Some Rough Fishes

That cute little fish you bought could turn into your biggest headache if you don't think before you purchase, so here are a few words to help you in your selection when considering buying that little cutie. Also here we will be talking about which fish will live with others in harmony. although even after careful selection, we sometimes get a small fish that will bully others a great deal bigger than themselves, but luckily this mainly happens at breeding time.

Any fish can become a rogue, it doesn't necessarily have to be a big fish, as even some small species of fish can become quite dominating at times, especially at breeding time.

Generally when we speak of rogues people tend to think of the bigger species like some of the Cichlids,

and many of this group do get to a stage where they will only tolerate fish either the same size, or bigger than themselves. Other types of rogues are the ones that will uproot everything you plant, move vast amounts of gravel that leaves your tank like a moonscape, and even move small rocks if they are in their way. Others will ram the heater against the tank side, or pull the uprights from the undergravel filters, and on occasions decide to knock the lid off the tank and try their hand at jumping from the tank and onto the floor. Many of the big Cichlids will attack your hand if you try to clean the tank or move something that will alter their environment, while others will practically roll over and let you scratch their belly. Just by the last sentence we can see that not all Cichlids are the same, so we can't brand any fish as being a rogue.

So what causes a fish to be aggressive? Several things can cause this, many of which we can do our best to avoid. Fish near or actually spawning, or looking after young should never be trusted with other fish if the are of an appreciable size. At this time adult fish become very possessive about territory and the safety of their young, so now is one time you should leave well alone and let the fish get on with what they were born to do. In some situations we may have to remove either one or both the parents, but Cichlids in general tend to take care of their young right up to the time they are ready to spawn again, and it has been known for them to care for two broods of fry only weeks apart. Many of the Mouthbrooders also do this and can have more than one brood all trying to retreat into the mother's mouth. Great stuff.

Many Cichlids are very selective about their partner, and many once mated, will remain with that same partner to the end. If one dies, then it is sometimes hard to get the remaining fish to accept a new mate, and I have found this to happen with the Angels, the Jewel Cichlids, and the Firemouths, but again, not all fish are the same, but in general Cichlids seem to create a very strong bond with the partner they choose. In more than one instance I have had the remaining fish die within a short while after losing its partner.

Rogue fish are generally territorial fish and will set up an invisible area that they call theirs and will not allow outsiders to move into their area. Not much can be done here, but re-arranging the tank sometimes helps by confusing the fish as to where his territory starts and ends.

If the fish in question is causing harm to the more docile occupants of the tank, then your only option is to either move the aggressor, or move the peaceful fish. One should really consider a spare tank for these situations, and when not in general use it can be used as a quarantine tank, or for holding newborn fry, but it should always be setup correctly at the right temperature and ready for any emergency.

Even the common Zebra Danio can become aggressive if others in the tank are smaller or not quite as quick as it is. Keeping just one of these fish tends to cause this problem, especially if the Zebra has grown to an appreciable size.

Take the little Dwarf Gourami. A wonderful colourful fish that is usually quite docile, but catch him at breeding time and it's a different story. This little fellow can be a real terror if he is guarding the nest and will send most fish twice his size running in fear to the other end of the tank. This will happen with most of the Gourami species, and the Bettas.

So what can you do to stop it? If you have a fish that bullies others you could try to find something to distract it. Many fish that bully are single species in a tank, like a lone Oscar or Angel. You could try getting another to take its attention away, and this works in many cases.

For the fish that are getting bullied, try additional planting, more places for them to hide in the way of rock arrangements with hiding places that the bullying fish can't get into. As a last resort your LFS (Local Fish Store) might take the large fish in trade for some smaller ones that would be less problematic.

You should not confuse breeding actions with bullying, as most fish tend to look and act aggressive at breeding time. In the case of the Livebearers the males will constantly harass the females, at times leaving the female quite exhausted. Nothing much can be done here as this is nature's way, but if the females become stressed at all you could try separating them from the males for a while, preferably till they have given birth. Returning to the Cichlids for a moment. Many of these species will lock jaws and seem as if they are going to rip each other apart, and this can become quite scary at times, and others will chase their mate around the tank as if they were going to kill it, but in many cases it is just a normal breeding pattern.

Fishes,NOT for the Beginner

There are some fish that the beginning aquarist should avoid. Then there are still others are others that do quite well in a beginner’s tank. And there are even some fish that get along quite well in the "beginner tank".

What is the difference between a "beginner tank" and a beginner’s tank? A beginner’s tank is simply one owned by a beginner. But the term "beginner tank" also implies a certain stigma…for better or worse it is set up in the typical way that beginners set up their first tank. The typical way a beginner, in Calgary in the year 2000, sets up a tank is this: the tank is about 40-liters in capacity, has an undergravel filter, a semi-submersible heater, an inexpensive single tube (or incandescent bulb) light/hood, a small power filter, and plastic plants. It is usually stocked with a few live bearers, a few tetras or barbs, and a single Corydoras catfish.

However, it is not necessary for a beginner to start out that way. It is possible (however unlikely) that the beginner was introduced to the hobby by an advanced aquarist who introduced him to living plants at the same time. Such a beginner could set up a fairly advanced looking tank the very first time out…complete with living plants and the more comfortable surroundings, more stable water conditions, and increased oxygen supply that plants give to fish.

But both planted and unplanted tanks are likely to suffer from the same beginner’s mistakes: over feeding, under feeding, over crowding; incompatible species mixes, insufficient climatization, temperature fluctuations, and intermittent neglect. It’s just that the consequences of this aren’t as bad if the tank has plants in it.

So what fish are good beginner’s fish? Actually, most of them, so a better question would be "what fish aren’t". And an even better question would be "which fish, among those fish a beginner is likely to buy, aren’t". A stingray is not a good beginner’s fish, but at $140 a pop a beginner isn’t likely to buy one anyway. However, there are several fishes that are commonly sold to beginners that in my opinion should not be.

