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About Chris Robbins
(Top Expert on this page)

Expertise
I have 25 years of personal experience as a pet store employee and manager in the family pet store business. The main part of our business was Freshwater Fish. I can answer questions on; Fish care, diseases, parasites and fish identification, feeding your fish, breeding and sexing your fish, setting up your aquarium, cleaning your aquarium, and "what`s this weird stuff in my tank/on my fish" questions. I am not an African Cichlid expert, not a Plant expert and not a Brackish setup expert. No Pond or Saltwater Questions Please.

Experience
I worked in and managed my family's fish and pet and fish store for 26 years and maintained the 35 aquariums. My experience also has included in-home consultation and aquarium maintenance for my clients.

   

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

Questions Answered By Expert  Chris Robbins 
In Category  Freshwater Aquarium

SubjectDate Asked

Identify my fish7/26/2009
  Q: first time poster here, I was given a mystery fish by a friend and I can't seem to figure out what ...
  A: I retrieved your question from the question pool... I think your fish is a type of African Cichlid. ...
gold fish7/21/2009
  Q: my 2 boys won 5 goldfish at a carnival .the water level is low,, tank is maybe half a gallon . ...
  A: You can use tap water but you must also use water conditioner to neutralize harmful chemicals. Tap ...
oscars and eels7/17/2009
  Q: We have a 65 gallon tank with an angel fish, tiger Oscar and three large plecos. I would like to ...
  A: Your rubber eel would not survive the aggressive nature of your oscar, especially as he grows ...
Beta female laid eggs w/out male... how long are they viable?7/13/2009
  Q: Female Beta fish just laid some eggs without a male present. If i run out and buy a male tomorrow, ...
  A: I retrieved your question from the question pool... Female fish sometimes lay eggs without a male ...
Setting up a new tank7/10/2009
  Q: I recently got married and we had goldfish as centerpieces on 15 tables. I got excited b/c i have ...
  A: I retrieved your question from the question pool. I think I can help you... I don't think it was a ...
Sick Flowerhorn7/8/2009
  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 ...
angelfish7/8/2009
  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 ...
FILTER7/7/2009
  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. ...
gourami fish6/24/2009
  Q: I've a small fish bowl, which is 12 inches big. I've some pebbles in the base and had put 6 gourami ...
  A: Your tank is just too small for them to be all together. Especially without a filter. The minimum ...
CICHLID FISH6/24/2009
  Q: 1. My tank has been set around 2 months back. 2. My tank is 70 gallon. 3. cichlid only various. 4. i ...
  A: Cichlids are very aggressive and territorial. If there is a weaker fish in the group they can easily ...
blue jelly things6/24/2009
  Q: Hi I have a 22 gal. tank with mollies, neons, striper fish and a floor cleaner, not the sucker ...
  A: I happened to have a few minutes so I checked the question pool and found yours here... They are ...
Platy behavior6/23/2009
  Q: I have a ten gallon tank that's beet set up since about June 1st and i currently have 7 platys in it ...
  A: Lol! Yeah, they can be pretty fast. Sounds like he's doing fine then. You might want to add some ...
little jumping things on water surface6/23/2009
  Q: My situation began 2 days ago with these little yellow-ish things with antennae about the size of ...
  A: I had a feeling that's what was going on. ;-) It happens sometimes when we get busy in our lives. ...
"just cleaned aquarium now all fish are swimming at top looking like they need air"6/23/2009
  Q: "just cleaned aquarium now all fish are swimming at top looking like they need air" Tank has been ...
  A: The fish are probably in shock and/or it's an ammonia spike from a disrupted system. You might have ...
stoking6/22/2009
  Q: i want lots of community fish e.g guppies mollies . i was wondering how much fish in total can i ...
  A: Bristlenose don't grow really large so that's good. You could probably safely add another 10" to 15" ...
Platy behavior6/22/2009
  Q: I have a ten gallon tank that's beet set up since about June 1st and i currently have 7 platys in it ...
  A: Male platies and other livebearers act kind of weird sometimes while they are courting the females. ...
treating ick with plecos present6/21/2009
  Q: I appreciate your help with my problem. It's very kind of you. First, to answer your questions: ...
  A: Oh, poor little guy. He must have had something wrong we just couldn't see. Sounds like everyone ...
little jumping things on water surface6/21/2009
  Q: My situation began 2 days ago with these little yellow-ish things with antennae about the size of ...
  A: They can indeed be frustrating. I've had bouts with them too. There are two types of bugs you are ...
Wolf Fish6/21/2009
  Q: i just purchased a 13" Wolf Fish and he gets along with an alligator gar 12" in a 120 gal tank, but ...
  A: Wolf fish are just naturally aggressive and territorial. I guess he wants the whole tank to himself! ...
black slime in tank,6/20/2009
  Q: my children have a small tank which holds about Ten gallons of water and there have a mixture of ...
  A: I need more information to be able to tell what's going on in there. Send me a followup question ...
treating ick with plecos present6/19/2009
  Q: I appreciate your help with my problem. It's very kind of you. First, to answer your questions: ...
  A: The pleco doesn't look like he has ick actually. The white dots are part of his coloration. Like ...
Sick Pleco6/18/2009
  Q: Chris! I have a pleco (5 or 6 inches long) that is bloated. It is not very active. It has a bubble ...
  A: Since it's internal I really don't think there's anything you can do but wait it out. I wouldn't ...
My Oscar eyes are blurry6/18/2009
  Q: I have two Oscar that been with me since they were around one inch. I been up grading my tank and ...
  A: Test the tank water for the levels of nitrate. It's the end result of biological filtration and ...
gourami breeding6/17/2009
  Q: !! I'VE HEARD THAT DWARF GOURAMIS ARE EASY TO BREED. ALSO CAN YOU TELL ME HOW TO BREED THEM? WHAT DO ...
  A: Here are some web pages about breeding dwarf gouramis; http://www.thekrib.com/Fish/gourami.html ...
blood under fish scales6/17/2009
  Q: i have notice on one side of my lion head goldfish, there is a small patch colour like blood ...
  A: It could be a bruise or even an abscess or tumor or something. Without knowing anything about your ...
Merging tanks6/16/2009
  Q: I was just given a 55 gallon tank with 3 well-cared for fish: 2 gold fish (each 6 inches long) and a ...
  A: I don't usually answer questions about ponds but I do have basic info to share with you. I live ...
Full aquarium change6/16/2009
  Q: I have a 40 gallon tank with about 10 fish. I am thinking about adding an under gravel filtration ...
  A: A full aquarium change is very stressful to the fish and destroys the biological balance of the ...
Merging tanks6/16/2009
  Q: I was just given a 55 gallon tank with 3 well-cared for fish: 2 gold fish (each 6 inches long) and a ...
  A: Yikes! You do have a problem on your hands. Goldfish need ten gallons per fish at the very minimum. ...
goldfish very sick and clean the tank6/15/2009
  Q: My 10 gallon tank was set up last year in August. 2 common goldfish (about 2.5 inch long each) lived ...
  A: Get a different test kit. The strips are not very accurate really. Also, some water conditioners can ...
55 gallon tank6/15/2009
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank for the past 4 years never had any problems but recently I am noticing a ...
  A: Check around the top edges of the tank under the lid for areas of mold or rotting food. Sometimes ...
goldfish very sick and clean the tank6/14/2009
  Q: My 10 gallon tank was set up last year in August. 2 common goldfish (about 2.5 inch long each) lived ...
  A: You don't have to get rid of your tank and you don't have to do anything drastic if the last fish ...
goldfish lice6/14/2009
  Q: i had noticed one or two lice on my Orandas.I pulled them off and disposed of them.I salt my tank ...
  A: Those little critters can be very difficult to eradicate but I have heard of very good results from ...
Too many gold fish6/13/2009
  Q: I started off with 2 goldfish that my children got from the pet store about 13 years ago. I build a ...
  A: There's nothing you can do to stop the fish from spawning, and you don't really want to do that ...
flowerhorn6/13/2009
  Q: i have the crass breed of short body flower hone .There are may be 200 babies.But i don't now how to ...
  A: Here are links to pages online that should give you all the information you need; ...
Marineland Hex 5 Filter Problem6/12/2009
  Q: I'm hoping you can help me - I must be doing something wrong. The water seems to flow right across ...
  A: It sounds like your filter pad is plugged. Don't replace it though. Your filter pad is a place for ...
platy fry precautions6/11/2009
  Q: what are some precations i should take with platy fry in a ten gallon tank with other platties other ...
  A: Provide plenty of hiding places in the form of plants (live ones if you can). Most of the babies can ...
cichlid infection?6/11/2009
  Q: one of my cichlid fish was bullied bad (fins and body) by another cichlid so i bought a tank ...
  A: Poor guy. It's a type of fungal infection that's attached to the dead tissue on the wound. Aquarium ...
Ammonia Spike6/10/2009
  Q: I have a 40 gallon freshwater Aquarium that houses 2 common Goldfish. My aquarium is up and running ...
  A: I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to answer your question. I have been sick. I think you're ...
My tank what am I doing wrong???6/10/2009
  Q: I set it up in September 2008, I had 4 small goldfish, 3 zebrafish, 2 other small fish ( I can't ...
  A: I'm so sorry you've had such a bad experience. Hopefully we can get your tank back on the right ...
balloon molly6/9/2009
  Q: Below are answers to questions then my problem Tank been set up for 8 months The tank is 120 litres ...
  A: I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to answer your question. I have been sick. There are several ...
underground filter6/9/2009
  Q: I have a 20 gallon tank with a hanging filter and an underground filter. The Aqua Clear 30 Power ...
  A: The bubbles can be adjusted by twisting the tip of little valve at the end of the small tubing that ...
help6/8/2009
  Q: I had 1 beta 4 angels 8 glowfish 5 neons 4 kissy fish 5 guppies. They were all doing fine until I ...
  A: Oh, my. I'm so sorry this is happening to you and your fish. You've had some bad advice on a couple ...
betta - weird behavior... possible disease?6/8/2009
  Q: My tank has been up for about a year now i believe or close to it. I've had it for two and moved a ...
  A: Poor guy. Fish don't usually die from just swim bladder failure all by itself. It sounds like he had ...
guppy breeding6/7/2009
  Q: my tank has been set up for a a year now, it is a 29 gallon, all of the fish are guppies, i have ...
  A: Breeding traps are very stressful for fish actually. I like to use a separate tank as a birthing ...
Broken lips6/6/2009
  Q: i hope you can help me. Well i have a goldfish that has an injured mouth. Im not sure what went ...
  A: It's very hard to see him in the photo even after lightening it up with a photo editor. It does look ...
cloudy water6/6/2009
  Q:
  A: It is very common for new tanks to have cloudy water. It isn't biologically balanced yet so it's ...
Angelfish6/6/2009
  Q: I'm going to buy a 30gal tank this Sunday and would like to keep koi angelfish. I was wondering how ...
  A: Before you add fish, read all you can about the "Nitrogen Cycle" and any other information you can ...
my rosey red feeder fish6/5/2009
  Q: my feeder fish witch I have kinda grown attached to went swimming into the filter about 4 days ago. ...
  A: The black is just damaged tissue that's trying to heal. Sort of like scabbing. It most commonly ...
Broken lips6/4/2009
  Q: i hope you can help me. Well i have a goldfish that has an injured mouth. Im not sure what went ...
  A: It sounds like he has had an infection known as "mouth rot". Does it look as though there is ...
IS my flower horn male or female6/4/2009
  Q: IS my flower horn male or female if you zoom the picture near its eyes u can find 3 white dots ...
  A: Take a look at the anal vent. It is U-shaped in females and V-shaped in males. When they are ...
hiding swordfish6/3/2009
  Q: We have a 50 gallon tank with 10 fish. We do a partial water change once a week and the pH levels ...
  A: Sometimes fish intimidate each other and one or more needs to hide. Are there other males in the ...
dead fish6/3/2009
  Q: had 10 gold fish clean my pond put fresh water every thing was find then because they were hiding ...
  A: If the tape has ever been exposed to or in the vicinity of anything toxic such as pesticides, fluids ...
Neons6/2/2009
  Q: My neon is being seclusive, granted i did break the rules about not waiting a week or two before ...
  A: He may just need more time to recover from being moved to a new home. Sometimes fish just don't do ...
cloudy biorb6/1/2009
  Q: My son has a baby biorb aquarium with two goldfish in it. We also have 2 small live plants and 3 ...
  A: Cleaning the filter and disturbing the gravel all at once has disrupted the biological balance in ...
Frozen Bloodworm6/1/2009
  Q: Don't know if you are the right person to address this to. I accidently (thought I was buying 12 ...
  A: I wouldn't worry about it as long as it still remained cold. I've re-frozen fish food (worms, ...
guppys4/25/2009
  Q: how long does it take for the female to have babies from the time she is in with the males? and what ...
  A: Female guppies are pregnant for 28 to 38 days. The warmer the water, the shorter the "gestation ...
Iridescent sharks4/24/2009
  Q: i have a 25 cm iridescent shark which has sort of tumors at its fins near the body and its tail is ...
  A: Iridescents grow to be over 3 feet long and are a very hyperactive and nervous fish. Yours should be ...
Iridescent sharks4/24/2009
  Q: i have a 25 cm iridescent shark which has sort of tumors at its fins near the body and its tail is ...
  A: Can you get a picture of it and send it to me as an attachment to a followup question? It's hard to ...
Fish stays at bottom4/24/2009
  Q: I have a 40 gallon tank with two gold fishes and one Koi fish. Since 2 days I am seeing all three ...
  A: Based on their behavior it could be one or more of a number of things; parasites, bacterial ...
Bala Shark mystery4/23/2009
  Q: We have three Bala Sharks and I walked in the room yesterday morning to start the tank's light ...
  A: I would suspect that one of your nocturnal fish is nipping the others at night when they can't see ...
55 gallon fish tank.4/23/2009
  Q: im having a issue with my fish tank. i set it up a week ago. its been running with only water in the ...
  A: It's probably just from the rocks. Even with diligent cleaning there can be microscopic particles ...
I've just setup my first aquarium4/22/2009
  Q: I have just setup my very first aquarium, I have added the tap water, gravel and my silk plants ...
  A: I'm so glad you have a nice big tank to work with! You will have fun with this as long as you start ...
possible sick fish4/22/2009
  Q: I don't remember the of the fish but if this helps there are orange, green, red & yellow of these ...
  A: Without a description of the lump I am at a disadvantage I'm afraid. If you could tell me what it ...
looks like bubbles on oscar fish4/21/2009
  Q: We have an oscar for about a year now and i maintain the chemicals in the tank it stays clean about ...
  A: Bubbles sticking to him shouldn't be a problem if it's just from the filter making bubbles or from ...
disease4/20/2009
  Q: i own 2 red cap oranda goldfish and today i went to feed them and noticed that 1 was dead. both the ...
  A: Prevention is the key. Avoiding stress in your fish by keeping water conditions good is your best ...
disease4/20/2009
  Q: i own 2 red cap oranda goldfish and today i went to feed them and noticed that 1 was dead. both the ...
  A: Velvet is much harder to see. It looks like yellowish-gold colored dust. Ich is more obviously ...
disease4/19/2009
  Q: i own 2 red cap oranda goldfish and today i went to feed them and noticed that 1 was dead. both the ...
  A: It sounds like a serious case of Ich, a protozoan parasite. Sometimes it's called "Ick". You need a ...
How do I know whether fish has disease?4/19/2009
  Q: One of my fish has a white spot on the tip of its top fin. If it is a disease what are the signs. ...
  A: If the spot has stayed the same and has never reproduced I would say it's probably a scar or wart or ...
Overdose of Coppersafe4/18/2009
  Q: Long time!! Wish I wasn't here - but I lost 6 fish yesterday... sniff. I have a 55 gal tank no amm, ...
  A: I don't think it's velvet. The copper would have handled it by now. Or, maybe it WAS velvet or just ...
What is wrong with my rainbow shark?4/18/2009
  Q: Chris, I have a rainbow shark and I noticed today that he/she is floating at the top of the tank ...
  A: If all the water chemistry, temperature, oxygen level, etc., is fine and the other fish seem okay he ...
Overdose of Coppersafe4/17/2009
  Q: Long time!! Wish I wasn't here - but I lost 6 fish yesterday... sniff. I have a 55 gal tank no amm, ...
  A: I would continue with the water changes (maybe 20% or so every day for 3 or 4 more days) and change ...
'hairy' goldfish4/16/2009
  Q: ! The remaining fish (about 8) look 'hairy'. I consulted my local pet store and was advised to ...
  A: Oh my. I'm so sorry you and your fish have been going through this. Somewhere you were given some ...
Help4/16/2009
  Q: i bought 2 fish from the pet shop today both orlanda's and fan tails and i noticed one of them had ...
  A: The tank is really small for more than one goldfish. Especially since it's so new. New tanks can't ...
Fish dying after water change4/15/2009
  Q: I am having trouble with my 55 gallon tank. It has the filter that hangs on the back of the tank. On ...
  A: It's possible you added too much salt at one time. What was the dosage? A good initial dose is 1/2 ...
Ammonia levels will not drop4/15/2009
  Q: I have a 25 gallon tank that's been set up for about 6 weeks now. After the tank cycled I went ahead ...
  A: The nitrogen cycle is commonly misunderstood so it's important for me to know how you got your tank ...
Help4/14/2009
  Q: i bought 2 fish from the pet shop today both orlanda's and fan tails and i noticed one of them had ...
  A: "Swim bladder" is not actually a disease that is contagious to other fish. The swim bladder is an ...
black moor turning gold4/13/2009
  Q: I have 1 black moor fish in a 10-15 litre tank. we regularly change the tank probably once every 2 ...
  A: Many goldfish change colors over most of their lives, often going through several color variations ...
Angelfish4/13/2009
  Q: I have a 31 gallon tank with 5 angels and 2 clown loaches, the person at the pet store said there ...
  A: What a shame that the person at the fish store gave you such incorrect advice. You would need at ...
black fin shark4/12/2009
  Q: my tank has been set up for 3 months.i have a 10 gallon tank.i have a black fin shark.i have 10 fish ...
  A: I'm not sure what your question is, but I can tell you that blackfin sharks are not suitable for a ...
Fire Eel4/12/2009
  Q: I have a fire eel, about 5 years old in a 38 gallon tank. He has been in there alone for about 1 ...
  A: Poor guy. It could any number of things; bacterial, fungal and/or parasitic. I don't know if the ...
Otocincluses4/11/2009
  Q: Just wanted to find out if large enough goldfish(exp)Ryukin,Oranda,etc.,will eat Otocincluses or are ...
  A: Goldfish will eat anything it can get in it's mouth, as most fish will. It doesn't matter if it's ...
Puffer fish4/11/2009
  Q: How u doing my question is I have 2 puffers in my 75 gallon tank everything was fine for the first ...
  A: What a tragedy, I'm so sorry this has happened. Make sure you get the whole body of the puffer out ...
Goldfish turning black?4/10/2009
  Q: I have a 40 gallon Jewel Aquarium with 2 goldfish - one is red and the other is gold/white in ...
  A: The black can continue to appear after the exposure to ammonia is over. It's a sign of healing. It ...
Sick Fish4/9/2009
  Q: INFORMATION: I have a 2ft tank with 3 5cm fancy & 3 comet goldfish I use filtered purified water ...
  A: Your tank is just too small for so many goldfish. They have succumbed to the often subtle effects of ...
Goldfish turning black?4/9/2009
  Q: I have a 40 gallon Jewel Aquarium with 2 goldfish - one is red and the other is gold/white in ...
  A: It sounds like whatever was wrong is indeed going away. The black areas are probably where the skin ...
Possible fungal infection and fin rot4/8/2009
  Q: I am a really desperate owner of 2 baby goldfish which i just got 2 week ago. Moopy, a black moor, ...
  A: It's probably not a disease I'm afraid. It's the effects of "New Tank Syndrome" from too small a ...
Black Wormy Things in Filter Media4/8/2009
  Q: I have a 60 gallon African Cichlid tank that has been up for about 8 months. I have about 8 ...
  A: I've seen those before too and they seem to only be eating excess waste in the filter and sometimes ...
Floating Fire Eel4/7/2009
  Q: I admit off the bat that I am a beginner. Generally I research "additions to our family" in depth ...
  A: I'm so sorry it took me so long to respond. I've been sick with the flu so I had a hard time ...
I'm a beginner aquarist4/6/2009
  Q: I've had an aquarium 5 days ago and i added some chemicals named diamond to remove chlorine ...
  A: It isn't disease, your tank is just too new for so many fish so soon and too small for the types of ...
angels4/6/2009
  Q: My wife and i just purchased a 55 gallon aquarium and we wanted to put angel fish in it as well as ...
  A: I've kept angels with all those types of fish and many more. Charts are subject to the opinions of ...
Lionhead with bulge on belly lying at bottom of tank..4/5/2009
  Q: My Lionhead goldfish is resting at the bottom of the tank today in his hiding spot (all of the fish ...
  A: Internal infection in large fish is very difficult if not impossible to diagnose and treat without ...
Lionhead with bulge on belly lying at bottom of tank..4/4/2009
  Q: My Lionhead goldfish is resting at the bottom of the tank today in his hiding spot (all of the fish ...
  A: It could possibly be as simple as constipation, or could be an internal infection, organ ...
water hardness & alkalinity4/4/2009
  Q: I've got a couple different issues and I'm having a hard time finding a good solution to all of ...
  A: You do have a lot of fish in there for such a new tank. It is unfortunately very common for fish ...
dropsy4/3/2009
  Q: my tri-colour oranda died last week and im gutted, she was a asian import, paid £50 and must have ...
  A: I'm so sorry she didn't make it. I know how tough it is to lose a beloved pet. Dropsy isn't really ...
High PH!!4/3/2009
  Q: Hey!! My Ph is crazy high. My 2 hardy zebra danios are ok with my 8.5 ph, but I'd like a few ...
  A: Test the water right out of the tap to see what the pH is. Also leave a container of tap water ...
Smelly tank.4/2/2009
  Q: I changed my 10g tank water last week as usual but ever since then it reeks like swamp or mold ...
  A: Your tank has just become far too small for the fish you have. Your fish have probably grown since ...
tank matters4/1/2009
  Q: i was wondering if you could provide me with a little background on common freshwater deseases and ...
  A: It would take a great deal of typing on my part to explain it all to you here. Instead, here is a ...
VERY Low Ph4/1/2009
  Q: I have a tank that is 120cm long x 37w x 45h. I think it holds around 170 litres of water. (Sorry ...
  A: I think you are right, the tank just isn't big enough for both fish. Their carnivorous diet adds a ...
white cotton fungus & ghost shrimp2/17/2009
  Q: I have a 55 gal. tank with 2 large danios,1 large golfish,1 cory cat,and approx. 10 ghost shrimp. My ...
  A: The cottony spots are probably attached to a tiny bit of dead tissue from an injury or area of ...
Cloudy Water2/16/2009
  Q: I have set up a new tank on Saturday and am completely new to looking after tropical fish. I set up ...
  A: It is still safe for fish, just unsightly. Cloudy water is pretty common in a new tank but if it's ...
New Tank Setup2/16/2009
  Q: I have an Eclipse aquarium system 12 gallon tank that was 1/2 filled with old water, but had not ...
  A: Tap water is just fine. Just use a water conditioner. RO water should only be used to correct a ...
clown loach ich2/15/2009
  Q: I recently added two clown loaches into my community tank without first quarantining them. After ...
  A: You should treat the main tank too. Some of the ich spots on the clown loaches may have already ...
New aquarium setup mistake2/14/2009
  Q: I made the mistake of setting my aquarium up and stocking it too soon. The aquarium is a 30 gallon ...
  A: If the fish are small, they might make it okay. Watch the levels of ammonia and nitrite (not ...
White Bumps On Fin2/14/2009
  Q: I am hoping you can help me out. I have a 75 gallon that's been up for over a year with 5 goldfish ...
  A: It sounds like a parasite called Anchor Worm, scientifically known as Lernaea Elegans. They have to ...
thank you!2/13/2009
  Q: I couldn't find a link to thank you or give a review. So...THANK YOU!!! Your advice re: hiding ...
  A: Use the gravel from the older tank to get the new one started. Don't rinse it or anything, yucky ...
fresh water puffer fish2/13/2009
  Q: I've only had this fish for about two weeks. I bought this freshwater puffer fish. i noticed after a ...
  A: Puffers are a fish that require a special diet of live baby fish, shrimp and/or worms. They also ...
my gold fish are hiding...ALL THE TIME2/12/2009
  Q: I have two "feeder" goldfish that have now grown to 3+ inches since I got them. I started this 5.5 ...
  A: I think they are stressed so they are hiding out. There are a few things that are probably ...
silver mollys2/11/2009
  Q: she has a bigger belly then the male could she be pregnant and if so how can i tell when she is ...
  A: Clown Loaches get really big, over 10 inches long and they might pick at your guppies. They are very ...
Albinow Rainbow Fish2/11/2009
  Q: Our pet Albino Rainbow fish has a bump on its left fin. What is that? Is the fish getting sick or ...
  A: It depends on what is causing the lump. Some parasites appear as lumps or bumps and so do injuries. ...
silver mollys2/10/2009
  Q: she has a bigger belly then the male could she be pregnant and if so how can i tell when she is ...
  A: If your mollies are just swimming up close to the top it's pretty normal to do that when they are ...
Plogastamus2/9/2009
  Q: I have a plogastamus now for around four months. Recently the animal has bloated up. I do not know ...
  A: Your Plecostomus may just be very well fed. Or, it is possible you have a female that is full of ...
Fish desease2/9/2009
  Q: I have recently switched from salt water to fresh water fish. At present I have added community ...
  A: It sounds like an internal problem such as dropsy, or it could even be internal parasites. If your ...
stocking my tank2/8/2009
  Q: I have a 29 gallon tank that has been set up and established for about 1 1/2 years. I have 4 cory ...
  A: Whatever you decide to add, just do so slowly. Add 3 or 4 small fish and wait a week before you add ...
Nitrite/Ammonia - Follow-up from Nicole's Thread2/7/2009
  Q: Good Evening! I have been asking a few questions about my Tank cycle to Nicole S and as she is on ...
  A: You just have to be patient and give it more time. Don't get new fish until the ammonia and nitrite ...
fish2/6/2009
  Q: hi my names neena and i have an important question we have a goldfish and it looks like it scales ...
  A: I can't help without more information to help me figure out what's wrong. Before you write back to ...
peacock eel care2/6/2009
  Q: I just got a peacock eel about 2 weeks ago and I'm just now researching about them but I can't seem ...
  A: Peacock Eels are in the Spiny Eel family. They don't like to eat dried foods, especially when trying ...
angels and roseline shark2/5/2009
  Q: I have a 55 gallon freshwater aquarium. I have 5 small blushing angel fish, 7 glo fish, 4 rummynose ...
  A: I think your angels are just too aggressive for roselines. Roselines are very peaceful and need to ...
Slime Coat - Goldfish2/4/2009
  Q: I wonder if you can help me? Last week I lost one of my Goldfish to a parasite infestation. He was ...
  A: I'm so sorry you lost your old fish. That's a shame. Your new fish is probably shedding some dead ...
Pregnant Guppy?2/4/2009
  Q: I have a 10 gallon aquarium that has been set up for a couple of weeks. We just moved and ...
  A: It's possible she could be ready to have babies, but it's also possible she's experiencing the ...
Help!2/2/2009
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank that I have had set up for about 4 months. I have 16 medium-sized fish from ...
  A: I would immediately do a 25% water change and get the water tested. If it's from a toxin spike the ...
Japanese Trapdoor Snail2/1/2009
  Q: Today I had bought a Japanese Tapdoor at the local pet store to add to my 1.8 gallon tank that we ...
  A: Well, I'm really not a snail expert but I did find a site you may be interested in looking over. You ...
Weird big insect1/20/2009
  Q: The tank's been set up for about 4 months. I'm not sure I think it may be 60 gallons. We have 3 ...
  A: It could be a Dragonfly Larvae or the larvae of the Predaceous Diving Beetle. They both have six ...
Sick rainbow fish1/20/2009
  Q: I have a 20 gallon community tank that I have had 6 months. It was purchased from a friend complete ...
  A: Whatever it is has probably been treated successfully by the medications. The rainbow may have had ...
dalmation molly stays at top of tank1/19/2009
  Q: I got my fish tank for Christmas. The water has been in for 2 weeks. The tank is 12 gallons. It ...
  A: Great! I'm glad it wasn't something more serious. Hopefully she will be okay and so will the rest of ...
you mentioned little black bugs1/19/2009
  Q: You perfectly described the same thing I have going in my 55gal. I also have a lava rock inside ...
  A: Are you asking me a question about something specific? Or, are you just making a general comment ...
Red spots on my goldfish1/18/2009
  Q: I noticed some red spots on my goldfish today, they are large on the scales and small spots on the ...
  A: Without any information about your tank such as; how long it's been set up, type of filtration, tank ...
Fish swimming at top1/18/2009
  Q: I changed the water in my 10 gallon tank Saturday. My 4 tiger barbs are swimming at he top alot and ...
  A: Poor guys. They're in shock. It was just too much for them to change 75% of the water at a time. The ...
oscar hit top of tank so hard he is floating1/17/2009
  Q: I don't know what to do. Im hoping he is stunned and will be ok....he was fine just spitting out ...
  A: Poor guy. The only thing you can do is wait it out. Hopefully he will recover on his own with time. ...
Diseases1/16/2009
  Q: I have a Guourami which I have had for 12 months now and it appears to have a small swelling on his ...
  A: It may be a tumor or a cyst. There really isn't anything you can do though. Since he seems to act ...
dalmation molly stays at top of tank1/16/2009
  Q: I got my fish tank for Christmas. The water has been in for 2 weeks. The tank is 12 gallons. It ...
  A: Your dalmatian is probably just the first of the bunch to react to "New Tank Syndrome". It's the ...
worried about gill flukes, or is it something else?1/15/2009
  Q: I was hoping you could help me out. I have a tank with 4 large Oranda Goldfish and I've notice that ...
  A: Those are the symptoms of gill disease but it could be bacterial. Often flukes lead to infection ...
Anacharis Growth/Oddness1/15/2009
  Q: I have a question on the growth pattern of the bunched plants called anacharis (I think that's how ...
  A: I have had the same problem with anacharis too. I'm not a plant expert but I'll tell you what helped ...
oscars and jack dempsey lighting1/14/2009
  Q: i have just purchased an oscar and a jack dempsey and could'nt remember if they needed constant ...
  A: Unless there are live plants, the tank lights are actually for us. You only need them on when you ...
HELP..THEY ARE DYING FAST!!!!!!1/13/2009
  Q: IT IS 3 AM IN THE MORNING AND MY FISH ARE DROPPING OFF FAST .WE HAD A FRIEND WHO KNEW HOW TO MOVE ...
  A: They are probably in shock. It may be worse to move them to a bucket at this point, adding to their ...
sick silver dollars with ich1/13/2009
  Q: I have 55 tank with 2 bala sharks, 3 tinfoil barbs, 2 African cichlids, and 3 silver dollars. The pH ...
  A: Relax and take a deep breath......Okay, there are a few things you can do, but it doesn't include ...
fish die after tank cleaning.1/12/2009
  Q: I have a 20gal tank that has been running for about 5-6 months. I have a aquaclear 30 filter, ...
  A: Great detail in your info. Thanks, it's very helpful! It looks like everything you are doing is ...
disease1/11/2009
  Q: I have a black molly who near it's rear has white fungus looking stuff. A couple days before it ...
  A: It could be injury from another fish or infection. Could even be irritation from constipation. It's ...
needlefish pic1/10/2009
  Q:
  A: There are parasites that are encapsulated in nodules like that but I don't really know much about ...
lump on my gold fishes head1/10/2009
  Q: I just got a goldfish from the pet store and now it has a lump on its head and it wasnt there where ...
  A: Without any information about your tank and your fish it is difficult to say. It could be an injury, ...
Fin Rot on Angelfish1/9/2009
  Q: When I first purchased Marble Veil Angelfish, I did not notice until days later, after putting her ...
  A: I would isolate the fish to the other tank for sure. Just a bare tank though, no gravel, no ...
Brown Algae vs. Silver tipped sharks1/9/2009
  Q: I have three Silver tipped sharks and a placastomous in a 55 gallon tank. They all started in a 10 ...
  A: The brown algae isn't hurting the fish. It's actually very common in tanks in the break-in period. ...
