FAQs

Aquarium FAQs

What Kind of Aquarium should I get?
Firstly, I would say to go with your budget, because there will be a start off cost which will be followed by basic maintenence, and unless you have the funds to maintain your aquarium it will falter and die. Also marine aquariums require more attention and maintenance that freshwater tanks, so be prepared to set aside time to carry out the necessary requirements. Remember the size of your aquarium determines the number and size of fish it can accommodate.

What type of fish should I buy?
It really depends on your preference, although there are several factors to take into consideration. Firtsly do you want to have a community tank with different types of fish od do you want a species tank with basically on type of fish. Next, you must also take into consideration the requirements (feeding, water conditions and temperature) of the species of fish you want to introduce to the tank. Also, the temperiment and size of the fish you are using as this will surely result in loss of fish as the more timid species will be bullied and the smaller inhabitants may be eaten.

What and how often should I feed my fish?
It has been my experience that fish do much better and live longer with a varied high quallity diet. I recommend using high quality flakes, tubifex worms, algae wafers, etc. Some species have special feeding requirements which must be met. Fish should be fed atleast twice a day with no more food than can be consumed completely in two (2) minutes. Some people feed their fish up to five (5) times a day but strictly adhere to the two (2) minute consumption rule.

How do I keep my aquarium clean?
The first thing to think about is what is making the aquariums look dirty. Is it the quality of the water? Is it algae? Does the gravel look dirty? After answering these simple questions the solutions become easy. First off you should be making weekly water changes of 10% and monthly changes of 25% and clleaning the gravel to keep the water quality in pristine condition. If you have being following that routine take a look at the amount of food you are feeding your fish and make sure that all is being eaten and that any uneaten food is removed as quickly as possible.
If algae is the problem, firstly we take a look at the aquarium's position to see if it is receiving direct sunlight which would cause algae growth. There are two ways to control or eliminate algae from your tank. There is the natural method which would be to introduce either fish or invertibrates, such as Chinese algae eaters, Plecostomus Catfish, Golden snails, etc., that feed on the algae. There is also the unnatural method, where you could purchase an algae scraper that scrapes the algae of the aquarium sides or you could puchase an algae-remover additive that is placed directly into the aquarium the kills the algae.
If the gravel is dirty, I suggest that you invest in a gravle cleaner that will allow you to disturb that gravel and siphon the remanents of leftover food and waste products that have become trapped in the gravel floor. Failing this, you would have to disassemble the aquarium and manually wash the gravel out and clean the aquarium before reassembling it.

How many fish can I safely put into my aqaurium?
The recommended equation for determining the amount of fish one should have in one's aquarium is 1 inch of fish per gallon of water.
So, given this equation, a ten (10) gallon aquarium should hold no more that five (5) fish whose approximate full length is two (2) inches each.
Exceeding the limit will lead to overcrowding and overcrowding carries with it many problems such as bickering for territory, high ammonia levels due to massive waste production, poor water quality and disease.