First of these is the fancy guppy. On the face of it, the guppy should be a perfect beginner’s fish: easy to breed, small, active, non-aggressive. And wild type guppies are. But fancy guppies are very often so inbred that their genetic strength is pretty much down the toilet. Fancy guppies have very short reproductive lives (often being "old" by nine months of age), they swim only with labor, and have lowered fecundity. They also are prone to "death without known causes". But wild-type guppies are often no better, as the ones available nowadays are relegated to the "feeder" tank, sold for 10¢ a piece, and subject to neglect. So if the wild-type guppies are likely to be neglected, and the fancy guppies are likely to be genetic trash, should the beginner still have guppies? Yes, but I would definitely not buy them from a pet store… go to a guppy breeder. Another option is buy "Endler’s livebearers". These look a lot like guppies, but they are almost certainly a separate species. They are endangered in the wild and being maintained in the aquarium as a genetically sound fish. And of course they tend to be very well cared for.

Another fish for the beginner to avoid is the molly, of all types. Many domestic strains suffer from the same genetic defects as fancy guppies (there is even a misshapen "balloon" molly available, shudder). And wild mollies are surprisingly expensive. Also quite surprising is that mollies are quite sensitive to changes in temperature… surprising since they live quite happily in central Florida where winter temperatures can easily drop below 15C. And mollies like some salt in the water, which is often not good for their tank mates. It is best to leave mollies to the advanced hobbyist willing to provide them with their own quarters.

Swordtails might not be such a great idea either. A much better idea than mollies, perhaps, but I would still only recommend them with some trepidation. There are several types of high-fin swordtails available that are simply genetic garbage. These fish are even unable to breed at all without artificial insemination. But even setting aside these inbred-to-oblivion fish (which I can’t imagine anybody wanting), the typical swordtail can be a fairly aggressive fish. This doesn’t seem to get mentioned much, but swordtails can be very bossy. They really need more elbow room than the typical beginner’s tank will likely provide.

Another fish that I would not recommend to the beginner is the neon tetra. Neon tetras were historically considered to be very difficult fish. Most certainly not for the beginner. But then Southeast Asian fish breeders learned the secrets of neon breeding and started mass-producing an aquarium-strain neon. They bred a fish that looked like the wild neon but was much more adaptable to the aquarium environment. The result was a fish that was inexpensive, colorful, peaceful, and hardy – the perfect beginner’s fish. So why don’t I recommend them? Well, neons don’t seem to be very hardy anymore. I am not sure why. Maybe its because their price has dropped so low that they are no longer given adequate treatment during shipping ("who cares if they die, it would be cheaper to just order another batch than package these properly"). Or maybe the aquarium neon has now become so inbred that it’s suffering from its own genetic deficiencies. Maybe they are selling poisoned fish so that the customer will come back and buy more. I don’t know. But I do know that a lot of neons seem to die within a week of being purchased.

Another fish often sold to the beginner that should not be is the Chinese algae eater. Hell, these fish shouldn’t be sold to anybody. They are also mass-produced in Southeast Asia nowadays and so are sold as inexpensive algae eaters. But they really don’t eat all that much algae. Instead, they seem to prefer to suck the slime off of other fish. And the older they get, the less algae they eat, and the more slime they suck. They are also prone to extremely hyperactive behavior (try catching one with a net sometime) and sudden death (from heart attack?). In a suitably large tank with lots of cover they might settle down to a long life, but after they reach 10cm or so in length they will mercilessly harass their tank mates. I once owned an enormous 25cm monster that was probably the most annoying fish I’ve ever met.

Dwarf gouramis. There has been an explosion of new color strains of dwarf gouramis around lately, again thanks to Southeast Asian breeders. And so nowadays pet stores will have several tanks of colorful dwarf gouramis at low prices. But I would not recommend them to the beginner. They are very shy fish that really can’t compete with the barbs and tetras the beginner will likely put them in with. Give them their own well-planted tank in a quiet corner and they are wonderful fish. In a tank without much cover (but with lots of tiger barbs) they will be thin, pale, and unhappy.

The most common fish purchased by the beginner is the goldfish. There are two things that could be wrong with this. First of all, many beginners try to mix goldfish and tropical fish. This is never a good idea, and goldfish should not be kept at temperatures above room temperature. And the second problem is that practically all beginners fail to give their goldfish enough room. Adult goldfish need at least 100 liters of water per fish. Not even one can be housed in the typical beginner’s sized tank for the long term. But for the beginner who keeps goldfish at a suitable temperature in a suitably large tank or pond, goldfish are very good fish indeed. Just stay away from those grossly malformed varieties that can’t even swim properly anymore. Like all fish that have resulted from such misguided breeding programs, their genetic soundness is absolutely miserable.

That’s everything I would recommend the beginner not get. But what should they get?

Tank Selection

Obviously the most essential piece of equipment there is. There are a variety of size shapes and even materials to choose from. Careful thought is needed before choosing any aquaria.

Material
- All Glass. This is the material most often used. Sheets of glass bonded together by silicone.
Advantages - Relatively cheap, Easy to clean, scratch resistant. Easy to repair.
Disadvantages - Fragile and brittle, which make it easy to crack. The silicone edge can be peeled away and result in a leak. The tank corners are particularly prone to damage. Scratches that do occur cannot be treated. Curved pieces although available are very expensive.

- Plastic. Often used for small cheap tanks.
Advantages - No joints to fail. Very cheap.
Disadvantages - Easily scratched. Easily cracked. Impossible to repair. Usually small in size.

- Acrylic. Although technically a plastic I am treating it as a different option. Used for large and expensive aquaria and other quality aquatic equipment.
Advantages - More clear than glass. Relatively light. Easier to shape. Stronger and more impact resistant than glass. Scratches can be polished out.
Disadvantages - Easily scratched. Very expensive. Can't be repaired.

Shape and Size.
Unless the tank has been measured to fit in an alcove I would suggest that you get the biggest size that you are happy with. Most people exchange their first tank because it is too small to meet their needs. Not only that but large tanks offer a more stable environment than do small ones and believe it or not they are easier to maintain.

The next deciding factor is what the tank is for. Discus fish and angelfish require a deep tank of at least 15 inches. Fast swimming open water fish requires an aquarium at least 36 inches in length. African cichlids require a lot of rockwork and unless it is built like a wall at the rear of the aquarium (which looks very unnatural and is no use to the fish) a tank at least 18 inches wide will be required. Obviously it goes without saying that if large fish are to be kept then a large tank around will be required.

