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About Nathan
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
ON VACATION UNTIL SEPTEMBER ~ HAPPY SUMMER HOLIDAYS! I can answer all questions related to freshwater aquariums. Fish care, fish behavior, feeding, breeding, and diseases are my specialty. To be specific, I am most familiar (though I am familiar with most species) with Livebearers, Tetras, Barbs, Danios, Loaches, Goldfish, Angelfish (freshwater), Catfish (corydoras, plecos, etc.), Bettas, shrimp, and even snails. I can help out with new tank setups, the cycling process (nitrogen cycle), acclimation of fish, and general care. I can also answer questions regarding many species of freshwater plants, including fish compatibility with plants. Additionally, I can lend a hand when it comes to aquarium support equipment questions, such as those regarding filters, heaters, lighting, and thermometers. Questions about aquarium water conditioners and products are also accepted. I will try to answer your question to the best of my abilities, and if I do not know an answer, I will do my best to find out. I do not have much experience in saltwater aquariums, or pressurized CO2 systems, so I cannot answer any such questions. Best wishes, and good luck to your fish! *Je peux répondre à vos questions français en anglais.* If I am not available because I am maxed out, you can find me on the Aquarium Plants category.

Experience
I have kept freshwater fish tanks for many years, and I am experienced with a variety of different freshwater species and invertebrates, such as Tetras, Barbs, Loaches, Danios, Livebearers, Cichlids, Goldfish, Bettas, Catfish, Shrimp, and Snails. I have helped people set up aquariums, and I am very familiar with aquarium products and equipment. I have also bred many fish, and I always care for my fish in the best way possible. What makes a good home for tropical fish? Well, all tropical fish, like guppies and Bettas, require filters, heaters, and a good-sized tank. Healthy fish should be actively swimming and feeding, with defined fins and clear eyes. Take a random check of some of your fish daily, to make sure they're thriving!

Education/Credentials
I own an extensive collection of aquarium-related books and magazines, and have read all about, and I am experienced in, many aspects of humane and proper fishkeeping. Through these books and other articles, from reliable internet sources, and from personal experience with fish, I have a thorough knowledge of freshwater aquariums, fish, and freshwater plant species.

   

