pregnant and do not give birth to live young. They lay eggs. It is ...
black mollies babies9/4/2009
  Q: I just noticed that my daughter's black Mollies have just had 2 babies. Everyone keeps giving me ...
  A: They might eat the babies. After birth, a female molly does not care for her kids, i.e., she sees ...
My betta9/3/2009
  Q: my name is silver and my best buddy is named "blue" the rescue team. He saved my heart from being ...
  A: Sadly bettas do not live very long and as they get towards the end of their lives, they tend to get ...
Loches9/3/2009
  Q: I used to have two loches in my 40G aquarium.Ever since one of them died from ICH....the other one ...
  A: Dimitris, I do not think that lack of a companion is the problem. Are you doing regular weekly ...
tail rot9/3/2009
  Q: I believe that my keyhole cichlid and angelfish have tail rot. i treated them with melafix for a ...
  A: The "tail rot" is far more likely to be the result of one fish biting the other than any bacterial ...
strange fish9/3/2009
  Q: hello I am from syria . I doing a research about undersea world and I want to ask you about the ...
  A: Deepwater anglerfishes are some of the weirdest fishes. They have a "lure" on the head which has a ...
Orange Parrot Cichlids9/3/2009
  Q: My question for you is in regards to 2 orange parrot cichlids i recently purchased. They are alone ...
  A: It will take them awhile to get used to their new home. After that, they will come out more. You ...
Managua Cichlid9/2/2009
  Q: How's it going? So my friend found your page and referred me to it. Question, the last couple days ...
  A: She might just be getting old. Your best bet is to do lots of water changes to make sure that the ...
Koi9/2/2009
  Q: Do Koi eat each other....if a new fish is introduced in the pond.
  A: A koi COULD eat another koi though it isn't something that they normally do. If one were to die, it ...
female fish9/2/2009
  Q: what is the best way to sex your fish.
  A: That depends entirely on which type of fish you are talking about. For some fishes, it is easy -- ...
black fantail9/1/2009
  Q: I am pleased to meet you. My question is, i have 3 fantail fish, we have not long got this tank, one ...
  A: Do you have a proper filter on the tank? Also, are you doing regular weekly water changes? You ...
fish8/31/2009
  Q: do Koie fish laye eggs or does she have baby's ours is so fat her sides are so big she looks like ...
  A: Koi are egg layers. She might get very fat before laying eggs. Of course, she might also just be ...
Bala Shark Rock stuck in his throat?8/31/2009
  Q: I believe that my Bala Shark has a rock or rocks stuck in his throat. We have pulled a rock out of ...
  A: Unfortunately it is impossible for me to tell from here if he has more rocks stuck in his throat. ...
oscar with Little white worms8/31/2009
  Q: My brother has an oscar fish and I was playing with it. When i stuck a plastic rod into the tank, ...
  A: Those little white worms often appear if you are not doing enough water changes. Particularly with ...
fish fighting8/31/2009
  Q: i just got 4 Serpae tetra, two Otocinclus, and a dwarf red gourami, one of the tetra is nipping the ...
  A: Make sure that your tank has lots of structure (rock, wood, plants) so that the weaker fish have a ...
Pregnant Goldfish8/30/2009
  Q: What are pregnant goldfish called?
  A: Goldfish do not get pregnant as such. Only fish with internal fertilization (that typically give ...
fish behaviour8/30/2009
  Q: and one red rainbow is nicely colouring, but the other is fairly dull but the nice coloured one is ...
  A: Well, it sounds like the one is bullying the other. There is no magic solution to stopping that. ...
fish in outdoor rain barrell8/29/2009
  Q: Happy with my new effort at water conservation I have added a 50 gallon rain barrell to my Florida ...
  A: There are fish called "mosquitofish" that you could put in there. Here (in California) you can get ...
what kind of fish is this8/28/2009
  Q: it has got only 1 back fin hope that is a enough information thanks
  A: Unfortunately that is not near enough information. Keep in mind that there are over 28,000 species ...
Sick Cichlid8/28/2009
  Q: Coleman, My name is Jarod and i recently started a cichlid tank. 45gallon tank with 2- 30gallon ...
  A: Yikes! It certainly sounds like there was some sort of large parasite in there. I doubt if Melafix ...
Albino Oscar Fish8/28/2009
  Q: I spoke with Richard on the 27 because i bought a jack dempsey and i did not know if it was a good ...
  A: It is very possible that the Jack Dempsey had a disease, such as "ick". Do you see little white ...
Black Moor8/28/2009
  Q: I hope you can help me even though I know you aren't a goldfish expert. Three days ago, my daughter ...
  A: Hmm.... I'm not exactly sure what is going on but I am pretty sure that there is nothing you can do ...
Cichlid behavior8/27/2009
  Q: My blood parrot cichlid had started acting strangely. He recently lost his "friend" and is now ...
  A: Are you doing regular weekly partial water changes? You should be changing 25% of the water in that ...
black moore8/26/2009
  Q: Um...hi I just got a black moore a couple of days i already had a shubunkin in there but the fish ...
  A: They might be okay in the short term, but in the long term that tank is really not large enough for ...
sick oscar8/26/2009
  Q: we have a freshwater tank here at work. it has two Oscars one appears to be pregnant, she appears to ...
  A: I'm not sure why you would add pH up. Oscars come from acidic water, not alkaline water. Mostly ...
Sick Flowerhorn8/26/2009
  Q: I'm hoping you can help. My flowerhorn developed popeye about 2 weeks ago, was not eating, rested on ...
  A: Sadly if the problem is a malfunctioning swim bladder, then there is nothing that you can do about ...
blood parrot8/25/2009
  Q: I have a blood parrot fish in a 10 gallon tank (really too small, I know) I got in when I was in ...
  A: I doubt if it will be in shock because of going to a larger tank. More importantly, what is in the ...
Confused about which fish to get8/25/2009
  Q: Hey, i have a 55g tank that is in the process of being setup with: 2 Hagen Aquaclear 110's ( a total ...
  A: I think that if you put the barbs in with the oscar, unless the barbs are much larger than the ...
pacu problems8/25/2009
  Q: My pacu, Ted, has been swimming full speed into the side of my 120 gallon tank and has knocked out ...
  A: The most common cause of this sort of behavior is deteriorating water conditions. As the water gets ...
Cichlid babies8/25/2009
  Q: My blood parrot cichlid female recently laid eggs which apparently has been fertilized by a texas ...
  A: That is a tricky situation. There is no "typical" because mating between those two fishes creates ...
Red Devil - tank problem8/24/2009
  Q: I moved my Red Devil From a 35 gallon tank to a 55 gallon tank last March. Everything was going ...
  A: First, one can never do too many water changes. In fact, in some aquarium systems I have had in the ...
my white molly fish8/24/2009
  Q: I recently got two molly fish for my fish tank one(white molly fish) and one(black molly fish)and ...
  A: It is a bit unusual for a molly to sit near the bottom of the tank. Are you doing regular weekly ...
Sick Flowerhorn8/24/2009
  Q: I'm hoping you can help. My flowerhorn developed popeye about 2 weeks ago, was not eating, rested on ...
  A: It is strange that you have high ammonia in a tank with just one fish. Are there snails or ...
Seizures in fish..8/23/2009
  Q: I just got two goldfish from the fair a few days ago. I know that they are not meant to last but I ...
  A: I do not understand "not meant to last". They are live creatures. They want to last as long as they ...
black moore8/23/2009
  Q: Um...hi I just got a black moore a couple of days i already had a shubunkin in there but the fish ...
  A: The exact species that you put together is actually much less important than the characteristics of ...
my fish8/23/2009
  Q: And if it is bad if you could please tell me what I should do about it. Thanks much
  A: "cotton" is usually a fungus or watermold of some sort. It typically forms in wounds. Is there ...