Iredescent shark fin falling off1/8/2009
  Q: I have had a Iridescent shark for almost 6 years now he's around 18in long in a 45gal tank and last ...
  A: He may have injured himself and it became infected. Fish that size really need medicines injected ...
Something odd that I've noticed in the last few fish that I've lost1/7/2009
  Q: I am not sure if you can help me, but you seemed to be the only expert that might have the knowledge ...
  A: There are many possible causes for spinal curvature, which is what I think you see as your fish ...
convict cichlid fish1/7/2009
  Q: my fish has a skin disease that has developed over the past 4 days let me know if u need a pic. some ...
  A: It could be an infection, organ failure, etc., but it could also be from injury. You have aggressive ...
Molly swimming oddly1/6/2009
  Q: I have a 15 gallon fish tank that's been set up for a week. There are 2 mollys, 4 guppies, a frog, a ...
  A: I would suspect that oxygen levels are low and that's why she is gasping, perhaps she is a weaker ...
blue dragon eels1/6/2009
  Q: I have a 10 gallon tank(hoping to go bigger)ive just started out and when looking through the stores ...
  A: Slow down. It's not good to keep buying fish when you don't have adequate space set up for them yet. ...
sunburst platy1/5/2009
  Q: they were left adjust to the water in my tank for fifteen minutes and then left in. when they were ...
  A: Platies are indeed livebearing fish. Probably what you are seeing is underdeveloped embryos still in ...
blue dragon eels1/5/2009
  Q: I have a 10 gallon tank(hoping to go bigger)ive just started out and when looking through the stores ...
  A: Since I can't see his size and how much food you are putting in I really can't say. It's a tough ...
betta1/4/2009
  Q: I just got a new betta fish. I wanted to get him a filter and heater, but my parents refused, so we ...
  A: A one gallon size tank is the very smallest tank your new little friend should live in to be ...
algae problem1/4/2009
  Q: my algae is out of hand I think it is green algae.I have tropical semi-aggreives fish I had baby ...
  A: Algae needs two essential things to thrive; Light and Fertilizer. Fertilizer for algae comes in the ...
water parameters/hydra1/3/2009
  Q: Answers to your 'Instructions by Experts': -How long has your tank been set up? About, maybe, three ...
  A: If you noticed a rise in ammonia, then nitrite at some point then your tank has probably completed ...
blue dragon eels1/3/2009
  Q: I have a 10 gallon tank(hoping to go bigger)ive just started out and when looking through the stores ...
  A: Your tank is actually too small for even one dragon eel, more commonly known as the "Dragon Goby" or ...
Brown/orange dust in tank12/20/2008
  Q: I bought my son a 15 gallon tank, since we have started we have had a problem with this brownish ...
  A: Your tank just needs time to break in. The brownish-orange stuff is just a type of algae. Brown ...
Will this work?12/19/2008
  Q: Jellybean cichlid under 2" and goldfish? I read somewhere that if kept alone the jellybean is ...
  A: Cichlids are tropical (warm water) fish that need 76f or higher all the time. Goldfish are cold ...
Pregnant platy??12/19/2008
  Q: my tank has been set up for 3 or 4 weeks now its 38L i've got 6 or 7 guppies and 3 platies, the ...
  A: Platies and guppies are pregnant for about 4 to 6 weeks. There's really nothing you can do to speed ...
fish waste12/18/2008
  Q: Can you tell me a litle something about fish waste,its effect on the tank chemistry and how to ...
  A: You have asked a lot of questions but hopefully I can answer all of them well enough to tell you ...
pet snail12/18/2008
  Q: i brought home a pet water snail about two night ago. he was doing fine, until i woke up. he was on ...
  A: Snails will often "go on vacation" and appear to be dead when they aren't. We don't always know why. ...
Fish Suggestions12/17/2008
  Q: 55 Long - Set-up 11/08 (upgraded from 30L to 55L) 2-6.5in irry sharks, 2-4in irry sharks, 3 blk ...
  A: Convicts would be fine in there but keep in mind that they breed like rabbits, very prolific. They ...
Guppies12/17/2008
  Q: I think my guppies are pregenant.If they are what should I do? They both have gravid spots.
  A: I really can't tell by the photos but if they have ever been with male fish they probably are ...
diseases/fish keep dying12/16/2008
  Q: Why do I keep losing fish? I'm new at this, have set up twice now and lost all fish, except ...
  A: I need more information in order to help you; What size is the tank? What kinds of fish are you ...
My plecostomus has developed cloudy eyes12/16/2008
  Q: my tank is 10 years old, 30 gallons, I only have one plecostomus ( sucker fish ), he is 7 years old, ...
  A: He really needs water changes more often. His eyes and fins may be irritated and/or infected from ...
hi12/15/2008
  Q: my name is mansi from India.I have bought two red paroots fishes two days back and i am new to ...
  A: The following website has all the information you need, including proper water temperature, facts ...
My new oscar tank12/15/2008
  Q: i do have a few questions though before i go out and buy one, firstly i know that oscars are messy ...
  A: There really isn't any fish that will help your oscar tank stay clean. All fish produce waste so ...
Tank Maintenance12/14/2008
  Q: I an very new at this hobby, I have a tank holding approximately 25 - 30 gallons with a few ...
  A: It is best not to ever totally clean out a tank. It disrupts the biological balance and causes it to ...
Parasites "IN" Needlefish?12/14/2008
  Q: Tank information: Setup for 3+ years 55 gallon 1 Senegal Bichar 2 Pictus Cats 2 Needlefish 1 Pleco ...
  A: It's possible they are the cysts from that particular parasite. It's really hard to see in the ...
Goldies are sitting on bottom and barely breathing immediately after tank cleaning12/13/2008
  Q: and a black Moor, she's 3-4 inches. I have a 10 Gallon tank, filled with tap water, couple of ...
  A: I forgot to mention that "Easy Balance" doesn't remove chlorine, even though it claims to be a water ...
My angel fish's torn fin.12/7/2008
  Q: My tank has been set up more more than three months. My tank is a 55 gallon. I think its a ...
  A: It does look like it has a small slit in the fin, is that what you are asking about? It should heal ...
Is this a disease???12/6/2008
  Q: Ok so i have had my 10 gal. tank up for two years and i have 7 fish.Water conditions are average and ...
  A: If the spots multiply, it's a parasite called "Ich" or "Ick". The fish store will have medicine for ...
my oscar12/6/2008
  Q: I bought an albino oscar a few days ago and it is just laying in the corner of my tank witch I have ...
  A: He may still be in shock or he is being bullied and/or intimidated by the other oscar. The other guy ...
Blackmoor is now a Redmoor???12/5/2008
  Q: I have a Blackmoor fish (approx 2-3 yrs old)in a well filtered tank, with living plants and regular ...
  A: Without knowing anything at all about the size of his tank, the size of your fish, your maintenance ...
sick fish12/4/2008
  Q: i am having a problem with my goldfish. It sits down at the bottom of the tank and looks like its ...
  A: It does sound like a swim bladder issue, but it sounds like he has fin and tail rot too. Swim ...
Aquarium stocking ?12/4/2008
  Q: I have 5 tiger barbs, 2 pictus cats, and a rainbow shark in a 29 gallon tank (30 inches long). It is ...
  A: I think the population and mix is just fine. Their temperaments are similar and they all should be ...
betta fish12/3/2008
  Q: My 5 year old daughter's betta fish has not eaten anything for 24 hours and very little for the past ...
  A: I actually did answer your question through the AllExperts system yesterday, I only rejected the ...
freshwater tank12/3/2008
  Q: What do you think of this arrangement for a 30 gallon tank: 2x angelfish 6x tetras 1x ram cichlid ...
  A: Looks fine to me. There are many different types of rainbows and tetras though. Stick to the larger ...
Oscars in a 28 gallon tank12/2/2008
  Q: I have a bow front 28 gallon tank, and would like to get an Oscar. I realize this is below the ...
  A: I personally don't recommend keeping even one oscar in a tank under 50 gallons. I'm so glad you care ...
Sick Oranda12/2/2008
  Q: I have a quick question about my oranda goldfish. Zippy, as he is known is a 2 year old calico ...
  A: If he appears to have Hemorrhagic Septicemia the M2 may help. It's better if you can use a medicated ...
Red Honey Dwarf Gourami11/13/2008
  Q: I have this red honey dwarf gourami that its body is 3/4 black, the others are all ok. None of the ...
  A: He may be getting bullied or threatened by other fish and trying to hide. Fish change color when ...
Balloon Molly w/ poss. prolapsed intestine11/13/2008
  Q: I have a 3 year old baloon molly who I think may have a prolapsed intestine, but I'm not sure. I've ...
  A: Ouch. It does look like a prolapse. You could try fasting her for a few days and then feeding ...
New tank11/12/2008
  Q: My daughters received a 1 gallon tank for their birthday. We went to the store and brought 2 Blue ...
  A: The fins should grow back as long as they don't get infected. Make a daily partial water change to ...
sick fish !!11/11/2008
  Q: I won my betta in afair 4 month ago. My betta lives in a 5 gallon tank by herself. I have a filter ...
  A: Melafix doesn't help with established infections, especially nasty ones such as columnaris and ...
beta11/11/2008
  Q: My dauhgter's beta fish is hanging at the bottom of the bowl and seems to be bloated- he eats when I ...
  A: It sounds like your betta could be constipated and may be developing a swim bladder issue as well. ...
sick fish !!11/10/2008
  Q: I won my betta in afair 4 month ago. My betta lives in a 5 gallon tank by herself. I have a filter ...
  A: It sounds like it could be constipation but could also be a bacterial infection along with it. I ...
Breeding/Medicine11/10/2008
  Q: Yeah this is two semi-unrelated question. The first is that I have a serious hydra outbreak in ...
  A: I've never had to deal with Hydra but here is a link to an article by another hobbyist and what they ...
goldfish black spots11/8/2008
  Q: Tank has been set up for a few months.Had them in another tank, upgraded to this one. 55 gallon ...
  A: The black may be part of their normal coloration or could even be scarring from ammonia burns in the ...
Iridescent Sharks11/8/2008
  Q: My tank has been set up for over 4 years, it is a 44 gallon, the only fish I now have are Iridescent ...
  A: I'm afraid you're right. They are way too big for the tank. Test the water in their tank. You may ...
tropical fishtank bugs11/7/2008
  Q: well i have these littl whit bugs and they dont stick to the glass the just swim around,from far ...
  A: The bugs are just a harmless little water critter. They often exist in our tanks in very small ...
Dalmation Molly swimming vertically11/7/2008
  Q: I have 2 dalmatian mollies (Louis & Daisy) and 1 dalmatian lyritail molly (Lilly). My 10 gallon ...
  A: When a fish starts spiraling and swimming erratically it is usually an internal problem. There are ...
Shubunkins11/6/2008
  Q: I've been talking about getting fish for a while now but never got round to it - so imagine my ...
  A: Wow! Willing to live on toast for your fish.... Now that's dedication! I would opt for the regular ...
No Nitrates seen after 4 weeks11/6/2008
  Q: I have a small Eclipse system 3 (3 gallon) setup and I'm trying to do a fish cycle with 2 zebra ...
  A: It may have come up and dropped already, or altering the pH has stressed the bacteria colonies or ...
Shubunkins11/5/2008
  Q: I've been talking about getting fish for a while now but never got round to it - so imagine my ...
  A: Shibunkins are indeed very nice fish but they really can't live in such a small container. They are ...
Bloated Betta11/5/2008
  Q: My betta fish has recently become bloated. I have 5 female betta fish all sharing a ten gallon ...
  A: I would try the fasting/pea treatment. If that doesn't work then epsom salt may help. Here is a web ...
Pacu11/4/2008
  Q: our tank has been set up for 3 years.It is 100 gallons. Balla shark and a Pacu and 3 algae eaters. ...
  A: "Lights out" can really freak fish out, and it's actually on a primitive level. They instinctively ...
baby fish in an aquarium net11/4/2008
  Q: I have several litters of baby guppies, how long do they need to stay in the net by my themselves?
  A: Once the babies are too big to be eaten by the largest fish you have they are pretty safe. It's ...
Fish tank issues11/3/2008
  Q: I have a couple of questions regarding my freshwater tank set-up. 1) I have a 160L(42 gallons) ...
  A: The tank just needs to settle down and balance out after adding the new fish. The discus are ...
My ID shark isnt eating.11/3/2008
  Q: my 90 gallon fish tank had been set up for about a month and a half. I have a 9 inch Iridescent ...
  A: The offered foods are just fine. He may just be lonely because Iridescents prefer others of their ...
sick tire track eel11/2/2008
  Q: How long has your tank been set up?- over 90 days- How big is your tank?-10 gal (this is only temp I ...
  A: I really think you just need to get them into a bigger tank right away. The blue lobster is ...
goldfish info11/2/2008
  Q: i would like to know if a female goldfish is constipated can she still lay eggs? also if she is ...
  A: A constipated goldfish will have trouble laying eggs so whether it affects her egg production isn't ...
Help My Baby Oscar10/26/2008
  Q: My Oscar was doing great - We tried feeding him Oscar Grow but he wouldnt eat it, so we tried meal ...
  A: Earthworms really should not have caused a problem. They are a good food. It may have caused ...
upside down catfish10/25/2008
  Q: Chris, I purchased a standard upside down catfish (I do not know the scientific name although i ...
  A: That is quite old for both fish! You must be doing a very good job! Cataracts would be pretty normal ...
Sick Balloon Molly?10/24/2008
  Q: My balloon molly has white little dots on it's body and fins. I'm not sure if it is sick, or it's ...
  A: The filter should be running all the time. If you are referring to the filter cartridges or pads ...
fish had babies10/24/2008
  Q: We have a 30 gallon tank with mostly community fish. One of our mollies had babies. We did the ...
  A: The babies can go with your other fish when they are too big to be eaten by the parents. This is ...
Cremecicle Lyratail Mollie10/23/2008
  Q: I have a 10 gallon fish tank with 4 mollies. One black male one black white spotted female one white ...
  A: Fish have a natural protective slime coating all over their bodies. When they are stressed, it goes ...
fish not eating10/23/2008
  Q: My goldfish, who is at least 10 years old, has been on the bottom of the tank for sum time now ...
  A: It does sound like a swim bladder problem. Swim bladder failure can be caused by several different ...
Tropical Aquarium10/21/2008
  Q: I have 5 Gall Marineland Eclipse Tank that I want to start up for my kids. Before I get started - I ...
  A: Danios are pretty hardy little guys. They are schooling fish though so there should be at least 3 of ...
Tall Tank Aeration?10/21/2008
  Q: I just acquired a used custom built display tank at a great price and I am in the midst of setting ...
  A: I don't think that's going to be too much air. It is wise to add bubbles, especially in taller tanks ...
snail death10/14/2008
  Q: I read with interest a question and answer about a ramshorn snail floating around the freshwater ...
  A: You really just have to wait and see but there are a couple of things you can try to check if he's ...
can i put a orange10/13/2008
  Q: can i put an orange molly about 1.5 in long and some big gold fish and 8 little facy gold fish this ...
  A: Without knowing what size tank your friend has, I really can't say if it will work or not. Adding so ...
fish colour fading10/12/2008
  Q: I am not going to be of much help to you with info. I have inherited a tank (90 gallon I think. ...
  A: Without knowing what kind of fish they are I really can't say what could be going on. Fish will ...
Beta can't chew food pellets10/11/2008
  Q: I've had 2 beta fish for about 6 weeks. I use the large, clear vases as their bowl. I change the ...
  A: There are three issues that come to mind as possibilities here; 1) It's very possible he has some ...
filters10/11/2008
  Q: My wife has a 35 gal Hexagon fish tank. We have topical fish.Guppies tetras and catfish. The filter ...
  A: You might be able to get an extension for the intake tube to add to the filter you already have. ...
murky water10/10/2008
  Q: i have a 29 gal tank that i moved to a new apartment in aug. i have a big black moor, a pleco who ...
  A: I'm so sorry to be delayed in answering your question. My browser crashed when I tried to answer ...
fish disease10/10/2008
  Q: In my tank I currently have 3 silver moon gouramis, 4 rummy noses, 5 Cory cats and 2 plecos. I have ...
  A: Redness usually indicates bacterial infection. "Maracyn Two" is usually the recommended treatment ...
Tetra question10/9/2008
  Q: 1yr 11mo 11 gallons Fancy goldfish and tetras 2 goldfish, 2 blackskirted tetras, 7 rummynose tetras, ...
  A: Your pH is just fine where it is. Trying to alter it will cause fluctuations that can be deadly to ...
what would you suggest?10/8/2008
  Q: I set up a 5 gallon tank about 4 months ago.....finally got the water perfect....changed it about a ...
  A: You will probably have to get a heater because the fish I have in mind are all tropicals. Your tank ...
Moving fish to new aquarium?10/8/2008
  Q: I am a very new fish owner. I was just recently given a present of 3 glofish that came in a 1.5 ...
  A: It's going to be just as easy to move them as it was to bring them home. Bag them in their own tank ...
red cap fish10/7/2008
  Q: How to raise a newly born red cap fish??
  A: Raising baby fish is pretty easy really. Just keep them away from larger fish that could eat them, ...
cloudy, smelly water10/7/2008
  Q: Set up a 75 gallon freshwater tank almost two weeks ago. We have a lot of experience with aquariums ...
  A: If the color of the cloudiness is whitish or off-white, it's just from the break-in period. It will ...
ph is too high9/15/2008
  Q: The tank has been set up for 2 1/2 weeks, it is 55 gallons. Their are 6 neon tetras, 4 black phantom ...
  A: The pH in your tank is actually just fine. As your tank ages it will naturally drop lower anyway. ...
swordtail bulging eye9/14/2008
  Q: I just noticed one of my swordtails has a bulging eye that is full of blood. It was in a 55 gal ...
  A: It sounds like a rupture of blood vessels inside her eyeball after an episode of pop-eye. Just ...
Stocking9/13/2008
  Q: My established 30 gallon is understocked. I have four cories, 5 glowlights, 1 black neon and 2 ...
  A: Actually, when you add the 4 black neons and the 5 neons your tank will be a little above it's safe ...
goldfish spawning9/13/2008
  Q: I have a 120 litre freshwater tank with six goldfish in it, two commets and the rest fantails. My ...
  A: The only way to stop their breeding is to separate them. It sounds like it's getting pretty intense ...
Selecting fish for a new tank9/12/2008
  Q: I was looking at getting two dwarf puffer fish, four neon tetras and ideally a bottom feeder such as ...
  A: The first thing you need to know about is new tank syndrome. Here is my web page about it to help ...
jewel cichlids9/11/2008
  Q: I have a pair of jewel cichlids (Hemichromis bimaculatus), and they just ahd their first batch of ...
  A: Unfortunately, the parents will probably eat most of the babies as they get too crowded. If you want ...
Lesion on Head9/10/2008
  Q: I was gone for a few days only to return today and see that my Pachoo(sp)? has developed a large ...
  A: I think it's a "Pacu" that you have. I'm not sure what the lesion is without seeing it. Since it ...
EMERGENCY- ICK DIESEASE IN GOLDFISH9/9/2008
  Q: today I just noticed that my blackmoor and my oranda goldfish just devoloped small white spots and I ...
  A: Ich takes a week to ten days to cure. You might want to look carefully at the label on your medicine ...
Dead - all dead!9/8/2008
  Q: I've had a 20 liter tank with filter cartridges called 'tetra whisper' set up for 3-ish years. Our ...
  A: I would say water quality and overcrowding both had a hand in it. A 20 liter tank really can only ...
Odd white growths on new decorate rocks9/8/2008
  Q: First off, I'm going to give you all the details of my setup so you know what you're dealing with: ...
  A: It looks like a slime-mold that is consuming decaying organic matter off the rock. It's not ...
fish9/7/2008
  Q: i have a plattie that is pregnant.how long are they pregnant for? thanks
  A: About 6 weeks. You will know she is less than a week away from delivery when her belly develops a ...
Angel fish showing some wired signs9/7/2008
  Q: Angel fish showing some wired signs Hello sir, I’ve this tank setup for about 8 month. Tank Size: ...
  A: Is he being bullied by the others? Angelfish are territorial and aggressive fish in the cichlid ...
No Luck with Kissing Fish9/6/2008
  Q: I have had my 12-gallon tank set up for about a year now. I have two glowfish and 2 neon tetras. I ...
  A: Your tank is just too low in temperature and too small I'm afraid. They also need a different diet. ...
skin problem on Koi fish9/6/2008
  Q: the tank has bee set up for 2yrs, its a 30 gal., 3-Koi fish & 2-pleco, filter is a whisper, unk. on ...
  A: It sounds like mouth rot. It's a bacterial infection and is related to water quality. Make a 25% ...
growth on betta9/5/2008
  Q: This is my first fish ever so I'm am totally clueless of what's going on. I've had my betta for ...
  A: The water change was just fine and a very important thing to do. Your fish actually needs it every ...
betta water question9/5/2008
  Q: I have recently been emailing you, my betta did a sudden turn and abruptly stopped eating and not ...
  A: You are doing just fine. When I ran the pet store we changed our betta bowls every single day. It ...
how to take care of balloon ram9/4/2008
  Q: i bought 2 baby balloon rams 3 days ago frm my LFS, they were in terrible conditions and thir ...
  A: It probably isn't a worm but is indication of inflammation of the digestive tract. The mucousy ...
how to take care of balloon ram9/3/2008
  Q: i bought 2 baby balloon rams 3 days ago frm my LFS, they were in terrible conditions and thir ...
  A: Poor guys. You did what you could do for them but sometimes they just don't make it. Hopefully the ...
betta with growth on gill9/3/2008
  Q: we rescued our betta from a black nasty tank from a store while on vacation. we transported him for ...
  A: Bless you for rescuing that poor little guy! He's a lucky fish for sure. It's probably a tumor but ...
my pleco9/2/2008
  Q: I have a tank that i've had for about 9 months now, it is 60 gallons and a community tank. I have ...
  A: I would be reluctant to use something with a metal that isn't approved for aquarium use. You can buy ...
mouth disease9/2/2008
  Q: My drawf gourami has something wrong with his mouth today, I saw it when I woke up this morning. I ...
  A: Unless you have some idea of what's wrong, it's really a bad idea to just add medicines. It can make ...
female betta or male9/1/2008
  Q: hello today i bought 2 bettas and they are diffrent sizes and one of them i can see tiny white dots ...
  A: Without a male to breed with her body will just absorb the eggs eventually. You really don't have to ...
cloudy water9/1/2008
  Q: My tank has been set up for almost 2 months now. I have a 20 gallon long tank. I have a variety of ...
  A: Your tank is still in the break-in period and cloudiness is a very common symptom. It isn't ...
my pleco8/31/2008
  Q: I have a tank that i've had for about 9 months now, it is 60 gallons and a community tank. I have ...
  A: It's possible he's starving. Feed your pleco at night after the lights are out and he should get ...
Ich or Injury?8/30/2008
  Q: Chris! I'm hoping you can help me out.. I've a 26 gallon tank with 5 fish, two skirts, a cherry ...
  A: It could be in injury or even just a wart or something. Sometimes fish grow tumors too. I would ...
Guppies8/30/2008
  Q: I have two female guppies and one Male. I think that one of my females is pregnant, but how can I ...
  A: Guppies don't really have any early signs of pregnancy and it's nearly impossible to tell "how far ...
my new fish all died8/29/2008
  Q: i'm a new fish owner, just got a 25 g. tank, and read up about what to do on the internet through ...
  A: The main problem is "New Tank Syndrome". It starts when the first fish is added to the tank. A tank ...
most of the times my fishes sits down in the tank.8/29/2008
  Q: good evening!! i bought 3 new gold fishes...most of the times 2 of them sits down in the ...
  A: You haven't given me much information about your tank to be able to help you but since they are new ...
Oscars keep8/28/2008
  Q: my question is this.. recently i had bought this beautiful large oscar for my 75 gallon tank.. so ...
  A: I'm so glad they are better! The coral sand is indeed what is causing the elevation in pH. It is ...
Fresh Water Fish8/27/2008
  Q: How do I correct my fishes equilibrium?
  A: It depends on the cause whether it can be treated at all. Treatment also depends on what kind of ...
Sick fish8/26/2008
  Q: How long has your tank been set up?- 4 months How big is your tank?- 20 gallon What type of fish?- 4 ...
  A: Their bodies aren't always really bloated looking. Maybe just enough fluid has built up to cause the ...
Oscars keep "yawning"8/26/2008
  Q: my question is this.. recently i had bought this beautiful large oscar for my 75 gallon tank.. so ...
  A: Oscars "yawn" when their gills are irritated. It's probably from an ammonia and/or nitrite spike ...
compatibility parrot with severum8/25/2008
  Q: i have a couple of parrots & they are always hiding is there any solution? what is your idea about ...
  A: Your tank is just too small for more fish, especially more large cichlids. It's actually too small ...
Gold Mystery Snails8/25/2008
  Q: See I am going to start a fish tank. I am thinking about getting gold mystery snails and platies. ...
  A: Gold mystery snails and platies will get along just fine. Don't worry about the snails' shells. ...
parrot fish8/24/2008
  Q: My parrot fish have lay eggs in my little cave. I was trying to remember what color was fertilized. ...
  A: Unless they are actually in the act of spawning it's almost impossible to sex them because there are ...
Top Fin dechlorinator8/23/2008
  Q: The sample bottle of dechlorinator is gone so I bought Top Fin dechlorinator. I just changed the ...
  A: Don't worry, it isn't going to kill your fish. I have used very large doses of water conditioners ...
2 fish in tank have ailments8/23/2008
  Q: We have a 46 gallon tank, 75 degrees, Marineland Bio-wheel penguin power filter, water changes 15.3 ...
  A: It sounds like a swim bladder disorder. The swim bladder is a gas-filled organ inside the fish below ...
helppp ammonia to highhh8/22/2008
  Q: IVE HAD MY TANK FOR ABOUT 2 AND A HALF YEARS ITS A 75 GALLON. ITS CAME WITH 2 FISH IN IT ALREADY A ...
  A: The first thing to do when ammonia spikes is to make a water change. Replace 25% of the water and ...
Dying plecostomas8/22/2008
  Q: 3 years, 75 gallons, all peaceful, 20, emperor dual bio wheel and a magnum, 6.8ph, monthly, approx ...
  A: I would make more frequent water changes and vacuum the gravel more often. Plecos need very clean ...
I have 2 questions about 2 tanks.8/21/2008
  Q: My name is Kim we have a 10 gallon tank that has been up and running for about 6 months or more. We ...
  A: The goldfish are probably just getting too big for the tank finally. Try running an air pump to give ...
Dying plecostomas8/21/2008
  Q: 3 years, 75 gallons, all peaceful, 20, emperor dual bio wheel and a magnum, 6.8ph, monthly, approx ...
  A: Pleco deaths can be from dirty gravel, bullying by other fish, chronic high nitrates and, strangely ...
90 gallon planted tank8/20/2008
  Q: I am in the process of changing my 90 gallon cycled planted tank, and am looking for some new ...
  A: That sounds like a very nice mix of fish. Ropes can be delicate but you already have an elephant and ...
pleco,moly,fish deaths8/11/2008
  Q: My tank is running for about 4 months. The readings are fine for quite some time. I have been adding ...
  A: I'm so sorry you lost your favorite fish. That's a shame. There are many possible causes for his ...
parrots8/11/2008
  Q: i have 6 parrot fish in a 70 litre tank, they are still young but two pairs have now got fry.. i ...
  A: Some parrot fish are sterile, many are not. It was once thought that since they are a hybridized ...
types of fish?8/10/2008
  Q: I have a 10 gallon freshwater tank and 4 small fish in it. I was wanting to get a "sucker fish/ ...
  A: The best algae eater for small tanks is called "Otocinclus". They grow to be no larger than two ...
dying fish and plants8/10/2008
  Q: 15 gal set up 3 months ago (for father's day). initially set up with soil, drift wood, plants, sm ...
  A: It's okay to leave your filter alone as long as it flows freely. It may look pretty yucky but the ...
dying fish and plants8/9/2008
  Q: 15 gal set up 3 months ago (for father's day). initially set up with soil, drift wood, plants, sm ...
  A: Aloha Lorraine; The first losses within the first two months were due to New Tank Syndrome I'm ...
cotton ball looking algae8/8/2008
  Q: i have a 30 gal. tank that has been setup 1yr or longer. i have guppies and those pot bellied ...
  A: You didn't mention what color it is but if it's white fuzzy cotton balls, it isn't algae. White or ...
disease?8/8/2008
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank it has been set up for about 2 weeks i have two Oscar fish i have an emperor ...
  A: Your oscars have a parasite known as "Ich", Or "Ick". You can get a medication for it at your local ...
Stocking question8/7/2008
  Q: and thanks for your time. I am planning to set up a 210 gallon tank very soon, and plan to stock a ...
  A: Oh, GLASS knife....yes, very cool fish and indeed schooling which is unusual for that family. Baby ...
Stocking question8/7/2008
  Q: and thanks for your time. I am planning to set up a 210 gallon tank very soon, and plan to stock a ...
  A: It sounds like it will be a beautiful tank. I'm so jealous! I don't have room for one that big. ...
New puffer8/6/2008
  Q: i just got a green spotted pufferfish today. I noticed that inthe tank at the store, it had a ...
  A: He was stressed from being moved. He should continue to settle in to his new home as long as the ...
Sucker Fish8/5/2008
  Q: I have had one of my bottom feeders since it was a baby..(6 yrs).. I just noticed today that there ...
  A: He may have become injured somehow. Sometimes another sucker fish will accidentally "poke" another ...
Curious & Confused8/5/2008
  Q: My parrotfish just had babies and I want to know how to tell which ones are girls and which ones are ...
  A: I forgot to answer the question about the upside-down cat...so sorry! He is a threat to the babies ...
15 gallon8/3/2008
  Q: Do you think i could put 1 female kribensis 3 male platies and maybe 2 otocinclus in my 15 gallon?I ...
  A: If you're lucky enough to get a very docile female kribensis it might work but I wouldn't count on ...
oxygen in freshwater tank8/3/2008
  Q: Is it possible that too much oxygen is not good? I bought an air filter for a 100 gallon tank but ...
  A: You shouldn't have a problem with too much oxygen because you're only pumping in atmospheric air, ...
15 gallon8/2/2008
  Q: My aquarium as been setup for about a month.Its 15 gallons and i was wondering if i could fit(all ...
  A: The fish you listed will actually more than max-out the tank for population. For a community tank of ...
tropical fish water ph8/2/2008
  Q: My 125 gallon tank has been set up since january. I have guppies,clowns,plecos,platties,silver ...
  A: If the pH used to be up higher all the time there may be excess waste in the gravel making it drop ...
terrarium8/1/2008
  Q: How can I tell if a 125g tank is a terrarium or aquarium?
  A: Sometimes there is no difference and they are interchangeable, but sometimes not. Glass thickness is ...
15 gallon8/1/2008
  Q: My aquarium as been setup for about a month.Its 15 gallons and i was wondering if i could fit(all ...
  A: That would be one very stressed out bunch of fish if you added a flying for or a redtailed shark. ...
white spot/string on calico goldfish7/31/2008
  Q: Tank has been set up for about 4 months, but just added this fish yesterday. Tank is a 10 gallon. I ...
  A: I would suspect he is in shock from being moved to a new home and it's possible he has an injury ...
sick zebra danio7/31/2008
  Q: I have a 20 gallon tank with three black mollies, five neon tetras and five zebra danios. One of ...
  A: It sounds like a case of a Mycobacterium infection. It is commonly called "Fish TB". Unfortunately ...
jack dempsey7/30/2008
  Q: i have a jack who has had his front fin eaten off by a pecostumus, also in the last couple weeks he ...
  A: It is very typical for any fish to pick on and even kill an injured, weak or sick fish. The pinkish ...
set up for 125 gallon tank7/29/2008
  Q: My husband and I have purchased a used 125 gallon tank and would like to know what size heater you ...
  A: Heater size depends on the average room temperature compared to the temperature you want your tank ...
Sunfire Platy ...is it sick?7/29/2008
  Q: I have had two sunfire platies (1 male, 1 female) along with two Danio fish living in a 2.5 gallon ...
  A: She has dropsy, and unfortunately the prognosis is not good. The bloatiness and scales sticking out ...
correct pH tablets and danios7/28/2008
  Q: I have some danios in a 5 gallon tank (how many is too many?) and I want to know if I can put ...
  A: Your fish were used to the old water and when such a large quantity of new fresh water was added ...
red wag swordtail/ghost catfish7/27/2008
  Q: We just started with fish and we have two red wag swordtails. I've noticed that one will disappear ...