There are a lot of odd shaped tanks around now too, and whilst these might look trendy they would be a nightmare to landscape and maintain. I have lately seen:
- A 5ft deep hexagonal column 18 inches wide containing angelfish. The problems of maintaining such a tank would be immense. No standard airpump will work at that depth, a temp. gradient would form, cleaning the tank would be a real chore. Hex tanks are bad enough but this with the extra depth, don't do it.
- Two tanks connected together by a broad clear pipe. Quite how the connecting pipe would be kept clean and free from unsightly algae and other dirt is anyone's guess. And unless the two halves were absolutely level there is a chance of a very sudden and catastrophic failure.
- Picture frame tanks, which are no more than 3 inches wide and hang on the wall. These tanks are so small that they could house no more than 4 or 5 small tetras and soon look tatty because they are so impractical.

It is better to stick to the more usual shapes, which are very practical to use and offer great viewing. They can easily be made to any size and if in/on a specially built cabinet they can be made to fit into any room.

If something really special is called for there are bow fronted aquaria, but one big disadvantage is if they break on the front they are uneconomical to repair.

Tank Set-up and Maintenance

For a while, in my early days of breeding these cichlids, I had a problem with what I thought was overfeeding the fry. I was losing far too many to what appeared to be Malawi bloat. I had an inkling then about the cause, for I knew in my heart that I was not over-feeding. I had observed on a daily, and frequently on an hourly basis that the fry were always feeding on the algae covered rocks and back and side panels.

So out came the microscope, took a scraping off the side panel of one of the tanks, and as I suspected it was teeming with life. Should you ask me to name what I saw then I would fail miserably, but there was one I did recognize and that was a paramecium. Another that stood out was fish-like in appearance, right down to its tail. It was fast moving, and feeding on what appeared to be smaller life forms on the algae. There was one other that drew my attention; it was ladybird-shaped, fast moving, and had what appeared to be two pairs of legs on the sides and what looked like antenna protruding from its head. I might, some would say, know a little about my fish but when it comes to some of their uninvited tank mates… well I've given you a clue so perhaps you could tell me.

Tank maintenance:
Tank maintenance does not start with water changes, period!
Where to start?
You will actually start from day one, and continue for as long as you keep fish in it. What you are striving to do is keep the overall appearance of the tank pleasing to the onlooker, and more essentially a safe and healthy environment for your fish. You will find many reference books on setting up various bio-systems and of course you will choose the one that is applicable to you. One of the first things suggested is the adding of the substrate and that's fine, but to make life easer for yourself in the future try the following. (You will find it a bit of a time-consuming project, but remember you do have four weeks in which to perfect it, and the end result will benefit your water quality and your fishes' health). All of the following, although possible in the past, has now been made more practicable, thanks to the development of the digital camera.

1: Don't add your substrate yet. Take a piece of campers' foam, preferably 12mm or ½ inch thick. This type of foam is what might be called closed face (no surface bubbles). Cut it so that it makes a tight fit and place it at the bottom of the tank. It is important that it is a tight fit. The foam allows the décor to settle as it would on the substrate, thus filling in many of the smaller nooks and crannies that would be potential collectors of detritus and other unwanted debris. Should you have problems with the foam staying in place then several bits of double sided adhesive applied before filling will fix it.

2: Mark, number your decor in a way that will not be affected by water. Add and place your heaviest and any other items that are your first level of décor. Once you are satisfied that all the big rocks, logs - what ever you're using, are in situ, then continue with what else you wish to add. When you're ready continue to step 3. Note: it would be a good idea to take pictures of your set-up, Hence the need to mark or number your items. This shouldn't be a problem, digital cameras being the norm these days.

3: Add water to the required level. Switch on filtration and aeration. No need to turn on heaters at this stage. Be aware that heaters do add to water movement but for the purpose of this exercise can be deemed insignificant.

4: Tank full, flow rate adjusted for direction and turnover, all to your satisfaction? Check now for any debris that has entered the water by way of the décor. Very little debris good? - no, not good - add some more, and leave for 24 hours. Suggestion for debris - anything that sinks but can also be moved by the flow of water or the movement of fish. Important: don't add anything that would or could be detrimental to your filter/s, or more importantly to your fish. One other point - make sure whatever you add can be easily seen against the foam. In fact it would be a good idea to add flake fish food. The benefits of this would be twofold - not only will it show where the grunge will collect, more importantly it can be left in the water as an aid to cycling your water in the first four weeks.

5: Day 2. Check where all the muck has gathered. If it has gathered in easily accessible places, for example, the front of your décor, then that's fine. Any big gaps, holes or crevasses, again fine. What you're really looking for are those tight places where debris has gathered and no matter how hard you try cannot be fully extricated. Remedies; make gaps bigger or smaller; alter the direction of your flow. Take the latter first, for if you get this right the chances are you won't need to move anything. By making all these fine adjustments you will be eliminating all sorts of horrible things that in the long and the short term can only be good for your fish.

6: This is the hard bit and, if you haven't used a camera then you might find it near impossible to do successfully. Providing you haven't used anything that would or could be detrimental to your filter/s, or more importantly to your fish, then there will not be the need to empty the tank of water. Remove all décor and the foam mat and carry out your set-up as per normal using your photographs as a guide.

Regular tank maintenance
Daily checks.
Check the overall general health of the fish, not forgetting the health of an individual fish, such as one that does not show up at feeding times. Carry out ongoing treatments if required. Check temperature, filters functioning correctly, top up, and last but not least, siphon off any unsightly detritus, including any dead or dying plant matter.

Weekly checks.
Water change done with a power vac., or at the least a gravel cleaner. Just removing X percent of the water is simply not good enough. For the cichlids covered by A.R.L.C. I recommend 50% at all times. Remove of algae from the front glass - I recommend that algae growing on the other three glass surfaces be left intact.

Now back to the weekly chores:
Check for water quality, pH, ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate, they are the common ones to watch out for. Others, which are also important, are oxygen, phosphate and copper. Correct readings for all should be strictly observed to uphold the best for your fish. Don't be tempted to clean your filters once a week unless you deem it a necessity. If you only have the one filter then only clean it out fortnightly. Should you have more than one filter, then do one a week. Yellow water I have only one thing to say about: "Improve your filtration", for sure inadequate filters are the cause. Carbon should only be used for the removal of medication after a course of treatment is completed.