Cichlids need help.8/23/2009
  Q: I have a tank of about 30 Gallons and it houses about 5 pairs of African Malawi cichlids.Recently 2 ...
  A: The red scales are most likely caused by attacks from another fish, not disease. You should be ...
flying fish8/23/2009
  Q: what is the kind of the fish that can fly?
  A: Actually there are quite a few kinds of fishes that can fly. Some fishes simply jump out of the ...
freshwater fish having babies8/23/2009
  Q: My first fish tank.One fish got really fat.I thought the other fish would eat her babies. So i had ...
  A: You were right to move the pregnant fish to a separate tank. She would have been fine in the other ...
red tiger oscar 65 gallon8/22/2009
  Q: I want to know how many if any tank buddys mr t (my Oscar) can live with ANSWER: Hi Jamieson, ...
  A: You can try something like a large Jack Dempsey but the bottom line is that the oscar really doesn't ...
red tiger oscar 65 gallon8/22/2009
  Q: I want to know how many if any tank buddys mr t (my Oscar) can live with
  A: The real issue is how many fish will your oscar allow to live with it and the usual answer is none. ...
sucker fish8/22/2009
  Q: do bubbles kill sucker fish because i bought at least 4 sucker fish and they all die
  A: No. In fact, sucker fish (i.e., plecostomus catfish) actually come from fast flowing rivers where ...
missing molly8/22/2009
  Q: We have recently started keeping fish and have a small tropical tank. We had 2 Mollies and 2 ...
  A: It would be very unusual for a neon tetra to eat something like that. It could be that the molly ...
BREEDING!!!8/22/2009
  Q: One question. i have a 20 gallon tank. 6 Giant Danios, 1 Pleco, 1 Red Tailed Black shark and 1 ...
  A: Rainbow sharks and red-tailed sharks are different species so ideally they would not breed together. ...
Cichlid gasping for air8/22/2009
  Q: Recently, two of our African Cichlids have died. Unfortunately, this occurred while I was at work, ...
  A: It sounds like some of your fish are beating up others of your fish. Keep an eye on them. The best ...
elephant nose fish8/22/2009
  Q: we bought 2 elephant nose fish yesterday and they acted fine but then lastnight they started laying ...
  A: Yes, it might take a few days (or longer) for them to adjust to their new tank. Keep an eye on ...
pregnant oscar8/21/2009
  Q: we have a freshwater tank here at work. it has two Oscars one appears to be pregnant, she appears to ...
  A: Oscars are egg layers so they don't get pregnant as such. Only fish that give birth to live young ...
black fin sharks8/21/2009
  Q: do black fin sharks have pups live
  A: Black fin sharks are not really sharks at all. They are actually a type of barb, i.e., related to ...
silver doller fish8/20/2009
  Q: i was wondering what is wrong with the silver dollars in my big tank as they seem to be gasping for ...
  A: It sounds like you have several problems. Yes, they are likely fighting. But, equally important, ...
Fish8/19/2009
  Q: I have two rainbow sharks and i was just wondering why they ways hide it seems every time i shut the ...
  A: Some fish are what we call "top feeders", others feed in mid water and others are bottom feeders. ...
oscar eggs/fry8/19/2009
  Q: our oscar has laid 4 times n hatched them.but within hours they had eaten them,with the 4th batch we ...
  A: You do not need to have sand in there. When you say "the pebbles stop them destroying the ...
Goldfish is lethargic8/18/2009
  Q: My son's goldfish is laying at the bottom of the tank. It is a very active fish usually. Sometimes ...
  A: It doesn't sound good. Have you been doing regular weekly water changes? You should be changing ...
Three problem in the same Tank8/18/2009
  Q: I have a 55 gallon cichlid tank. One of my saulosi seems to have a case of bloat..keeps getting ...
  A: It doesn't sound like things are going very well in that tank. Normally I would say that poor water ...
growth coming out of my fish8/18/2009
  Q: i have a 55 gal. community fresh water tank. one of my silver dollars has what looks like a growth ...
  A: It is sounding more and more like some sort of parasite. I really don't know of anything you can do ...
Unknown Cichilid8/17/2009
  Q: I got a fish from a woman who was getting rid of her tank. She had no idea what type of fish he is, ...
  A: He could be a P. fuscus but that is a less common fish and I suspect he is one of the more common ...
oscar eggs/fry8/17/2009
  Q: our oscar has laid 4 times n hatched them.but within hours they had eaten them,with the 4th batch we ...
  A: Hmmm.. after they hatch, they are wrigglers for about 4 to 5 days. Wrigglers feed off their yolk ...
Fish Growth8/17/2009
  Q: Do adult fish ever stop growing?
  A: Fish grow more slowly as they get older, but theoretically they do not stop growing. It is a ...
cichlid stuck in green terror's mouth8/17/2009
  Q: I just noticed that my rather large green terror has decided to try and eat a not-so-small johnnie ...
  A: That is a tricky one. I think you are going to have to let it resolve itself. The problem is that ...
chillids8/17/2009
  Q: can i breed my rainbow chilliad with my convict?
  A: Do you mean rainbow cichlid? Rainbow cichlids (Herotilapia multispinosa) are a different species ...
growth coming out of my fish8/16/2009
  Q: i have a 55 gal. community fresh water tank. one of my silver dollars has what looks like a growth ...
  A: That is really hard to say. If it is a blunt, large, roundish bulge, that is most likely a tumor. ...
Oscar... Hole in the head disease.8/15/2009
  Q: I believe my Oscar has hole in the head disease. I has gotten progressively worse with in the last 2 ...
  A: As far as euthanasia, I would put him in a plastic bag in the freezer. The best treatment for ...
Koi, Shibunkin, Comet- what's the difference?8/14/2009
  Q: I have 3 koi, 2 shibunkin, and 1 comet in my pond- all good size fish with the koi being about 12-16 ...
  A: Unfortunately I do not know anything about goldfish so I can't be of any help. Sorry. Keep in mind ...
Can GSP be kept with figure 8 puffer8/13/2009
  Q: I have 1 GSP 1 inch, and 1 figure 8 1 inch.. They are both in 1.005 salt.. But.. My question is.. ...
  A: Unfortunately I cannot answer that one; I do not know about the salinity requirements of puffers. I ...
Unknown Cichilid8/13/2009
  Q: I got a fish from a woman who was getting rid of her tank. She had no idea what type of fish he is, ...
  A: Your fish is definitely a cichlid, and definitely from Lake Malawi in East Africa. There are ...
Are these fish compatible?8/13/2009
  Q: Hey Ron, I was just wondering if the following fish are compatible and what size tank they should be ...
  A: In general, I do not mix fishes from different parts of the world. So for example, I would not put ...
Sinking Green Terror8/13/2009
  Q: We have a 3 year old male Green Terror ("Henry") that has started sinking to the bottom of the tank. ...
  A: Hmmm... that is possible, but not likely. Still, it would be a good plan to do a series of partial ...
FISH ILLNESS8/12/2009
  Q: I RECENTLY ADDED A NEW FISH TO MY TANK FOR THE FIRST DAY OR SO THE FISH WAS SWIMMING WITH THE OTHER ...
  A: This sounds like "white spot" or "ick". You can buy medicines to treat this. I use one called ...
cloudy water8/12/2009
  Q: I have 4 different size tanks and the water in each of these except one is perfectly clear, the tank ...
  A: It could be many things, e.g., different amounts of sunlight, different filters, different gravel. ...
compatability8/12/2009
  Q: can you recommend tankmates for a gold severum? (my tank is 75 gallons) thanks!
  A: I would suggest you consider catfish. They won't compete with your severum and he should be too ...