You are here:  Experts > Animals/Pets > Pet Fish > Freshwater Aquarium

SubjectDate AskedExpert

Livebearers Interbreeding?7/10/2009Richard Hight
  Q: I have two female Mollies, a mother and a daughter. This daughter was the sole survivor of mom's ...
  A: Guppies and Mollies will breed. I've seen pictures of fry from a Male Molly & Female Guppy cross.. ...
Nitrate and ammonia levels!!!7/9/2009Karen Fields
  Q: as a canister filter( the eheim ecco) i have 4 mollies 1 swordtail 1 rosy barb and 2 plecostamus ...
  A: The best thing to do to get your fish through the ammonia and nitrite levels safely is to do 50% ...
Bump on goldfish7/9/2009Michael Freynet
  Q: 10 year old goldfish. 30 gallon tank with 1 shubukin buddy. 1 white raised bump, looks like a wart. ...
  A: First off thanks for the pic! Makes my job a lot easier. Unfortunately though I honestly am not sure ...
water & tanks & all kinds of stuff7/8/2009Nathan
  Q: Howdy, I've had fish on and off for about a year, mainly because they kept not wanting to live. ...
  A: Unfortunately, you've got some big problems with your current setup. I'll list them below. 1) Tank ...
Assistance choosing fish for new tank7/8/2009Michael Freynet
  Q: I am a beginner and have just bought my first tank. Its 70litres (18gallons I think) but I dont fill ...
  A: I guess I didn't realize that you mentioned it was a cool water setup. What do you mean by that ...
something is in my tank7/8/2009Nathan
  Q: i have a 20 gallon tank with platys tetras a couple of gourmis also 2 ghost shrimp one of which is ...
  A: The small worm specks in the tank are most likely Planaria. These are small organisms that cannot ...
Unusual appearance in tank7/8/2009Nathan
  Q: Evere since I had to change a lighting unit in my tank, the balance has change... lot's of algae, ...
  A: An excess of light causes algae, and this is the most probable reason. The small snails were in your ...
African cichlid Aggression problems7/8/2009Karen Fields
  Q: I have recently set up a 55 gallon african cichlid fish tank. I have 13 cichlids (Juvys) in it right ...
  A: Johani african cichlids in general are a very territorial and aggressive species. Males in ...
How often can I add PRIME to my tank during break in cycle7/8/2009Richard Hight
  Q: I have had my aquarium for about 4 weeks now. I am experiencing the cycling period right now. How ...
  A: I'm sorry, I thought you were referring to another product called Prime by another company. The ...
Sick Flowerhorn7/8/2009Chris Robbins
  Q: I have a Flower Horn (which i guess is also a cichlid species) who was completely normal until 2 ...
  A: It sounds like something with the water quality or chemistry. Have the water tested for the levels ...
Sick Flowerhorn7/8/2009Nathan
  Q: I have a Flower Horn (which i guess is also a cichlid species) who was completely normal until 2 ...
  A: The small worm specks on the tank glass were most likely Planaria. These are small organisms that ...
angelfish7/8/2009Chris Robbins
  Q: okay I'm still waiting for my fish tank to cycle.... i have a 55 gallon tank almost 2 weeks running ...
  A: The combination of fish sounds fine to me. Your tank will take a few more weeks to be fully ...
How often can I add PRIME to my tank during break in cycle7/8/2009Richard Hight
  Q: I have had my aquarium for about 4 weeks now. I am experiencing the cycling period right now. How ...
  A: I've never used PRIME or any other bacteria additives. I've found over the years it's best to cycle ...
Dying Guppies7/7/2009Nathan
  Q: I have been having a problem with my guppies hovering at the top of the water. I changed the water ...
  A: Fish hovering at the surface of the water is often a sign of inadequate oxygenation or poor water ...
Assistance choosing fish for new tank7/7/2009Nathan
  Q: I am a beginner and have just bought my first tank. Its 70litres (18gallons I think) but I dont fill ...
  A: First of all, when you get your first batch of fish, DON'T add them all in one time! First, add 2-3 ...
Assistance choosing fish for new tank7/7/2009Michael Freynet
  Q: I am a beginner and have just bought my first tank. Its 70litres (18gallons I think) but I dont fill ...
  A: Well I'm glad you took the time to do your research before investing in your fish! Remember with ...
Pregnant mollie7/7/2009Nathan
  Q: My pregnant mollie had about 40 baby fry sadly they all died.Im Wondering if she has anymore fry in ...
  A: Baby fry are quite sensitive to ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, so poor water quality probably played ...
fish acting funny7/7/2009Richard Hight
  Q: I have a 100 gallon tank and in contains 2 sm red devils and 2 sm jack dempseys with about 25 gold ...
  A: It's tough to say. Check your parameters ammonia/nitrite/nitrate levels. Also add a couple of large ...
FILTER7/7/2009Chris Robbins
  Q: I AM SETTING UP MY 45 GALLON TANK FOR FRESH WATER. I USED TO RUN IT AS SALT WATER AND I HAVE A WET ...
  A: A wet/dry filter is just fine for freshwater tanks. Just remember there will be a break-in period. ...
Tropical fish7/7/2009Karen Fields
  Q: I have 4 common angels raised together in a 12 gal well planted and established Cube Master. They ...
  A: Perhaps the best thing for you to do is give your angels some time to eventually form a pair out of ...
Aquarium value?7/7/2009Nathan