Climate Cycling
What a lot…. no, I would go as far as saying what the majority of enthusiasts think and believe is that they should keep their tanks at a constant temperature all year round. Not true or correct for all species of tropical fish, Malawi cichlids being no exception. What is forgotten about is climate cycling - spring, summer, you know how it goes. Inducers, that's what we tropical fish keepers are. Without going into all the inducements we offer our fish, bar one, breeding - something nearly all of us do in the hobby - encourage our fish to procreate. The best way of doing this is to increase the temperature, along with the other inducements. This would in all probability be correct for your species.

Now here are the results of your enticements:
One: Success, they bred, breeding and territorial aggression.
Two: They breed again; breeding and territorial aggression has got worse.
I could go on, but after the third production of fry you should now be thinking of turning the heater down. By the 12th week of doing so the temperature should be in the low seventies and your males should now be in their winter plumage. That's the breeding season over. Three months of respite, time for the males to mellow out, and as a rule revert back to the non-aggressive types they are described as. Time for the females to recuperate and regain stamina. At the end of this three months you need to start bringing the temperature back up again, so by the end of the next twelve weeks it's around the middle seventies. Breeding will take place around this temp., but not at the rate as in the high seventies. Aggression will be mainly territorial.

The next 6 months you have two choices, you can go for the full on breeding, higher aggression state - that's back in the higher seventies, or keep to the middle seventies and still have the males in their best finery but less spawning activity and less bullying. For the community tank I seriously suggest the latter. This cycle should be maintained. It will bring the best out of your fish without overdoing it.

Foot note:
Since reading the two articles on the use of carbon they have changed my thoughts completely. I now have to say carbon used as a filter medium following the guide lines described in the aforementioned articles is the way to go.

Seeding a Tank/Filter

A tank should be "seeded" (inoculated with waste-oxidizing bacteria) when:
l. A remodeled tank is stocked-out.
2. An ammonia build-up occurs when:
- A tank is over-fed, or animals throw up their food.
- Air is left off a tank for too long a time and the biological filter bacteria die off.
- A tank's filter is cleaned too well, discarding too many bacteria.
- An organism gets killed or dies (does not survive shedding, injury, or other causes of death) in a tank.
- Too much city water (high in chlorine and ammonia) is added to a tank killing biological filter.
- A treatment used in tank kills off biological filter.

Excess ammonia should be decreased by water change or addition of AmQuel prior to re- seeding a tank.

Bacteria for seeding a tank can be obtained by:
- Getting a commercial product (Fritz-zyme, other commercial products).
- Backflushing a sand filter.
- Squeezing out sponge filters.
- Siphoning from an undergravel filter.
- Adding coral or gravel from an established filter.
- Adding filter floss from an established filter.

Bacteria should be obtained from a tank with a similar salinity to the tank being seeded. Seed should not be gotten from a tank having recent problems with ammonia, algae, or disease.

If sufficient bacteria are added, a new tank (or re-seeded tank) can be set-up without a three to four week "cycling" process.

Experience plays a great part in ascertaining the amount of debris, etc. needed to seed a tank - a 210 gallon tank needs two to three one-gallon scoops of coral (gravel) from an operating tank in order to properly inoculate it. Spread coral (gravel) evenly over tank bottom.

As the bacteria for a biological filter need food (= waste products) in order to survive and grow do not inoculate a tank and wait one or more days prior to adding organisms.

New Aquarium Blues

You have bought yourself a new aquarium, filled it up with water then added a few fish and naturally you feed it. The fish digests the food and excretes waste into the water. In nature fishes live in vast water bodies or in flowing rivers that refreshes its water continuously removing its waste. But in the stagnant and limited quantity of water in your aquarium the nitrogenous waste products breaks down into ammonia. Within a day the ammonia reaches poisonous levels in the aquarium. Your see your fish scratching itself. Within a few days the fish look sick...by a week the fish are dying. You blame the local aquarium shop for the unhealthy fish and go buy some more. The local aquarium shop owner suggests you to clean the tank and try again - and the deathly cycle begins again.

You have to allow the nitrification or nitrogen cycle to establish itself in your aquarium. In this cycle of events the waste decaying matter is converted to less harmful chemicals which your fish can tolerate and plants can utilize.

The Nitrogen Cycle explained:

When the ammonia levels in your aquarium reach a suitable level (in a few days) nitrosomonas species of bacteria from the air settles in the water and starts to form colonies in your filter or sand, these bacteria convert the ammonia (NH3) to nitrite form (NO2-). At this time the ammonia levels drop to low levels and the nitrite levels starts to increase. The nitrites in the water is also toxic to fish, your aquarium is not ready as yet.. When the nitrite level in the water has reached suitable levels another bacteria of Nitrobacter species starts to establish colonies in your aquarium. These bacteria convert the nitrites to nitrates (NO3-), which are less harmful in small quantities and is absorbed by plants or algae. Now the aquarium is truly ready to host aquatic life. This process takes anywhere from 3 to 6 weeks depending on water temperature. One of the indications of an almost complete cycle is visible algae on the glass. The process looks like this:

Ammonia ->> Nitrite ->> Nitrate

How to speed up the nitrogen cycle:

The beneficial bacteria multiply slowly and to speed up the nitrogen cycle you have to introduce these bacteria into your aquarium in large quantities. The best way to do this is by borrowing some from an aquarium that is already established. An established tank would be one that is at least 3 months old after it has been setup or cleaned. You could

1. Take a cup of sand (with the muck) from an established aquarium and add it to yours. 2. Put a cup of sand from an established aquarium in your filter temporarily. 3. Borrow a filter from an established tank and run it in your tank for a few days. 4. Squeeze the water out of a filter media of an established aquarium. 5. Fill your aquarium with water taken from an established (larger) aquarium.

Taking care of the beneficial bacteria:

NEVER wash and clean an established aquarium. If you have to, try the following procedures. The following steps will save your colony of beneficial bacteria from destruction.

1. Siphon out all the water, filter the water and save for later. 2. Remove the filter and keep filter wet in this water. 3. Do not clean the filter. 4. Remove the sand, rinse, filter the water and save this water as in (1) 5. Now wash tank, substrate (sand), stones etc. 6. After you reset the tank, pour back the water saved in steps 1 & 4. 7. Put back the filter without cleaning. 8. Change water after a few weeks.

NEVER add medication directly to your aquarium unless it is from a reputed manufacturer and the package clearly states that the medication is harmless to filtration bacteria and plants.