Popeye in Mollies?8/12/2009
  Q: I have a 20 gallon tank. I only have lyretail mollies in the tank. Initially I had only 5-6 mollies, ...
  A: When you say "regular water changes", what do you mean by "regular"? You should be changing 25% of ...
Sick Flowerhorn fish8/12/2009
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank with a Fluval 405 filter. I have a cichlid fish that I believe had some ...
  A: It sounds to me like one of the other cichlids attacked the flowerhorn creating the initial cut and ...
ideas and help ?8/11/2009
  Q: i ahve a 30litre biorb and i want to put some nice elegant colourful fish in... i have researched ...
  A: Both bettas and guppies absolutely need heaters. They are tropical fish and need the water to be up ...
beta fish8/11/2009
  Q: I had been petless for ten years ~til last Christmas when I received an unexpected Christmas ...
  A: I would do a partial water change of 25% and do that again in a day or so, but I suspect that your ...
water????8/11/2009
  Q: sir, i just changed maybe 4-5 gallons of water out of my 26 gallon fish tank... i don't remember if ...
  A: Well, hopefully there won't be any problems. If the fish were shocked by untreated water, they ...
oscars fish8/11/2009
  Q: well i just bought two baby oscars, tiger, albino. the tiger has fin rot i think on hes top fins . ...
  A: It is far more likely that another fish attacked him than it is that he has fin rot. Keep an eye ...
Are these fish compatible?8/11/2009
  Q: Hey Ron, I was just wondering if the following fish are compatible and what size tank they should be ...
  A: I think the red parrots are ultimately going to cause trouble by attacking and bothering the other ...
tropical fish dying after changing water8/11/2009
  Q: Yesterday I did a big tank clean (which I have done before) of my litre tropical tank which had 5 ...
  A: It is important to add the cycle to the water before you add that water to the tank. Doing it the ...
Goldfish8/10/2009
  Q: How many goldfish can be keep in a 20 gallon tank?
  A: When they are young, maybe half a dozen. However, the goldfish will soon grow larger and the 20 ...
betta fish8/10/2009
  Q: I have had 2 Betta fish in the last 8 months and they keep dying. I have it in a medium glass fish ...
  A: A bowl is not really a proper place for a fish. It needs a fish tank, complete with filter, and ...
Convict Fry8/10/2009
  Q: The two convicts in my tank had babies. I didn't mind much because I figured that at some point the ...
  A: Convicts (including babies) have hard spines in the dorsal (back) and anal (bottom) fins that other ...
smelly goldfish tank8/9/2009
  Q: i have a large fish tank that did have 6 goldfish in. last night i noticed the tank smelled really ...
  A: I would keep doing partial water changes for several days and I suspect that at the end of 3 or 4 ...
Malawi Eye Biter (Compressiceps) with swollen stomach8/9/2009
  Q: ---------------------------------------- My dominant male, a 6" Compressiceps - Malawi Eye Biter, ...
  A: Might he have swallowed a rock or marble? Unfortunately, there is really nothing that you can ...
Bala shark - stress8/9/2009
  Q: I think I overcleaned my 40 gall. tank. Fostered out my angel fish then did my usual gravel clean. ...
  A: It does sound like he was "shocked". If he survives it, time will help. In the future, change less ...
angel fish & neon tetras8/9/2009
  Q: I might not have anything to worry about here but thought it was a bit unususal that the majority of ...
  A: I would give them time. I assume that you are doing weekly 25% water changes to keep the water ...
Jack Dempsey fight, now upside down8/8/2009
  Q: I've had two Jack Dempseys in the same tank for the past 18 months or so, and they've grown to about ...
  A: I would definitely not add oscars. Oscars are very interesting, but they do not play well with ...
my beta fish wont eat8/8/2009
  Q: my beta fish has gotten gram-negative bacterial infection or atleast that is what he aooeears to ...
  A: Hmmm.. it is unlikely that he got the bacteria from a plant. I feed my bettas with flake food that ...
fish8/7/2009
  Q: how can i tell if i have boy fish or girl fish?
  A: That depends on entirely what kind of fish it is. In some species, males and females look completely ...
Identifying fish8/7/2009
  Q: I'm a novice fishkeeper - 6 months experience - and I have some fish which I've tried to identify ...
  A: Welcome to the world of catfish. For example, ancistrus is one species of catfish. There are over ...
fish8/7/2009
  Q: I was wondering if you could answer my questions they are as follow What is the correct Ph level for ...
  A: Hmmm.... I have never heard the term "fan fish" and I have heard a LOT of fish names. I wonder if ...
can i add anything more?8/6/2009
  Q: i have 2 tinfoil barbs 2 blood parrot cichlids and a jewel cichlid in a 44 gallon tank.. is there ...
  A: I would not recommend it. Electric yellows come from East Africa and require hard, alkaline water ...
How do I get rid of the white slimy stuff floating in my tank?8/6/2009
  Q: I've had this tank for about a year. I used it for African cichlids and now I have discus. I have ...
  A: Did you by any chance use local driftwood, i.e., collect it yourself? I don't know of any ...
fish8/6/2009
  Q: coleman we are Oula , Rema and Lubaba do fish have eyelids ? Thanks for your help.
  A: Most fish do not have eyelids. A very few fish, such as some sharks, have a thing called a ...
mbuna questions8/6/2009
  Q: I am really interested in setting up a mbuna tank, but unfortunately my house lacks space and the ...
  A: A 3 foot tank is fine. The more caves and rock the better. When we say "lots of rock", we mean ...
cichlid set up8/6/2009
  Q: I have a 180 gal. salt water tank w/ lots of live rock and sand from carib sea. I'm converting it to ...
  A: That's a tough one. You definitely need to wash the whole thing out very thoroughly. The live ...
what to do !!!!!!8/5/2009
  Q: Its been about a year since i started to keep fish.I have 2 aquariums now.both r of 250 gallons in ...
  A: It is very possible that you do not in fact have males and females. Salvini are very difficult to ...
Sick Chinese Algae eater8/5/2009
  Q: wondering if you can help; I have a Chinese algae eater - who this winter (AUS) has started looking ...
  A: Whenever a fish is slightly "off", I do a lot of water changes, no matter whether the test readings ...
Oscar fish beaten up by sucker fish??????8/5/2009
  Q: My sucker fish seems to be attacking my Tiger Oscar fish. I have only recently put two Oscar fish ...
  A: Are you feeding your sucker fish? Many people mistakenly think that they do not have to feed their ...
Piranha Tank8/4/2009
  Q: I want to get a small gropu of red bellied piranhas but I want to ask questions and research them ...
  A: Red bellied piranhas grow quite large so I would get at least a 50 gallon tank, and likely something ...
Electric Blue Lobster8/4/2009
  Q: I placed an order for an electric blue lobster (it's really a crayfish) that will arrive later this ...
  A: Crayfish are interesting, but you cannot keep fish with them. Rather, you cannot keep fish for very ...
Compatibility8/4/2009
  Q: I hav a 20gal tank in it i hav 9 fancy goldfish and 2 moors can i add a pleco to it? Is it ...
  A: That is already quite a few fish for a 20 gallon tank. Also, goldfish are temperate fish while ...
How do I get rid of the white slimy stuff floating in my tank?8/4/2009
  Q: I've had this tank for about a year. I used it for African cichlids and now I have discus. I have ...
  A: Hmmm... that is very intriguing. I haven't seen that stuff in a long time. I believe it is ...
My goldfish with dropsy died.8/4/2009
  Q: Hey Ron remember me the guy from yesterday with the sick goldfish with dropsy. So today i bought a ...
  A: It's really hard to say. It would have been better to use water from the tank, but it is very ...
flowerhorn female8/3/2009
  Q: i got a question my flowerhorn wont eat and he is so lonely, i got a 90 gallon fish tank divided ...