  Q: I hope you can advise me on this situation. At my local fish store, there's a 10-gallon aquarium kit ...
  A: Wow... that's one EXTREMELY overpriced fish tank kit! Your store must be one of those local 'mom and ...
Problem with dying fish7/6/2009Nathan
  Q: I wondered if you could give me some advice on the fact that all 3 of my fish died in one day! I set ...
  A: Your Goldfish were actually sick. They had a disease, called Ich. (Ichthyophthirius multifilis) Ich, ...
cloudy white surface on my pleco7/6/2009Nathan
  Q: I had three plecostomus and one died now one has a milky white color on his head like patches could ...
  A: Your Plecostomus has Columnaris, or cottony growth disease. It is a bacteria infection, and can be ...
How to tell if my goldfish is a boy or a girl?7/6/2009Nathan
  Q: how to tell if my fantail fish is a boy or a girl
  A: It can be slightly difficult to tell the difference between a male and female Goldfish. One of the ...
Platy and breeding?7/6/2009Nathan
  Q: I have this little Platy fish in my 10-gallon tank that someone gave to me. It think it's a male, ...
  A: Since you are going to be breeding them, it's best if you feed them a varied diet. A varied diet ...
cichlids7/6/2009Nicole Putnam
  Q: we bought a 50 gallon tank, filled up to 3 inches with gravel(natural color). Added silk plants ...
  A: Unfortunately, this was inevitable. Running the filter for 15 days won't do anything by itself else ...
ultimate stocking with platies7/6/2009Michael Freynet
  Q: I just set up a 20 gallon tall (24 inch) tank. It contains a back filter, heater, plant appropriate ...
  A: I'm glad you decided to take the time to question me on your concerns. A lot has been learned in the ...
water still not clear7/6/2009Nathan
  Q: i brought a 55 gallon 1 year ago, i had my ph levels very high acid level. I brought PH up and ...
  A: Cloudy water can be caused by three main factors - bacterial bloom, debris, and overfeeding/poor ...
Bugs eating our fish kind of like ants7/6/2009Karen Fields
  Q: We have a freshwater tank and there seem to be bugs floating on the surface and some bugs in the ...
  A: There are many kinds of insects/crustaceans that can invade our aquariums and be labeled as pests ...
Platy and breeding?7/5/2009Nathan
  Q: I have this little Platy fish in my 10-gallon tank that someone gave to me. It think it's a male, ...
  A: You'll be happy to hear that they will breed VERY easily! Platy fish give birth to babies, instead ...
black mollies7/5/2009Nathan
  Q: please help me how to identify whether the black molly is a male or female one.
  A: It's very easy to determine the gender of Black Mollies. You can use the same method to determine ...
Ballon mollies with big goldfish and Iridescent Shark Catfish7/5/2009Nathan
  Q: Sorry to bother you..I really worried about my new balloon Mollies with big fishes around and they ...
  A: Mollies CANNOT be kept with Goldfish. Goldfish are cold-water fish, which means they need ...
Snail Problem!7/5/2009Nathan
  Q: I have a problem with snails in my 5 gallon tank. Currently, there are 3 fish in the tank, and all ...
  A: It's nice to see that your lettuce is working! Anyways, I NEVER use nor recommend chemicals, such ...
Snail Problem!7/5/2009Nathan
  Q: I have a problem with snails in my 5 gallon tank. Currently, there are 3 fish in the tank, and all ...
  A: You're absolutely right - snails, especially those little pond snails and trumpet snails - will ...
Dwarf Frogs and traveling7/5/2009Michael Freynet
  Q: Are dwarf frogs good when traveling in a car or in a plane? Before I buy one (because they will need ...
  A: Keep in mind that this is a fully aquatic amphibian. Even though it breaths air they dry out very ...
green algae bloom in my established tank7/5/2009Nathan
  Q: I have a 55 gallon aquarium where I house my tiger oscar. The oscar is about 3.5 to 4 inches long. ...
  A: Green Algae water is caused by too much nutrients in the water. Try doing some 20% water changes ...
do you know anything about crabs?7/5/2009Karen Fields
  Q: I found a crab and I think it is a shore crab. is was in a tide pool, someone handed it to me and I ...
  A: Very interesting creature! I wish I could see a photo of it but that's ok! Without knowing the ...
baby mollies and mom7/4/2009Nathan
  Q: My mom mollie has just recently had babies...We waited and waited to see it happen however we missed ...
  A: Mollies are known for their prolific breeding. The can give birth as frequent as once every couple ...
Shark fish and Dragon fish7/4/2009Nathan
  Q: I can not find any information so hopefully you can help me. My brother wants to buy these fishes ...
  A: Oh dear. I hate to be the bringer of bad news, but Wal-Mart and bowls are probably the two worst ...
Angelfish with other cichlids...7/4/2009Nathan
  Q: I own a 4 ft X 1.5 ft aquarium tank. I have decided to make it a cichlid tank. I already own a pair ...
  A: Could you send me a picture of the Cichlids you are planning to put in the tank? That way, I could ...

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Questions by
Active Experts:
S. NicoleNicole PutnamAlex Kline
Chris RobbinsMichael FreynetChris
Karen FieldsKrista Yobtimm irvin
NathanJosh SeanWilliam Covington
michael mccorryRichard HightAaron
JackMichael Mulcahy 

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