NEVER add antibiotics like tetracycline to the aquarium. Treat the fish with antibiotics in a bucket of water. Antibiotic and other Microbicidal chemicals (Betadine) will kill all the beneficial bacteria along with whatever infection you are treating.

NEVER clean out a filter media (sponge) completely. Rinse the filter media gently in clean water to remove surface blockage and re-install. This will retain most of the beneficial bacteria.

NEVER add chlorinated water directly to your aquarium. Chlorine is added to water to kill harmful bacteria; chlorine kills ALL bacteria very effectively. Allow water to sit in bucket with an aerator for some time before adding to your aquarium. Water stored in a sump or overhead tank would have lost all chlorine over time.

And Note:

NEVER add a lot of new fish to your tank in one go. The bacteria colony will not be able to handle the sudden increase in load. Buy and add new fish one pair at a time. Now you know why fish suddenly start dying after you have added a new lot of new fish.

NEVER increase the feed amount to the fish suddenly, the bacteria might not be able to take the extra load of excrement. To prevent overfeeding, when you are leaving town for a few days, put the daily feed amount in small packets with instructions to the person who is looking after your fish.

My fish are already dying, what do I do?

Reduce the levels of these toxic chemicals by a DAILY partial water change. Alternatively you could remove the fish and put them into a large bucket of fresh water immediately. Replace the water in the bucket completely every day till the aquarium has completed the nitrogen cycle.

You can add anti Ammonia compounds like Ammolock, Amquel etc. These compounds lock up the Ammonia and provide complete relief to the fish within an hour.

Your First Aquarium Helps

Your first aquarium should never be an impulse buy. You should be aware that you are about to embark on a mission to provide a suitable world within your home to your new aquatic pets. To understand your responsibility fully, you must realize that you are playing god to these creatures and therefore you are ethically required to understand their environment and requirements fully and to the best of your ability. These creatures that you have decided to make your pets and create a home world for them have no escape except through death. It is a startling reality, which is completely ignored by most.

What are these aquatic requirements you need to fulfill?

Fishes have to be provided with a sufficiently large water body. You can decide the size of the aquarium that your budget allows and buy fish that would be comfortable in that aquarium. Alternatively you could decide the kind of fish that you want to have and buy an aquarium that suits that species. It is cruel to put a large fish into a small aquarium; the unfortunate fish would have limited mobility and low oxygen levels. In the long run such a fish would be unhealthy and as a result may succumb to opportunistic diseases. A large aquarium with few fishes or many small fishes is dreams come true. Ideally plan your aquarium for a small number of fish with a large space to swim around in.

Fishes come from rivers and lakes where there are natural currents constantly refreshing the water. This movement ensures that water is constantly exposed to air. Water from the lower reaches of your aquarium must be brought up to the surface so that fresh oxygen may dissolve in it and carbon dioxide exhaled by the fish may escape into the air. To achieve this in an aquarium you can either use an aerator or a filter-power head. The aerator does more than introducing fresh air bubbles into the water, the air curtain draws up stale water from the lower parts of the aquarium to the surface. Water rides along the water bubbles reaches the top, ripples on the surface increases oxygenation and refreshed water from the surface flows down. Remember that the aerator you select should not be so noisy so as to keep you awake at night. A filter or power head is a better choice. Select one with the flow capacity to suit your aquarium.

Your aquarium needs gravel to simulate nature. The gravel at the bottom helps in many ways. The gravel becomes home to billions of bacteria which help in harmlessly decomposing the fish excreta. This is a very important function to make your aquarium habitable to fish. In water fish excreta breaks down chemically and produces ammonia, which is very toxic to fish. These beneficial bacteria convert ammonia to less harmful nitrates. Without these bacteria your fishes would fall sick within days and eventually die by the damage ammonia does to their gills. The life of these creatures is in your hands and you have to ensure that these useful bacteria are present in your aquarium. Firstly choose gravel which is between 1 and 3 mm. in size, smaller particles will become compacted and larger gravel will make it difficult for plants to root. Make sure the gravel is free of sea shells, gravel prepared from laterite from the coast is ideal. To give your gravel a head start with bacteria, you need to fill your aquarium with water from another aquarium which has been successfully functioning for 3 months or more. You can also take a scoop of gravel from such an aquarium and add it to yours. Another way, take the sponge from an established aquarium and shake it firmly in a mug of water. Allow the mess to settle and add this water to your aquarium.

Most rivers and lakes provide aquatic life with a stable temperature. The temperature may only vary a little in tropical areas, while in other colder regions water might even freeze. Not all fishes have evolved to survive in such stressful climates. Temperatures in small bodies of water like your aquarium might vary quite a lot between day and night. If you plan to keep an aquarium indoors, the temperature may not vary much. If you plan to keep the aquarium outdoors or in an exposed area then temperatures may vary quite a bit. If you suspect that temperatures might vary a lot then you need to reduce these fluctuations by the use of an electric heater. The wattage of the heater will depend on your aquarium size, ask local aquarists for advice. Do not use heaters without automatic temperature control. Remember that glass heaters can break if handled carelessly and broken heaters immersed in water can result in FATAL injuries.

Plants are found in many water bodies, its only natural for you to provide aquatic plants in your aquarium for your pets. Plants provide much needed oxygen during the day. Plants remove nutrients from the water, reducing the buildup of nitrates. Plants provide a hiding place for fishes and break the monotony of an aquascape. Plants need to be selected by their size and suitability to your aquarium size. Some species of fish do not like plants in the aquarium; others constantly dig the gravel pulling out plants. Plants need light to grow, do not skimp on lights. Some species grow well only in bright light. For the first 6 months or more your plants need trace element supplements to do well. Add a micronutrient or trace mix according to directions.

In nature the sun rises and sets with absolute predictability. This sets the biological clock in all living things. It is very important that you provide this cycle to your plants and pets in the aquarium. Unless you plan to keep your aquarium near a well lit window, a light is required. You will have sufficient light if you use Compact Fluorescent lamps (CFL) with good electrical efficiency and keep you power bills low. Common household filament lamps have low light output and high heat radiation and are not suitable for an aquarium. Lamps should be switched on in the morning and switched off 12 hours later. You can invest in a electronic timer if you wish to automate the job. Lights may be fixed in a hood, a cover over the aquarium. When selecting light bulbs for a hood ensure that your fixtures are water proof. You can suspend lights from overhead and leave the aquarium top open. To prevent excessive evaporation, use a glass sheet to cover the top of the aquarium. This sheet is known as a condensation plate. You can use a condensation plate to protect your lighting fixtures from moisture.