  A: Yes, you can feed vegetables, e.g., zucchini, to fish. Many fish like vegetables. Just be careful ...
A few questions.8/3/2009
  Q: Before you jump my case about having overstocked aquariums read my whole situation. I have 10 ...
  A: The white poop indicates an intestinal infection. It would likely be bacterial so that is why the ...
Sinking Green Terror8/3/2009
  Q: We have a 3 year old male Green Terror ("Henry") that has started sinking to the bottom of the tank. ...
  A: Unfortunately he has a damaged swim bladder and that is why he cannot maintain buoyancy. There are ...
Goldfish with Dropsy8/3/2009
  Q: This is how it all started, my goldfish started having clamped fins so i looked on the Internet for ...
  A: That is a tough one. Dropsy is just the British name for bloat. Bloat (or dropsy) is not any one ...
Help8/3/2009
  Q: I have had a few ropefish over the past year. The first few i bought from my locally owned fish ...
  A: I have never kept ropefish. The challenge with fish like that is that if they are coming in from ...
GUPPIES LOSING COLOR AND DIE8/2/2009
  Q: WHAT have I done wrong? I have a 10 gallon tank and I used aquasafe from Tetra Aqua when the water ...
  A: It is possible that the fish have ick, which is a common disease. The most likely source is the ...
betta fin problems8/2/2009
  Q: I have a 30 gallon tank that contains 1 betta, 6 priscella tetras, 5 neon tetras, 1 spotted cory, 4 ...
  A: The fact that certain fish are "typically" compatible doesn't mean that every individual reads those ...
My fish has lost a fin8/2/2009
  Q: My Carp has lost one of his back fins its a very small ghost carp and i noticed he was swimming on ...
  A: Sadly, most likely another fish attacked him and bit off his fin. If the fin is completely gone, it ...
Cichlid Woodstock: A Tank of Peace & Love8/2/2009
  Q: Coleman, As I've read your answers here, my dreams of stocking a 100 gallon tank with an Oscar have ...
  A: Aggression is a function of several things including competition and what the fish normally eats. ...
why does my rainbow shark have a large belly now?8/1/2009
  Q: Recently I've noticed one of my rainbow sharks now has a huge belly.It seems to act normal,but still ...
  A: Either is possible, though sadly I suspect that the fish is sick. When a fish is about to lay eggs, ...
Upset little spotted puffer8/1/2009
  Q: I just bought 2 dwarf spotted puffers 2 days ago and tonight when I got home and checked on them ...
  A: That is very hard to say. You should NOT nudge him when he is puffed. Puffing is his defensive ...
Betta fish breeding8/1/2009
  Q: Do bettas fertilized eggs have to be put in the bubblenest to hatch, or can they just hatch at the ...
  A: The answer is yes, they can hatch elsewhere. I am curious to know how you know that your "male ...
Jack Dempsey fight, now upside down7/31/2009
  Q: I've had two Jack Dempseys in the same tank for the past 18 months or so, and they've grown to about ...
  A: Sadly, as you have probably found by now, once a fish is upside down after having been attacked it ...
Fish Water7/31/2009
  Q: I just moved to a new apartment. My 36 gallon tank was moved with me and my fish were put in a 10 ...
  A: I do not understand why you are putting in aquarium salt when you keep tetras. They don't want or ...
swim bladder7/31/2009
  Q: My large green severum has swim bladder, I am now at the point where I just don't know what to do, ...
  A: Almost all fishes have "swim bladder". A swim bladder is a fish organ, much like a liver or a ...
Purple Cichlids7/31/2009
  Q: I have found a picture of a purple cichlid on a website, here is the address, ...
  A: The fish is purple in the picture because of the color of the photograph, not the color of the fish. ...
tiger oscars7/30/2009
  Q: I just bought two tiger oscars two inches in length. I condition my tak for a week before I put them ...
  A: Lying down is not normal for most fish, but for oscars it is. My bet is that given time they will ...
i need help identify a mis-sold fish7/30/2009
  Q: i'm thinking that the smaller cichlid may be a blue acara but i've also been told it could be a ...
  A: It does look a lot like a blue acara (i.e., Aequidens pulcher) from Venezuela. Blue acaras are ...
Betta - rapid breathing7/30/2009
  Q: Betta fish is rapidly breathing since last night. Changed about 75% of the water, treated the ...
  A: You misunderstood me. I (as in me) do not know what you mean by the word "alcoline". I have never ...
Feeding goldfish7/29/2009
  Q: I hav a 20gal tank and got new fancy goldfish of 2" i want to know how many times do i need to feed ...
  A: I generally feed my fish once a day. Give them only food that they eat right away, as in within a ...
Fish's behavior7/29/2009
  Q: I have a beta fish and every time i go to look at it it puts its gills on the side of his face.why ...
  A: He is flaring his gills to say "be careful, this space is mine and I am a tough male betta." This ...
My sick oscar fish7/29/2009
  Q: I recently purchased an oscar which was doing fine for about two weeks. Later on I fed him Minnows. ...
  A: Very likely your oscar contracted a disease from eating the minnows. I strongly discourage people ...
severum7/29/2009
  Q: all of a sudden he won't come up to feed and if he does manage to put a pellet in his mouth he just ...
  A: This sort of thing happens with large cichlids. It may be a sign of deteriorating water conditions. ...
flowerhorn female7/28/2009
  Q: i got a question my flowerhorn wont eat and he is so lonely, i got a 90 gallon fish tank divided ...
  A: Flowerhorns do not get lonely, people project that emotion onto the fish. She is perfectly fine in ...
oscars breeding and egg laying7/28/2009
  Q: i have two african cichlids, one about eight inches, one 13+. They reside in a 150 gallon pond in ...
  A: BTW, oscars are South American, not African. After the eggs hatch, they become what we call ...
Fisha nd Albino Water Fogs7/27/2009
  Q: Do you know what kind of fish would live well in the same tank with 2 Albino Water Frogs?
  A: Personally, I do not recommend mixing fish with frogs. Frogs tend to make quite a bit of mess and ...
Feeding baby fish while away on vacation7/27/2009
  Q: Yesterday I found 10 baby frys in my tank! Very exciting. I've got them isolated in a netted tank ...
  A: Feeding them once a day is fine, though twice a day is better. Crushed flakes is perfect. I ...
Black convict color change7/27/2009
  Q: We have had a black convict for several years and she had been the only one in the 45 gallon tank ...
  A: Cichlids, and particularly New World cichlids like convicts, use color to express themselves. Very ...
New Tank7/27/2009
  Q: I have a new 185 gallon tank with a 35 gallon sump. I'm still working on the plumbing. I'm worried ...
  A: You could consider one of the less aggressive cichlids, like one of the eartheaters (Geophagus ...
Betta - rapid breathing7/27/2009
  Q: Betta fish is rapidly breathing since last night. Changed about 75% of the water, treated the ...
  A: I do not know what "alcoline" is? It is possible that he is getting old. Bettas do not ...
fish for pets7/26/2009
  Q: My three children would EACH like to have their own pet fish. We would like to have a SMALL tank & ...
  A: I think you need to rethink this. There is no point in embarking on a course of action that is ...
help me if you can plz7/26/2009
  Q: like no scales on it and the other female eats on it some times, also the other female guppy which ...
  A: That is a difficult question to answer. Medicines are particularly harsh on small fish. You might ...
betta fish strange behaviour7/26/2009
  Q: My fish has a strange thing going on- he just hangs in place-when he moves he darts very fast and ...
  A: Are you doing regular weekly partial water changes? You should be changing 25% of his water, once a ...