  A: The hiding fish may be a female and is trying to escape the attention of the male. Or, they are both ...
goldfish with an open wound7/27/2008
  Q: how can cure my goldfish when it has an open wound which i have no idea where did it get it? pls. i ...
  A: Ulcers and open wounds on goldfish are usually caused by bacterial infections. Bacterial infection ...
Breeding7/26/2008
  Q: I have an albino tiger Oscar fish and two convicts along with a plecostomus(sorry about the ...
  A: Oscars and other cichlids are territorial so they stake out their own area and dig whether breeding ...
mix communty of fish7/26/2008
  Q: hi about a month ago i bought a 80 gallon tank and the guy included a 10 inch red devil a fire mouth ...
  A: You need to get that red devil out of there into a second tank or he could kill all your fish. They ...
pectoral fin injury7/25/2008
  Q: did everything to the book with regards to setting up the tank, etc. Water tests and partial water ...
  A: Are the other fish bullying him? They may need to be separated. Could there be more fish lice in ...
dusty tank7/25/2008
  Q: I have a question concerning the water in my tank. This is my first fish tank. I have a 60 gallon ...
  A: I know it seems too obvious but you might try wiping the inside of the glass. Sometimes a film ...
New To Fish keeping7/24/2008
  Q: Hey, Im all new to this fish keeping stuff so i apologize if i say anything stupid. Anyways I bought ...
  A: You don't have to apologize. The information you have provided is very helpful. You can't find out ...
sick pregnant guppy?7/24/2008
  Q: I have recently purchased a pregnant guppy. She has been in my 30 gallon tank with platies and other ...
  A: If the spots are about the size of grains of salt they are probably ich. It's a parasite that you ...
redtailed black shark7/23/2008
  Q: Its 15 gallons and as tropical freshwater fish.I have 4 wcmm,6 zebra danios,2 albino corys,3 khuli ...
  A: A redtail shark needs a much bigger tank and he might nip your betta's fins anyway. Your tank is ...
Raising PH/Establishing Biological Filtration7/23/2008
  Q: I'll start from the beginning. For the last 8 months I have had a well established 10 gallon ...
  A: It is very normal to experience an ammonia spike when adding new fish or when setting up a new tank. ...
Ick7/21/2008
  Q: Do you have to remove activated carbon before dropping the ick medicine in the water ? Will anything ...
  A: You should remove carbon before using medicine. Carbon absorbs medications just like it absorbs ...
fish tank mates7/21/2008
  Q: i have a 30 gallon aquarium and i have 2 bala sharks(i know thy get bigger in a few years) a red ...
  A: I'm not sure about any cichlids with those types of fish in that size tank. The only ones I think ...
Bio wheel filter7/20/2008
  Q: I have a tank that I had an oranda goldfish. Before my oranda died he had dropsy and bacterial ...
  A: Without knowing for sure what disease infected the previous fish it might be best to get all new ...
Chinese Algae Eater: Yay or Nay?7/20/2008
  Q: I am moving in three weeks and can finally set up my 40 gallon (woohoo!); as I already have 3 baby ...
  A: I say "no" to Chinese Algae Eaters for any tank. They eat algae as young fish but turn very ...
silver sharks7/19/2008
  Q: my tank is 6mths set up is 180 litres with fluval filter mixed fish guamies 3 rest mollies, platties ...
  A: Silver sharks, also called "Bala Sharks" can be a bit sensitive to water chemistry and water ...
My Oranda is Sick???7/18/2008
  Q: Yesterday I noticed a large pinkish blob around my Oranda's butt. It looks kind of like his/her ...
  A: It could just be inflammation from constipation, or his intestines may have actually prolapsed. Give ...
beta fish tank7/18/2008
  Q: do you need a filter in a betta tank?
  A: Bettas don't need filters but it does help the water quality. If you have a filter it should not ...
what is it?7/17/2008
  Q: I was cleaning my fish tank out today and noticed tiny black worms.There were about 10 that i saw ...
  A: I know it sounds weird but they are probably ""blackworms" just as they look. They are feeding on ...
help my sick fish7/17/2008
  Q: My Fish Question i have 2 Siamese fish and a few months ago my oldest one seem to be sick he ...
  A: Swim bladder disorder often isn't correctable I'm afraid. There are many causes for it; ...
Balloon Body Gold Ram7/16/2008
  Q: I have had my tank since Christmas. It's a 10 gallon. I have 2 White Shirt Tetras, 3 x-ray tetras, ...
  A: I forgot to mention that Rams tend to be a bit shy. Adding more plants will help him feel more ...
Angel fish disease7/16/2008
  Q: I have two angel fish in a 20 gallon tank with a carbon type filter. I change the water about ...
  A: They need to be separated for sure. The stress of being constantly bullied is weakening the sick ...
Poorly Fish : (7/15/2008
  Q: Please help. I have recently (2 months ago) changed my two fish over from a fifty litre tank to a ...
  A: I would take the new ones back to the fish store. It's just too many fish for that size aquarium and ...
black mollies7/15/2008
  Q: tank setup-3 months tank size-30 gallon type of fish-tropical/black mollies/glow fish fish amount-7 ...
  A: Yes, the males will eat the babies and so will the females, including the mothers. Livebearing fish ...
Betta spawning7/14/2008
  Q: I have a question about betta fry. My betta fish havent spawned yet, but when they do how long can ...
  A: Once the fry are "free-swimming" and no longer need to be in the bubble nest it's time to move the ...
getting started help!7/14/2008
  Q: We are interested in purchasing a 10 gallon take w/ various fish but I have NO idea where to start. ...
  A: Mollies, some tetras and ghost shrimp are actually okay together as long as the tank is big enough ...
Pet Store7/13/2008
  Q: I'm going to turn 16 soon, and I'm beginning to look for a job. I have had fish practically my whole ...
  A: Go to college and earn a degree if you have that opportunity. With a degree, you have so many more ...
Sick fish7/13/2008
  Q: Tanks has been set up for 4 months and going well Tank is 6 x 2 x 2 1/2 Barramundi x 2 Saratoga x 1 ...
  A: Whitish fungus growing in places in the tank is usually from a saprolegnia fungus. It is from ...
columbian sharks7/12/2008
  Q: i have a 33 gal. with 2 Columbian sharks (8-10 cm), 4 clown loaches (4-5cm), 2 khuli loaches, and 1 ...
  A: Your betta was probably eaten but they aren't toxic to other fish. He should have been digested by ...
Vacation Food7/11/2008
  Q: Do you know of a feeding block that has nutritional value and is attractive to most fresh water ...
  A: I haven't seen those vacation sticks for years and looking at Tetra's site it appears they don't ...
platies7/11/2008
  Q: i set up a tank a while back and added 6 platies (2 male 4 female) 2 angelfish and 3 corydoras and i ...
  A: Without any information about the size of your tank, filtration, water temperature, maintenance ...
Terrapins moving home......7/10/2008
  Q: my problem is regarding setting up my new tank, im keeping terrapins in the tank not fish but hope ...
  A: It depends on which type of terrapin you have and how big it gets. I don't remember too much about ...
I think my betta has gill disease!!?!?!7/10/2008
  Q: and first off thank you for taking time out of your day to read my question and try to help me and ...
  A: I think he has a failed swim bladder. The inflamed gill may simply be irritated by rubbing on ...
Terrapins moving home......7/9/2008
  Q: my problem is regarding setting up my new tank, im keeping terrapins in the tank not fish but hope ...
  A: "Filter Media" is just the stuff that fills the inside of your filter and collects waste. Follow the ...
3 year old Pleco acting strange7/9/2008
  Q: Tank set up 3 years 55 gallon 1 3 year old Pleco, 10 Mollies, 1 Eclipse cat, 3 Cory cats, 1 Rosy ...
  A: Jaws was just really stressed by the high temperature. Hopefully he will be okay in a day or two. ...
ick7/8/2008
  Q: I've had a wonderfull tank set up for about 3 years, I got me a new 16 gallon bow front for my 2 ...
  A: Find a product that doesn't bother catfish or says to use a half-dose with catfish and other ...
Stocking 55 gallon7/7/2008
  Q: Someone is giving me a 55 gallon tank. I was hoping that someone could help me through the steps of ...
  A: Carbon or no carbon doesn't matter in length of cycling. The Cycling or Break-in Period just takes ...
convicts ciclid babies; cleaning the tank7/7/2008
  Q: I have a 30 gal. tank and i got some convict cichlids i have 3 pairs. one pair in the flower pot on ...
  A: All tanks really need a 25% water change once a week. Just do your best to avoid disturbing the ...
hungry shrimp7/6/2008
  Q: I have a 10 gal. tank set up since Jan. 07, top fin power filter, pH 8, ammonia & nitrite 0, ...
  A: I wouldn't worry about the shrimp. They eat algae as well as whatever they can scavenge off the ...
parrot fish swimming upside down.7/6/2008
  Q: Hey there, I just recently got 6 bloody parrot fishes, they're parrots and just today, one of them's ...
  A: It could be any one of several things; Swim bladder failure, stress, elevated toxins, overeating, ...
Stocking 55 gallon7/5/2008
  Q: Someone is giving me a 55 gallon tank. I was hoping that someone could help me through the steps of ...
  A: Fish choice is very subjective so look around at different fish to see what you like and ask me ...
large sore on honey gourami7/4/2008
  Q: I have an Eclipse System 6 tank that has been set up for a little over 1 year. There are 2 Honey ...
  A: It could be a bacterial infection or could even be cancerous. I would treat with Maracyn-Two, an ...
Stress in the tank7/3/2008
  Q: we have a six foot aquarium with several species of tropicals...we did a water change and my husband ...
  A: It could just be shock or a reaction to the new water, or too much water was replaced. All tanks ...
power outage7/3/2008
  Q: How do I cool down my freshwater tank. It is a little warm usually but during this power outage it ...
  A: The warmer water itself isn't a problem but it does cause lower oxygen levels in the tank water. ...
Needle Fish Beak7/2/2008
  Q: I have a small needlefish in my 20 gallon high tank that has been set up for a week now, there are ...
  A: He may have injured himself. Needlefish, also known as freshwater garfish and needlenose gar, are ...
tiny jumping thing at my light7/2/2008
  Q: hey i have 2 jack dem and add a crowfish to my tank i have a 55 gallon tank now i have notice tiny ...
  A: They are just harmless little bugs. They feed on algae and organic nutrients that build up on the ...
new fish5/1/2008
  Q: I just purchased a blue ram two days ago. I watch the new ones closely at first till they appear ...
  A: It may be shock. Rams can be a bit touchy when they are moved. If he isn't eating there's probably ...
making a divider5/1/2008
  Q: Im making a tank divider until i can upgrade to a larger tank..is it ok to use pvc piping and ...
  A: PVC is fine to use in aquariums in my experience. Just rinse it and wipe it (inside and out) very ...
placostamus4/30/2008
  Q: I have a 29 gal tank with a 6-7 in pleco in it. I also have many other fish, guppies, bettas, ...
  A: Algae cleaning is actually for our own visual benefit and the fish would actually prefer that we ...
placostamus4/29/2008
  Q: I have a 29 gal tank with a 6-7 in pleco in it. I also have many other fish, guppies, bettas, ...
  A: If the water is healthy (low nitrates, 'zero' ammonia and 'zero' nitrites) you might consider ...
Baby Fish4/28/2008
  Q: "One of my Dalmatian Molly's had babies during the night. I was only able to save 3 of the 10 that ...
  A: If your breeder tank is the type that hangs inside your regular tank, you might want to get a larger ...
breeding4/28/2008
  Q: Its been(24hrs)since my bettas spawned. will my betta eggs hatch if they are not in the bubble? ...
  A: They can't survive if they aren't in the nest I'm afraid. The newly hatched fry (babies) need to be ...
green water4/27/2008
  Q: were having lots of trouble with green water in our freshwater tank. it's been set up for about 6 ...
  A: Green water can be a very frustrating problem to solve. Here is a link to a page of info that ...
Red fungus and Worms4/27/2008
  Q: It swam only at the bottom of the tank and moved very slowly. the next day when i woke up it was ...
  A: I've never heard of a red fungus on the fish. That sounds very strange indeed. Can you get a photo ...
Blood parrot fish..with eggs4/26/2008
  Q: I have one blood parrot fish and she has laid eggs, they are beige in color. I am reading that if ...
  A: Unfortunately, without a male of her species in the tank to fertilize the eggs as they are laid they ...
parrot fish4/26/2008
  Q: I have a silver dollar about 2 1/2 inches and a kissing grommie about 3 inches. I want to know if I ...
  A: Parrot cichlids have pretty small mouths so they probably can't eat the two smaller fish but they ...
black fin shark4/25/2008
  Q: i have 2 black fin sharks and would like to know how to sex them? when i bought them they were ...
  A: Sexual differences are not known in those guys. They get very large (a foot and a half or more) and ...
Best fish for a 1 1/2 to 2 gallon aquarium w/o heat4/25/2008
  Q: I have a small 1 1/2 gallon aquarium for my daughters room. It has a an air filter/ with gravel but ...
  A: It's a pretty small tank for anything but one frog all by itself. If the tank temperature stays ...
Green Water4/24/2008
  Q: I'm glad to have found this site, and thankful for your knowledge. I'm having some difficulties ...
  A: There is a possibility of reduced oxygen levels at night in tanks with green water. Keep it ...
what;s wrong with my guppie.4/23/2008
  Q: can you advise what's wrong with my guppie, she had about 50 fry last week and since then she has ...
  A: Sometimes guppy moms just don't do very well after giving birth. Keep her isolated and change 25% of ...
my fresh water bass isn't breathing right4/18/2008
  Q: I have a fresh water bass that I was given from a friend .It came in the same foggy water it lived ...
  A: He's probably in shock and he needs a filter too. Hopefully he will get better on his own in the ...
fresh water bass4/18/2008
  Q: I just got my fresh water bass from a friend who got it from a river and she gave it to me in the ...
  A: Change some of his water right away. Putting him in all new water could shock him. Replace 25% today ...
fishtank4/17/2008
  Q: I have a bubble eye fish who kept getting his bubble stuck in the filter, so I put very thin fish ...
  A: The tank is just too small for all those guys to grow up in so it's going to get very dirty very ...
Hi.4/9/2008
  Q: How do I take care algae eaters? I have 2 of them. They live in a 3.7 Marina Goldfish Starter Kit. ...
  A: There are many different types of algae eaters so without knowing what you have I can't really help ...
New Baby Mollies4/8/2008
  Q: One of my female Mollies just gave birth. I am assuming she gave birth this weekend while I was out ...
  A: Those little fellas are pretty cute, aren't they? Mollies normally have babies about every 6 weeks. ...
tank size4/8/2008
  Q: How many fish can i keep in a ten gal. tank? People range from 5 to about 15. Some say it depends on ...
  A: The important thing to know is that it isn't "how many fish" you can have in a tank but "how many ...
acivated carbon in a freshwater planted aquarium4/7/2008
  Q: . i have a 30 gallon tank that's been up for about a year but i just added the plants about a 4 ...
  A: The carbon would help remove the color but since I'm not a plant expert I don't know how if affects ...
My fish is delievering4/6/2008
  Q: I have a question about my creamsickle giving birth. I just got her today from Petsmart and put her ...
  A: Poor little thing. The stress of being moved to a new home has prompted premature delivery. What ...
red tiger oscars4/6/2008
  Q: the tail and fins on 1 of my oscars r being eaten away and i dont know what type of disease it could ...
  A: You didn't give me much information to help you but if he is in a tank with other oscars he may be ...
GUY OR GAL?4/5/2008
  Q: I have 2 ghost shrimps and do they eat sinking wafers? I feed them one sinking wafer for the both ...
  A: Ghost shrimps are scavengers so they will eat just about anything really. Sinking wafers are just ...
wood changing water color4/5/2008
  Q: I just added two pieces of aquarium safe wood to my 28 gallon community tank. It has turned the ...
  A: The discoloration is from the natural tannins in the wood still leaching out into your tank water. ...
Malawi Cichlids4/4/2008
  Q: I have a 95 liter fish tank with Malawi cichlids and some cat fish. Hence, I decided to change it ...
  A: Malawi Lake Cichlids are African cichlids and I'm not an African cichlid expert so I really don't ...
Flower horn fish ... i think blind4/2/2008
  Q: How do cure a blind to be flower horn fish..in the last 5-8days already. right eye first and now the ...
  A: I need more information; What do his eyes look like? (White coating? Redness? Bulging or swelling?) ...
Save Gary PLEASE!!!!!!!!4/2/2008
  Q: Do you remember me? Now I have a gold mystery snail and first it was as active as my siamese ...
  A: Not all snails are active all the time. At first he was probably just getting used to his new home ...
What fish can I have in this tank?3/25/2008
  Q: I would like to have as large of a variety as possible that will be able to function without death ...
  A: Before I can tell you which of those fish you could add to your tank you should know about the ...
My Pleco is sick3/25/2008
  Q: My mom recently got a normal pleco from her friend to put in her tank (18 gallon I think), and it's ...
  A: Those are excellent photos! It's hard to get good clear shots of fish. Most of them I get are so ...
perfect goldfish tank mates3/24/2008
  Q: which is all by it's self what would be the perfect goldfish tank mate
  A: FOLLOWUP QUESTION - "t is a red headed goldfish with a black tail can he and a red black shark be ...
sick goldfish - please help3/24/2008
  Q: Chris, I have a very nice common goldfish. We had him alone in a bowl which I cleaned very often - ...
  A: If the tail looks like it has very tiny spots like grains of salt, he has a parasite called "ich", ...
Gold fish breeding?3/23/2008
  Q: I have a 10 Gallon aquarium with 4 fantail gold fish and 1 black moore. They have been living to ...
  A: They are all goldfish, just different varieties, so they all breed with each other. Just like dogs; ...
my goldfish3/22/2008
  Q: My name is Pablo, I have a beautiful 1 year old goldfish, very playful and cute personality. He is ...
  A: If the gravel is very rough you could try changing it I guess. Be sure to keep the tank very clean ...
goldfish3/21/2008
  Q: I have my 2-gallon tank with only one goldfish in it for 46 days. I change partial water about every ...
  A: All plecostomus, even smaller ones that get to be about 7 inches long, need at least a 20 gallon ...
my betta fish3/21/2008
  Q: my betta fish is not eating his food unless i put it right near his mouth. he doesn't swim, he also ...
  A: I really need more information about his tank (size, temperature, how often it's cleaned, etc.) but ...
weird stuff in tank3/20/2008
  Q: I have a 10 gallon tank that was set up six days ago. After three days, my ammonia levels were high ...
  A: It's a bacterial or fungal infection but he needs something stronger than Pimafix. It can't cure an ...
Please Help...my flowerhorn fish looks like she's about to die...don't want to lose her!3/20/2008
  Q: big living in a 120 gal. aquarium we've had her for about a year she has been doing fine until ...
  A: Poor thing. She may have a swim bladder problem. The swim bladder is an internal organ below the ...
Disease?3/19/2008
  Q: We've had a 10 gallon freshwater tank for a year. Everything's been fine. Over the last month ...
  A: The tank probably went through a "break in period". Normally it happens in newly set up tanks, but ...
snails3/18/2008
  Q: My daughter,who is 5, has a 10 gallon freshwater tank in her room. It has been set up and running ...
  A: I am assuming the type of snails you have tried are the larger "Apple Snails". They are sometimes ...
zebra danios breeding behavior3/17/2008
  Q: i have a couple of zebra danios, a male and a female, they are usually very active and chase each ...
  A: Separate her from all the other fish so she can get a break and heal. She doesn't need a companion, ...
something strange in my tank3/17/2008
  Q: My 47gal tank has been up for 10 months.I have 12 guppies the filter is a under ground and a penquin ...
  A: It may have been a chunk of waste or food that decayed and became covered in fungus. The fungus can ...
zebra danios breeding behavior3/16/2008
  Q: i have a couple of zebra danios, a male and a female, they are usually very active and chase each ...
  A: The female usually doesn't just lay on the bottom of the tank. She is stressed and needs to be ...
Filter intake3/15/2008
  Q: How far down should the intake tube be for my filter? In the middle or down by the grvel level??? ...
  A: It's a matter of personal preference really. I like the intakes down low so it can pick up water at ...
Lionheads3/15/2008
  Q: I just bought three lionhead fish a week ago, I found out later that tanks need to be cycled but ...
  A: In spite of what the medication label says, you need to make some partial water changes if the fish ...
tank parasites?3/14/2008
  Q: my tank has been set up about 1.5 years. it is 55 gallon fresh water. i have 2 oscars, one is ...
  A: I don't think it's a disease or parasite. They just need a few days to get used to each other. They ...
Fish Disease3/14/2008
  Q: My and my girlfriend recently bought a pearl scale goldfish from Petsmart. We are only beginner fish ...
  A: Since he's eating okay and acting fine it may not be bacterial or fungal infection, just ick. The ...
fin rot3/14/2008
  Q: Today I found out my orange and black oranda community goldfish has fin rot. I have had experience ...
  A: Poor Freckles. Water changes, water changes, water changes. That's the best cure and prevention ...
sveeral troublels3/13/2008
  Q: ok, hi. i just set up my first tank. it is 29 gallos, fresh water, has a extenal filter taht hangs ...
  A: Your tank is actually overstocked and the fish are really stressed. It's going to get worse as they ...
fish3/13/2008
  Q: I have some corydoras eggs that were laid on Monday. They are in a plastic bare container floating ...
  A: It takes about 3 days for the eggs to hatch. They live off their 'yolk sacs' for about 3 more days ...
have i already overcrowded my tank, and sick problems, fish species help!!!3/12/2008
  Q: 1x balashark, 1x khuli loach, 1x paskistan loach, 2x clown loaches, 1x serpae tetra, 1x peacock eel, ...
  A: Your tank is actually VERY overstocked. You didn't mention what size each fish is right now but even ...
White Fuzzy Cloud Fungus in Tank from Overfeeding3/11/2008
  Q: I read your answer to someone else regarding their fish tank having white cloud fuzzy fungus growing ...
  A: You've really done your homework on this one. That's terrific! You are doing great with cleaning so ...
Stocking a 5 gallon3/10/2008
  Q: I have a 5 gallon tank and it currently holds one honey gourami he's 1 1/2 inches max and a ...
  A: I think you could safely add two little cory cats. They like to live in groups. They should be able ...
angel fish with cloudy eye3/10/2008
  Q: i heard that if you do water changes frequently for a short period of time that the cloud eye should ...
  A: I wouldn't use any medications yet. Especially Betadine because it is pretty harsh. If it comes into ...
weird stuff in tank3/10/2008
  Q: I have a 10 gallon tank that was set up six days ago. After three days, my ammonia levels were high ...
  A: The white stuff was decaying organic matter. The bulbs may have been dead and were attacked by ...
My grommie fish3/9/2008
  Q: I have a blue grommie which is about 3.5 yrs old. It is in with 2 angles and a clown loch and 2 ...
  A: It sounds like a bacterial infection. He could be getting picked on by other fish and you don't see ...
whats up with my guppies3/9/2008
  Q: ok i have 4 male guppies and 8 female, 3 weeks ago 2 had fry so i know my tanks healthy, but 2 of ...
  A: They may be too old or too young to breed or they are simply sterile. Sterility can be genetic, from ...
"Bubble" on dorsal fin3/9/2008
  Q: To start, thank you in advance for answering my question. Ok, to begin, my tank has been set up ...
  A: If it's clear it may be a fluid-filled cyst that formed there inside his fin. Or, it could be from ...
breeding of green terrors3/8/2008
  Q: is it necessary to keep male and female green terror in the same tank for breeding or once female ...
  A: Both male and female Green Terror Cichlids care for the eggs and babies, and they are actually ...
Angel Fish3/8/2008
  Q: "I GOT 2 ANGEL FISH, 3 SMALL TETRAS, AND A MALE BETTA IN A 10GALLON TANK A FEW MONTHS AGO. I KNOW ...
  A: They do need a bigger tank. Angels should be in a tank of 20 gallons and larger. Angels are in a ...
white fluffy stuff3/5/2008
  Q: We had a beta fish living in a ten gallon tank by himself and it was pretty mucky with a low power ...
  A: I grabbed your question out of the question pool to see if I could help... I think you added too ...
Molly Fry3/3/2008
  Q: I noticed 3 weeks ago in my ten gallon tank 6 molly fry. They are fry from a black molly and ...
  A: Congratulations on your new tank! What fun! Baby fish typically do have round bellies. Provide ...
sponge filter3/3/2008
  Q: i just had a question reguarding sponge filters. About how long does it take for a sponge filter to ...
  A: The sponges need to grow bacteria on them but the bacteria needs a source of ammonia (decaying ...
goldfish3/2/2008
  Q: I have a 29 gallon tank with two hybred (I think part lion-head because they have a little of that ...
  A: It sounds like a normal color change so I wouldn't worry about it. Many goldfish change color over ...
I'm Stumped3/2/2008
  Q: Chris here is the deal, I have a 75 gallon tank that has been set up for a year.I have one nine inch ...
  A: Black edges on fins usually indicate ammonia burns. The ammonia is down now but it can spike and ...
My 55 gallon tank3/1/2008
  Q: It has been set up for 6 months. 55 gallon Bala Shark, 4 mollies, 1 sunset platy, 1 frog, 1 loach ...
  A: Poor guys. If the spots on the fish look like salt, it's ich. If they look more like patches, it's ...
pregnant fish2/29/2008
  Q: i have a female swordtail(black) and a male(orange). the female always sits at the bottom of the ...
  A: When fish rub on things it's called "flashing" and it indicates irritation of some kind. They are ...
Molly and Platty2/28/2008
  Q: The first day after i'd put the fish one platy disappered then yesterday the other platy disapered ...
  A: The fish deaths may have been because of "New Tank Syndrome" caused by the Break-in Period. It can ...
Molly and Platty2/28/2008
  Q: The first day after i'd put the fish one platy disappered then yesterday the other platy disapered ...
  A: Your tank is still in the break-in period so there are probably toxins elevated and the fish are ...
help2/28/2008
  Q: I have had my tank for years, its a 10 gallon I dont know what my fish is called but its a goldfish ...
  A: Poor little fella. It could be an internal bacterial infection. He sounds very sick though so I ...
Bala shark problems2/27/2008
  Q: my tank has been set up for 4+ years, it is 46gal. I have 2 bala sharks, 1 pleco, 4 Goldfish, I know ...
  A: It sounds like a bacterial infection. The salt is good to use but along with it I would use "Maracyn ...
Quick Question2/27/2008
  Q: I put some Stress Zyme in my tropical tank after changing 25% of the water and vacuuming the ...
  A: It is important to monitor the levels of ammonia and nitrite for sure, especially in a newly setup ...
Fish smell2/27/2008
  Q: We just moved 6 hours away and we have had our fish for a while and we have, we lost three in the ...
  A: Just keep cleaning until it doesn't smell anymore. I would change 25% of the tank water every day ...
small little things...2/26/2008
  Q: i presently changed my fish tank water and i found this little thing about as long as my thumb nail ...
  A: Do they look like very very small clear lobsters? They could be a type of glass shrimp. There are ...
Sick Beta2/26/2008
  Q: Chris: My daughter has a sick Beta. The symptoms are listed below. Hope you can help. Thanks DR ...
  A: Poor guy. Change his water every day and keep his tank in as warm a spot as you can. Fresh clean ...
fish behavior2/25/2008
  Q: I have a newly set up 29 gallon tank. I set it up a week ago and got a bala shark for the tank ...
  A: He's just scared and may even be in shock from getting a new home. It's probably the first time he's ...
white spots on my fish...2/25/2008
  Q: 1) set up for 2wks 2) 55gal 3) 4 Gold Mollies; 2 Gold DoJo's; 2 sharks; and a blue lobster (he's ...
  A: If the spots initially looked like salt specks it is a parasite called ich. Your fish store should ...
fresh water tank2/25/2008
  Q: i am setting up a fresh water fish tank in a school lesson and am wondering how often i will have to ...
  A: When the tank is going through the "Break-in Period" it needs testing every day to monitor toxin ...
unusual behaviour2/24/2008
  Q: i have a 46L tank (NZ metric system) with 5 small coldwater fish (couple of shubunkins, a comet and ...
  A: That's great! They are going to just love their new tank! The filter is usually adequate if the ...
Im getting some new fish for the first time ever2/23/2008
  Q: I'm getting 2 new fish and i don't know what kind but anyway, I don't know what to put in there like ...
  A: Mollies do best when there are at least two females per male. This is because male mollies are eager ...
green spotted puffers2/23/2008
  Q: 1) tank has been set up for 3 weeks- fish were added 3 days ago 2) 10 gallons 3) green spotted ...
  A: Darkening indicates stress for sure, but not necessarily disease. Stress leads to disease though so ...
Snail is no longer in shell2/22/2008
  Q: We have a ramshorn snail and a larger cream colored snail. Today I noticed that the larger snail is ...
  A: Poor guy. Sometimes fish could harass a snail until it dies but unless his body looks damaged it ...
Needle Fish2/22/2008
  Q: 8months-55gal-loaches,tiger barbs,rainbow shark, mollies-bio wheel-ph 7,NH3 0,nitrite 0,nitrate ...
  A: Needle Fish are voracious predators and will indeed eat fish that are half their size if they get in ...
MY GOLDFISH IS DYING??!!!!!!!2/22/2008
  Q: My tank has been set up for 1 1/2 years and is 30 gallons. I have goldfish only. 6 about 2-3 ...
  A: It sounds like his swim bladder has malfunctioned. The swim bladder is an organ inside the fish that ...
Im getting some new fish for the first time ever2/21/2008
  Q: I'm getting 2 new fish and i don't know what kind but anyway, I don't know what to put in there like ...
  A: To know what you need I have to know some details; What kind of fish do you think you might be ...
Skinny Bala Shark2/21/2008
  Q: I have a 55 gal tank with a dragon fish, 2 clown loaches, 1 Plecostomus, and 2 Balas. The Balas ...
  A: One of my balas was getting a bit thin when being fed on flakes until I switched them to a small ...
pacu2/20/2008
  Q: I have a 29 gal. I think this fish is a pacu. I recently inherited this monster is at least 5 in. ...
  A: It is very possible he has burned himself. Or, he injured himself in the tank somewhere. Pacu can be ...
Floating Ramshorn snail problem2/20/2008
  Q: I have two snails one is very active and one was not when i first got them which was about a week ...
  A: It may sound weird but sometimes snails take a little "vacation". They retreat into their shells for ...
Angelfish2/19/2008
  Q: If I was to buy a big angelfish and small angelfish would they work good together? or is it better ...
  A: I usually recommend similar sized angels be in a tank together. If the large one is already in your ...
Dieing fish2/19/2008
  Q: Hey Chris, I've asked you a couple of questions already and you've been really good with your ...
  A: I'm glad I could help in the past, and I hope I can this time too... The fish store gave pretty ...
I have ich2/19/2008
  Q: I have a 30 gallon tank that has been set up for about 2 months. All of my levels are fine and i ...
  A: Clown Loaches are well-known for being ich "carriers". The spots that are still on the fish will ...
New Tank2/18/2008
  Q: 1. 2months 2. 10 Gallons 3. 2 2(inches and 1 fish 1/2 inch) 4. Over the tank 5-15 gallons 5. Nitrite ...
  A: I'm so sorry you and your fish have been put through all of this. The fish store gave you some very ...
My dwarf gouamie2/18/2008
  Q: i have a dwarf male gouramie and it keeps hiding in my pirate skull and barely comes out what is ...
  A: He might just be a shy fish. Provide decorations or plants that go all the way up to the top of the ...
fantail guppy2/17/2008
  Q: I have 2 black Mollies, 1 silver molly, a placostumus, and two fantail guppies (both male). All of ...
  A: Goldfish eat guppies if their mouths are big enough so be careful. Guppies need very clean water to ...
Dwarf gourami breeding / tank cleaning2/17/2008
  Q: My male dwarf gourami built a bubble nest in my community tank 2 weeks ago amidst the leaves of a ...
  A: Change the water as usual and he will rebuild the nest as needed. It would be better to move him to ...
unusual behaviour2/17/2008
  Q: i have a 46L tank (NZ metric system) with 5 small coldwater fish (couple of shubunkins, a comet and ...
  A: I'm not sure whether you mean they are near the air bubbles or opposite the air bubbles, but they ...
Black moors and other stuff2/16/2008
  Q: I am doing a science experiment on my goldfish. I have a small black moor and a goldfish. I have ...