In nature there is fresh water flowing in rivers. We cannot provide our home aquatic world with flowing fresh water, waste chemicals accumulate and important chemical elements get depleted so its very important to change some of the water in your aquarium regularly. Since we are driven by a calendar week of 7 days, it's easier to remember change some water weekly. Replace a maximum of 50% your aquarium water every week and add micronutrients or trace mix. If your water supply is chlorinated, you need to allow the chlorine to dissipate by allowing the water to sit in a container for a long time. You can also use chemicals like sodium hyposulphite "Hypo" to bind the chlorine and make it harmless. Chlorine is harmful to fish and it kills the useful bacteria in the aquarium.

Selecting your new fish at the shop is important. Do not buy fish that look like their fins are frayed or look visibly sick. Avoid fish with white spots, fishes with visible injuries or parasites clinging to their bodies. When in doubt avoid buying. Do not pick fish from an aquarium where there are dead fish. Do not buy fish on an impulse. Check if the fish you wish to buy are compatible. Some species are territorial and may become aggressive. You can learn a little more about a fish's nature by spending a little time at the shop observing them. Start with very few fish and increase your population with a few at a time. The aquatic world you have created needs time to adjust to fish load.

Finally your pets need to be fed. Growth of the fish is dependant on the amount of food they get. The more food they get faster they grow and shorter their life span may be. Fish food is available as pellets, flakes and live feed. Select food from reputed manufacturers, use pellets that suit the type of fish you have. Some fish species are bottom feeders, for them you need to use sinking food. They will starve if you feed your pets only floating food. Vary the food a little and give your pets some variety. Feed the fish once or twice a day, use as much as they eat in 5 minutes. Remove all excess uneaten food immediately. If you wish long life for your pets, feed them lightly. Unlike other pets, you can leave fish unfed for many days. If you have to leave town for a few days you need not worry about the fish, they will do nicely for days without being fed. Do not feed them excessively to compensate.

Plan your first aquarium with your family. Encourage your spouse and children to take part in its planning and upkeep. Keep the aquarium where it is out of reach of toddlers and four legged pets! Place the aquarium in a stable and safe place, safe for the family and safe for your fish.

Tank For Dummies

Your first tank arrives home, possibly with a bag of fish, possibly not. Possibly with a kit-type collection of assorted lights, heaters, and filters, possibly not. What are you going to do with it all? This article is intended to provide you with instructions for setting up your first tank. I assume you want your new tank to be something to admire, and that the typical "starter kit" aquarium complete with bubbling plastic skeleton is not going to cut it. Instead, this approach will give you a showpiece aquarium; one that will be an attractive feature in a semi-formal living room rather than an eyesore in the family rumpus room. As such, it will be naturally aquascaped with hardy, attractive, and (most of all) living plants, and be supplied with a nice collection of attractive, peaceful fishes.

There are plenty of different ways to set up such a tank, and you will get other advice from other club members, but the method I will describe is reliable.

Well, first off, I hope you haven't got a bag of fish yet. You need a couple of day's preparation before you're ready for that. Here's also hoping that you got some good advice when you purchased your equipment on what to buy. If you purchased at a department store or a non-aquarium specialty stores, you may have been sold whatever that particular store wants to unload. You may therefore have to make another trip to the store to get some decent equipment; and I would highly recommend one of the local aquarium specialty stores (Riverfront, Pisces, etc.) over Walmart. Before setting up your aquarium, this is what you should purchase:

1) A tank (obviously enough). It should be of all-glass construction and should ideally be in the 25 to 50 gallon capacity range. Anything smaller does not provide enough capacity to provide a stable environment in the hands of a beginner, and is really too small for an effective living room display anyway. Anything larger is more expensive than what you are likely to want to spend on your first aquarium. However, you should be aware that four-foot fluorescent bulbs are considerably cheaper than the three-foot variety. Therefore, even though a four-foot tank is more expensive to buy than a three-foot tank, it is less expensive to light and (as discussed below) lights are a primary expense. You should therefore seriously consider getting a four-foot tank; the final expenditure will not be a great deal more after the cost of bulbs and light fixtures are added in. A tank that measures 48"x12"x18 is very nice in this regard, but the smaller 36"x12"x18" size is more widely available and certainly does make for a nice display tank too.

2) An adequate light and hood assembly. This is the hardest item to find and possibly the most expensive item as well. The only hoods that are readily available for aquaria at a reasonable cost are those plastic aquarium hoods with the single fluorescent tube or a 20-watt incandescent fixture. They do not produce enough light for plants. At the very least, you need two full-length fluorescent tubes for a tank with plants, and even this will allow you to only keep a few shade-tolerant plant species. Most club members build their own multi-tube hoods using fluorescent shop fixtures. If you are handy with tools, this is highly recommended. Otherwise I would recommend getting at least two strip lights and a sliding glass aquarium cover. The aquarium cover is readily available at good aquarium stores but the strip lights may require a trip to Home Depot or Revy. Get full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs for your fixture. I would recommend the Philips Ultralume bulb as being an inexpensive and high-quality full-spectrum light. They are available in building supply depots with lighting departments, like Totem, Revy, Home Depot, etc. Other full spectrum bulbs (such as Vitalite) are also available in pet shops, but at a much higher cost. One of those pinkish-looking plant grow-lights is OK among the full-spectrum bulbs, but I would recommend that no more than half the bulbs above the tank be of this variety. I would not recommend those cheap warm-white or cool-white fluorescent bulbs; although inexpensive, they produce comparatively little light that is usable by plants. Neither would I recommend that a beginner use incandescent, halogen, or metal halide lighting. These lights have their place (I use all three myself) but they require special arrangements to deal with the heat they produce.

3) A heater. Any of the submersible or semi-submersible aquarium heaters are fine, but don't get the cheapest one available. Reliability is important here. You will want a heater rated for 100 watts to 150 watts.