Black Moor -- Is she sick?7/26/2009
  Q: My 2 1/2 year old black moor is floating upside down, sideways and right side up. She has been doing ...
  A: Goldfish, such as black moors, do not get pregnant and do not give birth. They are egg layers. They ...
spots on angle fish7/25/2009
  Q: i seem to have a problem with my angle fish, there is whitish spots at the base of her fin can you ...
  A: Do the spots look like little white dots of icing sugar? If so, this is likely the first signs of a ...
my fish is sick7/25/2009
  Q: recently i noticedmy fishes eye looked really big i just thought it was like that before then the ...
  A: That is not good, however, it is hard to say what the exact cause is. It could be something in the ...
sick tiger oscar7/25/2009
  Q: I have a tiger Oscar i bought about 2 month ago, it is about 5-6 i was feeding it comets,feeder ...
  A: Sadly I get this question all too often. You should NEVER, EVER feed feeder fish to an oscar. ...
growing7/24/2009
  Q: my female flowerhorn is not growing more than 2.5 inch and its not growing any hump on its head , ...
  A: How large a tank do you have your flowerhorn in? Also, how often are you changing the water? ...
Zebra Danio7/24/2009
  Q: I looked in my tank today after staying the night at my friend house to notice one of my Danios was ...
  A: It is pretty hard to say what is causing that but I strongly suggest that you isolate that fish from ...
sick fish7/24/2009
  Q: You're probably busy, so try to answer this if you can. I've had my fish for a while, and they were ...
  A: Probably the most important thing for you to do is a partial water change. By that I mean change ...
Help me My Jack Dempsey is dying7/24/2009
  Q: I am watching my neighbors Jack Dempsey and yesterday he seemed slow and today he has turned ...
  A: Unfortunately that is a very bad sign and yes, he is very likely dying. As for what to do, that is ...
Cichlid community question7/23/2009
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank, it contains 2 firemouth cichlids, 2 electric yellow cichlids, and 2 blue ...
  A: You might try giant danios -- they live near the surface and are fast enough to avoid the attacks of ...
discus with popeye7/23/2009
  Q: I have an established 55-gal freshwater planted aquarium (running 5 years) that houses 2 large ...
  A: All fish have a slime coat, discus are no exception to that rule. Their slime is just a little ...
Oscar ate a marble, will he be ok?7/23/2009
  Q: I'm the proud keeper of a beautiful 5 year old Oscar, hes about 12 inches in length . He lives in a ...
  A: That is a very tough question. The trouble is that it would be extremely difficult for it to move ...
Regarding goldfish in the tank.7/22/2009
  Q: I have one Black Moore , Ryukin And a beautiful calico oranda goldfish . Now my question , is it ok ...
  A: I do not see any obvious reason why they could not be together in the same tank. That might change ...
sick Mickey Mouse fish7/21/2009
  Q: My male Mickey Mouse fish has been acting funny for a few days. He stays at the bottom of the tank ...
  A: That's really hard to say what is wrong. It could easily be that he is getting old. Mickey mouse ...
flower horn care7/21/2009
  Q: hey i would like to know wat to feed flowerhorn other than the food for hump?
  A: You can feed flowerhorns the same things you feed other large Central American cichlids. I would use ...
angelfish7/21/2009
  Q: I was wondering how long it takes for angelfish to grow to full size?? i was also wondering what is ...
  A: The growth rate of fish depends on many, many things including the diet, temperature, and the ...
Bala shark7/20/2009
  Q: Can you tell me if I can only have 2 Bala Sharks together or I need to have them in groups of 5 or ...
  A: In a 10 gallon tank I would absolutely have only one in the tank. He does not NEED to have another ...
Black Molly behavior7/20/2009
  Q: A few weeks ago I purchased 5 black mollies. They reside in a 10 gallon tank per the recommendation ...
  A: Do you have a proper filter, heater and air stone in the tank? Are you doing regular weekly ...
Tank Setup7/20/2009
  Q: I am about to start an african cichlid tank. The size is 30 gallons which i know is kinda small. Im ...
  A: Loaches are from Southeast Asia and generally prefer soft, acidic water so I wouldn't put them in a ...
Tank Setup7/20/2009
  Q: I am about to start an african cichlid tank. The size is 30 gallons which i know is kinda small. Im ...
  A: If you go with acei and electric yellows, both of them are from Lake Malawi, i.e., east Africa. A ...
Salvinia with a growth7/18/2009
  Q: I have a Salvini with a large, red growth on the underside of it's mouth that looks like a wart or ...
  A: Unfortunately that is pretty hard to judge from here. It is possible that he has some sort of ...
Im 15 and know nothing about fish.7/18/2009
  Q: I mostly own land dwelling creatures. I bought a black molly a week ago. A few days later,it got ...
  A: It sounds like your fish has a disease called ick. Do you have a heater and air supply in that ...
Swordtail7/17/2009
  Q: I wonder if you could give some advice. I have a tropical aquarium with approximately 17 fish. I ...
  A: The most likely cause of this sort of thing is an attack by another fish. You may want to separate ...
intergration of goldfish7/17/2009
  Q: I have a goldfish in one tank which is approx 8 yrs old and 2 in another tank 6 yrs old I am wanting ...
  A: Unfortunately there is no way to know for sure without trying it. The key factor is the size of the ...
fire mouth cichlid.7/17/2009
  Q: I have 4 fire mouth cichlids. 2 are in one tank and are better quality than the other ones, which ...
  A: Give them time to get comfortable and then they will come out more. This could take several weeks. ...
Oscars7/17/2009
  Q: I have been saving my money so that I can buy at least a 55 gallon on craigslist. I also plan on ...
  A: That sounds like a good system. The number one thing to keep in mind when raising oscars is ...
Algae eaters (sucker fish)7/16/2009
  Q: Just a quick question I have a sucker fish in with some Jack Dempsy and notice that the biggest Jack ...
  A: A sucker fish (plecostomus) absolutely needs at least one and ideally several places to hide. They ...
26 gallon tank7/16/2009
  Q: I was wondering how many Mollies i can put in a 26 gallon tank?? also could i put all males in there ...
  A: There is no magic number. You can put more than two but less than 10 in my opinion. Males will ...
Firemouth Cichlid7/16/2009
  Q: I have a cichlid who is a "Firemouth Cichlid" but has no red on it. I bought the fish at Wal-Mart ...
  A: That is a bit of a tough one. Many Central American cichlids go into the "dark gray" mode when they ...
strange acting fish7/15/2009
  Q: i hope you can help me, my fish is acting really strangely, its stays at the top of the tank in the ...
  A: Is there another fish in the tank that is bothering it? The symptoms are exactly what I would ...
fish7/15/2009
  Q: i have a convict cichlid and i want to put an oscar fish with it can i have the two ...
  A: Oscars and convicts are both species of cichlids. There are over 2300 different species of cichlids ...
mollys, breeding, care,7/15/2009
  Q: i am just stating a aqurime and i have a eclipse system 12 with a heater set to 80 and gravle ...
  A: I would not put any tank mates in there if you want the babies to live. There is no perfect way to ...
Jack Dempsey cichlid that ate fine, but now won't eat.7/14/2009
  Q: I have had a Jack Dempsey cichlid for about 8 months now. It ate great up until the past month and ...
  A: Smell would be one indication. The most likely way this happens is that people often leave their ...
jewel cichlids7/14/2009
  Q: How do I get my jewels a bright red color? I have three in a 10 gallon and there just staying grey.
  A: You don't "get" them that way. They turn bright red when they are breeding. 10 gallons is too ...
Jack Dempsey cichlid that ate fine, but now won't eat.7/14/2009
  Q: I have had a Jack Dempsey cichlid for about 8 months now. It ate great up until the past month and ...