  A: Moors really can't see very well because of their eye shapes so that might be the problem. Or maybe ...
swordtail babies2/16/2008
  Q: my swordtail just had babies, i was able to save 3 from the mouths of the other fish i now have them ...
  A: It isn't very comfy in there for them and they are probably very scared from being out in the open ...
pink zebra and fancy guppy2/16/2008
  Q: how can you know the gender of a pink zebra and a fancy guppy?
  A: Adult Zebra Danio females are more round in the belly. Males are slimmer and smaller. Guppies are ...
algae?2/15/2008
  Q: I have a 29 gallon f/w aquarium that I have had set up and running for 14+ years. I have about 18 ...
  A: It could be the algae wafers, I think you're right about that. Keep running the H.O.T. filter for ...
tropical tank2/15/2008
  Q: This will seem like an odd question I know, but I am worried about my aquarium. I have a small tank ...
  A: I am the bearer of bad news I'm afraid. I'm very surprised that your fish store owner is not aware ...
algae?2/15/2008
  Q: I have a 29 gallon f/w aquarium that I have had set up and running for 14+ years. I have about 18 ...
  A: The fuzzy greyish white stuff is simply decaying food or waste. Decaying organic matter becomes ...
Black Moor and Black Shark2/14/2008
  Q: I bought a Black Shark to go along with my Black Moor, Koi, and 2 algae eaters. He would hide behind ...
  A: Black sharks are aggressive and territorial, often hiding and then chasing the other fish. They are ...
My Betta is Sick!2/14/2008
  Q: We have a betta that used to live in a vase with a live plant. The plant starting growing a film on ...
  A: He may have a problem with his swim bladder. The swim bladder controls buoyancy and if it fails he ...
eggs?2/13/2008
  Q: my sanail laid these eggs or somthing on the top of my tank..and i was looking up about it and i saw ...
  A: I doubt the light would affect them. When the snails lay their eggs outdoors in ponds the sun hits ...
My Betta is Sick!2/13/2008
  Q: We have a betta that used to live in a vase with a live plant. The plant starting growing a film on ...
  A: He may just be stressed and is just trying to get used to moving water and a new environment. It may ...
Hard water2/4/2008
  Q: Chris, My brother would like me to ask you how to get his water softer he lives out in the country ...
  A: I have had many clients using water softeners that use both sodium and potassium to recharge the ...
ryukin sos2/4/2008
  Q: Chris, thank you for your quick response to my question last week about my injured ryukin. I treated ...
  A: Poor little guy. I would just keep doing what you are doing. If he is showing signs of ammonia ...
Swim Bladder?2/3/2008
  Q: We have about 20 goldfish in our backyard pond and we know each one of them (except for the newest ...
  A: Poor Lucky. I really have to tell you that most fish don't recover from a bent spine. I'm amazed ...
Pregnant Platy2/3/2008
  Q: I got some platys in my 20 gallon tank. About 2 males and about 3 or 4 females. One of the ...
  A: Platies can have babies about every 4 to 6 weeks or so. They will deliver anywhere from 10 to 30 ...
parrot fish2/2/2008
  Q: i have a blue parrot fish in a community 90 gal tank some silver dollors , pink tail chealues, ...
  A: This will probably not be what you want to hear, but here goes....He will lose his blue color over ...
Callamanus worms2/1/2008
  Q: I have an infestation of callamanus worms in my guppies!! I've tried Panacur, but that did not work. ...
  A: Camallanus worms are a very tough one to treat. I know you already tried it but Panacur ...
Black Ghost Knife2/1/2008
  Q: ive had a freshwater aquarium for about 2-3 months now, the problemed fish is my BGK, i have 1 BGK, ...
  A: Black Ghosts just cannot live in such a small tank. They grow to be over 18 inches long and need ...
long fin mollie1/31/2008
  Q: i am logged in in photobucket dianspics/mollies. this is a video of the mollie. any help will be ...
  A: It kind of looks "fuzzy" or cottony. If so, it is damaged tissue and has become infected so it may ...
Nitrite1/31/2008
  Q: "Hi, I got a couple questions for you , first i will start by telling you about my setup. I have a ...
  A: I'm so glad it's doing better! I think it is still trying to finish balancing though. Leave the ...
black molly swimming almost vertical w/ tail up1/30/2008
  Q: I have a 75 gallon freshwater aquarium with 2 swordtails, 3 red-eye moes, a rainbow shark, 2 queen ...
  A: The swim bladder is an organ inside the fish right below the spine. It controls buoyancy. When the ...
Tank Cycling1/30/2008
  Q: I have a 47 gallon aquarium with a 60 gallon hang on filter. I did not intend to cycle it with fish ...
  A: Keep doing what you are doing. It's perfect. What may be happening is that there could be nitrate ...
Parasites in Aquarium?1/30/2008
  Q: I am currently using the stock filter, I had one Zebra Danio in the tank with ammonia and nitrite ...
  A: Unless we know what kind of parasite it was, I really couldn't guess if it can die off by leaving ...
upgrading tanks1/29/2008
  Q: Chris, I'm planning on moving my Cichlid(1) into a larger tank. I've read and heard many opinions on ...
  A: Moving a larger fish isn't that much different than moving smaller ones. Just be careful to have ...
color changing betas1/29/2008
  Q: i just bought to betas from a local pet store one male and one split tale female both a very dark ...
  A: She is probably stressed from getting a new home. Some fish react very strongly and others seem to ...
fish scales1/29/2008
  Q: my fish has scales near the back of his body that look like their cracking. I had another fish that ...
  A: If by "cracking" you mean to say that the scales are sticking out in one spot it may be an infection ...
injured ryukin sos!!1/28/2008
  Q: PLEASE HELP!!! My 3 year old ryukin is very injured. He got caught in the filter when no one was ...
  A: Poor guy. He's probably in shock. Change his water every day and do use some aquarium salt. I would ...
Popeye1/28/2008
  Q: Okay, I have uploaded some pics of my molly (Keilala is her name), on my myspace page for you to ...
  A: I could view your page but to view your pics I have to have a myspace account and I don't. You can ...
Cloudy water1/27/2008
  Q: I have had just a little 10 gallon tank set up for years. Recently the water started getting ...
  A: If there is no sign of any nitrate at all in there, it may mean the tank is not finishing the ...
bug or parasite in my tank1/27/2008
  Q: i have a 55 gallong tank i have had it for years but here lately we have had some bugs or parasites ...
  A: They are just harmless pond creatures. They feed on the waste your fish make. Annoying, but ...
White algae?1/27/2008
  Q: First things first. I have a 37 gallon freshwater tank, diy co2 injection, 20w full spectrum light ...
  A: *Excellent* that you are using the gravel-filled stocking. It's exactly what the system needs to ...
White algae?1/26/2008
  Q: First things first. I have a 37 gallon freshwater tank, diy co2 injection, 20w full spectrum light ...
  A: I think it's just part of your particular system's break-in period. There is unprocessed waste in ...
popeye1/25/2008
  Q: I have a 55 gal. tank just set it up about three months ago. I have a female dalmation molly and ...
  A: It's very possible that large eyes are normal for her. If it isn't getting any worse I wouldn't do ...
freshwater tank1/25/2008
  Q: I have a 155 gallon freshwater tank. In it are 2 Oscars, 1 pacu, 2 catfish, 2 bala sharks, 6 other ...
  A: I'm so glad you don't have an undergravel filter. Whew! I've had to remove those before and it isn't ...
freshwater tank1/24/2008
  Q: I have a 155 gallon freshwater tank. In it are 2 Oscars, 1 pacu, 2 catfish, 2 bala sharks, 6 other ...
  A: Make a series of water changes to help the fish until we can get this straightened out. Toxins are ...
parasite1/24/2008
  Q: i have been reading about your other questions, and i was curious about a what i think might be a ...
  A: First, test the water to see if the fish are being stressed and itching from irritation from toxins. ...
Filtration1/23/2008
  Q: "Hi, I got a couple questions for you , first i will start by telling you about my setup. I have a ...
  A: I'm so glad the turtle went to your friend. You and the turtle will be so much happier in the long ...
Pearlscale eyes1/22/2008
  Q: We just purchased a pearlscale 1 week ago. Our tank has been set up of just over a week, its a 28L, ...
  A: It sounds like a condition known as "pop-eye". It can be treated with antibiotics available at your ...
Filtration1/22/2008
  Q: "Hi, I got a couple questions for you , first i will start by telling you about my setup. I have ...
  A: There is a pretty heavy bio-load in there. Turtles are very messy guys and need a lot of food to ...
Freshwater fish identification1/21/2008
  Q: Just bought these two fish. No. 1 alleged to be a barb and No. 2 a platy. Can you possibly identify ...
  A: The first one looks like a "Congo Tetra", definitely not a barb. Look at the tiny fin behind the ...
fishh1/21/2008
  Q: I went to a birthday party and they gave out gold fish. my sister got one and she got one.my sisters ...
  A: Poor guys. Your survivor may be in shock. You didn't mention what size tank he is in, but he ...
Growth on Fantail1/20/2008
  Q: My tank is 35 litres and been running for over a year. The fish in question is a fantail and appears ...
  A: If it seems threadlike and off-white, it could be an anchor worm. There is medication to treat them ...
mystery illness kill my fish!!!! help please1/20/2008
  Q: Mystery sick fish what medication to use? hi im new to the forum and hoping you can help me and my ...
  A: It does sound like a parasite. Especially since the water tests are good. Look closely at the skin ...
Newbie! Totally lost with no help from pet store! Think my fishys may be in danger :S1/20/2008
  Q: My tank was set up literally about 10 hours ago and since then I've been researching and realising ...
  A: Don't worry, you are doing just fine. White Clouds are cold water fish so they do not need a heater ...
tetra with deep ulcer1/19/2008
  Q: I have a tetra (bleeding heart) that has developed a large ulcer/lesion on its back, behind its ...
  A: If the redness is gone and all you see is white tissue, it probably is healing. Especially since he ...
Diet for goldfish1/19/2008
  Q: I have been feeding my goldfish Wardley fish flakes and giving them frozen peas once a week. Is ...
  A: Flakes take up moisture so quickly that it really isn't necessary to pre-soak them. As soon as they ...
Black moor1/19/2008
  Q: I have a black moor fish that is now changing colour. Around the gills the colour is now golden to ...
  A: As long as he is acting fine it is probably just a natural color change. Goldfish can change color ...
betta can't eat1/18/2008
  Q: My betta can't seem to get his food into his mouth, even though he keeps trying. Also hasn't been ...
  A: There are several possibilities. Have you had him very long? Has he eaten for you before? If he is ...
ghost knife fish1/18/2008
  Q: Chris: just last night i noticed one of my black ghost knife fish swimming around all directions, ...
  A: They probably need to be separated or need more room in general. When in conflict, fish react with a ...
sick fish1/18/2008
  Q: i have just purchase a white mollie and it has developed red on its underside and near its tail fin ...
  A: If it is a new fish I would take it back to the store. Most fish stores offer a guarantee of at ...
nitrate1/17/2008
  Q: I have a 33 galllon tank, it's been set up for about 7 or 8 months, i have 2 koi (both about 7 ...
  A: A nitrate level of 10 to 20 ppm is really not bad at all, but if it goes way up (past 40) in just a ...
guppies1/16/2008
  Q: i am doin' a science project for school. I have to find out if the guppy is living in an optimum ...
  A: There is more to optimum living conditions for fish than just temperature, pH, and oxygen. The fish ...
Diet for goldfish1/16/2008
  Q: I have been feeding my goldfish Wardley fish flakes and giving them frozen peas once a week. Is ...
  A: I like to give my goldfish some kind of vegetables at least three times a week. Some good examples ...
gourami color change/dying1/15/2008
  Q: I have an established tank. The pH, nitrite and amonia all read ideal. I had a yellow gourami ...
  A: I'm really glad they weren't rocking. It's from a nasty parasite. I might go ahead and use Maracyn ...
Fish wound1/15/2008
  Q: I've had my 40gal tank cycled for 4 months, the tank for 5. I have 4 goldfish, 2 pearlscales & 2 ...
  A: I answered your question on the one with the photo links, but just thought of something else too. ...
gourami color change/dying1/14/2008
  Q: I have an established tank. The pH, nitrite and amonia all read ideal. I had a yellow gourami ...
  A: OOPS! I forgot to answer part of your question and gave the wrong name of the parasite in the last ...
getting some new fish1/14/2008
  Q: I just bought a 10 gallon, warm water,freshwater tank. Sorry but i don't really know the Ph levels ...
  A: Welcome to the wonderful hobby of fish keeping! There are some other things you will need and will ...
what is in this tank1/14/2008
  Q: have a ten gal tank. Has been set up for three weeks. Have four starter fish in it. Used water from ...
  A: Whitish stuff on the bottom is usually from decaying food being infected by saprolegnia, a water ...
***irrisdecent fresh water shark SICK****1/13/2008
  Q: *******Dear Chris, Very worried. My shark is almost a foot long. I've had him for 3? years. I did a ...
  A: He may have a swim bladder problem. The swim bladder controls buoyancy. There are many causes for ...
Silver Dollar - fuzzy gray spot with bubbles1/13/2008
  Q: 55 gallon, community tank, 15 fish(small 1" to large 3"), have had same fish for over a year... ...
  A: I don't think the Rid-Ich will have any effect on this because he doesn't have a parasite. It sounds ...
too many swordtails1/13/2008
  Q: I have a large aquarium with a variety of fish. I have red swordtails that reproduce faster than I ...
  A: Any fish with a mouth big enough to eat them should automatically do so, including the parents. Cut ...
lionhead goldfish1/12/2008
  Q: I have had my tank set up for over 2 1/2 years, it is a 40 gallon, I have 1 lionhead, 1 black moor, ...
  A: Goldfish do change colors over most of their lives so it could simply be new color developing. ...
gourami color change/dying1/12/2008
  Q: I have an established tank. The pH, nitrite and amonia all read ideal. I had a yellow gourami ...
  A: There area several possibilities. It's really hard to say why a fish died if there are no other ...
Puffer fish1/11/2008
  Q: Chris: One more question to ask you. I have had my South American puffer fish in with the black ...
  A: Sometimes puffer dentistry is necessary in spite of what you feed them. Crab legs, clams, and ...
Scales1/11/2008
  Q: I accidentally fed my tropical fish goldfish food flakes. Now my two red-eyed tetras are missing ...
  A: I don't think the food had any effect. I've used goldfish food in when I run out of the tropical ...
high ammonia levels1/11/2008
  Q: I took your advice and I checked my test kit to see if it used salycilate as the testing chemical ...
  A: As long as there is high ammonia and/or nitrite it is necessary to do very frequent changes. If ...
Snails trapped in castle1/10/2008
  Q: We have two snails in a small fish tank and they appear to keep getting trapped in a castle on the ...
  A: They just like it in there I guess. Since they are able to get in, they should also be able to get ...
Pictus Catfish1/10/2008
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank that has been set up for 2 weeks. We have 2 pictus catfish and about 7 ...
  A: If they look like salt specks they are from a parasite called "ick". You will need to do three ...
Molly Upside Down1/9/2008
  Q: I have a 10 gallon that has been running 3-4 weeks so we are still cycling. It had 2 african dwarf ...
  A: It's okay that both fish are getting medicine. There isn't anything else you can do right now. The ...
Placostamus1/9/2008
  Q: Chris, I have a 150 gallon tank with 2 placostamus'... 14 inches and 12 inches. I would like to know ...
  A: Common Plecostomus are egglayers but are difficult, if not impossible, to sex. They just don't ...
Fish compatibility1/8/2008
  Q: Chris; I have a 30 gallon tank with 2 black ghost knife fish and one african puffer fish, all three ...
  A: I would be very leery of putting ropes back in with your other fish because it's already fully ...
Molly Upside Down1/8/2008
  Q: I have a 10 gallon that has been running 3-4 weeks so we are still cycling. It had 2 african dwarf ...
  A: You may have to use an antibiotic for fin and tail rot. When fish get injured they can easily become ...
sick black moor1/8/2008
  Q: my black moor has been experiencing scale loss for about a week and now there's a patch of scales ...
  A: It could be a number of things. Injury, infection, bullying by other fish, overcrowding or water ...
Overdose in Tank1/7/2008
  Q: I have a 26 gallon tank I have recently set up and have no fish in it yet, I have filled, heated, ...
  A: There may have been an unusual combination of minerals or chemicals from the water line break, I ...
Overdose in Tank1/7/2008
  Q: I have a 26 gallon tank I have recently set up and have no fish in it yet, I have filled, heated, ...
  A: That's very strange. I've used triple and quadruple doses of AquaSafe and related products before ...
Molly Upside Down1/6/2008
  Q: I have a 10 gallon that has been running 3-4 weeks so we are still cycling. It had 2 african dwarf ...
  A: It's hard to say what went wrong with the sick one so let him stay in the 2 gallon and change his ...
fresh water fish same as beta1/6/2008
  Q: We have had a Betta fish. It died of couriosity. It got stuck in a shell and couldn't get out. We ...
  A: I'm so sorry you lost your betta. There really aren't any other fish that can stay healthy in a ...
signs of injfection1/5/2008
  Q: i just asked a question about my axolotls damaged tail earlier today. you said it will grow back if ...
  A: If it gets red, fuzzy or looks like it has cotton on it, that's infection. I don't know what you can ...
my axolotls fin damage1/5/2008
  Q: i have an axolotl and just recently i have moved it to a bigger tank. sadly as i was moving its rear ...
  A: As long as there is no infection and the water is kept clean, it will indeed grow back. Axolotls are ...
My Fish's Age1/5/2008
  Q: My tank has been set up for almost 10 years<br> <br> I have a 10 gal community tank, with a typical ...
  A: Bettas are typically 8 months to a year old when they are shipped to fish stores. It takes a while ...
One heck of a disease?1/4/2008
  Q: Alright well first off here are my statistics -33 gallon freshwater aqaurium that has been set up ...
  A: The system could be too low in oxygen. Perhaps the bass tolerate it less than the others, maybe ...
high ammonia levels1/4/2008
  Q: My goldfish are HUGE (5" & 7"). They were living a beautiful, happy life in a 30 gal. tank with a ...
  A: The cloudiness is probably from the Maracyn Two. It really makes a mess of the tank for awhile. Keep ...
Freshwater fish1/3/2008
  Q: Chris: One more question for now. First of all, thanks for the replies so far on my other ...
  A: As long as he is healthy otherwise and it doesn't look infected I wouldn't worry. They can be ...
crayfish aka lobsters1/3/2008
  Q: I was wondering if you knew anything about lobsters or crayfish I tried to google it but couldn't ...
  A: They are very territorial so they can't be with their own kind. They do regrow their legs and claws ...
cichlid1/3/2008
  Q: "Can you tell me a little about the personality of a firemouth cichlid. I am thinking about getting ...
  A: Happy New Year to you too! Firemouth Cichlids can live with each other and other large aggressive ...
New tank set up etc.1/2/2008
  Q: i have a 60litre tank, which i began cycling about 20days ago,i added 2 mollies 5 days ago and they ...
  A: Simon; In my answer I meant to type "LOWER" pH Not "LOSER" pH. Sorry! I caught it too late.... ...
cloudy water1/2/2008
  Q: We have a 10 gallon tank. It was set up and running for a week before we got fish. We got 4 feeders, ...
  A: There are just too many fish in the tank and if it has not been set up very long it is going through ...
Freshwater fish1/2/2008
  Q: Chris: Also, what do you recommend i feed the african butterfly fish?? I have tried bloodworms, ...
  A: Some of those guys will only eat live food. Mine always enjoyed live tubifex or bloodworms but you ...
Freshwater fish1/2/2008
  Q: Ok first of all, i have a 30 gallon aquarium, a 20 gallon aquarium, and a 10 gallon aquarium. The ...
  A: Don't add medicine unless you actually see for sure they have parasites. I really don't think that's ...
BABIES!1/1/2008
  Q: How long has your tank been set up?2 years <BR>How big is your tank? 90 gallon <BR>What type of ...
  A: Yikes. That's quite a quandary. Call your local fish stores and see if they are interested. ...
Betta not eating and anti-social1/1/2008
  Q: I have owned this beautiful betta since July and he had been doing very well till a few days ago. I ...
  A: If it has been a long time since you actually changed any water, it's possible the water was too ...
problem with parrot fish1/1/2008
  Q: my parrot fish has a bubble comming out of what appears to me to be his butt.the fish acts and looks ...
  A: It's really hard to say what it could be for sure but a fluid-filled cyst is likely because it's ...
water has stuff floating12/31/2007
  Q: i change the water 30% or so every week or twice depending on how dirty water is i have 5 koi 1 at ...
  A: Your tank probably just needs more surface agitation. If you could get an airpump and run an ...
chichlids not eating12/31/2007
  Q: I have a 100 gallon tank with two emperior 400 filters that have been going for 1 and half years ...
  A: It could be an intestinal parasite of some kind. Or, you could be right and it's constipation. It's ...
3 month old silver mollies sick12/31/2007
  Q: I have two tanks - 20 gallon w/3 guppies, two silver molly and 1 flame dwark guarami. The other is ...
  A: I would suspect the chinese algae eater is bothering them at night. They are vegetarians as babies ...
aquatic snails12/31/2007
  Q: I have a couple of questions. I had a snail free fresh water tank and bought a couple of live ...
  A: Keeping snails in a baby tank (or any tank) isn't such a bad thing unless they start to ...
fish problems12/30/2007
  Q: I have had the same fish for about 4yrs and have had no problems with him and I care for well. When ...
  A: It could be a water quality issue or a swim bladder problem. Have the water tested for the levels ...
betta fish died12/29/2007
  Q: What happen when a betta male fish die? Do I put a differnt male betta fish with the pregnant female ...
  A: Male and female betta fish should not be together all the time. They can hurt or kill each other. ...
Goldfish problems12/29/2007
  Q: I have one goldfish in a 30 gallon tank. He's not too big and I keep the tank relatively clean. I ...
  A: It isn't uncommon for fish to breathe harder after a water change when the old water is not in good ...
Goldfish problems12/29/2007
  Q: I have one goldfish in a 30 gallon tank. He's not too big and I keep the tank relatively clean. I ...
  A: It sounds like his immune system is very weak for some reason. It may be a water quality problem, ...
betta fish acting weird12/29/2007
  Q: Hi, my betta fish lives in a 1 gallon tank with a a UGF and air stone. Lately, he has been very ...
  A: Poor little guy. There are a few possibilities for his symptoms. Digestive problems are the most ...
Is my Sailfin Molly Pregnant12/28/2007
  Q: I have set up an aquarium and it's been about two weeks now that I've had them and bought them as a ...
  A: Sorry I missed that part of your question. To tell when livebearing females such as mollies, ...
Just a couple of random questions.12/28/2007
  Q: I was just wanting to know a couple of things about a couple of fish species. First of all is the ...
  A: A Senegal Bichir needs a very large tank because they grow to be over 3 feet long. I wouldn't try to ...
lungfish compatibility12/28/2007
  Q: I have a lung fish and was wondering what is compatible with it.
  A: He is probably going to have to remain alone I'm afraid. Lungfish are predators and will eat ...
my betta12/27/2007
  Q: =D I have had this betta fish for about 2 years now and ever since he has had curly frayed edges on ...
  A: Curled fins on bettas is a genetic trait. It develops in some bettas as they mature. For show bettas ...
sick betta12/27/2007
  Q: i'v had my betts for about 6 months and he was really doing well i changed his tank water and he got ...
  A: I would keep changing the water very often (daily or every two days) and be sure his water ...
Fish won't eat HELP!!!!12/27/2007
  Q: I am having major problems with my fish. I have a 30 gallon tank with an aqueon 10 power filter and ...
  A: I would check the water chemistry so get some test kits or have the fish store test it for you. If ...
Apple Snail12/26/2007
  Q: How long has your tank been set up? About 3 weeks How big is your tank? 10 gallon What type of fish? ...
  A: Apple snails do that sometimes. It's kind of like a vacation. If he is dead he will hang out of his ...
Clear water12/26/2007
  Q: I cannot seem to keep the water clear in my 29 gallon tank. I have clownfish now....will it hurt to ...
  A: Baking Soda will not clear up your water. It will cause the pH to rise and stress your fish. If the ...
More Bacterial Infections!12/26/2007
  Q: About a week ago I asked about my goldfish infection and upgrading to a twenty gallon. I got some ...
  A: He may have a resistant strain of bacteria infecting him or his immunity is compromised and he is ...
Is my Sailfin Molly Pregnant12/25/2007
  Q: I have set up an aquarium and it's been about two weeks now that I've had them and bought them as a ...
  A: If your tank is new the male may have died from the effects of "New Tank Syndrome". Your tank's ...
getting started12/25/2007
  Q: im new in this hobbie i have 3 bala sharks, 3 rainbow sharks and 2 algae eaters.. i think i started ...
  A: Those guys really need to go back to the store I'm afraid. They all get way too big for a ten ...
hot or normal????????????????12/23/2007
  Q: Will it be better if I pour some filtered boiled water into the tank and pour the rest of the water ...
  A: Don't change the temperature of your betta's water by adding hot water unless you have a way to keep ...
high ammonia levels12/23/2007
  Q: What can I do to remove the ammonia from my 55 gal. It has been set up for months.I do water ...
  A: If you have used ammonia removing water conditioners you may be getting a false positive on your ...
Popeye12/23/2007
  Q: I have a 10 gal tank with two goldfish (lost one about two wks ago) the tank is 8wks old. I read ...
  A: I'm so happy you found someone to finally give you such excellent advice and get your tank back in ...
Betta Compatibility12/22/2007
  Q: I have a 2 gallon tank, fully cycled, with one happy little blue crown tail male betta. I have read ...
  A: Actually the tank can safely only support your betta and nothing else. If you want to try anyway, ...
Sick fish?12/22/2007
  Q: I have 2 pictus catfished in my tank. I just recenlty put them in. They seemed fine when i put them ...
  A: If they can't stay upright they are not well. You didn't mention anything about how long the tank ...
STILL WON'T EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!12/21/2007
  Q: I already have put my fish uder a lanp all day and all night,but he still won't eat.What can I do to ...
  A: You have to provide a heat source for him somehow that will sustain his tank water at 80f. If your ...
problems with sick goldfish/cycling/ medications12/21/2007
  Q: my tank is 10 gal. It has been running for about 1 1/2 years. I have 1 bubble cheaks goldfish and 2 ...
  A: You are probably quite right, your tank is trying to restore it's balance. It was from the addition ...
African Dwarf Frogs12/20/2007
  Q: I have an African Dwarf Frog in a 5 gallon tank with a couple of white clouds, and a couple of hi ...
  A: Poor guy. He may have been bitten or he has an infection. The leg will probably not grow back but it ...
Cycling new tank, added 1 guppy, died12/20/2007
  Q: We (newbies) had setup a new 5 gallon tank on Friday, added AquaPlus to tap water and Cycle to the ...
  A: That's a shame. I'm sorry this has been such a traumatic event for your little one. It might just ...
Bacterial Infection on Goldfish12/20/2007
  Q: I won a goldfish at a school carnival 5 years ago, and after a few years of not knowing anything ...
  A: You are actually doing much better than most people trying to keep goldfish. Especially since you ...
STILL WON'T EAT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!12/19/2007
  Q: I already have put my fish uder a lanp all day and all night,but he still won't eat.What can I do to ...
  A: He needs his water temperature to be 78f to 80f. Once you get it up there and it stays there he ...
black worms12/19/2007
  Q: i've got these tiny black worms in my filter cartridge. they've got barb lookin' things on one end ...
  A: I can't seem to find anything and can't think of anything that looks like what you have described. I ...
oranda with popeye12/18/2007
  Q: My red and black oranda has popeye. I have had experience with it before but I was wondering if ...
  A: Have your water tested for the level of NitrAtes (Not nitrItes, they are different). If you find ...
HELP!12/18/2007
  Q: My male betta has started to make bubbles around a cut dr pepper bottle and he lets no one go near ...
  A: It sounds like everything is going along just as nature intended! Your female betta is probably ...
type of fish in a 5 gallon tank12/18/2007
  Q: I'm thinking of getting 3 platies (mickey mouse, sunset and wagtail) and 2 zebra danios in a 5 ...
  A: You are definitely on the right track as far as the break-in period. You only want one fish in there ...
Goldfish Care12/17/2007
  Q: We have "Pretty" the Goldfish in a 5 Gal Marineland Hex Tank for almost a year - She has survived ...
  A: Don't use the drop in feeder. It's just too much food for a small tank. More and more this time of ...
Black Moor12/17/2007
  Q: I rescued my niece's black moor yesterday. The poor thing was in a fish bowl and has been for many ...
  A: I'm so glad he has you to care for him! You are doing great. Keep doing the daily changes but also ...
My Oscar Fish12/16/2007
  Q: i have a 42 gallon tank it has an oscar, a pleco, and a wolf fish they all get along great...but ive ...
  A: It sounds like a disease called "Hole-In-The-Head". It is a dietary and water quality caused ...
brown stuff12/16/2007
  Q: I have a 10 gallon tank with 2 goldfish and bottom feeder. I change it regularly once a month. ...
  A: It sounds like fish waste. Goldfish are very messy fish that need weekly water changes and gravel ...
Sick Fish12/16/2007
  Q: I rescued this fan tail (fancy) goldfish from a place where the water was cold and never changed. It ...
  A: Poor Bella. It's really hard to say what could be wrong. I'm so glad you were able to rescue her. ...
dying fish12/15/2007
  Q: This past summer my little brother captured a baby bass that was in a drainage tunnel. It has been ...
  A: Poor little guy. Just keep doing what you are already doing. Fish in worse shape have survived such ...
snails12/15/2007
  Q: My 10 gallon beta tank has been set up for a year. A few months ago I bought java moss & fern on ...
  A: Snails are not a problem if you aren't overfeeding your fish. They thrive on excess waste and ...
My Oscar is acting crazy!12/15/2007
  Q: I have an Oscar who is almost a year old. I have reciently moved him and now he is acting crazy and ...
  A: It could be any number of things. I would first make a 50% water change and be sure to use water ...
my frog is dying :(12/14/2007
  Q: I've had my african dwarf frog for a year and a half and everything has been okay until yesterday. ...
  A: Poor little guy. I wish I could help but I really don't know anything about diagnosing or treating ...
goldfish breeding???????i dunno!12/13/2007
  Q: i have 2 gold fish (bout 4cm in length) in a small tank (bout 3 litres) i replace the ...
  A: O,S; Goldfish really don't get 'pregnant' but grow eggs inside them. The female needs a very large ...
health12/13/2007
  Q: my mexican walker has to much air and cant stay on the bottom as he keeps trying to he just floats ...
  A: I know next to nothing about walking catfish but I know that sometimes a digestive issue will cause ...
White Film/Slime in Fish bowl12/13/2007
  Q: We bought a Beta fish a few weeks ago. At first there was a white film at the top of the large ...
  A: I've seen this before in a few bowl and tanks. No one I have talked to seems to know what it is or ...
Bubbles on my tank12/12/2007
  Q: I recently transferred my goldfish from a 1 gallon tank to a 5 gallon tank. I know I will need a ...
  A: The bubbles are quite normal for a new tank. The suspended gasses and tiny air bubbles in your tap ...
freshwater fish12/11/2007
  Q: I've been buying bettas and I change the water every week put the cleaner in it I kill at least 10 ...
  A: What kind of "cleaner" are you using? What size tank have you been keeping them in? Do you acclimate ...
strange creatures in my freshwater tank12/11/2007
  Q: I have a 25 gallon tank with a silver dollar tetra and an oscar. The oscar is new since I just lost ...
  A: The little worms are harmless planaria or a nematodes. The worms themselves are indeed harmless to ...
BUBBLES12/11/2007
  Q: I have just refinished our 44 gallon fresh water take about a week ago. I have treated and tested ...
  A: As long as you didn't use soap or detergents or anything else on the tank or it's equipment, and if ...
How many differant colors do Mollys come in?12/10/2007
  Q: Your last reply was very helpful thank you. I'm wondering if there are any other colors for Mollys, ...
  A: There are many different molly colors. There is a "green" variety but it isn't a solid green color. ...
protein freshwater12/10/2007
  Q: My name is Patrick and I've had my freshwater 30 gallon set up for about 1-1/2 months now. I use ...
  A: It would probably go away if you added bubbles with an airstone. I have had this problem before too ...
Minnow12/9/2007
  Q: I have had a mixed tank of 1 large goldfish, 1 gudgeon,1 smaller goldfish, 1 sucker fish and 2 pink ...