4) A biological filter. However, I wouldn't recommend an undergravel filter for this tank. They are OK, but their drawbacks out-weigh their good points. They are difficult to maintain in the long term, require their own air or water pump, and should only be run in a tank with a separate mechanical filter. The need for a separate power supply for the undergravel filter plus another separate mechanical filter adds both cost and complexity to the tank. A single motorized biological filter unit that integrates both biological and mechanical filtration is simpler, less expensive, and much easier to keep clean than an undergravel filter. Mechanical biological filters are relatively new on the market, but are now widely available. They can either hang on the back of the tank, or be a canister. Most cost effective is a hanging filter. These come equipped with a supplementary biological filter module such as a biowheel (a waterwheel-like attachment) or a drip plate. Your filter should have a flow sufficient to turn over the tank’s volume about three times per hour. So a 33-gallon tanks needs a 100 gph filter. The real-world flow rate will be about 75% of the rated flow listed by the manufacturer.

5) A separate mechanical filter if an undergravel filter is being used. If a power biological filter is used, these are unnecessary since the power filter will have its own mechanical filtration module.

6) An air pump or water pump, but again only if an undergravel filter is used. A power filter comes with its own motor.

7) Fine gravel or coarse sand. The darker the colour the better. Get at least a couple of inches worth. That's about one pound of gravel per gallon of tank capacity. A little more is better. If you wish, a cup or two of a substrate additive like laterite or earthworm castings can be mixed with the bottom third of the sand. Feel free to leave this step out however, as this is an advanced technique which I would hesitate to recommend to a beginner. Not only do you run the risk of the sand going anaerobic, substrate additives make for a real mess when you finally tear down the tank. Do not use a substrate additive if you plan to have only a few plants.

8) A very solid stand. Your finished tank will weigh over 10 pounds per gallon of capacity. Remember that.

9) Rocks or driftwood for decoration and the security of the fish.

10) A scraper to clean algae off the glass. Both the magnetic pad kind and a razor blade scraper should be acquired.

11) At least one nice soft net. Both a big "trapping" net and a smaller "herding" net are good to own.

12) A good thermometer. Make sure you examine all the thermometers in the store and find one that is reading the same as the other ones. The liquid-crystal stick-on thermometers are good, but can't be moved once in place.

But what you don't need yet is livestock (fish and plants).

Now, to set everything up, first wash the gravel and rocks in water only (no cleansers) and rinse out the tank as well. Pour in the gravel and then the rocks. Hang the heater, thermometer, and filter on the back of the tank, but don't plug them in yet. Fill the tank slowly with cold or lukewarm water, trying not to blow the gravel around, while watching for leaks and making sure your stand is holding up to the weight. After the temperature of the water equals the room temperature, plug in the heater and adjust it so its indicator light just comes on. Plug the filter in too. Allow a few hours for the temperature to settle and adjust the heater if necessary. You want a temperature to stabilize at about 25C. It will likely be the next day before you can set a stable tank temperature.

Now, after things have been running and have been stable for another day or so (no sooner), buy some plants. I would definitely include the two plant species Cryptocoryne affinis and Java fern (Microsorium pteropus) because they are very easy to grow. Plant the C. affinis as you would any terrestrial plant, but tie the Java fern to your driftwood with some black thread. Do not bury the Java fern`s roots. You can buy these species in all good aquarium stores, or club members can always be found that have some to spare. If you have at least two full-length fluorescent bulbs (as you should have) you can also include some Vallisneria, since these plants are also hardy and easy to keep, but they do require a good deal of light. There are many other species of plants suitable for the beginner, but be careful if you don't know which ones are suitable. Make sure that the plants you chose are actually aquatic plants, not terrestrial plants that were stuck under water by unknowledgeable or unscrupulous storeowners. If in doubt about a plant species, ask another club member for advice, or take one of the plant books out of the library to help your identification. Make sure you spend enough money on plants that you get a good number (club auctions are really good for getting plants in bulk). One Cryptocoryne affinis or Vallisneria plant per gallon of water and a good handful of Java fern makes for a good first planting. But don't be discouraged if your plants die back immediately after planting; they will grow back. Cryptocoryne affinis is notorious for doing just that. Vallisneria is also known for languishing for a few months after planting, before starting to grow with abandon. Give your plants the time they need to get established.

After the plants are planted and the tank has sat with its filter running for a few days, you can add the first few fish; but only a very few (no more than three). Make sure that these first fish are not territorial, because if they are, they will stake their claims before the other fish get into the tank and attempt to drive off the new-comers when they arrive. Corydoras catfish make good first residents. You must now be patient. The purpose of adding these first few fish is to provide a source of ammonia to mature your biological filter. The biological filter requires time to grow a good culture of bacteria that will oxidize fish ammonia and change it into non-toxic nitrate. This generally takes at least a month; so give it six weeks to be sure. After the six weeks are up, you can populate the tank relatively safely. But don't add too many fish. You want a show tank, and a heavy fish population will only result in algae, dirty water, and maintenance problems. A relatively few fish swimming among healthy plants is much more attractive than a lot of fish in an algae-covered tank. The rule of thumb of "one inch of fish per gallon" is a good one, as long as you are talking about slim fish no longer than three or four inches in total length. Next month, I will discuss suitable selections of fish for the first-time aquarist.

Don't bother with chemical filtration in your filter box, such as activated carbon. With proper tank maintenance, carbon is not necessary. Also, don't be overly concerned about buying lots of test kits. The pH of Calgary's water is stuck on 8.2 and it's well-buffered and stable enough that (with proper tank maintenance) your tank pH will never be significantly different than that of the water that comes out of the tap. Therefore, as long as you follow proper set up and maintenance guidelines, there is little point in testing your tank pH. You may want to buy an ammonia test kit, but if you set up the aquarium correctly and allow enough time for the biological filter to mature, you won't have any ammonia to test anyway. And don't worry about getting any fish medications, tonics, or other such garbage. If anyone has ever saved a fish with over-the-counter antibiotics I have yet to meet him. It is much better to simply set up and maintain the tank properly, and you just won't see any disease.