  A: You can feed him on bloodworms if that is what he will eat. Is it possible that your other food has ...
Texas Cichlid7/13/2009
  Q: i have always been a bit concerned about the texas cichlid because he only eats flake food, he will ...
  A: It is very likely that the oscar and quetzal are suppressing the texas cichlid such that he won't ...
Convict cichlid and Dwarf puffers7/13/2009
  Q: I'm in a bit of a dilemma. My sister bought two dwarf puffer fish a couple days ago without knowing ...
  A: Puffers are wonderfully interesting fish but I would not put them in with any other fish, including ...
aggression in gouramis7/12/2009
  Q: I have a tank with eight harlequin rasbora, three white clouds, and three dwarf gouramis(two males ...
  A: It would be better to have two females and one male rather than two males and one female. ...
sick fish7/12/2009
  Q: We have a cichlid that is 7 years old he is not eating and stays at the top of the water a lot and ...
  A: That doesn't sound good. I am assuming that the tank has a proper filter and an airstone in it. Is ...
help plzzzzzzzzzzz guppy is dying7/12/2009
  Q: well i have two tanks 1 is a 40 gallon tank which i will upgrade to a 55 or 75 still thinking it has ...
  A: You should have an airpump going in every fish tank. As you say, fishes need air. That said, I ...
fish7/12/2009
  Q: is it normal for my aquarium to have white marks on it(crusty minerals)?can i clean it with ...
  A: I am not sure what a "mes cover" is. I also don't know what "2 ting spot" means? Can you explain ...
Outdoor Pond Goldfish Injury7/11/2009
  Q: Just discovered one of my large goldfish on its side, but alive.... on close inspection looks like ...
  A: It all depends on how deep the chunk is and whether any vital organs were hit. In general, it is up ...
fish7/11/2009
  Q: is it normal for my aquarium to have white marks on it(crusty minerals)?can i clean it with ...
  A: This is Ron, not Marc. The white crusty stuff is lime and it comes from having "hard" water, ...
fish7/11/2009
  Q: i have a convict cichlid and i want to put an oscar fish with it can i have the two ...
  A: I do not recommend putting any fish with an oscar. Eventually, the oscar will eat any fish you put ...
Sinking Black Angelfish7/11/2009
  Q: We have a 20 gallon tank that did not have a water change when it should have. The water was changed ...
  A: Unfortunately I do not think that Quick Cure or salt is going to do anything. Your best bet is to ...
bristlenose catfish7/10/2009
  Q: i have a two foot tank, my PH is 7.0, temperature of the tank is 26 degress c.i have a 6cm ...
  A: If you have two females with one male, then you can probably leave them all together. Give the male ...
Info7/10/2009
  Q: I just lost 5 fish last week. The reason for this was, one of the cherry barbs I bought seemed fine, ...
  A: Putting in a new filter cartridge is probably a good idea. Ich takes a while to treat, at ...
My gold fish is sitting on the bootom7/9/2009
  Q: I went to go feed my fish and I saw that 1 of them were sitting on the bottom of the tank. I thought ...
  A: It is hard to say what is causing this but most likely it is poor water quality. I strongly ...
telescope orange fish7/9/2009
  Q: I had some pennies, a couple quarters and dimes, more of the pennies though and my telescope fish ...
  A: You should never put coins in a fish tank. You need to take out all the coins and do 25% water ...
Cichlid Question7/9/2009
  Q: I have a pair of parrot cichlids in my 55 gal aquarium. Since they are hybrids, I was wondering if ...
  A: I do not understand what you are trying to do with introducing a non-hybrid cichlid. If you mate a ...
what is the overstocking limits for african cichlids ?7/9/2009
  Q: I have a 400 L tank ( 105 US G or 87 UK G ) stocked with assorted mbuna . currently I have 10 of ...
  A: There is no hard and fast rule. It depends on the individual fish, how much cover there is in the ...
cichlid wont eat7/9/2009
  Q: i have a large jack dempsy cichlid maybe 7 to 8 inches long i baught it when it was around 5 inches, ...
  A: I don't see any reason to feed a jack dempsey with feeder fish. If it is easting flakes and pellets ...
Green Terror Behavior7/8/2009
  Q: I have a female Green Terror Cichlid. She is about 5-6 months old and has laid eggs once before. ...
  A: Hmmm... that is a tricky situation. It could be that she is planning on laying eggs, but females ...
Is my Oscar pregnant?7/8/2009
  Q: I have a the few cichlid like 4 oscars(2white, 2 black), 4 piranas, 4 texas greens, 4 green terrors, ...
  A: Oscars are egg layers so the female does not get pregnant as such. She could be getting ready to lay ...
flower keeps changing color constantly7/8/2009
  Q: i have recently purchased a 6 inch flowerhorn with good hump,but when i put it in my fish tank it ...
  A: Flowerhorns, like most cichlids, frequently change color. That is the way that they are. It is a ...
oscar7/8/2009
  Q: So I have 3 oscars and one of them is almost 4 years old and he is big! We have a 75 gal tank and ...
  A: Unfortunately 4 years is not very old for an oscar. They can live to be a dozen years or older (some ...
Puffy Cheeks Goldfish7/7/2009
  Q: one of the puffy cheek goldfish cheek popped, will it die or will the cheek restore it self? the ...
  A: Unfortunately I don't know. If the hole is small it may repair itself, but there is also a good ...
Terrisiphone@googlemail.com7/7/2009
  Q: I am an experienced tropical fish keeper and my tank has been up and running for six years. I've ...
  A: That is very peculiar. I have never heard of that. I would strongly suggest that one of your fish ...
goldfish:swollen eye&unbalanced7/7/2009
  Q: my goldish(a really round and fat one)'s eye just bugled out of no where, not eating any more and ...
  A: Goldfish are very tricky to cure because they have so many problems to begin with. A fish should ...
my goldfish has a red lump7/6/2009
  Q: ). I have 2 golfish in a 10 galon tank and the remaining fish look fine. The fish with the bump is ...
  A: Unfortunately that is likely some type of tumor (i.e., cancer) and there is really nothing that you ...
strange behavior from my tiger oscar7/6/2009
  Q: I 'inherited' an aquarium from my father-in-law so I don't know exactly how big it is but I'm ...
  A: His behavior fits the symptoms of deteriorating water quality. Are you doing regular weekly water ...
Bubbles on the outside of their eyes !!7/5/2009
  Q: Our Black Moors have developed these big bubbles protuding on the outside of their eyes, never saw ...
  A: As it says in my profile, I am not an expert on goldfish so I cannot say for sure. I recommend you ...
trace nitrite in tank7/5/2009
  Q: hey ron i have a 100 gal tank with 2 penguin 350 biowheel filters ,each 1 has 2 biowheels ,1 of the ...
  A: I wouldn't worry about it. I would, however, increase your water changes to about 25% once a week, ...
FH7/5/2009
  Q: Question my flower horn IS my flower horn male or female if you zoom the picture near its eyes u ...
  A: There are various medications available at most pet stores that will attempt to treat columnarus. I ...
Honey gourami7/5/2009
  Q: I'm doing a project on Honey Gourami. But i know nothing about it. In the Internet, their answer ...
  A: Unfortunately I cannot help you on what they do in the wild. They come from Southeast Asia and I ...
DROPSY7/4/2009
  Q: I know that you have stated that you are not a Goldfish expert,but I am curious to know if you have ...
  A: The challenge with Dropsy (also called bloat) is that it is really just a description of symptoms, ...
Mixing Cichlids7/4/2009
  Q: Can I mix a breeding pair of Convict Cichlids and a breeding pair of African Jewel Cichlids?