  A: I've seen this sort of thing before in danios and nothing I ever tried ever helped. The possible ...
Pregnant Platy, when shall I put into trap?12/9/2007
  Q: I have a pregnant platy in my tank. Its a species tank, so it only consists of platies; 3 male and ...
  A: There are a couple of clues you can look for that can tell you it will be less than a week before ...
Critical condition of my white shark12/9/2007
  Q: i have a years old tank, having gold fish, Apollo shark and tiger & white shark. i normally don't ...
  A: That's a very long time for a fish not to eat. It's quite possible he has an internal parasite ...
fish for 5 gallon12/8/2007
  Q: Hey Chris, I'm putting a five gallon tank in my daughter's room. It has a heater, filter, and ...
  A: You will want to start very slow and only add one or two small fish to get the tank through the ...
HELP12/8/2007
  Q: My tank is 5 years old. 30 gallon I perform water changes one a month I just introduced 2 new ...
  A: It's hard to say for sure what the problem is but gold gouramis can be pretty aggressive. Change 25% ...
Breeding dalmation mollies12/6/2007
  Q: I had a pregnant molly. she delivered her babies. The tinfoil barbs ate all the fry's. I wanted to ...
  A: They usually will deliver all of them within a couple of hours. Mollies are very prolific however so ...
fish with a slightly big stomach12/6/2007
  Q: Mmm... i'm not sure if i understood the instructions, haha, sorry. My tank is a 5 gallon tank, and ...
  A: I think the amount of food he gets is just fine. He needs to have a regular basic flake or pellet ...
amazonian puffers12/5/2007
  Q: 20 gal. 2freshwater amazonian puffers, aqua clear, ph is unknown right now but the tank has been ...
  A: I would suspect injury by the other puffer. They have VERY sharp teeth and can inflict serious bites ...
fuzzy growth on hatchet's nose12/5/2007
  Q: Tank set up 10 yrs 29 gal, 2 hatchets, 2 angels, 6 tetras, 2 tri color sharks, & 1 red tailed shark. ...
  A: If it's ick, there would be little dots that look like salt. Anything bigger isn't ick but an ...
Ph in freshwater fish with Molly/Livebearers11/27/2007
  Q: I have many Molly's in my 20 gal tank. Just did 25% water change and tested the water to find the ...
  A: It is best not to alter the pH with chemicals. Using chemicals can be dangerous and cause ...
Drooping fins11/27/2007
  Q: We have tropical fish in a tank size of 35 1/2 inches long x 15 1/2 inches deep x 18 inches high. We ...
  A: Check the ammonia and nitrite (not nitrAte, it's different). If either of those toxins are elevated ...
Low ph in chiclid tank11/26/2007
  Q: I have a 75 gallon tank with 1 Oscar, 1 red devil, 1 plecatumus and 1 pacu. For a year now I have ...
  A: Coral sand or crushed coral can help raise the pH. Don't use big pieces of coral though. It's much ...
Angelfish11/26/2007
  Q: I just bought a angelfish and put it in my tank with some goldfish and the goldfish ate it.why do ...
  A: Your goldfish need their own coldwater tank if your current tank has a heater. Goldfish will indeed ...
ammonia remover11/20/2007
  Q: My tank is 2 gallons with only 2 fish. I have a undergravel filter. The ammonia levels are a little ...
  A: Ammonia binders are not going to solve the problem because they don't lower nitrite. The ammonia is ...
dwarf guarmi sits down and is vertical in tank11/20/2007
  Q: I just added a dwarf guarmi to my 20 gal tank and the 2nd day i had him i noticed very stange ...
  A: Poor guy. It's definitely a swim bladder problem. Separating him is about the best you can do. It ...
Sick Pleco?11/19/2007
  Q: I just set my tank up yesterday and just put the fish in today. It is a 29 gallon tank. I have a ...
  A: You didn't mention what symptoms your plecostamus has but I already see a couple of possible ...
PH Balance11/19/2007
  Q: My ph level is really yellow! I called the pet store and they said I need to bring it down, I ...
  A: Do you have a chart with your test kit? If not I might be able to give you a link to one you can ...
Fish Problems11/19/2007
  Q: My tank is 10gal., about 3 1/2 months established, I have two crabs, 1 Pleco, 1 Goldfish, 1 tiger ...
  A: The black marks appearing on your goldfish are from ammonia burns. Ammonia comes from fish waste and ...
bugs .....do you know what these are11/18/2007
  Q: i look in my tank and there are penny sizes 6 legged bugs in my tank do you know that they are
  A: Are you saying that the bugs in your tank are the size of pennies? That's HUGE! What color are they? ...
Black Moor Fin Rot?11/18/2007
  Q: I rescued a black moor from a relative's tank a few days ago and I'm not quite sure what to do with ...
  A: You are certainly doing your best with him. Keep his water very clean and hopefully he will recover ...
New Tank Setup11/17/2007
  Q: natural gravel substrate; plastic plants until established, perhaps beyond. I'm guessing 30-40 fish ...
  A: I am SO SORRY! I was reading through my questions and another one had a similar situation using ...
dwarf guarmi sits down and is vertical in tank11/17/2007
  Q: I just added a dwarf guarmi to my 20 gal tank and the 2nd day i had him i noticed very stange ...
  A: Your new little friend is probably experiencing the effects of shock from getting a new home. It ...
pleco worries11/16/2007
  Q: 60 g tank, pleco, 4 fish total, double cascade 300 filters, h20 change 2x month with 25% water ...
  A: If the cucumber has been eaten overnite after you put it in he's probably okay. Plecos are nocturnal ...
albino cories completely upside down11/15/2007
  Q: should i be concerned with the fact that my albino cory is ALWAYS on the surface of the water, ...
  A: Definitely not normal for cory cats to be upside down at the top. He may have an air bubble in his ...
Fish Die Off11/14/2007
  Q: Chris--I have a 55 gallon tank, which has 2 undergravel filters covering entire bottom, plus a ...
  A: Check the level of ammonia and nitrites. They should always be "zero" in an established tank and can ...
Bloated Betta11/14/2007
  Q: I got my betta about 5 months ago and he resides alone in a 5 gallon tank that is filtered and ...
  A: Poor little guy. It might be worth a try to give him the Epsom bath treatment. If that doesn't work ...
Hood11/13/2007
  Q: I am planning to construct a hood for my aquarium.What material should i use? FYI 120 gallon L-4ft ...
  A: I've never done it myself because the wiring scares me (zzzztt....Yikes!). Here is a web page that ...
Goldfish babies11/13/2007
  Q: I have a very simple question that seems almost impossible to find an answer for! I have been ...
  A: Cool! Sounds like the goldfish did indeed spawn. Baby goldfish do look a little strange, long and ...
dying11/13/2007
  Q: i have bought up to 20 of platy for several times. but now i have only 3 of them. everytime it dies ...
  A: I'm not sure what you mean by "the best way to have a filter system". If you mean "what type of ...
dying11/12/2007
  Q: i have bought up to 20 of platy for several times. but now i have only 3 of them. everytime it dies ...
  A: There are several possible reasons for the trouble you are having... Changing 100% of the water ...
dying11/12/2007
  Q: i have bought up to 20 of platy for several times. but now i have only 3 of them. everytime it dies ...
  A: I need more information about your fish and tank in order to get a better idea of the problem so I ...
snails11/12/2007
  Q: .. i was wondering... is it ok to find snails in the aquarium? i keep finding a whole bunch of them ...
  A: Snails aren't bad it's just that they can easily get out of control. Overfeeding the fish is the ...
Aquarium pest11/11/2007
  Q: I have an unknown pest in my aquarium that is multiplying rapidly. They are very small and white and ...
  A: They sound like a little creature called "hydra". They are totally harmless unless you have newborn ...
guppy breeding11/10/2007
  Q: 2 months 17x48x13.5 inches guppies, swordfish, platies, and tetras i dont know the type of filter ...
  A: Guppies can have babies about every 4 to 6 weeks and since males constantly want to breed they are ...
blue grommie11/10/2007
  Q: I have a male and female blue grommie the female is huge like looks very fat the male is normal the ...
  A: Gouramis are egglaying fish so she wouldn't be "pregnant" really. Egglaying fish can grow eggs ...
Breeding11/10/2007
  Q: I just have a few questions that maybe you can help me with... I have 1 female balloon molly, 2 male ...
  A: Mollies are pretty much pregnant all the time and males are looking to breed all the time. Some ...
dwarf gouramis11/9/2007
  Q: We have a dwarf gouramis in a fish bowl. He is not swimming around much and hardly eating. We have ...
  A: If you have had your gourami a long time and he is just recently acting strange he may be getting ...
sick fish11/9/2007
  Q: I have a 12" goldfish set up in a 50gal tank he's been sick for almost a year now. He has a cluster ...
  A: Poor guy. It sounds like a case of Hemorrhagic Septicemia. Instead of the Maracyn Two you could try ...
My fishes11/8/2007
  Q: My tank is 2.5 feet long and 1 feet wide, I have 5 goldfish, 2 shark catfish, 2 sucker catfish, 4 ...
  A: I hate to be the bearer of bad news but the tank is too crowded to breed egglayers such as gouramis. ...
tank questions11/8/2007
  Q: I have 2-29 gal tanks. One has been set up for about2.5 months and the other for about a month. I ...
  A: I always add enough water conditioner for the whole tank, even just for partial changes. It gives ...
Fry11/8/2007
  Q: and she hasn't had any signs of dropsy etc. i can see a small gravid spot and she is about 3-4 weeks ...
  A: I think the mother platy would be fine with the swordtail babies. At 4 weeks old they should be ...
oscars and silverdollars11/7/2007
  Q: can Oscars and silverdollars be tank mates cause my boyfriend said they had some in a tank together ...
  A: They can indeed be kept together but the silver dollars have to be very large and should be in ...
Pregnant Guppies11/7/2007
  Q: I have a 20gal tank that's been running for at least a month now, with a shoal of six neon tetras, ...
  A: Usually about 3 or 4 days before delivery the female will develop a "boxy" look to her belly. It ...
I invested in a bigger tank for my goldfish and then they all ended up SICK !11/7/2007
  Q: Welcome back from vacation! 28 gallon tank set up 1 week the previous tank was 5 gallon with 2 ...
  A: Poor guys. You have all been through a lot the last few days. I think it's a combination of stress, ...
sick tank10/26/2007
  Q: I have several sick fish in my aquarium and the basic problem is that all the symptoms lead me to ...
  A: Since the medicine worked for the balas you might want to treat all the fish. Usually when there are ...
sick betta - help!10/26/2007
  Q: OK, so here's the deal. I recently brought my betta home, and while his 7.5 tank is cycling he's in ...
  A: I would attribute it to stress. If the bowl temperature became pretty low he just needs time to ...
betta and mollies PLEASE HELP10/22/2007
  Q: I've had a male betta fish living in a tank (it's fairly small but big enough to have a filter) for ...
  A: I would take the mollies back. Mollies need a tank of at least 20 gallons because they get large (4 ...
sick tank10/22/2007
  Q: I have several sick fish in my aquarium and the basic problem is that all the symptoms lead me to ...
  A: I would suspect a parasite. The most common is "ick" or "Ich". Look for tiny white dots that look ...
Sick fish10/21/2007
  Q: I have a 20 gallon fish tank, with 1 figure 8 puffer,2 spotted puffers, 1 silver dollar, 2 corys, 2 ...
  A: Wow, I'm so sorry things have gone so badly. Let's see what we can do.... Keep making water changes ...
Damaged wen on Oranda Goldfish10/21/2007
  Q: I have a large oranda goldfish that's over 2 years old. Today I noticed that his wen looks like it's ...
  A: He may have injured himself somewhere in the tank. It happens sometimes. Also, if he isn't alone be ...
my fish10/21/2007
  Q: i have a oscar,a pacu,2 dinosaur palmus eels,a gnar,a male jack dempsey,and an pleco in a 29 gallon ...
  A: Tommy; I'm so sorry to have to tell you this but somewhere you have received some VERY bad advice ...
Spring Water and Fresh Water Fish10/20/2007
  Q: I have to tell you. You got my attention with the "what's that weird stuff on my fish?" :) Actually ...
  A: "What's that weird stuff on my fish?"....Can't get more simple than that, eh? Lol! Bottled water ...
Internal Filter Position and Function10/20/2007
  Q: I recently bought a larger internal sponge filter, and I am wondering if is set up right. Bubbles ...
  A: The air going to the sponge filter should be enough to create a slow flow of water. As long as the ...
Tank has little white squirmy worms10/20/2007
  Q: I have a 100 gal fresh h2o tank I purchased used. It uses a wet dry filtration system instead of the ...
  A: They are just harmless nematodes or planarians that are feeding on excess organic wastes. They do ...
converting to goldfish10/19/2007
  Q: I have a 35 gallon tank that has been set up for a year. In the beginning i cleaned everything too ...
  A: If your house temperature drops below 72f at any time your plecostomus may not do very well if you ...
question that has me stumped10/19/2007
  Q: Chris, I am new on this site. I am Tina Quiao. ...
  A: If you didn't send her question to the pool yourself, your questioner probably asked another expert ...
Goldfish10/18/2007
  Q: How long has your tank been set up? Since about April 07 <BR>How big is your tank? 21 Litres ...
  A: It's possible it isn't anchor worm at all. It may have been an injury to the fin itself and it's now ...
Cloudy tank and what look like eggs in the filter10/18/2007
  Q: I recently replaced all of the water in my fresh water tank. It's a really small 5 gallon tank with ...
  A: It is best to make weekly 25% changes instead of a complete replacement, as you now know. The system ...
infestation?10/18/2007
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank set up now for 10 years. I used to have ciclids but they killed each other ...
  A: It could be a "plasmodial slime-mold" growth. They can take over large areas very quickly, as you ...
tank&gravel question10/17/2007
  Q: hey chris i have a 10 gal tank and 2 fish an algae eater and a green puffer. i would like to know a ...
  A: Gravel could be removed but it looks nice and anchors the plants and other decorations. It is also a ...
Goldfish10/17/2007
  Q: How long has your tank been set up? Since about April 07 <BR>How big is your tank? 21 Litres ...
  A: You are quite welcome! ;-) Hopefully you'll get that little devil eventually. I know it can be ...
ADF with Mystery Snails10/17/2007
  Q: Are ADF compatible with mystery snails? I've read that some species of snails will attack resting ...
  A: I have kept African Frogs and Mystery Snails together without any problems but your tank is already ...
Goldfish10/16/2007
  Q: How long has your tank been set up? Since about April 07 <BR>How big is your tank? 21 Litres ...
  A: Chemical or medicinal treatments might kill the worm but you still have to remove them manually. ...
My green spotted puffers and my albino clawed frog10/16/2007
  Q: I have a tank with a algae eater and a albino clawed frog in it and tonight I decided to get 3 ...
  A: Puffers bites are not poisonous so I really don't know what could be wrong with your frog. Puffers ...
Low PH10/15/2007
  Q: I have a 60 gallon with 2 iridescent, 2 redtails, 1 pleco 6', 2 kissing fish, 1 goldfish 6', 1 ...
  A: The driftwood will cause the pH to drop as it softens the water over time. Water changes re-supply ...
Peacock Eel10/15/2007
  Q: I have a peacock eel in a freshwater tank. He has been doing just fine, but today i noticed that he ...
  A: It's doesn't sound good. Is it possible he has been injured by another fish? Could there be a ...
Blue Gouramie death10/14/2007
  Q: I've had my 35 gallon tank set up for almost 2 yrs.w relatively no problems. I have had my one ...
  A: Poor guy. I'm so sorry you lost him. It's really hard to know what happened. Redness indicates ...
baby guppies10/14/2007
  Q: hey i was cleaning my tank this morning and i found four baby guppies. i'v only had the fish a ...
  A: Babies! Congratulations! Separating them is a good idea for sure. If you set up a baby tank for them ...
hey my dwarf guramy its weird10/13/2007
  Q: this may sound dumb but i think my dwrf gouramy its pregnant or theres something else going on when ...
  A: Goiuramis don't really "get pregnant" with babies because they are egglayers. It's possible you have ...
black moor acting weird10/13/2007
  Q: I just got two black moors about a week ago. They are currently living in a tank with my bubble-eye ...
  A: It could be a swim bladder disorder. It is often related to diet so if you give him cooked peeled ...
Betta Fish10/13/2007
  Q: My betta fish's eye seems to come out of it's eye. It turned white and discoloured. Where can I get ...
  A: Your local fish store should have the medicine he needs. It sounds like a case of pop-eye. Here is a ...
strange uninvited guests10/12/2007
  Q: Chris, I'm at a loss! Any help would be appreciated! I've had fresh tanks for about 10 years, but ...
  A: Isn't that stuff cool? There are some very interesting creatures out there. Reminds me of biology ...
PH10/12/2007
  Q: What can i use to lower the PH besides PH Down? I have heard of using baking soda and other ...
  A: I rarely recommend trying to alter the Ph. Chemicals and additives will cause fluctuations that are ...
Please help! Upgrading tank...10/12/2007
  Q: I've had a 10 gallon tank for about two years now with just one yellow electric lab living it it, ...
  A: It may go through a "mini-cycle" but I wouldn't worry because it is unlikely to be as serious as the ...
strange uninvited guests10/11/2007
  Q: Chris, I'm at a loss! Any help would be appreciated! I've had fresh tanks for about 10 years, but ...
  A: They are most likely a harmless ciliated protozoan that feeds on bacteria and other microscopic ...
cloudy like cotton substance on my oscars eye10/11/2007
  Q: i have an Oscar with a convict and a jack dempsey and a placo. the problem is my Oscar has a ...
  A: It sounds like an injury that has become infected with fungus or bacteria. Keep the water very clean ...
Moon shaped floating things10/10/2007
  Q: When I was feeding my fish today (they're basic fish - I just got a freshwater tank and bought 6 ...
  A: They could be fish waste, particles from the gravel, tiny pieces of decorations, etc. Change 25% of ...
Getting rid of bacterial bloom10/10/2007
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank with all easy community fish. My 4 year old nephew dumped a whole can of ...
  A: Oh wow. What a mess you've had to deal with. You are actually doing about all you can at this point. ...
Mollie Fish Mystery10/9/2007
  Q: I have a couple questions and I really don't know where to start. My husband and I moved into a ...
  A: The molly may have an infection under the skin or something. It may come through the surface ...
low ph level10/9/2007
  Q: I have a 30 gallon tank. it has been in operation for about 2 months now and i have been gradually ...
  A: The population looks good actually. Wait at least a week for the system to compensate for the last ...
Mollie Fish Mystery10/8/2007
  Q: I have a couple questions and I really don't know where to start. My husband and I moved into a ...
  A: The redness on the one fish could be a bacterial infection, injury, irritation or possibly even a ...
Black Moor Goldfish dying....10/8/2007
  Q: My tank has been set up for several weeks. I have other fish breeds in my tank currently that are ...
  A: Goldfish are coldwater fish so it may be the higher tropical temperatures that weaken them and cause ...
fish diseases and treatment10/8/2007
  Q: i have this 10 gal tank that i thought i had disinfected with clorox and I started a community in ...
  A: They are actually planarians, pond bugs and/or nematodes that are not harmful to your fish. They ...
possible finrot?9/28/2007
  Q: i have a pair of blood red parrots. the male (i assume its the male) keeps digging in the cave that ...
  A: Parrots often develop black spots as they mature. It's possible they have ammonia burns though. ...
never showed nitrites!!!9/16/2007
  Q: Chris - here are my aquarium stats: 6 months set up on a 20 gal. tank 2 blue gouramis at the ...
  A: The link wouldn't work for me, it's user specific just to you. I will give you a few suggestions to ...
Hair algae9/15/2007
  Q: i have a 55 gallon tank with a ton of fancy guppies and one small pleco. I also have a few small ...
  A: If it's isolated to just the one plant, soak the plant in a mild bleach solution in a large bowl or ...
pregnant molly9/15/2007
  Q: I have my Molly in a breeding box,When she gives birth , do I need to separate her from the fry?
  A: It's best to separate them. The mother may eat them if you keep them together. Change 25% of your ...
black moor9/14/2007
  Q: tank set up for year. 29 gallons.(2) black moors and pearle scale golf ball oranda.filter is a ...
  A: I'm so sorry you lost him. It happens sometimes and we can't always tell why if there are no outward ...
breeding fantails9/14/2007
  Q: i know i have a male fantail, i think the other one is a girl because it is more fat and rounded ...
  A: I think they're still a bit young but you never know. Condition them with good foods and see what ...
"Bugs"in my fish tank!9/14/2007
  Q: I have had my 10 gallon freshwater fish tank for over a year now with 6 white clouds and 6 neons ...
  A: Sounds just fine and natural to me. The fish are having a great time feeding on their natural food ...
black moor9/13/2007
  Q: tank set up for year. 29 gallons.(2) black moors and pearle scale golf ball oranda.filter is a ...
  A: If he has trouble swimming even when he's eating it could be a swim bladder problem. It is often ...
pleco strange growth9/13/2007
  Q: I have had a pleco for several years now, in a 40 gal aquarium. It recently developed a ...
  A: It could be a tumor or a bacterial infection from an injury or something. Keep his water very clean ...
Fish Identity9/13/2007
  Q: I may be getting a fish tank later on through the year. My dad used to own three fish tanks and in ...
  A: It could be a Synodontis also called "upside down catfish". There are many, many fish in this ...
Ick and High NitRITES9/12/2007
  Q: .recently set up a 29 Gallon with the help of my boyfriend whom has his own 30 Gallon and is very ...
  A: Okay, let's slow down a bit a take a deep breath. You will get through this and I'm going to help ...
add more fish?9/12/2007
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank fully cycled now with 6 comets (3 inches long) and 13 white cloud minnows. ...
  A: I really can't recommend that you add any more fish to your tank. Once your comets grow to adult ...
Cloudy Water9/11/2007
  Q: i have a 40 litre freshwater tank with 1 large, 2 average and 2 small comets (type of goldfish i ...
  A: Gravel vacuuming does take some practice. If your siphon has a large tube on one end and a small ...
Bump in Mouth9/11/2007
  Q: I have an Oscar that has a small bump or blister in his mouth on the bottom lip. All levels are ...
  A: It sounds like it really could be from fighting. Oscars just do that and "lip-locking" that they ...
bloodfin tetra9/11/2007
  Q: i have a six gallon destop aquarium with 2 bloodfin tetras and 2 zebra danios and noticed tonight ...
  A: That certainly doesn't sound good. It's possibly related to his swim bladder that controls ...
tailed white creature on my gold fish9/10/2007
  Q: Hey chris! today i found my goldfishes and shubangys are attached with some white tailed ...
  A: There are a few possibilities. Do you have to forcefully remove it from the fish or just brush it ...
sad fish9/10/2007
  Q: i live with my fiances family, they have 2 fantails and 3 danios in a small fish bowl. it probably ...
  A: Those poor fish. So they have had other pets die of neglect too and they don't seem to care how much ...
Plecos9/10/2007
  Q: I have was wondering if there was any way to determine a common pleco's sex. Thanks! - Charlie
  A: Sometimes female common plecostomus are larger with rounder bellies but it's still difficult even to ...
what fish are suitable for a cold water biorb9/9/2007
  Q: I'm thinking of buying a baby biorb 15 litre cold water aquarium as a gift, what fish are suitable ...
  A: A little 15 liter cold water tank is large enough for perhaps 2 or 3 danios or 2 or 3 white cloud ...
guppies9/9/2007
  Q: Quick question. Pet stores around me tell me to add salt to my tank for guppies. But I think that ...
  A: Salt is not necessary for guppies long term. It's helpful if they have a case of parasites or they ...
My Albino Oscar is Upside Down Breathing9/9/2007
  Q: I noticed this morning my oscar has been upside down in the tank. My tank is about 70 gallons, had ...
  A: It doesn't sound good at all, I'm sorry to say. Dropsy is usually a fatal condition and even with ...
Cloudy Water9/8/2007
  Q: i have a 40 litre freshwater tank with 1 large, 2 average and 2 small comets (type of goldfish i ...
  A: Your tank is in the "break-in period" after being overcleaned. The fish have probably grown over ...
community tank9/8/2007
  Q: heya, in answer to the instructions, the tank has been set up 3 weeks, and its ammonia and nitrite ...
  A: All tanks really should have a 25% change with a gravel vacuuming once a week. I can't tell what ...
Is my Danio pregnant?9/8/2007
  Q: I have a 5 gallon mini bow aquarium with a long-finned zebra danio, short finned pink danio (i think ...
  A: If the tank has a bare bottom and there is no gravel or rocks in it you might be able to see them. ...
New Tank9/7/2007
  Q: My tank has been set up for 2.5 months now. It's a 55 gallon tank with 2 platies and 4 mollies and ...
  A: The amount of food to give them depends on the actual size of your individual fish but it should be ...
Planted Tank Setup - basics9/7/2007
  Q: I have an old aquarium 20*12*15 with plastic plants, i wanted to move for a more realistic and ...
  A: I'm not a plant expert and am not familiar with CO2 systems so I really can't say if it's needed or ...
How to stock fish that need to be in groups9/7/2007
  Q: I've always understood that fish should be added to a new tank either 3 small fish or 1 medium/large ...
  A: Even though schooling fish should always be in groups it just isn't safe to do that in a new tank ...
New Tank9/6/2007
  Q: My tank has been set up for 2.5 months now. It's a 55 gallon tank with 2 platies and 4 mollies and ...
  A: Look at the label on your ammonia test kit. If it says it contains a "Nessler Reagent" it could be ...
Is my Danio pregnant?9/6/2007
  Q: I have a 5 gallon mini bow aquarium with a long-finned zebra danio, short finned pink danio (i think ...
  A: The 'pointy fin thing' in males is only for livebearing fish. Danios are egglayers and the fatter ...
dying fish9/6/2007
  Q: We got a 29gal. tank at a garage sale and cleaned it all out and transfered out platys and guppies ...
  A: I really think it's all from "New Tank Syndrome" or "The Break-in Period", often called "Cycling". ...
Discus and New Tank9/5/2007
  Q: Chris. After a disasterous experience with a 55 gal bio-ball tank where we lost several lovely ...
  A: Make daily 25% water changes in the little tank instead of the 30 gallon. A 5 gallon is pretty ...
beta film9/5/2007
  Q: I have had my beta for about a year. Since moving back to school, his tank has developed a thin ...
  A: It's possible something in the tap water there is causing it. Obviously it isn't harmful or you ...
Snails9/4/2007
  Q: hope you can help. I got 2 golden snails for my fish tank, after 3 days I had 3 more. I gave all ...
  A: Golden snails aren't usually so prolific. If they are the large golden snails they will lay eggs ...
injured sailfin pleco9/3/2007
  Q: my pleco got stuck in a pipe the other day and he broke off two of the spines on his sail and now ...
  A: Oops. Poor guy. Fins usually grow back just fine as long as the fish is healthy and the wound ...
help9/3/2007
  Q: I have four axolotles in a 3ft tank. Recently i noticed heaps of little blacky/brown dots that ...
  A: The little "dots" are probably just a little critter taking advantage of abundant waste. Unless you ...
my fish wont eat!9/3/2007
  Q: ANSWER: Hi Aaron; He's probably suffering from shock and also from lack of oxygen being in too ...
  A: It's perfectly okay to reply. I'm here to help you the best I can. It would be best for the fish to ...
my fish wont eat!9/2/2007
  Q: hi i got a black moor about 2 days ago and it wont eat at all he doesn't even go to the top of the ...
  A: He's probably suffering from shock and also from lack of oxygen being in too small a tank. I'm so ...
Black Moor is not well...9/2/2007
  Q: I have 2 fish, a black moor and an oranda...neither is doing well but the black moor is especially ...
  A: Oh, my goodness. You may not want to talk to me ever again after what I will need to tell you next, ...
Going out of town w/o my betta9/1/2007
  Q: I have a betta who lives in a 5 gallon tank that's his and his alone. No filter, a silk plant, and ...
  A: Your concerns aren't silly at all. We love our fish and they depend on us to care for them. ...
Green Slime9/1/2007
  Q: I have green slime and after numerous attempts at cleaning I realize I need some assistance. The ...
  A: Cyanobacteria can indeed be difficult to get rid of, as you now know. It helps to vacuum the gravel ...
Changing to a slightly larger aquarium8/31/2007
  Q: I started my 10-gallon aquarium a month and a half ago; the ammonia level and nitrite/nitrate levels ...
  A: With a new tank it would be helpful to move as much of the old gravel and decorations as possible to ...
Tried just about everything! Need help!8/31/2007
  Q: We have been treating a tank full of goldfish with ick for months already. Our tank is 46g and has ...
  A: It sounds more like a chronic case of fin rot and perhaps toxins are elevated such as ammonia and ...
Weird white spot on male guppy8/30/2007
  Q: I have a medium sized glass bowl (probably around 1-2 gallons) with no filter or pump. I have one ...
  A: The bowl is just too small for two fish and it's getting too warm for a guppy to be comfortable. ...
HELP !!!8/29/2007
  Q: I have a 6 months old silver angel fish ,for the past five months it seemed to be pretty avtive , ...
  A: Your angel really needs to be in a regular tank with a filter or at least with air bubbles in the ...
aquariam lights8/29/2007
  Q: Can I turn off the light in my tank? I have 2 tetras, a snail and a beta. Do they need a light at ...
  A: Fish really don't need a light at night. The light is actually just for us to see our fish or to ...
Stuck Fish8/29/2007
  Q: My roommate has a beta fish that got himself stuck halfway through a hole is a ceramic tank ...
  A: I hope he has worked his way out by now, but if he hasn't you will have to pull it up out of the ...
pleco's8/28/2007
  Q: My 4yr pleco has white film or haze over his eye. What could this be? Began two days ago when we ...
  A: Puffers are aggressive so it's good that you took him back to the store. They have very sharp little ...
Swollen sore eye8/28/2007
  Q: One of my molly fish has a swollen eye, it started off as just swollen but now its getting much ...
  A: Sounds like a case of "Pop-Eye". There are a couple of different possible causes and treatments. ...
stringy slimy8/27/2007
  Q: I've had a 10 gallon tank for about two weeks now and yesterday afternoon, I added 7 new fish. After ...
  A: It could be fish waste or slime coating from stressed fish. You didn't mention what kind of fish ...
growth on rocks8/27/2007
  Q: I have recently purchased two 10 gallons fish tanks. Though I have treated both the same (including ...
  A: A bacterial bloom in the water would simply make the water milky-looking. It could be bacteria ...
Gold gourami "resting" at bottom8/27/2007
  Q: I will try to be as detailed as possible here. This is my first aquarium so I am very new... We ...
  A: I think this is all a result of "New Tank Syndrome", also called the break-in period or "Cycling". ...
Goldfish - pregnant or constipated?8/26/2007
  Q: I have two shubunkins and over the past two weeks one of them has become very bloated and she keeps ...
  A: It sounds like you do have a male and female. Constipation could be the female's trouble, and it ...
Callemanus?8/26/2007
  Q: INFO: I have a 75 gallon; set up six months; 27 fish (odessa, aurilus, tiger, black ruby barbs and ...
  A: It does sound like Camellanus worms. I've never actually seen a case of it in my fish so I really ...
Sick ciclid8/25/2007
  Q: I have a 35 gal tank with a spotted, a bumble bee, and two electric yellows (one male, one female), ...
  A: I'm not an expert in africans but could she be protecting a nest? Otherwise, it sounds like she may ...
white spots/ worms in tank killing fish8/25/2007
  Q: Hey Chris, I have recently seen Little white spots on the sides of my tank and worms ...
  A: What a shame. I'm so sorry for the loss of your other two. Hopefully we can save the last one. Those ...
Installing an aquarium background8/25/2007
  Q: I chose to ask you since your profile says you worked at a pet store, etc. I bought an "Aqua ...
  A: Most backgrounds are like that. We usually have to supply our own tape to hold them on. I've always ...
calico's8/24/2007
  Q: i was wandering are calico fish algae eaters?
  A: If the "calico fish" you are referring to is a goldfish, they aren't what is typically known as ...
fish8/24/2007
  Q: hey, i jsut got a 20 gallon tank 2 weeks ago. i have 2 platies, and 3 zebra danios. im thinking of ...
  A: The little frogs are carnivores and really don't eat algae at all. They like frozen worms, shrimp ...
snails8/24/2007
  Q: i just got a 20 gallon freshwater tank 2 weeks ago. i have little of no experience. but the other ...