However, do be concerned with getting high quality fish food. Good flake food is adequate for the fish I will describe next month, and the Aquarian and Tetra brands are especially good, as are many others. Good aquarium stores will only sell good foods, but department stores may sell poor quality flakes. In addition, some freeze-dried foods such as krill, ocean plankton, and mosquito larvae are also good dietary supplements. Commercial frozen foods are also good, but much more expensive. If you want to get more involved in the hobby, home made frozen foods are inexpensive and fun to make, and recipes can be found readily in The Calquarium’s back issues. And if you find yourself becoming a budding fish fanatic, you can collect live insect larvae and crustaceans from country ditches and ponds during the spring. These bug-hunting expeditions can be a lot of fun. When feeding your fish, feed them lightly. Heavy feedings will result in rapid fish growth and lots of spawning activity, but will also considerably increase the amount of waste and algae growing in the aquarium. Since this is a display tank, not a breeding tank, feed only a little and you will have a much nicer tank. Feeding as much as your fish will eat in five minutes, twice a day, is more than plenty. And don't be concerned about missing a few feedings either. Your fish are fine without food for as much as a week. If you are going to be away for longer than that, make arrangement for a very light feeding every other day. Under no circumstances should you ever use those Plaster-of-Paris "weekend feeding blocks". The food particles in them are so small that no adult fish can eat them, and the blocks harden water as they dissolve. They are useless wastes of money and inedible sources of pollution.

You should seriously consider feeding your plants. Iron and manganese fertilization is necessary in Calgary's water, since our water (sourced from the Rocky Mountain run-off) is deficient in trace metals. There are lots of commercial fertilizer mixes that are just fine. However, I would only add fertilizer with a water change unless you purchase an iron test kit. If you regularly add fertilizer without monitoring the levels or first removing some water, you can get a toxic build-up of iron over time. So if the instructions on the fertilizer bottle are to add one drop of solution per gallon, and you change five gallons of water, just put five drops in the tank after the water change. Repeat this the next time you change water. Don't add any more than this unless you monitor the iron levels with a test kit. Remember that plants actually need very little iron. And don't use fertilizers that contain any phosphates or nitrates. Also, don’t concern yourself with CO₂ fertilization. This is an advanced technique, and (although it’s sort of fun to monkey around with the gear) CO₂ fertilization is not necessary for a healthy tank.

As for changing water, that is a very important part of weekly maintenance. I would recommend changing 25% weekly. This is a bit of a chore unless you have either a Python water changer or one of its competitors. These devices take almost all the drudgery of tank ownership and are well worth the money. Clean the glass with your algae scraper as well. Also clean the mechanical filtration module of your filter weekly, but leave the biological filter module for only twice-yearly cleaning. Even then only rinse the biological filter medium in old tank water. You can expect to devote 1/2 hour of maintenance to your tank weekly, but again, don’t stress out about missing the odd week’s maintenance schedule.

When changing water, make sure that the temperature is as close as possible to that of the tank, and add some dechlorinator as well. Dechlorinators, despite contrary opinion, are not strictly necessary in Calgary (I never use them) but are good insurance for smaller fish. If you use a dechlorinator, feel free to add water straight out of the tap through your Python (or other) water changer (just add the dechlorinator to the tank before refilling). Make sure however that the replacement water is well aerated during refilling in order to release any excessive dissolved gas. The Python is designed to aerate water during refilling and so will release dissolved gas nicely. Most good aquarium stores in town sell the Python and a seemingly identical (except that it’s blue) competitive product is also available for a little less money.

With light feedings, low fish densities, lots of light, and regular maintenance, you can easily set up a thriving, beautiful tank. But you will still have some algae, and algae-eating fishes are a good idea. I'll discuss these and other fishes for your new tank next month.?

Setting Up A Fish Tank

Check List for Setting up a Fish Tank
--Pick tank wanted
-Verify tank has no leaks, cracks, or any other faults that could cause tank failure.
-Verify tank is clean and disease-/toxin-free (previously washed, sterilized with bleach, and rinsed).
--Set up tank in display location. Position tank with water, electricity, air, and drain nearby.
-Verify tank stand will support weight of tank plus contents (substrate, water, etc).
-Verify tank is level.
-Verify nothing is under tank that will crack it or cause tank stress when substrate and water are
added.
--Choose substrate.
-Choose particle size, particle shape, type, and amount (to give wanted depth) of substrate.
-Thoroughly wash substrate (until wash water is relatively clear).
--Choose aquascaping.
-Thoroughly soak, and wash any aquascaping materials to leach toxins.
-Remove organics that will quickly decay; slowly-decaying organics as driftwood, etc may require
fairly frequent water changes, depending on tank volume and rate of decay.
--Choose live plants (if to be employed) and determine lighting (duration, intensity, wavelength) needed
to maintain plants.
--Add under gravel filter, if using this type of filter, or another filter type.
--Add substrate, and level (if not level the water circulation will go through thinnest parts, or paths of
least resistance, and you will have "dead zones" in an under gravel filter system).
--Add tank water to be used, and adjust to the salinity (or freshwater) desired.
--Turn on air/filters and circulate tank water until clear.
--Connect up any UV light sterilizers, ozone units, diatomaceous earth or sand filters, and protein
skimmers, and verify working correctly. --Add lighting desired, and set lighting cycle.
--Add live test organism (guppy, etc) and note its survival to verify no toxins in tank.
--Seed tank. Seeding is done before addition of plants and aquascaping so that seeding material does not
get on plants and aquascaping and cause more cleaning work. Turn off sterilizers, ozone, and skimmers
(leave air and filters running) until bacteria from seeding are drawn into filters (1-2 days). Seeding can
be done before or after the small test organism, which produces little ammonia, is used.
--Add aquascaping.
--Add plants; verify plants contain no predatory insect larvae (dragonfly, damselfly, etc).
--Verify all tank support systems are working.
--Add tank occupants (after healed from collection/transport damage, and after verifying they appear to
be disease-free) shortly after seeding so biological filter bacteria are fed fish wastes and thus are
maintained.
--Add light-transmitting tank cover to keep fish from jumping out of tank, to decrease aerosols from
escaping tank, and to decrease air-borne toxins from settling in tank.

After tank is set up:
--Monitor ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, etc levels until satisfied tank biological filter is well established,
then do periodic water quality testing.
--Adjust air flow, water flow, and lighting cycle to get display effects desired.
--Observe animals and plants closely for problems.
--Do periodic water changes.
--Do not feed animals for a few days, or do light feeding for first week.
--Never overfeed animals.
--Remove any excess food, and dead animals or plants as soon as possible to avoid fouling and disease. --Adjust lights (duration, intensity, wavelength) and light cycle to lessen algae growth.
--Remove overly aggressive animals.
--Do a daily tank check to verify all is going well.