  A: Personally I would not do that because I think they will fight like cats and dogs. I would only do ...
flower horn fish7/4/2009
  Q: please identify my flower horn's sex male/female
  A: Unfortunately you cannot tell the sex of a flowerhorn, particularly a young one just by looking at ...
Dying Fish7/4/2009
  Q: I set up a 20L tropical fish tank 2 months ago. I initially put in one gouramis, then ten neon tetra ...
  A: It is unlikely that a neon was attacking the other fish. There are some folks that use salt and ...
Very Sick Jack Dempsey Mamma7/4/2009
  Q: I have a pair of Dempseys. I have had them about 2 years now and this is their 2nd batch of babies. ...
  A: I am sorry to hear that she died. The initial cause for all of this may have been either (1) that ...
What happened to my fish??7/3/2009
  Q: basically I have a medium sized pond in my garden and we had 3 goldfish. Today my brother cleaned ...
  A: I don't think constipation would do that and particularly not that quickly. Is there any chance ...
cichlid7/3/2009
  Q: I adopted an African cichlid that had twice been returned to the pet store because he/she was so ...
  A: Unfortunately that is pretty impossible without a photo -- there are over 2300 different species of ...
fry7/3/2009
  Q: About 1 month ago My Dalmation Ciclid laid eggs we did not know it until the babies were swimming ...
  A: Hmmm... I have never heard of a "Dalmation Cichlid" so I am unsure what species you are talking ...
Honey gourami7/3/2009
  Q: I'm doing a project on Honey Gourami. But i know nothing about it. In the Internet, their answer ...
  A: I cannot do your project for you but I will give you some hints. Gouramis come from South East Asia. ...
RED WAG PLATY BABY FISHES7/2/2009
  Q: OK. THANK YOU FOR TAKING TIME TO READ. I JUST BOUGHT TWO RED WAG PLATY FISH FROM PETSMART AND ON THE ...
  A: You should feed them once a day. Give them crushed flake food. If you want, you can also give them ...
Chiclids and other varieties7/2/2009
  Q: I am fascinated by Chiclids. I have bought 4 yellow chichlids recently, but I saw rest of my 10-15 ...
  A: I am not sure what you mean by "mosses"? Do you mean "mollies"? In general, the best fish to keep ...
guami fish7/2/2009
  Q: I have a blue "guami" who's body seems to b in a stiff "S" shape. He'll straiten out to swim but ...
  A: Do you mean a blue gourami? If so, bending into an S shape can be part of the normal behavior of ...
oscar has poofy eyes7/1/2009
  Q: me and my dad have a oscar,an opaco,and another fish i forget what its called,but my oscar has ...
  A: That symptom is called pop-eye and it can be caused by many things. Two of the most common are ...
Very Sick Jack Dempsey Mamma6/29/2009
  Q: I have a pair of Dempseys. I have had them about 2 years now and this is their 2nd batch of babies. ...
  A: I am sorry for the delay in responding -- I am actually in the middle of the rainforest in Costa ...
Tank6/29/2009
  Q: My question is simple.I got a fish from the carnival and I want to know what tempature the water ...
  A: You really should put that fish in a proper fish tank with a filter and a heater. The temperature ...
fish behavior issue6/29/2009
  Q: My husband's fish is lying on its side frequently. It is a Montagua (I know I probably spelled that ...
  A: Hmmm... I don't see why you added antibiotics when the water was a little acidic. Antibiotics kill ...
Dying Fish6/29/2009
  Q: I set up a 20L tropical fish tank 2 months ago. I initially put in one gouramis, then ten neon tetra ...
  A: If you hadn't said that the gourami was ill, I would have been pretty sure that the gourami was ...
fish behavior issue6/29/2009
  Q: My husband's fish is lying on its side frequently. It is a Montagua (I know I probably spelled that ...
  A: I strongly suggest that you change 25% of the water immediately and then do the same again tomorrow. ...
sick fish??6/28/2009
  Q: I came home from 2 days of camping to find on of them laying on its side at the bottom of the tank. ...
  A: AS you suggest, it sounds like they had a big fight in your tank. You need to isolate the injured ...
Oscar Fish Illness?6/28/2009
  Q: I just returned from a short vacation and I noticed that one of my three oscar fish has white/gray ...
  A: I would watch things closely. It sounds like it has been in a fight and it may have come out the ...
Dwarf Gouramis6/27/2009
  Q: Will dwarf gouramets get along with a male betta, glow fish and cherry and gold barbs? I also have ...
  A: That depends on the size of the tank. If it is say a 29 gallon tank, with lots of plants, wood, ...
sick fish6/27/2009
  Q: I just switch from a 20L tank to a 55g and dovii is moving very slow sitting at the bottom and ...
  A: I would give your fish some time to get used to the new tank. Moving tanks can be quite traumatic ...
my daughter is afraid of our fish6/27/2009
  Q: we recently just got to big Oscars. our daughter says that they have tongues and won't go near the ...
  A: Actually your daughter is correct about the tongues. Each oscar has one tongue, and they have lots ...
convicts6/26/2009
  Q: how many babies can they hatch in one spawn?
  A: A typical spawning for convicts would be about 300 babies. That is assuming a typical female of ...
Brackish Decor6/26/2009
  Q: I am about to set up a 29 gal. brackish tank and I wanted to use texas holey rock to decorate it. I ...
  A: I cannot say for sure but I don't see a problem. Also, you can reduce any such problems by doing ...
Expected flukes not sure about it6/26/2009
  Q: I want to ask a question about my goldfish, I will be very thankful to you if you helped me to ...
  A: Is there any chance that she was attacked by another fish? -- Ron rcoleman@cichlidresearch.com ...
Zebra cichlid6/26/2009
  Q: We have recently set up a new tank (5 weeks) to start the tank off we brought 3 zebra cichlids and ...
  A: Unfortunately your fish seems to have what we call "bloat". Bloat isn't a specific disease per se, ...
flowerhorn6/26/2009
  Q: it looks like his intestines are coming out.. however it does not stay out all the time it appears ...
  A: Unfortunately you do need to be concerned. This is usually indicative of an intestinal infection, ...
lyretail molly acting strange6/25/2009
  Q: I have a 20 gallon tank with 15 lyretail molly and 1 Pleco - Suckermouth catfish. Things have been ...
  A: It is hard to say exactly what is wrong; however, I strongly encourage you to do more frequent water ...
convict cichlid6/25/2009
  Q: my boyfriend has a fish tank, we have 2 convict cichlid amongst other fish. we noticed yesterday one ...
  A: You need to isolate that fish right away. When a fish goes upside down it is usually either very ...
question about my severum fish6/25/2009
  Q: I recently bought some tropical fish, including a pair of severum. SInce yesterday evening, I sound ...
  A: Did the fish appear to have any physical wounds, e.g., scars or missing scales? It is most likely ...
Diseases6/24/2009
  Q: I have recently aquired a newer tank (65 Gallon)and have a lemon oacar which is about 8 inchs long. ...
  A: Are you doing lots of regular partial water changes? You should be changing 25% of the water once a ...
Oscar with swollen eye6/24/2009
  Q: I have an oscar with a swollen eye. The area around the eye is swollen & also the actual eye it's ...
  A: Usually swollen eyes start out either as a result of mechanical injury (being bitten by another ...
figure 8 puffer fish6/23/2009
  Q: i have a figure 8 puffer fish and i was told they could live in either fresh, brackish or salt ...
  A: I am not an expert on puffers but brackish seems most appropriate to me. The most important thing ...
fish compatiblitly6/23/2009
  Q: firemouth cichlids and festive cichlids. i was thinking about a salvini,a severum,a few kribensis,a ...
  A: A really important issue is the size of your tank. For instance, if you were talking about a 20 ...
Peacock Ciclids6/23/2009
  Q: I have three in my tank and can't tell a female from a male. Please give me some idea as to how to ...