  A: Snails can indeed become a problem. They usually will overproduce only if you overfeed your fish. ...
snails8/23/2007
  Q: i just got a 20 gallon tank and so far i have 2 platies and 3 zebra danios. they are all doing great ...
  A: Where there's one there are probably more or some eggs somewhere from the one you do see. To avoid ...
algae eaters8/23/2007
  Q: I have a tank with over 10 fish. I have only 1 algae eater. I dont know is wrong with it, I have two ...
  A: Because I get so many questions every day I have to limit how many I receive in a 24 hour period. ...
sad /crazy goldfish8/23/2007
  Q: hey there just wondering can you help. my cousin has a fairly big tank and only one goldfish (the ...
  A: Poor guys. Waste toxins are irritating and burning their skin, gills and eyes. It's like poison to ...
sick cichlid8/22/2007
  Q: I read one of your answers about a gourami with bare patches and that sounds exactly what is going ...
  A: Poor guy. Isolation is what he needs for sure. You did the right thing. I wouldn't use any ick ...
pleco sick or not?8/22/2007
  Q: i have a 60 g tank, 2 rainbow sharks (i know), an albino tiger barb, and my plecostomus. tank has ...
  A: Plecostomus aren't known for being especially active all the time. As he gets older and bigger he ...
omg one of the fish got big!8/22/2007
  Q: well about a month ago my brother got two danios. after 3 weeks one of them got big. is she pregnant ...
  A: Danios are egglayers so they really don't get 'pregnant' the way livebearing fish do. Danios grow ...
algae eaters8/21/2007
  Q: I have a tank with over 10 fish. I have only 1 algae eater. I dont know is wrong with it, I have two ...
  A: Algae eaters are shy nocturnal fish. They do most of their work at night so his (or her) behavior is ...
Clown Loach8/21/2007
  Q: My Clown Loach, when I bought it, had a slight black spot on it's "forehead", however, a week later, ...
  A: If he's eating and doesn't look thin I wouldn't worry too much. If he isn't eating and has no other ...
betas and other fish8/21/2007
  Q: i have a 40 gallon tank with some platies and tetras. i put a beta in there and the pet store said ...
  A: Worms are very good for the other fish too. They should all have variety in their diet. Flakes, ...
fish8/20/2007
  Q:
  A: Those two types of fish are not compatible for several reasons. Tiger barbs are tropical (warm ...
Is my guppy sick or just pregnant?8/20/2007
  Q: I came downstairs this morning and noticed that my guppy was swimming sideways. Her stomach has been ...
  A: Pregnant female guppies should swim around pretty normal and only maybe hide a little more than ...
i think my danios are pregnant8/19/2007
  Q: Hey my name is cory i have a 55gallon take its been set up for about a year an ahalf, many ...
  A: Danios are very good eaters so they may just be fat little guys and gals. The females are fatter ...
goldfish8/19/2007
  Q: how do you look after new born baby goldfish and what do you put the in to survive
  A: You will need at least a ten gallon tank with a sponge filter or other air operated very slow flow ...
african cichlid diseases8/19/2007
  Q: I have a 95 gallon fish tank with african cichlids and I have lost at least 5 within the past month ...
  A: I am really not an african cichlid expert but I can suggest a few possiblities. Could the tank be ...
Betta fish8/18/2007
  Q: How much water do I leave change when changing the water. The guy at PetSmart told me to change 3/4 ...
  A: If your betta tank has a filter, change 25% to 50% of the water once a week. If there is no filter, ...
Green Algae8/17/2007
  Q: . I have a 5 gallon freshwater tank! I have recently gotten a fish tank..I got it June 30th 2007...I ...
  A: The green water is from suspended algae also known as "planktonic algae". It floats in the water so ...
goldfish clamped fins8/17/2007
  Q: Please help...new pet store here hired a bunch of people who don't know much about goldfish...we ...
  A: Make a 25% water change right away and do them again for 3 more days in a row. It will help the fish ...
black molly8/17/2007
  Q: How can i tell if she is pregnant. How do they get pregnant and should i seperate her if i'm not ...
  A: Female mollies get very fat when they have babies inside. If there has been a male with her, she ...
fish8/16/2007
  Q: thanks
  A: Black skirt tetras are "egg scatterers". The male and female will each do their part and will pretty ...
Water in new aquarium8/16/2007
  Q: I bought a 20G tank yesterday and started the filter run. I put 10G of Spring water and 10G of tap ...
  A: As long as the filter and heater are working, everything sounds just fine to add fish. I would start ...
Lowering a high pH8/16/2007
  Q: first of all let me tell you what my setup is. I have a 55 gallon tank with approximately 20 fish. ...
  A: That pH does sound pretty high. It's good that you haven't been using chemicals to lower it though. ...
why my koi is't eating8/15/2007
  Q: why would my koi has stop eating for three to four days now and just floats at the bottom of the ...
  A: There are many reasons a fish will stop eating. Stress, injury, infection, water quality, bullying, ...
fish8/15/2007
  Q: and in my other tank I'm breeding black skirt tetras and i was wondering if when the female is ...
  A: Bettas have unique breeding behavior. The male cares for the eggs after they are laid. He "spits" ...
Betta Filter8/14/2007
  Q: I recently bought a Tetra Brand internal Whisper Power Filter for my Betta, Bruce Lee =). He ...
  A: It's great to see a hobbyist keep a betta in a regular tank with a filter. It's so much better than ...
Cloudy Water and Fish with dropsy8/14/2007
  Q: I have a 16 gallon tank for around 2 months now. I used to have two oranda goldfish in there but one ...
  A: Dropsy is a very difficult and often impossible problem to treat. It isn't actually a disease in ...
iridecent shark8/13/2007
  Q: I recently baught an iridecent shark. It was a normanl size when I baught it but its belly got big ...
  A: He may be overeating. Those guys can be very greedy when it's feeding time. He could also be ...
Clown Loach8/12/2007
  Q: I have recently just had my 2 young clown loaches die. they developed a white blotchy covering over ...
  A: It's probably fish waste toxins out of control from the overfeeding. I would make a series of daily ...
Pacu help please8/12/2007
  Q: I have a Pacu that i love, but my boyfriend doesnt want to keep because of how fast he is growing.. ...
  A: He may be too large for his tank and there isn't enough oxygen, or he has a parasite or something ...
Very Sick Fish, Desperate for help8/11/2007
  Q: I have been on this computer for days trying t o find help, I am dealing with Ich and Fungus and ...
  A: Are you sure the fish have ick? Ick looks like the fish has been sprinkled with salt. Elevated ...
Guppy Birth8/11/2007
  Q: My pregnant guppy gave birth while we were out we're not sure how many she had but 2 survived. One ...
  A: Poor things. That happens sometimes and it's just an unfortunate but natural part of fish breeding. ...
black mystery snails8/10/2007
  Q: I have a ten gallon freshwater tank with some tropical fish and I had 2 black mystery snails. Well ...
  A: As long as you removed him it should not be a problem. A dead snail is generally not going spread ...
Hole in head8/10/2007
  Q: You referred to LFS as having the medicine to treat this problem. What does LFS stand for? Kurt
  A: LFS stands for "Local Fish Store". I always refer to it in complete words with no abbreviations or ...
Goldfish constipation/slimy white patches8/9/2007
  Q: I own four fancy goldfish and a pleco. All live in a ten gallon tank (I know this is a no no but I ...
  A: Goldfish don't shed. They do slough off dead skin though after an injury just like scabs on people. ...
aquarium gravel8/9/2007
  Q: My tank is about 2 years old, is 20 gallons, I have 3 ornamental goldfish,my pump is the large ...
  A: You may be doing too vigorous a cleaning once a month on the filter and not enough on the gravel. ...
fish8/9/2007
  Q: 4 rummynose tetras,5 black skirt tetras,1 gold gourami,1 red fire gourami,2 neon tetras,1 betta fish ...
  A: It really is pretty crowded in there already. Calculating the approximate future adult size of all ...
What could it be?8/8/2007
  Q: I recently restock our 10 gallon tank. We got 2 swordtails and 2 golddust mollies. I had my female ...
  A: You are quite welcome! Glad I could help. The male sword is in very bad shape I'm afraid. When the ...
Goldfish constipation/slimy white patches8/8/2007
  Q: I own four fancy goldfish and a pleco. All live in a ten gallon tank (I know this is a no no but I ...
  A: Good for you in rescuing those guys! They do need water changes more often though. In a normal ...
My Neuts got something?8/8/2007
  Q: Yeah I bought two neuts. when I got home i noticed he was missing 3 of his fingers and there is ...
  A: I am not an expert in Newts but I can tell you that you should not use fish medicines on him unless ...
What could it be?8/7/2007
  Q: I recently restock our 10 gallon tank. We got 2 swordtails and 2 golddust mollies. I had my female ...
  A: I think there were just too many fish added at one time for the system to handle all the extra ...
Small Aquarium Temperature Fluctuating for Betta8/7/2007
  Q: I usually exhaust every answer I can find before I post a question myself. However, all questions ...
  A: It is a common problem in small tanks. It can be difficult to figure out how to regulate the ...
disease or wound?8/6/2007
  Q: 4 month tank. gold barbs. 2. whisper filter ph 6.6 safe ammonia. every week or other week water ...
  A: I've had the same thing happen with probably 25% of my gold barbs and I don't know what it is. ...
My oscar8/6/2007
  Q: I was just wondering why my male oscar tries to play and do some things that a puppy dog would do? ...
  A: Oscars are very intelligent, fun and active fish. They like to interact with their owners and have ...
new tank8/6/2007
  Q: My family is buying a 20 gallon tank soon and I would like to know what are the best and easiest to ...
  A: There are several fish that are hardy and don't get large that you can keep in your 20 gallon tank. ...
sick fishes8/5/2007
  Q: i have a rectangular tank of 20"x10"x10". i have 2 gold fish 4 small mollies, 2 shubunkins. 1" ...
  A: I'm so sorry things are going so bad. Unfortunately, the fish store didn't tell you about "The ...
fugus in new tank8/5/2007
  Q: Our neighbor gave us a 125 gallon tank, we cleaned the tank and everything that goes in it with ...
  A: I would suspect just microscopic particles in the water are causing it. Cloudiness and white film ...
Gouramis8/5/2007
  Q: I bought 3 pearl gourami a week ago and noticed one of them have a small bump on top of his head. ...
  A: I received this same question from you yesterday so in case you didn't get my answer, here it is ...
oxygenating water8/4/2007
  Q: Sorry to bother you. I just have one quick question. I'm pretty well experienced with freshwater and ...
  A: You aren't bothering me at all. Helping you is what I'm here for. ;-) As long as the filter makes ...
Mickey Mouse Platy w/ messed up tail8/4/2007
  Q: Ok ... Tank set up 5 weeks; 55 gallons Fish: 3 red platys(Females), 2 blue platys (1 M/1 F), 2 ...
  A: It's probably just another fish biting her. As long as it doesn't develop white or reddish areas ...
snails8/4/2007
  Q: how do I get rid of snails in my tank, brought in by the live plants I just purchased? ...
  A: Snails can be somewhat of a plague for sure, if allowed to get out of hand. Just pluck out the ones ...
sick danio8/3/2007
  Q: I have a 200ltr tank which has been established for around 3 years. At present i am unsure if I have ...
  A: Fish with eggs in them don't usually breathe harder than the others. It sounds more like it could be ...
Gold Fish8/3/2007
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank and in it are 2 small gold fish under 2 inches long and 1 beta. so here is ...
  A: Don't add any other fish or frogs yet. The tank needs to get through the break-in period that takes ...
Betta Tank help8/3/2007
  Q: he dosent have any tail rot or any disease i change the water 25% the only problem i have is the ...
  A: Your betta tank needs it's gravel vacuumed. Aquarium vacuums are available at your local fish store. ...
Bubble Eye Goldfish8/2/2007
  Q: I recently added two orandas to my 29 gallon tank and they seem to be biting my bubble eye goldfish. ...
  A: Bubble eyes are very slow guys that really can't defend themselves against faster fish. It is ...
cleaning silk plants AND snails8/2/2007
  Q: How long has your tank been set up? 3 years <BR>How big? 30 gallons <BR>What type of fish? Mollies, ...
  A: Don't ever use soap, cleaner or detergent of any kind on your decorations or aquarium equipment. It ...
Goldfish is floating on its side :(8/2/2007
  Q: my goldfish seemed to be doing fine and was very active till a few days ago. Last riday, he started ...
  A: I'm so sorry you have been misled about what your goldfish needs. A bowl is just too small. It is a ...
Goldfish died, should I cycle again?8/1/2007
  Q: and thanks for your help. We have had a 7 gallon hex tank set up since Nov 06, and had one ...
  A: It probably doesn't need to go through the break-in period again but it wouldn't be a bad idea to ...
Initial Set Up8/1/2007
  Q: Tank has been set up for 1 full day. (5 gallon) My fiance' could not help it and purchased a tiger ...
  A: It would be best to return the tiger barb to the fish store. He will get too big for the little 5 ...
pleco turning white7/31/2007
  Q: I recently added two Oscars to my tank that already included a large pleco. A couple of days later ...
  A: There are a few possibilities; There may be an ammonia spike from the new fish adding more waste ...
goldfish swimming sideways and not eating7/31/2007
  Q: Chris, I've had my goldfish for about 6 years and it has grown to be almost a foot long. She is in a ...
  A: Hopefully she will return to normal once the nitrites are down. Make the water changes daily until ...
New to tanks and fish..............HELP7/24/2007
  Q: We are sorry, but Alex Kline wasn't able to answer yourHello, I'm VERY new at aquariums or anything ...
  A: A one gallon is really only large enough for a betta. Other fish need filtration or just get too ...
bigger tank7/22/2007
  Q: Chris, I have had a fish tank since I was about 10 years old, and I am now 20. I have purchased a ...
  A: You definitely need to know more about cycling your tank. It can't happen in 4 days. Unfortunately, ...
New Tank, New Problems7/22/2007
  Q: My goldfish has lived in a small tank for about 5 years when I bought her at a garage sale. It was ...
  A: Unfortunately, the tank is far too small for those guys. It's actually too small for even one. The ...
Birth of fish7/22/2007
  Q: I just purchased 2 pregnant mollies today. What signs do I need to look for to know if they are ...
  A: Female mollies will eventually have a "boxy" look to their bellies 5 to 7 days before babies are ...
red mickey mouse platy7/14/2007
  Q: thanku Sharitee
  A: Female platies can have babies for several months after being separated from the male. Usually ...
Odis the Beta fish....7/14/2007
  Q: I too am desperate. We have had Odis ,the male Beta ,since February. He was thriving, until we added ...
  A: Look under the "bacterial infections" section of that page. There are antibiotics you can try. I ...
Odis the Beta fish....7/14/2007
  Q: I too am desperate. We have had Odis ,the male Beta ,since February. He was thriving, until we added ...
  A: Poor guy. Males and females can't be kept together unless it's time to spawn. Usually it's the male ...
Beta7/13/2007
  Q: My daughter got a Blue Beta for her birthday in March, 2007. He has been doing wonderfully up til ...
  A: I'm so sorry you lost him. Sometimes in spite of our best efforts there's just nothing we can do. ...
comm tank7/13/2007
  Q: I have a 10 gallon community tank. I was wondering if I had too many fish or if this was okay and ...
  A: It is pretty crowded in there. Clown Loaches need a tank much larger of at least 70 gallons because ...
Mystery Snail7/12/2007
  Q: We have a Gold Mystery Snail. Through research, I have discovered that the glob hanging at the top ...
  A: I really don't know for sure about fertilization of eggs in gold mystery snails. Here is a web site ...
Betta - Fishsitting Disaster!!!7/12/2007
  Q: I was fishsitting for my roommate. She came back yesterday. She was really upset because now her ...
  A: It does sound like popeye. Sometimes the only symptom is bulging eyes. It takes several days for it ...
sick fish/ healthy snails7/11/2007
  Q: I think my tropical fish are sick. Their fins and tails look "eaten". I do have two algae-eating ...
  A: It sounds pretty crowded in there. Depending on what type of fish they are, they might be picking on ...
clown knife7/11/2007
  Q: I have a clown knife that is about 12 inches long, and i started to feed it guppies about three ...
  A: The guppies are overcrowding the 5 gallon and high ammonia levels are killing them. It's hard to ...
Something is crawling in my Aquarium!7/10/2007
  Q: I am trying to find out what this is. It doesn't look like a mosquito larvae, but I may be wrong. ...
  A: Sounds like one of the numerous creatures found in pond and lake areas. Some insect has probably ...
What community of fish for a 55 gallon and I'm a beginner ;)7/10/2007
  Q: I sure hope you can help me. I have a new tank, set up for 1 week now. It is a 55 gallon. I was set ...
  A: Does your aquarium have a heater? What is the water temperature? What kind of filter system? What ...
Water parameters7/9/2007
  Q: My 5g Aqua Tech tank has a female betta & a dwarf gourami set up for a several months. The middle of ...
  A: Elevated ammonia and nitrite in an established tank is usually from overcrowding, not enough gravel ...
Dalmation Molly breeding7/9/2007
  Q: New to this aquarium thing, I bought a pair of dalmation mollies (male and female). 2 days after ...
  A: **chuckle** Molly "bom-chicka-wow-wow" is pretty simple. The males pursue the females all the time ...
persistent algae problem7/8/2007
  Q: I have had an aquarium for about 3 years. 10 Gallon aquarium. About 12 fish: Guppies, Beta's, ...
  A: The tank is just too crowded with fish. The amount of waste going in there is providing plenty of ...
Koi fish in a tank7/8/2007
  Q: I love koi and had a koi pond at my old house, but I have moved and now only have tanks available. ...
  A: Koi do need a lot of space. They get to be 3 feet long. I really can't recommend keeping them in any ...
water in tank never looks clean7/8/2007
  Q: we bought a hexagon small tank 30 litres and we had 2 shubukins in there quite happy ,we had a elite ...
  A: It's just too new to be stable yet. It's still in the break-in period and it can take 6 weeks or so ...
Fungus Treatments7/7/2007
  Q: My Bettas have occasionally got a white fungus with filiments like the sort you get on old food. I ...
  A: It's best to use the medicines as recommended. They can be very irritating to the fishes' skin eyes ...
freshwater Frogs and fish7/7/2007
  Q: My freshwater tank has been set up roughly about 5 months ago. It is a 10 gallon tank that had 4 ...
  A: In guppies, the males are the pretty ones. They have larger tails and usually have brighter color on ...
freshwater Frogs and fish7/7/2007
  Q: My freshwater tank has been set up roughly about 5 months ago. It is a 10 gallon tank that had 4 ...
  A: You may have an especially territorial guppy that bullied the rest. Especially if they were all ...
Fungus Treatments7/6/2007
  Q: My Bettas have occasionally got a white fungus with filiments like the sort you get on old food. I ...
  A: It sounds like Saprolegnia. It injects a toxin that can paralyze a fish so the "coma-like" symptom ...
Spinning Betta7/6/2007
  Q: I have owned Bettas for a couple of years. One Betta I have had for eight months now but he has been ...
  A: I saw the question about this guy dying so I answered it first. I'm so sorry that has happened. I'll ...
freshwater Frogs and fish7/6/2007
  Q: My freshwater tank has been set up roughly about 5 months ago. It is a 10 gallon tank that had 4 ...
  A: Dwarf frogs are pretty small and don't usually bother the fish. Their mouths are tiny. I'm wondering ...
Sick Reedfish HELP!!!7/5/2007
  Q: I have a 75 gallon tank with 3 knifefish, 4 starter fish and one snake fish (aka reed fish). Its ...
  A: The only things I can think of are a digestive issue or perhaps dropsy. If the substrate in your ...
New Beta7/5/2007
  Q: We are new to the fish stuff and just got our year old a beta fish. We have a small tank for him ...
  A: I hope I'm not too late! Don't get a goldfish for the 2 gallon! It's only big enough for a betta. ...
foam and bubles7/5/2007
  Q: I have a 200G fresh water tank with 40G Sump. All discus fish that I feed with frozen blood worms ...
  A: From what I've read a protein skimmer can't work in fresh water. I have never actually tried it ...
Bio Filter Maintenance7/4/2007
  Q: We moved into a house ~1 1/2 years ago that had a poor 150-gal saltwater aquarium. Due to the fact ...
  A: Over a period of time they do get clogged up with organic waste. Just open it up and gently rinse ...
Floating fish7/4/2007
  Q: I have two fantail goldfish which i have had for about 2 weeks. I change the water 10% in the tank ...
  A: I would suspect "New Tank Syndrome". Goldfish are very messy guys and needs lots of room too. Make a ...
Tropical tank7/3/2007
  Q: I have a 180 litre tank which has been set up approx 3 weeks, we have angel fish, guppies and ...
  A: Poor guys. They need some help quick. Make a 25% water change right away and do it again every day ...
Betta w/ Tail Rot7/3/2007
  Q: I am in the process of setting up a new 20 gallon aquarium. I recently had to transfer my betta ...
  A: "Maracyn Two" or Kanamycin will often work in stubborn cases, along with aquarium salt and Melafix. ...
Sick Platy7/3/2007
  Q: I own a 20 gallon tank with a variety of fish including four mollies, (now) three platies, four ...
  A: It's hard to say why it only affects the platies. They may be from the same family and it's a ...
algae eater for beta7/2/2007
  Q: I have a 10 gallon betta tank, set up Jan 07, with a top fin power filter. I do about 25% water ...
  A: The betta would probably pick at it but you could try I guess. They have those long antennae that ...
algae in my aquarium7/1/2007
  Q: i put some rock that i found at the dollar store in my 20 gallon freshwater tank. and all of a ...
  A: I think the algae is probably a coincidence and not related to the rocks. It must really like the ...
Plecostomus growth7/1/2007
  Q: I actually have two questions. We have had a 10 gallon tank with Whisper filter with some Mollies, ...
  A: The plecostomus probably just has a cyst. Many animals and even people develop cysts that aren't ...
Sick Platy7/1/2007
  Q: I own a 20 gallon tank with a variety of fish including four mollies, (now) three platies, four ...
  A: It sounds like an internal problem that is causing fluid buildup inside her body, called "dropsy". ...
algae eater for beta6/30/2007
  Q: I have a 10 gallon betta tank, set up Jan 07, with a top fin power filter. I do about 25% water ...
  A: If Kilo didn't tolerate a plecostomus he would do the same with any other type of algae eater. ...
fish dying6/30/2007
  Q: I have a 55gal community tank that's been running for about 1.5 yrs. ...
  A: Sometimes bottom dwelling fish have trouble if there are dirty spots in the gravel. Vacuum the ...
Need Urgent Help!!6/29/2007
  Q: My daughter has a 10 gallon aquarium with some fancy tail guppies in it. We have had no problems ...
  A: I'm so sorry I could not get to your question sooner. If your little guys are still alive, make a ...
An ammonia and filter question6/29/2007
  Q: 8 months 11 gallons Goldfish, Fancy Goldfish, and Platties 2 goldfish, 4 fancy goldfish, and 10 ...
  A: If you keep your tank lightly stocked the system should be able to handle the "built-in" levels of ...
clamped tail6/29/2007
  Q: I just recently moved and during the move purchased a larger fish tank (29 gallons with a top fin ...
  A: He is probably in shock. New water can be so much different in chemistry that it can really be hard ...
new to fish6/18/2007
  Q: I am planning on getting a 5 gallon tank and am interested in getting danios, I hear they are very ...
  A: Danios would work in a 5 gallon with no heater. You could put 3 or 4 in there are as long as they ...
green water6/17/2007
  Q: I have a 1 meter by 30 centimeters by 32 rena Tank it has a rena filter a bubble wall and a bubble ...
  A: Green water is a very difficult problem to eliminate. There doesn't always seem to be a cause for it ...
2 goldfish questions6/16/2007
  Q: 8 months 11 gallons Goldfish, Fancy Goldfish, and Platties 2 goldfish, 4 fancy goldfish, and 10 ...
  A: Goldfish change color as long as they are growing and maturing. Especially the black varieties. It ...
Sick Betta?6/15/2007
  Q: I have had my beta for more than a month now. He used to be much more active. He would get excited ...
  A: I would first check his water temperature. Bettas are tropical fish that need their water to be 76f ...
Beta Health Questions6/14/2007
  Q: I have a beta I recently got as a gift. This is my first pet fish as an adult. My beta is red in ...
  A: It sounds like he has a bacterial infection. His fins are showing signs of finrot too, which is a ...
bugs6/13/2007
  Q: I have tiny brown/black bugs all over the glass and air tubes in my 75gal freshwater tank. The tank ...
  A: There are so many kind of these little critters that it is difficult to figure out what they are. ...
Sick Fishy6/13/2007
  Q: I've got a teleschope eye that I bought from walmart. I've had him less than a week and I'm sure ...
  A: You've done very well in trying to keep him healthy in such a small tank. With daily changes I don't ...
Sick Fish6/12/2007
  Q: I recently established a tank and added new fish, I have a 29 gallon tank with 16 very small fish in ...
  A: Okay, now we're talkin'. The more details the better... The fact that the water is fine, they have ...
Sick Fish6/12/2007
  Q: I recently established a tank and added new fish, I have a 29 gallon tank with 16 very small fish in ...
  A: Hexamita infections are found in fish with inadequately maintained water, unhealthy diets or ...
new tank setup6/12/2007
  Q: i read ur suggestions online and i hope ur suggestions b helpful for me too recently when i came ...
  A: Your tank may still in the break-in period so you should test the water for the levels of ammonia ...
freshwater eels6/7/2007
  Q: I have a ten gallon tank I bought to breed bettas, but have been unsuccessful. I am thinking of ...
  A: Unfortunately, all freshwater eels do get over 10 to 12 inches long so they are too large for a ten ...
My Bala Shark isn't eating.....6/4/2007
  Q: . I just got a Bala Shark about 3 days ago. He seems fine and happy other than the fact that he's ...
  A: It's probably just from getting a new home then. You're right, he may just need a different food to ...
My Bala Shark isn't eating.....6/3/2007
  Q: . I just got a Bala Shark about 3 days ago. He seems fine and happy other than the fact that he's ...
  A: A new fish not eating could be any number of different things. Fish can survive just fine without ...
gh water paremeter6/2/2007
  Q: al my levels are fine except for my gh that is high which means my water is hard ? what can i do to ...
  A: There is really no need to alter the hardness of your water so don't put yourself an your fish ...
Tank Maintenance6/2/2007
  Q: What is the best aquarium maintenance i can do to prevent dead fish everyday.The ...
  A: It really depends on what's wrong, what you have tried so far, and why they are dying. It may seem ...
silver molly fish6/2/2007
  Q: how do i know when the femal is pregnate? and do the babys need an oxgen tank when they are born or ...
  A: A female molly is pretty much always pregnant. Even if a male is is not with her, she can still have ...
blisters/lumps6/1/2007
  Q: I have a 55 gallon tank with a 75 gallon filter with a comet, koi, and fantail and i have started to ...
  A: I would suspect lymphocystis or "carp pox". They are both viruses. Lympho looks like little bunches ...
Nitrate, Nitrite, and hardness6/1/2007
  Q: My Nitrate, Nitrite, and hardness levels are high how can I lower them? I had the tank for two ...
  A: The tank is still in the break-in period so you will have to be patient and let it complete. It can ...
fancy guppies6/1/2007
  Q: i don't know if you would be able to answer this question, but if you can't its ok. I have 4 female ...
  A: Strange indeed! Usually male guppies are so interested in breeding they don't care who they chase. ...
Brown Algae5/31/2007
  Q: I have a 20 gallon long tank with 2 adult African Clawed Frogs. It is filled about 80%. I use a ...
  A: Brown algae is very common in new tanks and tanks that don't have enough of the proper intensity of ...
Sail Fin Mollies and Fish Tank5/31/2007
  Q: My tank is a 33 litre present (JEBO R338 - pump came with it: R338) given to me about 4 weeks ago, I ...
  A: The tank is just too small for mollies and swords. They need more room, such as a 20 gallon (about ...
pregnant5/31/2007
  Q: ..I have some mollys and dont know if she is preg, she is huge but only her belly. I think I can see ...
  A: Mollies have live babies about every 4 to 6 weeks. When mollies are ready to release their babies ...
Tank Setup after illness killed fish5/30/2007
  Q: I want to keep this short as possible but alot has happened and I can not figure out why. I have a ...
  A: It's probably from StressZyme and Cycle. There really isn't any "bacteria" in those products as we ...
Sail Fin Mollies and Fish Tank5/30/2007
  Q: My tank is a 33 litre present (JEBO R338 - pump came with it: R338) given to me about 4 weeks ago, I ...
  A: Your maintenance is just fine, but tanks often need more attention in the first few weeks. Your tank ...
Nitrates5/24/2007
  Q: I inherited an existing freshwater aquarium. It is small (10 gal) I have managed to keep the one ...
  A: Check your tap water to be sure it isn't present there. Some water systems already have it so it can ...
now a problem with one of my neons5/24/2007
  Q: You advised me about a sick Platy recently and said it was likely an injury not a parasite. I had ...
  A: It sounds like "neon tetra disease". I hate to say it, but I may have been wrong about the platy. ...
water changes during melafix/pimafix course5/24/2007
  Q: I'm currently treating my 2 fantail goldfish with melafix and pimafix, and i realized a little too ...
  A: Melafix and Pimafix are not very strong so they really can't cure an established infection. ...
my mollie fish5/23/2007
  Q: I have a female mollie fish alone in a tank and the male mollie died but the female is still ...
  A: Females have the ability to "store" the sperm in their bodies for fertilization later on. Female ...
white fuzzy substance on everything!5/23/2007
  Q: I have a 2 gallon freshwater aquarium that is home to a red female beta. I have one plastic plant ...
  A: Oops! Sounds like overfeeding and it has collected under the gravel. We all overfeed from time to ...
New Tank5/22/2007
  Q: i just started my first tank. Its a 10gallon and is very basic(2 in of gravel, planted fake plants, ...
  A: Some African cichlids are brackish but they aren't my specialty. The tank is pretty small for them ...
Aquaium sand instead of gravel in fresh water tank5/22/2007
  Q: My son is setting up his third tank and has decided to use aquarium sand instead of gravel this ...
  A: Don't make any water changes. The only time you need to manually lower ammonia is to protect fish in ...
Bettas Not Spawning5/21/2007
  Q: my prides fish have built a bubble nest but will not lay the eggs for it.
  A: It's possible the female isn't ready to lay eggs yet. Both the male and the female have to be ...
New Fish Tank Owner5/21/2007
  Q: I just recieved a used fish tank, it is a 30 gallon. It is pretty dirty with some white I believe it ...
  A: A free 30-gallon! That’s great! “The biggest we can afford” is what we should shoot for in a first ...
Guppies5/21/2007
  Q: Is it possible to keep two male guppies together (without females) or will they fight?
  A: A males-only tank of guppies is just fine. They will fight from time to time but I've never had male ...
tinfoil barbs?5/20/2007
  Q: My eldest son moved into a house a year ago that had a 90 gal freshwater aquarium in it. The house ...
  A: Those fish are so lucky to have your son to rescue them! It's a miracle they survived. The fact that ...
internal filter5/20/2007
  Q: Probably seems a silly question, but, we have a small aquarium with an elite stingray filter ...
  A: It's not a silly question at all. With a submersible filter such as the stingray, it should be ...
angelfish5/20/2007
  Q: How long has your tank been set up? Chirstmas 2005 How big? 40 gal What type of fish? tiger barbs, ...
  A: Poor thing. There really isn't a lot you can do. There are many possible causes for swim bladder ...
parasites5/19/2007
  Q: i have a question about my fish tanks. I have 4 fish tanks, and two of them are infected with small ...
  A: The little worms are planaria or a nematode and are totally harmless to your fish. As you saw, the ...
Betta, Cory, & a bowl5/19/2007
  Q: I was given a 2 gallon bowl with a betta, a cory cat, and a lily plant on top. I've read your site's ...
  A: A 2 gallon is pretty small for both to survive in on a long-term basis. Your betta is already mature ...
water chage & rock change5/18/2007
  Q: I currently have a (almost) 3 year old goldfish in a 20 gal tank and I am wanting to switch to ...
  A: You are quite right, a great deal of the beneficial bacteria will be lost if you just remove the old ...
Sand5/18/2007
  Q: Can you please tell me the difference (except from price!) between aquatic sand and standard sand ...
  A: Many hobbyists who like sand in their freshwater tanks use the playsand from the hardware store. I ...
Mating Bettas5/18/2007
  Q: I have had my two Betas in the same tank for six month and they seem to like another but they ...
  A: It's very unusual for a male and female to get along together on a long term basis. Maybe they are ...
fish5/17/2007
  Q: okay, so I came home from school today and saw my fish in his tank. He/she is about 3-4 years old ...
  A: It sounds like finrot. First, make a 25% water change to help the immune system. Then, use an ...
fish with clear bubbles on him5/17/2007
  Q: He seems pretty swollen. He is still eating well and swimming around but I am concerned. Could you ...
  A: It sounds like he could be swollen from fluid buildup, also known as "dropsy". It could be caused by ...
What's growing on my platicplants5/17/2007
  Q: I just cleaned out my fish tank yesterday. I noticed today that there is this Blueish-Grey stuff ...
  A: It sounds like decaying excess food or a type of algae. The fish may be stressed from having their ...
baby fish5/16/2007
  Q: We have a tank with two striped tetras (silver/black} I think thats what they are. We have had them ...
  A: A surprise baby! How cool is that!? Since he has survived to get to be that big, he is probably fine ...
threadlike parasites in water?5/16/2007
  Q: Tank has been set up for 5 years. It is a 50 gallon tank with a magnum filter. Changed water 2 ...
  A: The worms are simply a type of planarian or nematode and are harmless to your fish. They don't feed ...
another question5/12/2007
  Q: I asked you a question earlier. When I got home tonight, I went to check the fish's water and when I ...
  A: The film is probably from excess waste or food. Fish food has oils that will float on the water. ...
Fish Tanks5/12/2007
  Q: Can you put any kind of fish in a 2.5 gallon tank or is it to small? I don't want a huge tank,but i ...
  A: If it has no filter a betta is the best choice as long as the tank temperature is always 76f or ...
orange water5/12/2007
  Q: I've had my tank set up around two years, it is a 10 gallon tank with different types of goldfish. ...
  A: Orange color in the water could be from overcrowding. Goldfish are very messy guys that actually ...
Gold5/11/2007
  Q: Do Goldfish make good first fish? I have herd that they can carry decease and do not make good first ...
  A: Goldfish can be difficult if certain needs are not met. The problem is that most new hobbyists try ...
convict cichlids5/11/2007
  Q: I just had my pair of convicts lay their first batch of fry. They have a cave with slate over it ...
  A: I'm surprised the convicts are putting up with that foolishness! Most convict parents are incredibly ...
blue cichlid5/11/2007
  Q: My blue cichlid is swimming vertically and don't seem to be eating.I Did a water change and the ph ...
  A: Your tank is at a crucial stage in the break-in process and your fish are stressed from toxins. It ...
cloudy tank high nh3 /nh4 levels5/10/2007
  Q: my tank is a 55 gal tnak with 60gl filter. i put gravel in tank and proper chemicals to get proper ...
  A: It's all normal and part of the break-in period. The ammonia levels will drop eventually and nitrite ...
Possible Ich - one white spot on tail5/10/2007
  Q: Greetings Chris, You said you were knowledgeable about fish disease.... Karen already helped me ...
  A: The spot is too large to be ich and it's been there too long. Even the longest life cycle types of ...
Internal worms5/10/2007
  Q: I have a 44 gallon fresh water tank and several Balloon Mollies, a Gold Algae Eater, an Iridescent ...
  A: You might try feeding a medicated food. But first, fast them for four days. Withhold all food for ...
ick5/10/2007
  Q: tank 2 weeks,10 gal(first aquarium),i have 3 glowlights,2neon tetras,2 angel fish,properties of ...
  A: Poor guys. Keep using the medicine but put the filter pad back in. Remove the carbon portion first ...
tiger barb not eating5/9/2007
  Q: I have a ten gallon tank with 3 grouramis and 3 tiger barbs the gouramis are fine but 2 of the tiger ...
  A: They will eventually just stress it to death. It would be a good idea to move him or the other two ...
Nitrite/Ammonia Levels5/9/2007
  Q: -How long has your tank been set up? 3 weeks -How big? 20 Gallons -What type of fish? Fresh Water ...
  A: The goldfish does produce a lot of waste. They are also a cold water fish and plecostamus are ...
black spot on molly disease?5/9/2007
  Q: I have had my 10 gal tank running for about 3 weeks now and stocked it witha a balloon molly, lyire ...
  A: I don't think they need medication. I think the spots and probably what looked like finrot were from ...
recycling tank5/8/2007
  Q: I have a five gallon tank, I have since learned how difficult they are to keep stable, the fish I ...
  A: It isn't "re-cycling" but is trying to adjust to the new larger population you had in there. Once ...
Callichthyidae Corydoras Corydoras aeneus5/8/2007
  Q: 4 gouarmi, 3 dwarf loach and 3 Callichthyidae Corydoras aeneus, 1 of the Corydoras is the problem i ...
  A: It could be an internal problem or the fish could have eggs and it's a female. Females with eggs ...
HELP!! SICK FISH : (5/8/2007
  Q: We have a 55 gallon African Cichlid tank consisting of mostly mbuna. Our tank seems to be infected ...
  A: Quick Cure would only help if they have parasites, which I don't think they have. Ulcers and white ...
worms in tank5/7/2007
  Q: i can't seem to get by this spam question but will try again. I have 2 Oscars 6 and 8 inches long in ...
  A: I'm sorry you've had trouble with the spam filter. It can be very difficult to see sometimes. The ...
What should I get?5/7/2007
  Q: How long has your tank been set up? -Haven't gotten it yet. How big? -Will be 10 gallon What type ...
  A: I'm so glad you are starting out right! I usually hear from new hobbyists after they buy their first ...
how to clean and take care of water and ick on algae eater?5/7/2007
  Q: My boss has this tank at work. His assistant use to take care of it and we had to fire her (she was ...
  A: All tanks need a 25% water change once a week, so start there. Vacuum the gravel to get it clean ...
Parrottfish Babies5/6/2007
  Q: I have a 29 gallon aquarium. In the tank I have 3 Parrot fish, 3 Cichlids and an algae eater. ...
  A: Congratulations! Hopefully they will hatch and you see little wiggling tails soon. They take about 3 ...
my fish are dying!5/6/2007
  Q: I have just recently got a fish aquarium(22 l), when we put our fish in they all seemed fine but ...
  A: You write very well for being 11! The spell check is a bit difficult to get used too. I'm so sorry ...
smelly water5/5/2007
  Q: I have had the 35 gallon tank for 6 years 2 fish being origanl residents ( black molly and algea ...
  A: It's the fantails creating waste in the form of ammonia. They are messy guys that add a lot of waste ...
guppies5/5/2007
  Q: I have 3 pregnant guppies in a 10 gallon tank in my kitchen the males are in a 20 gallon tank alone. ...
  A: I personally hate those breeding traps just for that reason. It stresses the females out. It can ...
New Aquarium Help/Tank Setup/Cycling5/4/2007
  Q: Help. I have a new aquarium and I need help figuring out how to cycle the tank so I am ready to add ...
  A: You could easily remove the bettas and cycle the tank with no fish at all. It certainly is healthier ...
Betta affected with columnaris5/4/2007
  Q: I have a male betta in a 5 gallon tank. The tank has a carbonated filter, and no other tank mate. ...
  A: It doesn't matter that he isn't eating. His problems are external so an external medicine is what he ...
nitrite5/3/2007
  Q: i sure hope you can answer this, i have a 90 gallon freshwater tank that's been set up for about 4 ...
  A: If you are cleaning the filter at the same time it may be more than the bio-system can handle. It's ...
Overfeeding again?5/3/2007
  Q: My dad has a 10gal goldfish tank. When he first set it up, he was having a problem with overfeeding ...
  A: Poor guys. You didn't mention how many goldfish are in there are or how big they all are, but it ...
Slimy substance in tank - and fin rot medicine5/2/2007
  Q: Okay, I actually have two questions. Bear with the length as I'm trying to provide as much ...
  A: 1. Slimy stuff......Weird. There are "slime-molds" that do that. They grow over surfaces and are ...
Ammonia level still high5/2/2007
  Q: I'm hoping you can help me. We bought a 10 gallon tank with filter for my daughter and it's ...
  A: Unfortunately the fish store didn't give you the information you need about "New Tank Syndrome" so ...
Shubunkins5/2/2007
  Q: I have a large shubunkin in a community tank and it has recently started bullying my bubble-eye. At ...
  A: If the shibunkin keeps it up you will have to separate him permanently to his own tank. Those poor ...
ph level5/2/2007
  Q: i have had a 20 gallon set up for over a year now. Started with neons, tetras, gouramis, and sharks. ...
  A: What is the pH coming out of your tap water? If the tap pH is low too you need some minerals in the ...
fishless startup5/1/2007
  Q: it has been set up 3 wks 75 gal no fish,two somthing 300 with spong charcoal and some white bio ...
  A: Do you have a question for me? It looks like the Nitrogen Cycle is going on schedule with nitrite ...
Beta5/1/2007
  Q: I have had my male beta fish since late October. I currently got a 5 gallon tank with a filter and ...
  A: The tank is pretty small but you could put in a couple of cory cats. A general rule of thumb for ...
tank water4/30/2007
  Q: We have a 10 gallon tank ,for some reason the water is cloudy. I have put some drops in it that was ...
  A: It depends on the cause of the cloudiness. What color is the cloudy water? If it's green, you have ...
poorly fish4/30/2007
  Q: my tanks been set up a week, 35ltrs, 4 fantails, spongey filter,water was checked at the pet shop ...
  A: Poor guys. Most ich (whitespot) treatments are used daily for a week to ten days but I can't find ...
balloon molly babies4/30/2007
  Q: my balloon molly had babies yesterday(yay!) and i've put the mom in a separate tank. Is there ...
  A: Congratulations! I hope they are still doing well. The babies don't need any special food. Just ...
Fish Question4/29/2007
  Q: my name is Erin and I have a few fish questions. So, I don't want a tank bigger than 15 gallons, ...
  A: There are a few small fish that are good for tanks of ten or fifteen gallons. Platies, danios, cory ...
guppy was pregnant but....4/29/2007
  Q: i dont know if you remember me but you answer my ? before about my mollies like last week.i have a ...
  A: I do remember you. I'm sorry you and your fish are having such a difficult time. There are many ...
Ph refuses to go up4/29/2007
  Q: I have a 45 gallon tank which is 2 1/2 years old. I have had nothing but disastrous results with ...
  A: If the tap water in your house goes through a water softener, try to bypass it. You can also add ...
spots on my goldfish4/28/2007
  Q: I have a small (about 1 in. long) Ryukin Goldfish. Just recently I've noticed VERY small red spots ...
  A: Goldfish often change color many times throughout their lives. It may be just a natural color ...
NOT SURE4/28/2007
  Q: I have a 29 gallon tank with 1 opaline gourami, 1 velvet swordtail, 2 woodcats, and 1 senegal bichir ...
  A: I personally wouldn't risk adding an eel. They are the perfect shape for a senegal bichir to try to ...
DYING FISH4/28/2007
  Q: I have a 30 gallon tank with about 15-18 fish. We have had it setup for about 6 months. We have few ...
  A: Make a 25% to 50% water change every day until the ammonia goes down and stays down. The beneficial ...
growth rate livebearers [sec=unclassified]4/27/2007
  Q: I have been keeping tropical fish for about 18 months now and have 5 tanks of various sizes lus ...
  A: Once swords, mollies and platies are about 3 to 4 months old the males become quite evident by their ...
Please Help! sick Flowerhorn fish4/27/2007
  Q: Tank has been set up for 2 years. 50 gallon. Flowerhorn, 1 very aggressive fish can't keep anything ...
  A: That does not sound good at all. It could be a stroke, aneurism, heart failure, etc. Poor guy. I'm ...
I just started a 5 gallon tank, What do I do?4/26/2007
  Q: I bought a 5 gallon tank and had it running about April 17th. I've added almost several fish.I have ...
  A: The tank is just too small for them to survive in I'm afraid. Especially since it is still in the ...
sick goldfish4/26/2007
  Q: i have had my fishtank for 1 year now, about 25 gallons big with two goldfish and a algae eater type ...
  A: Poor guy. He may have a swim bladder issue if he has trouble getting up off the bottom. Make a water ...
Pregnant molly !!!!4/25/2007
  Q: ok i will answer your ?'s first i have a 29 gallon freshwater tank with Mollies guppies platys. i ...
  A: The color of her gravid spot will indeed be the color of her babies. They are probably a very light ...
snail4/25/2007
  Q: i have a question could i stop a black mystery snail from having babies for example if i buy one at ...
  A: There's nothing you can do to stop them from laying eggs. The good news is that mystery snails don't ...
2nd question4/24/2007
  Q: I wrote earlier and told you I had a 55 gallon tank with fish lice. I have an infestation and tried ...
  A: I don't remember your case specifically and rarely recommend bleach for anything, but when I do I ...
fish diseases4/24/2007
  Q: We have a male Mollie with a yellow 'wart' on the base of his tail. Trying to identify what it is, ...
  A: If it is raised and kind of a lump, it may be a tumor from Lymphocystis. Lympho is a virus that ...
Needlefish4/23/2007
  Q: My tank has been set up for about 1 week. It is a 28 gallon tank. It has 2 gouramis, 2 silver ...
  A: I'm so sorry this has happened to you. You were given some very bad advice on several things. Wow. ...
dying fish4/23/2007
  Q: I just had an old tank filter break on me so I bought a new tank and transported my fish into a ...
  A: Poor guys. Make a 25% water change and test the water for the levels of ammonia and nitrites. It's ...
filter4/23/2007
  Q: i want to ask you which filter is better to use penguin biowheel filter or aqua clear filter? Aqua ...
  A: They both work just fine. They are made by two different companies and different companies charge ...
Goldfish staying near the bottom of the tank4/22/2007
  Q: I have some goldfish and got 2 new small algae eaters cause we cleaned the tank and the old one ...
  A: I would suspect bacterial infection, or "New Tank Syndrome" toxins are burning them. The algae ...
tank light4/22/2007
  Q: I bought a fish tank at a yard sale and when I plug in the light it makes a loud humming sound. ...
  A: You probably have a fluorescent light (long thin tube with pins holding it in at the ends). Buzzing ...
Compatability - African Cichlids4/22/2007
  Q: I want to start my first aquarium. Most people that I have spoken to suggest African cichlids b/c ...
  A: Africans are really not my specialty. Ron Coleman, Joe Calabretta and some of the the other ...
Fish Dying4/21/2007
  Q: I just brought my son a 13 gal fish tank for his room. It was one of those starter kit tanks with ...
  A: It sounds like a classic case of "New Tank Syndrome". Your filter helps to keep your aquarium ...
lights4/21/2007
  Q: I just want to know if you should leave the light on all the time or should you cycle your light ...
  A: No laughing here! It's actually a common question, and a good one. It is healthy for fish to have ...
low pH and almost 0 alkalinity4/21/2007
  Q: hope you can help! Im new to aquariums, but with as much research as I end up doing, I've learned a ...
  A: Get the driftwood out and your hardness may increase a bit after the next 3 or 4 water changes. If ...
Gold Fish / Angel fish4/20/2007
  Q: I have 2 angelfish in my tank, is it a hot or cold water fish and how do I know if they want to ...
  A: Angelfish are tropical species (warm water fish) and need their water to be about 24c to 26c. You ...
fish diseases4/20/2007
  Q: I have a 50 gallon tank with several platys, a couple of guppys, a chinese algae eater and a large ...
  A: It sounds like a condition known as "shimmy". It's common in livebearers. Possible causes include ...
clowdy water and dying fish4/19/2007
  Q: Our tank has been set up for about three weeks, it is a 37 gal freshwater tank with non-aggressive ...
  A: It sounds like a classic case of "New Tank Syndrome" with way too many fish to get it through the ...
sexing Julii Corydoras4/19/2007
  Q: i am an inexperienced hobbiest, but what i lack in time i make up for in enthusisam. i have two ...
  A: Sexing Corydoras Cats of all types can be tricky. Once they become sexually mature, the females will ...
Blue Gourami sudden color change4/19/2007
  Q: I have two seemingly healthy blue gourmais in a 55 gallon tank. In the tank I have had with them ...
  A: I've heard of that when there is a hormone problem or a tumor affecting nerve function. There really ...
Sudden little crawling bugs...4/18/2007
  Q: My tank has been set up for around a week. I had previously had a problem with fungus from some sand ...
  A: You are very welcome! I'm glad to be able to help. Creatures like those exist everywhere. All tanks ...
Tiny swimming worms4/18/2007
  Q: Chris, I have numerous very small 1/16" free swimming worms in my aquarium with two breeder ...
  A: They are probably just a harmless nematode feeding on excess waste. Usually, trying to kill these ...
Sudden little crawling bugs...4/18/2007
  Q: My tank has been set up for around a week. I had previously had a problem with fungus from some sand ...
  A: The fish store is right, they are just a harmless little bug that is common in ponds and lakes. In a ...
New Fish tank setup and water changes4/17/2007
  Q: first of all this site is awesome. I am glad I read up on this before overcrowding my new 20 gallon ...
  A: I’m so glad you are taking it slow and researching everything before you proceed. It is so ...
ick4/17/2007
  Q: i have this fish tank from february 6th of this year 46 bow front. i have goldfish and 13 of them ...
  A: You really have to treat the whole tank of fish. The ich parasite swims in the water as part of it's ...
Baby Mollies sudden "balance" problem4/13/2007
  Q: Our fry are 2 weeks old this friday. A few days ago (maybe 5 or 6 days) one of our 17 started ...
  A: Poor little fellas! I would suspect a swim bladder problem. It could very well be genetic. The swim ...
green water4/13/2007
  Q: I have three angelfish fry-about 1 month old. They are in a 10 gal bare tank.(no plants, gravel, ...
  A: The snail and algae eater will not help I'm afraid. The algae is a free-floating type that is in the ...
goldfish4/13/2007
  Q: Can goldfish die from loud noises or fear caused by loud noises? I started an old "muscle" car in ...
  A: I've never had it happen to me. We did some major remodeling in our house and our fish never had any ...
Goldfish pregnant?4/12/2007
  Q: I have one black goldfish and two gold koi (i think). The black one is bigger than the two and after ...
  A: The water change has put them "in the mood" for breeding. It simulates a spring rain that triggers ...
pleco question4/12/2007
  Q: The pleco in my mother's tank fins have just turned reddish-orangish around the edges. We have had ...
  A: It may be a natural color change. Here is a link to a photo of one with orange fins; ...
my parrot fish4/11/2007
  Q: I have a 30 gallon tank w/3 parrot fish. I have a millinum 2000 filter w/oxigen. My question is: ...
  A: The genetically engineered "parrot fish" will spawn and seem to fertilize the eggs but hatches don't ...
fin rot help4/11/2007
  Q: 5 weeks 10 gallons 3 swordtails and 4 platys charcoal and sponge aquarium filter 7.2 today,no clue, ...
  A: They may need a stronger medicine. Look for one at your local fish store. The labels will tell which ...
pregnant freshwater angel fish4/11/2007
  Q: I've had a freshwater small striped angel fish for approx 3 yrs. 2 months ago I put 3 baby angels in ...
  A: This may sound harsh to you at first, but you really should get that goldfish out of there right ...
goldfish4/10/2007
  Q: researching how light efects goldfish for my grandaughters school progect.we put one fish in the ...
  A: Your own research should reveal whatever effects you are trying to record. What information do you ...
algae4/10/2007
  Q: 1. 2 years 2. 33 gallons 3. pleco,cherry barb, neon tetras, betta(all but the pleco have died) 4. ...
  A: It sounds like there has been some overfeeding going on. The elevated ammonia levels and the ...
help4/10/2007
  Q: since i live in canada i can't find bio-spira to establish bacteria but i did find this one online ...
  A: I have never used 'Bacter Boost' it so I really don't know if it does what it says. I suggest ...
Oscars have ick also4/9/2007
  Q: I had bought ick medication and have treated them for the first day with it. After adding the first ...
  A: I hope your fish are doing better now, but here's some information for you if you ever face this ...
Oscars3/29/2007
  Q: I have two fairly large Oscars, they have been together for about a year now...just yesterday I ...
  A: Cool! The "lip lock" is a classic sign of oscars forming a pair bond. Here is an article about ...
There's this pair of guppies and...3/29/2007
  Q: "Guppy breeding is so easy!" Everyone says that. Well, my pair isn't breeding, I've had them for ...
  A: She may be eating more on some days than others. It's hard to say. Or, fish do get gas. Eggs may ...
Sick Green Terror fish3/29/2007
  Q: I have had my green terror for 2 years. his stomach is swollen, won't eat, will not close his mouth, ...
  A: It sounds like he overate. You may have to just wait and see what happens. See if you can get a look ...
There's this pair of guppies and...3/28/2007
  Q: "Guppy breeding is so easy!" Everyone says that. Well, my pair isn't breeding, I've had them for ...
  A: It's okay, you aren't bothering me. I'm here to help... You actually just need some new fish. Her ...
Dwarf puffer3/28/2007
  Q: I have a 10 gallon tank, established 3 years now with 3 neon tetras, 2 male fancy guppies and a ...
  A: He's probably just fine. They do hide a lot though. The curved tail is simply a response to water ...
emergency water situation3/28/2007
  Q: After just doing an ammonia test, I found ammonia content high, so I added ammo lock, AmQuel, and ...
  A: Elevated ammonia levels are from excess waste. You can make a daily water change of up to 25% to ...
oranda hood torn3/27/2007
  Q: my goldfish oranda is about 2 1/2 years and part of it's hood is torn off when i was cleanin the ...
  A: Don't worry. Your fish will be fine. Just take precautions to be sure infection is avoided in the ...
Did my fish lay eggs?3/21/2007
  Q: I have a 10 gallon freshwater aquarium. I have two small red fish in there (which i have no idea ...
  A: It could be eggs of some kind. Without knowing what kind of fish the red ones are it's hard to say ...
top of the tank3/21/2007
  Q: tank has been up for 2weeks 16gal was in 10gal for about a year 1 goldfish eclipse1 filter/top ...
  A: Poor guy. I would suspect the effects of "New Tank Syndrome". It takes 6 to 8 weeks to complete and ...
aquarium pests3/20/2007
  Q: How long has your tank been set up? 3 years How big? 55 gallon What type of fish? How many? 2 ...
  A: Bad advice is exactly what you did get. The critters are totally harmless to your fish. They are a ...
Do babies have to have an air stone?3/20/2007
  Q: Yes this is my first time on this site and i was wondering if u absolutely have to have a air stone ...
  A: Welcome to AllExperts! Your baby guppies will grow tro about an inch long and will need at least ...
eye injury3/19/2007
  Q: i have an archerfish and it has clearly scratched its eye, you can see the scratch! it seems as ...
  A: Ouch! Poor guy. Keep his tank very clean and maybe use a medicication for treatment of infection. I ...
cloudy water3/19/2007
  Q: Chris the 60 gal tank set up 1 yr,4 lge parrot chiclids,6 med tetras,4 small bottom fish,albino cat ...
  A: I'm in California too so I'm still up. Almost went to bed a few minutes ago! I'm glad I didn't... ...
cycling tank3/18/2007
  Q: I have a 20 gallon set up for 5 weeks. I have a Beta fish in it with some ghost shrimp. Beta got ich ...
  A: You've probably disturbed the filter too much. The beneficial bacteria that has been colonizing in ...
cloudy water3/17/2007
  Q: Chris the 60 gal tank set up 1 yr,4 lge parrot chiclids,6 med tetras,4 small bottom fish,albino cat ...
  A: Smaller tanks are much harder to stabilize through the break-in period. Break-in for any tank takes ...
Sick molly or just pregnant3/17/2007
  Q: I have a balloon molly whom I believe is pregant. She has the gravid spot on her back side and is ...
  A: I would treat the whole tank with the suggested antibiotics and give her a chance to fight it. Even ...
Sick molly or just pregnant3/17/2007
  Q: I have a balloon molly whom I believe is pregant. She has the gravid spot on her back side and is ...
  A: It sounds like a bacterial infection called "columnaris". The area near her back is where it ...
new tank problem3/16/2007
  Q: i have a new tank and have added my fishfrom old tank,my severum had developed a fungus and i am ...
  A: Cotton wool fungus is actually a bacterial infection known as "Columnaris". The company that makes ...
Balloon Molly Pregnancy3/16/2007
  Q: I have a 20 Gallon aquarium which has 2 balloon mollies along with other fish. Last week i noticed ...
  A: It usually takes only a few hours. There are several other possibilities, including that the rest ...
new tank problem3/16/2007
  Q: i have a new tank and have added my fishfrom old tank,my severum had developed a fungus and i am ...
  A: What is "safe water"? If you are talking about a water conditioner, it is okay to use most water ...
fish3/16/2007
  Q: 1..hi, i have a three question to ask you i have a 25 gallon aquarium. i want to ask you about using ...
  A: 1. Foam filters are very good for providing an extra place for beneficial bacteria to grow. The ...
Fish Death3/15/2007
  Q: My son's friends mother gave us a 10g hex tank. My husband and I went out and got rock,a rock with a ...
  A: Wow. This is gonna be a long message and I hope you are able to take it all in..... First of all, ...
Needle Nose Fish3/14/2007
  Q: i read you answer about feeders and would like to as you more about it. here's my question, I have ...
  A: Check the water chemistry and water quality. Fish that are usually good eaters can be reacting to ...
tank cycling3/14/2007
  Q: I recently upgraded from 2-55gallon tanks to 1-120 gallon tank. I have had freash water tanks for ...
  A: I think it is just "New Tank Syndrome". There were just too many fish added too soon to a "sterile" ...
fin rot3/14/2007
  Q: I just got two pineapple swordtails, I didn't notice until the next day but the male had just a ...
  A: Swordtails and other livebearers are exceptionally prone to fin and tail rot. They are also ...
help please!3/13/2007
  Q: Help!! I recently discovered that my betta has tail-rot. I have no idea how long hes' had it, but it ...
  A: Change his water every day and keep using the medicine. Clean water is the way to boost his immune ...
Silver Dollar with internal swelling3/13/2007
  Q: Instructions: 29g-set up for 3.5years. 2- silver dollars, 2-kribs, 4-corys, 2-tetras, 1-bushy pleco ...
  A: Fish can be very difficult to photograph can't they? I could see him pretty well once I used a photo ...
how do i get tap water ready to put in aquarium3/13/2007
  Q: I really need help setting up my tank how do i get the tap water ready in my aquarium? do i just ...
  A: Welcome to the fish keeping hobby! I am glad you are researching fish choices before buying. It's ...
Snails..........3/12/2007
  Q: I have a snail, I was told at the pet store it was the kind that did not reproduce lots and lots.... ...
  A: Snails like your gold apple snail are egglayers so you would have seen an egg mass above the ...
sick gourami?3/12/2007
  Q: I have a Gourami that is about 3 years old. Lately he has been laying a bit sideways at the bottom ...
  A: Poor guy. It sounds like his swim bladder has failed. There are many causes for this such as old ...
fish3/12/2007
  Q: i want to do a fishless cycle in my new tank. I think iam going to use cock tail shrimp and frozen ...
  A: I've never tried it myself. I simply add a very limited fish population for the first 6 to 8 weeks ...
Balloon Molly - Bubbles over eyes3/11/2007
  Q: Yesterday my black molly was fine, but today it has bubbles over both it's eyes and acts like it ...
  A: If the eye surfaces look whitish, it may be irritation from a problem in the tank water or bacterial ...
Some fish gasping for air, neons dying3/11/2007
  Q: Tank has been set up since December 28th, 2006. 36 x 12 x 16, 2 platies, 5 Diamond Neons, 3 Pearl ...
  A: Test the water again. I would suspect that toxins are elevated from the addition of new fish OR a ...
Some more goldfish questions3/10/2007
  Q: Just an update. I noticed one of the other smaller fish doing the yawning and fin shaking. I was ...
  A: He's a beauty! He looks pretty good in the photo. They are hard to get good shots of for sure. There ...
Pregnancy3/10/2007
  Q: I have a Mickey Mouse fish, she is quite fat. How can you tell if she is pregnant or just plain fat? ...
  A: If she seems to act normal otherwise, she probably has babies growing in there! How cool is that?! ...
pleco3/8/2007
  Q: My 30 gallon tank has been set up for a year. I have 1 gold gourami 3 glowlight rasboras ...
  A: Yes, some plecostomus can get very aggressive. Especially at night. As the other fish are hovering ...
worm3/8/2007
  Q: My son has a small freshwater tank that currently has no fish, but has a dwarf frog and ghost ...
  A: It could be a planarian or nematode. Most of these things are not harmful. If they were 'parasites' ...
Some more goldfish questions3/7/2007
  Q: Well I've been watching them, and I don't notice anything off with the larger oranda. His (and yes, ...
  A: Begging is what they do best! Sounds like they are doing just fine! Here are some web sites about ...
possible illness3/6/2007
  Q: my 55 gallon tank has been set up for 6 months. It has 3 shubunkin 4-5 inches long, 1 common ...
  A: I would try a change of diet before using medicine. Sometimes slimy thin feces can be caused by ...
Cloudy water3/6/2007
  Q: I hope you can help me. I have a 26 gallon bow front that has been running for a little over 3 ...
  A: Cloudiness is usually from the bacteria balance being disturbed or excess waste in the gravel. ...
Some more goldfish questions3/5/2007
  Q: Hey Chris, Andrea again - Just to let you know, the two little goldfish are doing great. Lani and ...
  A: I'm so glad they like their new tank! Hopefully a new friend will help them feel less shy. Their ...
Filters in hospital goldfish bowls?3/5/2007
  Q: When you put a sick tropical fish in a goldfish bowl to treat it do you need to put a filter in it ...
  A: Any hospital tank for tropicals should not have a filter, but does need air bubbles from an air pump ...
Parasite????3/5/2007
  Q: my tank has only been set up a couple of weeks. I know (NOW) that it is way too small for my Red ...
  A: I don't think it's a parasite but could be simply from an injury when he was moved. Wormlike ...
Ripped fins on several goldfish2/25/2007
  Q: Recently, I noticed that most of my goldfish have ripped fins. This had never occur in my tank ...
  A: How long has the tank been set up? How often do you usually make water changes? How much water at a ...
High nitrite and nitrates2/24/2007
  Q: Approx. 5 weeks 55 gallon 2 kissing gourami 1 dwarf gourami 2 sword tails 2 silver dollars 1 pictus ...
  A: The fish store is quite wrong about this situation I'm afraid. They also sold you way too many fish ...
filtters2/24/2007
  Q: shoot bubbles out of them and one has what looks like small bubbles out of it all the time.I have ...
  A: Air is probably getting into the canister somehow during operation. Be sure the intake isn't near ...
Novice "fish parents"2/24/2007
  Q: Our 28 gallon tank has been set up about 2 months, but we used some gravel and some plants from ...
  A: I think it's all part of the break-in process really. It just hasn't had time to be fully balanced ...
sick fish2/22/2007
  Q: i bought a 15 gallon filter tank for my daughter a month ago. we set it up by the book and let it ...
  A: I suspect the effects of "New Tank Syndrome". You probably had too many fish to get it started ...
Ammonia problems2/22/2007
  Q: First I would like to say a big thank you for getting back to us so soon with some help. I have a ...
  A: The partial water changes are only to prevent the ammonia and nitrite from becoming too high for the ...
2nd question, Shy fish2/21/2007
  Q: So sorry to keep bugging you, but I don't know any fish people in the area. Do goldfish need light ...
  A: Just turn the light off at night. It simulates night time as it would naturally occur outdoors. If ...
Sore2/21/2007
  Q: I have had my 36 gallon tank set up for 2 years and is very stable. My pH is 7.0 and I do weekly ...
  A: It probably was injured during transport and the dead tissue is falling away. I would treat with ...
water problems2/21/2007
  Q: I hope you can help me Chris as I don't know which way to turn and am getting very worried about the ...
  A: It's safe to do up to a 25% water every day if needed. I think everything will settle down in a ...
Angelfish bloating2/20/2007
  Q: I have a 300l tank with 4 angelfish, 3 diamond sharks, 3 silver sharks, 2 plecs, 4 blue and 2 dwarf ...
  A: Angelfish bloating can be a bit tricky. Sometimes it's an incurable internal problem or it could be ...
clowdy tank2/20/2007
  Q: (no3) is at 0 ppm (no2)is at 0 ppm (hardness) is at 25 ppm (total alkalinaty) 180 ppm (ph)8.4 ppm I ...
  A: There are many possible causes for cloudy water. If it's a milky-looking cloudy it could be; ...