  A: There are many hundreds of species from east Africa and about fifty of them are in the genus ...
dalmation molly acting "fishy"?6/22/2009
  Q: ..I have two dalmatian molly's along with several other fish in a 80 gallon tank. One of my molly's ...
  A: Shivering by fish is often a part of courtship, i.e., something that male fish do to attract the ...
Cichlids and Kissing fish6/22/2009
  Q: I have 7 Cichlids of all sizes. Can I put 2 kissing fish with them in my 55 gallon tank? Or how ...
  A: The kissing gouramis should reach that size in a couple of years if they are properly cared for. I ...
Convicts6/20/2009
  Q: Are these fish used as a food source for humans? and if so, in what part of the world? Also, I ...
  A: I do not know of any place that uses convicts as a food source for humans. They do exist in the ...
THE TEMP IN A FRESHWATER TANK6/19/2009
  Q: I HAVE FRESHWATER TANK AND IN IT IS A RED DEVIL AND A WOLF FISH .WHAT IS A GOOD TEMP FOR THEM?
  A: Temperatures in neotropical (New World) rivers are highly variable and in fact change throughout the ...
Red Oscar6/19/2009
  Q: I have one oscar set up in a 55 gallon tank. He is about 9 months old. I first got him when he ...
  A: One of the main causes of fish darting around the tank is when the ammonia level is too high. You ...
Unknown Cichlids6/18/2009
  Q: I need some cichlid help, so I thought I'd go straight to the expert! I have 2 questions for you: ...
  A: Is there any chance you could send a photo of your fish? Send it to the email address below. That ...
Cichlids and Kissing fish6/17/2009
  Q: I have 7 Cichlids of all sizes. Can I put 2 kissing fish with them in my 55 gallon tank? Or how ...
  A: Are you aware that adult kissing gouramis can be 8-10 inches in length? They certainly wouldn't go ...
Convict cichlids6/17/2009
  Q: Hey ron i have a 20 gallon tank and i want to get 1 convict cichlid to put in it. But since i am ...
  A: In general, female convicts are more colorful. BUT, they are only more colorful when they are ...
growth of flowerhorn6/17/2009
  Q: I have a 3 month old baby albino in a 2:1:1 tank. Her tail & head has grown pretty good but my ...
  A: I do not understand what a 2:1:1 tank is? It is a bit peculiar for someone to say that anything ...
120 Gallon Cichlid Tank Discoloured6/16/2009
  Q: I have a 120 Gallon Cichlid Tank. It has been set up since this past March. We slowly added the ...
  A: All Clear is used to get rid of cloudy water caused by a bloom of microscopic bacteria. So that is ...
i am worried about my fish she eggs Please help me6/16/2009
  Q: i have a question.. i have been looking on line for about a week now trying to get some answer.. i ...
  A: If there is white "fuzz" on the eggs, that is fungus (well, technically it is a watermold but ...
molly fish6/15/2009
  Q: i am not sure if mollies fall under the cichlid but i had a few of them with some neons, and two ...
  A: FYI: Mollies are in the group known as livebearers, so they are not cichlids. As to why they ...
Green Terror6/15/2009
  Q: How can I get my Green Terror mate, spawn and breed. I would also like to know if the bigger the ...
  A: You can't really make the fish spawn. Basically, you put a male in a female in a tank, feed them ...
parrot fish6/14/2009
  Q: why are my parrot fish eggs growing mould
  A: The "mould" is often called a fungus, but you are right that technically it is a water mold. ...
Heros Severum Laying Eggs?6/14/2009
  Q: I did not believe it myself... I have ONE fish in my 65 gallon tank. Also in tank 4 snails, 2 ...
  A: I am not sure that the background is the actual cause of this... it might be but it could also be ...
Crazy Oscar6/13/2009
  Q: for the last week my oscar goes crazy everytime I turn the tank light on, he swims very fast and in ...
  A: If the tank goes from completely dark to light, that would cause many fish to "go crazy". I never ...
Tank got cloudy after i purchased tigers6/12/2009
  Q: they all died off in matter of days and they were aggressive towards each other so i tried tiger ...
  A: Hmmm... it is a bit peculiar to go from neons which are very mellow to tiger barbs, which can be ...
possible seziure6/12/2009
  Q: my tiger barb seems to be fighting to swim downwards hes floating to the toop of the tank w/o ...
  A: Unfortunately that sounds like he is having a problem with his swim bladder. The swim bladder is ...
Convict Fry6/12/2009
  Q: My two convicts recently decided to spawn in my 55gl tank. They fry have been swiming around for ...
  A: Keep feeding the flake food. If you can also feed some baby brine shrimp, that would be even ...
My Pet Oscar6/12/2009
  Q: I have noticed that my Oscar has one really bad Popeye and the other one not so bad. I checked ...
  A: Are there other fish in the tank that might be attacking or even stressing your oscar? Also, are ...
identifying my fish6/11/2009
  Q: I would like to know if this fish is a female green terror or a Blue Acara or something else. I ...
  A: He looks like a little blue acara to me (based on the body proportions). Blue acaras are longer and ...
betta6/11/2009
  Q: My Beta has been acting weird lately. he sometimes floats upside down and goes nose first into the ...
  A: No they do not normally act that way. You definitely need a heater in his tank. A betta should ...
My Cichlids6/11/2009
  Q: My Firebird has been holding for about 20 days in a 100 Litre tank on her own and I went out today ...
  A: I'm not familiar with the name "Firebird".... (and I know a LOT of cichlid names...). In any ...
my little buddy6/10/2009
  Q: Ive read that the carbon in the filter. can cause hole in the head in oscars. what kind of filter ...
  A: I seriously doubt if carbon can cause hole in the head. That doesn't make any sense unless you had ...
oscars6/10/2009
  Q: I have 2 oscars. One is albino (Casper) and the other is a tiger (Zeus). I have had them for about 4 ...
  A: It is very possible that they have switched roles, and this may have something to do with mating. ...
bloodworms and murky water in a backyard pond6/9/2009
  Q: i have a 3 ft deep pond in my yard and so far i cannot clear up my water i can hardly see the ...
  A: Bloodworms cannot cause cloudiness. Most likely you have a bloom of bacteria that is causing the ...
Oscar. Pitts on the side of its head6/9/2009
  Q: I have an oscar in a 90gallon tank. I have a eihm and a penguin 280 filter. I change the water 20 ...
  A: You might try changing a little more water. Also, when you change the water, do you use a gravel ...
My sick cichlids and others!6/9/2009
  Q: Quick history: 55g tank with 4 tiger barbs, 1 raphael catfish, 1 rainbow shark, 1 peacock cichlid, 2 ...
  A: I'm very sorry for the delay in answering. I am actually in the rainforest in Costa Rica right now ...
blood parrots6/8/2009
  Q: i have 5 large parrot fish that i have had for 5years, 2 from 50p size now bout 9inches. the prob is ...
  A: It could be that they are just getting used to the new tank. Keep doing partial water changes to ...
My koi has lost his scales6/8/2009
  Q: i have noticed my ghost koi and another koi have lots of their scales missing (the ghost practically ...
  A: I am sorry for not answering. I am actually in the middle of the Costa Rican rainforest right now ...
black ghost knife fish compatibility6/7/2009
  Q: i was wondering if a black ghost knife fish is compatible with kuhli loaches, red tailed black ...
  A: I have not kept them, but they are predators so I would strongly suspect that kuhli loaches would ...
Oscar with an orange and gray mass on its eye6/6/2009
  Q: Just in the past few days, our Oscar, Leroy, who is almost 8 years old has developed a round mass on ...
  A: Oscars can live well into their teens; a few make it to 20 years. I don't think that there is ...