2nd question, Shy fish2/19/2007
  Q: I'm going to go tank shopping tomorrow. My boss said she has either a 30 or 40 gallon 'breeder'? I ...
  A: It's so good to hear they will get a bigger tank! Those lucky fish really hit the jackpot when you ...
mollies2/19/2007
  Q: Approximately how many babies does a molly have?
  A: Livebearing fish of all types can have anywhere from just a couple to 80 or even 100 babies (or ...
concerned2/19/2007
  Q: I have guppies that look like they have spots on them or something and i was wondering if it is a ...
  A: If it looks like your fish are sprinkled with salt, it could be a parasite called "ick". Your local ...
sick clown loach w/white patches on tail fin2/18/2007
  Q: 36 gal. freshwater tank since Nov/06. 1 male betta, 4 clown loaches, 2 angelfish, 2 bala sharks, 2 ...
  A: I'm so sorry to keep you waiting. Family issues have consumed my time in the last few days and they ...
Betta fry2/18/2007
  Q: When does the male come out?? and what is good temp i have 78-80degrees?
  A: Come out from where? If he isn't building a bubble nest he may not be ready to breed or is an older ...
sick freshwater sharks2/18/2007
  Q: I've had my tank set up for at least three years. It's 30 gallons. We have about 13 fish -- six ...
  A: Redtailed sharks are very territorial with their own kind. There really should be only one per tank. ...
2nd question, Shy fish2/16/2007
  Q: I asked the question yesterday about the filter bubbles and I have another question. I 'rescued' ...
  A: I'm so glad you saved them! They are lucky little fish. They are fancy goldfish known as "Oranda". ...
how long do it take for oscars to lay there fry2/16/2007
  Q: I have two oscars in my tank and I think they are getting ready the lay some eggs ( fry). I was just ...
  A: There are many variables in fish breeding so I really couldn't tell you when or how long it will ...
Betta breeding2/16/2007
  Q: !! and the anti is very happy AKA brianna my girlfriend. i just need to know how to take care of ...
  A: Congratulations! Just be sure to get the female back to her own tank as soon as possible when they ...
Plant Substrate2/15/2007
  Q: I am starting a new aquarium where my plan is to begin with a plant substrate layer, then lay a ...
  A: I've never used the plant substrates so I really can't comment on that. I just use aquarium gravel ...
ropefish2/15/2007
  Q: I want to put sand in my freshwater fishtank. I have a rope fish and two neon parrots and I want to ...
  A: If you can rinse it until the water in the rinsing bucket is totally clear and keep it vacuumed and ...
Disease in tank2/14/2007
  Q: I greatly appreciate the response - I do have a follow up- I forgot to mention that I also have ...
  A: It's only going to be elevated for a few days so it really isn't a problem for the danios. If the ...
Betta fish2/13/2007
  Q: Hey i have a problem that i think you have the answer,:) if not it's perfectly ok, here goes I'm ...
  A: Keep them separated where they can't see each other for a conditioning period of 7 to 14 days. Feed ...
Disease in tank2/13/2007
  Q: We have had our tank for more than a year. It is filled with guppies, tetras and a Pleco. It is a 30 ...
  A: The water changes are a good idea but the filters should be kept on. Just remove the carbon from ...
Sudden deaths2/12/2007
  Q: I have a lot of yoyos and clowns in a 50gal tank. I have a stone, 2 powerheads (one is pumping from ...
  A: That's awful. So sorry this is happening to your fish. Test the water for the presence of ammonia ...
3 fish in tank2/12/2007
  Q: I have a 29-gal. tank with 2 small rkyukin in it. You told me the tank size was fine. My question ...
  A: I would get at least a 40 gallon tank. Ryukins need at least 10 gallons per fish. You might be ...
gill disease?2/12/2007
  Q: i have a chiclid fish (jack dempsey) i had him for less than a year he is about 6 inches in length ...
  A: Go to your local fish store and look for medications for gill infections. The packages have symptoms ...
yellow lab ciclyds2/11/2007
  Q: my question is my yellow lab ciclyds is just in one place it is backing forth and front position hes ...
  A: It could be parasites or water quality problems. Look closely at each fish for tiny spots, blotches, ...
Balloon mollies2/11/2007
  Q: I just bought two cute Balloon Mollies today and they are together in a one gallon tank. One of the ...
  A: The one being chased is probably a female. You should have two females per male so the females can ...
Worms in the tank2/10/2007
  Q: I have a bunch of snails and I have noticed little things that look like sea monkeys swimming around ...
  A: The only way to get rid of planaria is by cleaning and cutting back on food. There is just way too ...
BIG aquarium2/10/2007
  Q: You seem to have the most experience in the group so i'll ask you. I have a client that has ...
  A: The largest tank I have ever personally set up is a 125 gallon. All the others I maintained or ...
ICH and other unknowns...2/9/2007
  Q: hope you have time...) We have recently bought a 30 gal tank and after cycling and stabilizing the ...
  A: Keep using the quick cure and keep doing the changes and it will eventually finish breaking-in and ...
PH level drop in 5 days2/9/2007
  Q: I don't think accuracy is a problem with the test kit. I have been cycling a 5 gallon ...
  A: Yeah, being laughed at is a common plight for the dedicated fish hobbyist. Been there myself more ...
PH level drop in 5 days2/9/2007
  Q: Here I go again. I am using an airstone. How much should I change the water? I've been doing a ...
  A: You aren't bugging me. I live for challenges like this. ;-) Check the accuracy of the test kit. ...
PH level drop in 5 days2/8/2007
  Q: I feel like a pest asking so many questions, but I have another one for you if you don't mind. My ...
  A: No problem! It's what I'm here for! Just keep doing water changes. It mat still be pretty unstable ...
oscars and ick2/8/2007
  Q: i lost five fish recently i cleaned the tank out with clorox water and now have two newq oscars in ...
  A: Ich is caused by a parasite. If your fish have tiny little spots that look like salt, your fish have ...
fungus vs baby eels2/7/2007
  Q: after 3 mos my baby now have fungus all over them what should i treat them with,they are doping fast ...
  A: You didn't give me much to go on here but the first thing I would suggest is make a water change. ...
Dojo ill?2/7/2007
  Q: I have another question, yesterday I clean my tank I did everything as usual nothing different, but ...
  A: Redness usually indicates a bacterial infection or irritation. With a bump, I would suspect maybe an ...
Driftwood2/5/2007
  Q: I read your answer on how to clean driftwood, your advise is the best way to clean it is by boiling ...
  A: You could try it in the tank and see how it goes. If it grows anything strange looking and/or the ...
Long stringy fish poo2/5/2007
  Q: I have 3 platies and one molly. Just wondering why sometimes they have really long stringy poo and ...
  A: If their 'poo' is just long and basically the same color as their food, it means they are ...
oscar fish2/4/2007
  Q: how can i keep my tank clean with out puting a alge eater in it with the oscar he dont like other ...
  A: Unfortunately there really aren't any shortcuts to tank maintenance. A weekly water change of 25% ...
Algea eater2/4/2007
  Q: I have a 75 gallon tank that has been set up for a year or so. But, the fish has been in there for 3 ...
  A: If the algae eater looks like it has a yellowish dust on it, they may have velvet. It's a parasite. ...
Betta Fry2/3/2007
  Q: I recently spawned bettas and the fry have hatched yesterday. I have the half styrophone cup in the ...
  A: All you can do is let him do his thing and keep his tank and the area around it very quiet. Make ...
Fantail goldfish/water readings2/3/2007
  Q: I have two fantail fish approximately three inches. I've had them for approximately 8 months. I ...
  A: Weekly water changes with gravel vacuuming is the key to goldfish health. Nitrates are only removed ...
ich2/3/2007
  Q: I, pretty sure its ich. They do have the salt grain looking stuff on them and they have been ...
  A: Sounds like you are doing everything you can. If it's possible, get the tank temperature up higher ...
Using Water Softener salt2/2/2007
  Q: I see that you use the softener salt in your store tanks. My questions is this: Do you use the ...
  A: Water softener salt is simply pure rock salt, the same as the stuff in the little box in the fish ...
ich2/2/2007
  Q: I have five fantail guppies and they all have ich. some worse than others but they do not seem to ...
  A: Make sure it's ich for sure. If it looks like the fish are sprinkled with salt, it's ich. It's a ...
coludy water and high ph levels2/2/2007
  Q: do i need to remove the carbon filters from my tank for the clear to work properly?hi Chris, my 30 ...
  A: The carbon should actually help with eliminating cloudiness so leave it in. The trick is that carbon ...
Possible sick tiger barb and gourami2/1/2007
  Q: The run down is a 30gal tank (you helped with the tank in Dec.), 1 sunset gourami is looking ...
  A: Fish can indeed get fat. It's very possible it's a female full of eggs too. If it's color is lighter ...
did it wrong help!2/1/2007
  Q: Ive read your new tank artical now, but on christmas we set up a 55gal. The next day we added a ...
  A: You're doing a good job trying hard to keep them healthy. You just got off to a bad start with too ...
coludy water and high ph levels2/1/2007
  Q: my 30 gallon tank is doing better now the ich turned out to be a fungus, I didn't explain the ...
  A: It's best not use pH altering chemicals. It causes fluctuations in the pH that are very harmful to ...
tiger oscars1/31/2007
  Q: .could you help me out? i dont know much about tiger oscars and recently i bought two tiger oscars.i ...
  A: Welcome to the fun hobby of fish keeping! If the spots look like little 'salt specks', your poor ...
Platys1/31/2007
  Q: I have 2 platys that I think are pregnant. Do they have a gravid spot like guppies? How do I know ...
  A: Babies! How cool...Congratulations! Platies do have a gravid spot. The eyes of the babies as they ...
water changing1/30/2007
  Q: i have had the aquarium for only a week, so i am fairly new to everything. i think the fish had ich ...
  A: Welcome to the hobby! Since you are so new to fish I would like to offer you some links to check ...
water changing1/30/2007
  Q: do you do water changes while medicating fish for ich? what is the proper procedure for doing so? ...
  A: It definately removes some of the free-swimming ich and helps the fish get stronger if you make ...
Ammonia effects on fish1/29/2007
  Q: First off, I will appreciate any help/information you can give me and I would like to thank you in ...
  A: Cycling with live fish is just fine. You just have to take precautions and you are already doing ...
Goldfish w/ ick1/29/2007
  Q: I have a large goldfish(4yrs old) in 100gal. I have noticed that he looks like he has a very mild ...
  A: Usually ick spreads but spots don't get larger unless it is a secondary infection by fungus or ...
mystery snails1/26/2007
  Q: I have a 10 gallon aquarium an am having a problem keeping mystery snails in it. either they are ...
  A: Hmm. Weird. It's possible the guppies are eating them, but probably not until they are already dead. ...
Goldfish Compatibility1/26/2007
  Q: I have a 30 gallon tank with a heater and really good filter that I set up about 4 months ago. ...
  A: Your tank is actually maxed-out with four goldfish in it. I really can't recommend adding any more ...
goldfish scales1/25/2007
  Q: I have had 2 fantail goldfish for about 3 months. I have noticed their scales changing. One fish ...
  A: There are a few reasons why goldfish will lose scales; Fighting or breeding behavior. Male fish ...
Breeding... or most like NOT breeding1/25/2007
  Q: I have three goldfish in a ten gallon tank. I'm pretty sure I have one male and two females. I ...
  A: You really can't stop their natural urge to breed. I wouldn't worry about it if they do spawn. The ...
wounded fish1/24/2007
  Q: I have a 5 gallon tank with a few guppies (all full grown), a ghost shrimp and some snails. This ...
  A: Poor little thing. If the edges are pretty clean and it happened fast I would say one of the other ...
goldfish tank1/24/2007
  Q: I have a 29 gallon tank with two baby fan tail gold fish, but plan on getting two more baby ...
  A: Goldfish like cooler water of 72f or less and plecos are tropical fish that need 76f or higher all ...
turtles1/24/2007
  Q: i have a red ear slider and i have him in a 20 gallon long tank. i have a light on and a heater and ...
  A: The only safe way is to scrub it off. I don't recommend using chemicals with fish or turtles because ...
false test readings???1/22/2007
  Q: I have a 35 gallon Amazon tank that is pretty densely stocked (about 30 fish- most very small ...
  A: I would trust the 'liquid drops' test kit before I would the strips. Those strips are just not very ...
amount of fish per tank1/22/2007
  Q: okay so i know the rule about teh oen inch rule but it can be so hard to tell so i wanted and expert ...
  A: You have to look at the size they get to be when adults in order to calculate the population. I ...
feedign tropical fish1/22/2007
  Q: i know that it is good to give fish a varied diet and i usually only feed my community tank tropial ...
  A: It's okay to give them betta food but if it's still dried food they need more of something else. ...
danio1/21/2007
  Q: i have a 6 gallon tropical community tank 2 zebra danios 1 gold mickey mouse platy 2 bloodfin tetras ...
  A: Danios are egglayers so they really don't get "pregnant". It probably does have eggs though. But, ...
Ropefish and other fish1/21/2007
  Q: I just got a Ropefish and he killed my Angel fish is there any fish that the rope fish can live ...
  A: That's an unusually aggressive rope! I've had ropefish in with many community fish and the only ones ...
pregnant cichlid??1/20/2007
  Q: hey i jus got a bumblebee cichlid and it looks to be pregnant. how do i know if its pregnant?
  A: Cichlids are egglayers so they don't really become "pregnant". They do become full of eggs though. ...
Iridescent Shark Fish1/20/2007
  Q: I have 3 Irridescent Schark fish that are only about 2 inches long. One of the fish seemed to get ...
  A: It is unlikely to be full of eggs. He probably just gets most of the food. Those guys get over 3 ...
green spotted puffer1/19/2007
  Q: my puffer must see his reflection because there is lots of plants to driftwood stumps and a giant ...
  A: Sounds like the puffer just likes to be very active. If the angels and pleco seem to be growing and ...
keeping fish alive !1/19/2007
  Q: My 8 year old bought a Bata after Christmas, he lived for 1 week. The following week he got 3 more, ...
  A: Poor little guy! Pretty tough in such a short period of time. Let's see if we can figure out what's ...
sick fish1/18/2007
  Q: i have a betta fish and she was hanging out around the heater this morning. the heater is 7.5 watts ...
  A: There are several possibilities. It could be the beginning stages of dropsy, popeye or could simply ...
upside down platy1/18/2007
  Q: Poor platy is still upside down on the bottom of the tank. He looks as if he's tired of struggling ...
  A: The swim bladder has to repair itself if it will heal at all. Just keeping the tank clean and warm ...
green spotted puffer1/18/2007
  Q: my question is on a brackish water tank, I have a 55 gallon tank (soon upgrading to 100g) I have had ...
  A: Puffers do change color according to their mood, the color of their surroundings, water temperature, ...
First time fish owner needs help!1/17/2007
  Q: I have recently purchased a 29 gal startup tank including accessories in hopes of creating a ...
  A: It's a pretty tall order but I will give it my best shot! This will be a long email so grab your ...
sexing mollies1/17/2007
  Q: I feel like I am going to ask a question that you probably get asked all the time but here goes! I ...
  A: I'm really not knowledgable about fish genetics. It's an area of fish keeping I have not studied. ...
Snails1/17/2007
  Q: What is the best way to get rid of snails as far as washing the gravel and faux greenery?
  A: Washing the gravel and using artificial plants can help but will not eradicate snails once they gain ...
Neon Tetra Disease1/16/2007
  Q: I Just wanted to know what kinds of fish are suseptable to Neon Tetra Disease.I've been on many ...
  A: I've only personally seen it for sure in neons but other hobbyists and scientists have seen it in ...
goldfish1/16/2007
  Q: how do you find the age of a comet goldfish?
  A: It really is hard to say. You can't always tell by size because a fish's growth depends on it's ...
low PH in 55 gal fresh1/15/2007
  Q: i have a 55 with a med size oscar,2 small convicts,2 turquoise severums,2 firemouths, a red devil ...
  A: The gravel should be vacuumed every week in tanks with bigger types of fish such as yours. I'm so ...
sick platy1/15/2007
  Q: 36 gallon tank set up about 4 months; 2 silver dollars, 8 tetras, 3 clown loaches, an angel fish, a ...
  A: Good job on moving him to the warm and aerated hospital bowl! That's just what he needs. I would ...
White Bugs?!1/15/2007
  Q: reguarding this question, i have the same problem, and i need help. ...
  A: Wow, that sounds nasty! As you know, it's hard to treat for such things with a frog. Frogs are so ...
fungus1/14/2007
  Q: i thought it was better to garvel vacuom once a month because of all the bacteria it takes out the ...
  A: When your tank is still in the break-in (the first 6 to 8 weeks) you don't want to vacuum ...
parrotfish eggs1/14/2007
  Q: I came across them while doing my routine water change. I must tell you this is very nerve racking. ...
  A: Just let the parrots care for the eggs and they will take care of the babies when they hatch too. ...
A sick fish ?1/13/2007
  Q: I tried to send you some info before but I think I messed up and so I will try again. Hi Chris...I ...
  A: I would suspect irritation or injury since there is no heater. The salt is perfectly fine to add to ...
nitrate and nitrite1/13/2007
  Q: One of my platy is not eating thats like happening for almost 2 weeks. Its weak and its also ...
  A: You don't need an undergravel filter. It would be a disaster to disrupt the tank so much right now ...
fungus1/13/2007
  Q: I was wondering if fungus lives in the gravel because i think my existing tank has fungus and I ...
  A: I don't think it would benefit anything to treat for fungus. It would just mess up your beautiful ...
A sick fish ?1/12/2007
  Q: I tried to send you some info before but I think I messed up and so I will try again. Hi Chris...I ...
  A: It's possible he has a burn from your aquarium heater. In their efforts to get to the algae they ...
Water Changes1/11/2007
  Q: I have a diamond shaped 30 gallon fishtank with 2 honey red dwarf gouramies, 2 thick lipped ...
  A: I usually recommend a 25% change every week. You can certainly do them more often if you want to. It ...
bala shark1/11/2007
  Q: 10 gallon tank fully cycled one bala two rainbows moving to to 55 in two days top fin filter water ...
  A: He may have injured himself and it became infected. Balas are pretty hyper and will often bang ...
Pregnent Fish1/10/2007
  Q: My name is Becca and My tank is 29 gallons big, been set up with great water since the 28th of ...
  A: Welcome to the fun hobby of fish keeping! The new babies will simply eat crumbled up regular fish ...
Tiny worm parasite in my tank1/10/2007
  Q: I have noticed this substance on the walls of my fish tank. At first it looks like tiny things ...
  A: They are indeed a harmless flatworm or nematode. There is no chemical or medicinal method to get rid ...
drift wood1/9/2007
  Q: 13 days / 65 gl. / 4angels,2dwarf rams,3green coreys,2auto cats,7 neon2black2glolite tetra, 5 glass ...
  A: Probably just some leftover decaying organic matter from when it was brought in to sell. You may ...
The Oscars1/9/2007
  Q: you may remember a question i asked a few days ago, regarding a sick Oscar with what looked like an ...
  A: I'm so sorry you lost him. Sometimes there's just nothing you can do to help them. Red will be ...
freshwater tank airation1/9/2007
  Q: I started out with a 5 gallon, then a 10 gallon, and now I'm moving up to a 75 gallon fw tank. One ...
  A: How exciting! That's an excellent size tank. Your filter should work just fine. They don't have to ...
community tank1/8/2007
  Q: I have an 80 gal freshwater tank - 6 months old. I currently have 6 neon tetras, 1 skirt tetra. 2 ...
  A: It's possible the crazy crawfish injured them internally but they didn't die until later. Sometimes ...
breeding1/7/2007
  Q: how can you tell if a black fin shark is pregnet
  A: Blackfin sharks really don't become "pregnant" because they are egglayers. The female would just ...
MY MARBLE OSCAR1/7/2007
  Q: My oscar is two years old or so and i refer to it as a she and her name is dotty. About three or ...
  A: She probably needs an anti-bacterial or anti-fungal for her eyes to heal. I'm glad she is now ...
Need help on finding the right fish!1/7/2007
  Q: Hey, I sent someone else a question as well my friend but perhaps you could help me as well! Okay, I ...
  A: It really depends on your setup and what kinds of fish you like. Do the tanks have heaters? What is ...
gold mystery snails1/6/2007
  Q: I am doing a science project that involves gold mystery snails. I had 2 of them for a week and they ...
  A: Mystery snails will often just float around the top for several days. It's sometimes related to ...
fish1/5/2007
  Q: Why do fish stay at the bottom of the tank?
  A: Wthout much to go on I really can't give you a definitive answer. I need info such as what kind of ...
sick oscar :(1/5/2007
  Q: Greetings, I currently own 3 well grown oscars, now 5 years old. 2 in one tank and one in the other ...
  A: Poor Oscar. He may have an internal bacterial infection that has caused his swim bladder to fail. ...
betta fish1/5/2007
  Q: do I change the water in my tank if my male betta fish has made a bubble nest?
  A: It's just fine to change his water and remove his nest as long as you aren't trying to breed him. He ...
Black Moor - tail blister1/4/2007
  Q: I have had my ten gallon tank for about two months. It has one 2 year old black moor in it. The ...
  A: It may be nothing at all but watch to see if it changes. Sometimes fish injure themselves and get ...
PH level1/4/2007
  Q: i have a 30 gallon fresh water tank, initially was battling free floating green algae, following the ...
  A: I would suspect the pH is lower than you thought it was. Below 6.0 is just too far down the scale. ...
Stocking my new 29 gallon!!!!1/4/2007
  Q: What can you tell me about dwarf/neon rainbowfish? I am cycling my 29 gallon and am wondering if ...
  A: Rainbows are very pretty little schooling fish. Dwarf Rainbows would be fine for your tank but wait ...
Bala shark1/3/2007
  Q: I have a Bala shark who seems to have caught some kind of disease or parasite. His body seems to ...
  A: Redness is usually from a bacterial infection. His bahavior may be from septicemia. Septicemia is ...
black moores1/3/2007
  Q: I have a 55 litre tank , been set for well over 6 months . 2 black telescope moores approx 3" a ...
  A: Since he is acting normally it may be just from new head growth developing. The fleshy part on their ...
planaria or nematode12/22/2006
  Q: with these parasites i think my fish are eating them are they internal parasites also? i read on how ...
  A: They are not harmful to your fish in any way and are not really parasites so don't worry. A parasite ...
Ropefish12/21/2006
  Q: We think our ropefish has some type of disease. We have a 46 gallon tank with a variety of fish. ...
  A: It may be an intestinal blockage or could even be infection. Many fish will sometimes accidently ...
hole in the head disease12/21/2006
  Q: What would be the best way to treat an otherwise healthy 6 in oscar who lives in a 125 gallon tank ...
  A: Clean water and diet are the two main factors in treating HITH. It really isn't a disease, but a ...
Sal treatment for ICK12/21/2006
  Q: What kind of salt do you use. I have two Red Pacu, a Placo and 3 crabs. Ick just appeared, and ...
  A: Any salt that is PURE SALT with no additives is what you need. I use uniodized rock salt. Look at ...
Betta ill - have tried Maracyn, Tea Tree & Methylene Blue12/20/2006
  Q: Chris - Thank you so much for all your help. My beta seems to be looking healthier. I have one ...
  A: I'm so glad to hear he is doing better! His vision might not be as good as it was before he got ...
black moor fish12/20/2006
  Q: Last year,I bought a little black moor who has now grown to be a very big fish. I estimate he's 5" ...
  A: He sounds like a spectacular fish. If the extra stuff looks like finnage it probably is. As goldfish ...
Cleaning a Fluval 30412/20/2006
  Q: I see that you have posted other answers about Fluval filters and was wondering what is best way way ...
  A: Your filter cleaning habits are pretty good. I have the same size Fluval on my 55 gallon and I don't ...
ammonia12/19/2006
  Q: We have a 46 gallon freshwater tank. Our amonnia level is very high. We have tried everything. We ...
  A: If could be several things. Without knowing how long your tank has been set up, what kind of ...
algae eater and zebra danio12/18/2006
  Q: i have a 6 gallon tropical community tank ( 1 zebra danio 2 gold micky mouse paltys a mechanical ...
  A: Those algae eaters are pretty mean guys. They get predatory as they grow and he gets too big for ...
question12/18/2006
  Q: the water smells when i open it up to feed the fish the tank is 65 gallons set up 3 mounts ago ...
  A: Sounds like it just needs some cleaning. Every tank needs a 25% water change and gravel vac every ...
Is water right12/17/2006
  Q: I live in the country and we have well water it is a little hard not bad. Can this hurt my fish. My ...
  A: I use well water too and don't even have a water softener. I wish I did, but not yet. If the tap ...
red bellies....12/17/2006
  Q: i set up my 30 gallon tank 3 days ago, and have a 3 red bellies(piranhas) together with another 20 ...
  A: The tank is in the very first stages of the break-in period. It can be pretty intense. Make a 25% ...
turtle in a community tank?12/17/2006
  Q: My tank has been set up for two years with tropical community fish. Its a 30 gallon tank with a ...
  A: A turtle would be very happy in there, but you would be missing your fish and frog in a few minutes ...
algae eater acting weird12/16/2006
  Q: my son has a 20 gallon aquarium his algae eater swims fast to top of water bangs it's head on light ...
  A: I would check the water chemistry. Sometimes fish try to escape a tank when something isn't right ...
bloated lifeless fish12/16/2006
  Q: For several months my fish has been reall fat and swimming really slow. Three weeks ago it started ...
  A: It really doesn't sound very good at all. There has probably been advanced organ failure and he ...
algae eater and zebra danio12/16/2006
  Q: i have a 6 gallon tropical community tank ( 1 zebra danio 2 gold micky mouse paltys a mechanical ...
  A: Sometimes fish stores will sell catfish as algae eaters when they aren't. Little cory cats tend to ...
Oscar Parasites12/15/2006
  Q: I have a single 6" Oscar that lives alone in a 55 gallon tank. I change from 20% to 25% of the water ...
  A: They are just a waste-feeding planaria or nematode. They like the filter because that's where the ...
size of tank?12/14/2006
  Q: i have a tank that someone gave me but i dont know what size it is. it has six sides, each of them ...
  A: Measure the tank across the top from from flat side to opposite flat side, and then from corner to ...
dead paradise fish12/14/2006
  Q: Dec 14: A new problem has developed which is causing me concern. Of the 12 fish in my 20 gallon ...
  A: It's possible he is just the "odd man out" in the barb school. They should be in larger groups so ...
Gold Fish With White Worms12/13/2006
  Q: Chris, I have lost about three gold fish they got weak and died. I noticed a white worm like ...
  A: Oh my. That sounds like it could be a pretty serious infection of internal parasites. Fish can ...
ammonia in water12/12/2006
  Q: I have a new 10 gallon tank - about a month old. My ammonia level is very high. Can you please ...
  A: Make a 25% water change every day until they go down on their own. Sometimes they get too high ...
Betta ill - have tried Maracyn, Tea Tree & Methylene Blue12/12/2006
  Q: I am on my why out to find Maracyn 2.How much salt do I use?Chris, I have my beta in a large bowl - ...
  A: I usually dose at the rate of half-a-teaspoon per gallon of water. Yours is a bout 2 gallons so one ...
filtration12/11/2006
  Q: I have an under-gravel filter with a air stone in the lift tube and an aquatech 30-60 power filter ...
  A: I always recommend a 25% change weekly, regardless of the type or size of the filter. It's possible ...
Angle Fish12/11/2006
  Q: I have two angle fish that are about 3 months old. Just today they have started acting strangly ...
  A: It could be either one. They often look the same. If they end up spawning, you will know it was ...
Cichlid fish/tank problems12/10/2006
  Q: First off, we had have this tank running for about 2- 2.5 years. I think it is around 97L-ish. We ...
  A: Sounds like you are doing a great job. Excellent effort in doing research and finding remedies too! ...
Hole on the head?12/9/2006
  Q: Some months ago I lost an Angelfish to what I believe was hole in the head. Mainly because, well, ...
  A: Wow, those sound like very extreme cases. Poor guys. I'm so sorry you had to go through that. ...
dead paradise fish12/8/2006
  Q: Today I discovered my albino paradise fish, that I've had for about 2 months, dead. He was trapped ...
  A: That's too bad. I'm so sorry you lost him. It isn't uncommon at all to lose fish in a fairly new ...
fish12/8/2006
  Q: my gold fish are looking sick there loosing bits of tails they have alot off red marking to please ...
  A: Redness indicates a bacterial infection that may have gone into their blood. Change their water ...
fish tank12/7/2006
  Q: x 55cm 25 litters
  A: Oscars need a minimum of 50 gallons or 189 liters for one or two, but bigger would be much better. ...
betta fish breeding12/7/2006
  Q: i noticed my female betta fish layed alot of eggs and they floated to the top. i took some of the ...
  A: It's doubtful. The process of the "embrace" in betta spawning puts the eggs close enough for ...
sudden deaths in extablished tank12/7/2006
  Q: There are several big rocks in this aquarium and I did move one or two of them when I stirred up the ...
  A: I would move the big rocks every week and vacuum the gravel in those areas weekly too. I've put ...
Platy Looks Thin12/6/2006
  Q: I have a 10 gal freshwater tank that has been set up since Aug 31, 2006. I have living plants and an ...
  A: She may have to be moved to her own seperate tank. Sometimes fish just harrass another until they ...
New Tank-Gravel12/6/2006
  Q: Chris, I have a 20gal tank that I set up about 6wks. ago. Are 2-2 1/2 inches of river stones too ...
  A: The deepest your gravel should be is about a half-inch to an inch really. Fish can't get under the ...
sudden deaths in extablished tank12/5/2006
  Q: I have been keeping a FW aquarium for over 14 years now. About a year and a half ago, I started ...
  A: Oh, how devastating! I'm so sorry this has happened. Acurel is a good product. The pond formula ...
sick betta fish12/5/2006
  Q: Okay I'm in desperate need of some advice. My betta fish is very sick and I thought he was getting ...
  A: He is just far too cold. His body can't function properly at temperatures below 75. Many bettas do ...
ammonia12/4/2006
  Q: The text above is a follow-up to ... -----Question-----one of my zebra danios is swimming at the ...
  A: Just a basic flake food and little bits of vegies are all your fish need. Fish such as your little ...
Brown Algae12/4/2006
  Q: Will Plecos eat brown algae that has invaded my freshwater tank?
  A: My plecostomus eats brown algae. Be sure your tank is big enough though. Regular plecos get to be ...
my new goldfish is not eating..12/3/2006
  Q: i got this new goldfish day before yesterday.she is not eating only,she just swims away from d ...
  A: I'm afraid he may never eat until there is a larger tank for them. Goldfish need lots of room ...
shovelnose catfish12/3/2006
  Q: My shovelnose is about 10 inches long and i've had him for about 6 months all was well till couple ...
  A: I would immediately make a partial water change. He may have injured himself and is trying to ...
goldfish12/2/2006
  Q: i had a 10 gallon tank& a 1 gallon bowl. my goldfish who is about 3 in. He was in the bowl for 7 ...
  A: That's a tough one. I'm so sorry you lost your old guy. It is possible that being isolated for for ...
Discus behaviour12/2/2006
  Q: I saw your article about discus fish and would like to fire you a burning question I have. I had a ...
  A: Sounds like your discus are feeling better and have enough room so their appetite increased. They ...
ammonia12/2/2006
  Q: The text above is a follow-up to ... -----Question----- one of my zebra danios is swimming at the ...
  A: Raising the temperature to treat ick is good but danios can't tolerate that for very long. I ...
ammonia12/1/2006
  Q: one of my zebra danios is swimming at the top it looks like he is gasping for air it just has their ...
  A: You need a thermometer for sure. If there is no heater in the tank, the platies and bloodfins will ...
ammonia12/1/2006
  Q: one of my zebra danios is swimming at the top it looks like he is gasping for air it just has their ...
  A: The gills should normally be cherry-red so it may be with the gill plates open from breathing so ...
freshwater amazon puffers12/1/2006
  Q: do these fish need any salt in the tank?
  A: Colomesus asellus can tolerate salt but it isn't needed. They tend to cruise back and forth over a ...
goldfish11/30/2006
  Q: My gold fish has developed several large red spots on it's fins and tail. Large being possibly 1/16 ...
  A: Red blotches often indicate hemorrhagic septicemia. It is caused by a bacterial infection in his ...
Water Cloudy11/30/2006
  Q: I have two ten gallon freshwater aquariums. One I have had for several months and the water