FishChannel Forums / Freshwater Forums / Everything but Livestock

Refug/Sump idea

NeonBlue64 — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 08:17:56 GMT

I am wondering if this would work. The tank is going be to made out of 1 square foot acrylic sheets in a square. The back of the tank will have a refugium/sump setup. The overflow is going to cut in a 1in death with a 2in length. I am wondering if the water will flow how i want it to. The refuge will have LED to grow the plant that i will have in it.

The back of the box will be of 6x12x12 that will be sealed to the back of the tank.
This tank will be ether a saltwater or a freshwater tank. Salt water gives room for a air driven skimmer in the sump with the pump having 6in of length.

Rock Question

guppy girl — Sun, 24 Feb 2013 14:46:02 GMT

Hi there, some of my tank's rocks are very small, and I keep sucking them up(I use a turkey baster to clean my 3 gal.) so I'm getting some bigger rocks. Should I soak them in treated water first, or should I just dump them in? I would soak them, but I thought I'd seek help from more experienced fish keepers, I don't want to endanger my lil guppies at all. I hate the small rocks I have, they suck! I'm hoping to get rid of them so I can put big rocks in! Thanks for the help!

Which Tank Do You Like Better?

MoFish — Fri, 04 Jan 2013 07:39:51 GMT

I am planning ahead on a tank I want to add in the future. What do you guys (girls are guys too) prefer?

substrate and filter media

bichirboi — Wed, 20 Feb 2013 14:29:19 GMT

hello everyone i have a 125gL. aquarium and im thinking of combining substrate. Has anyone had any experience with this? My idea is to basically split mytank between black fine gravel and black or cream sand. Will that have any affect on the fish i plan to add after my tank has cycled? As for filter media i just replaced a marineland filter with a filstar xp L and i am planning on adding an additional filstar xp to go with it, but i have no idea what type of media i should use. Ive had some issues with hard water and ammonia levels i recently lost several koi and a few commets to bad filtration and would like to avoid future loss of livestock any advice is welcome thanks :-)

Aqueon, Fluval, Top Fin brand Aquariums?

canuck — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 12:52:39 GMT

I currently own a 29 gallon (Aqua-Tech.. Walmart brand?) I'm planning on buying a 45-50 gallon tank and transfering fish, driftwood etc to the new larger tank.

I considered buying a used tank, however a family member, has offered me some money to purchase a new unit.

Fluval is made by Hagen from what I understand. I looked at the Hagen Canadian website and it shows Fluval aquariums.

I understand Aqueon is owned by All Glass Aquariums or they changed their name to Aqueon??

I looked at a 45 gallon Fluval bowfront. Dimensions are 36" x 16" x 20" (8 mm glass). It comes with the canopy, fluor light, Fluval C4 power filter, Fluval submersible heater (M series), net, fish food etc. Stand not included.

The Aqueon is a 45 gallon (regular, not a bowfront) with canopy, fluor light and stand. No filter, heater etc. Dimensions are... 36 " L x 13"W x 24 "H

I added up the difference in price. The Aqueon I would need to buy a heater and filter. The Fluval I would need to buy a stand.

I looked up reviews on the Fluval C4. Some people say it's quiet, others say they don't like the splashing of the water? It looks similar to a Aqua Clear (I could be wrong).

I currently have a Fluval U3 filter in my 29 gallon which is quiet.

The difference in price (including taxes) is $75.15 between the two above mentioned. The Aqueon is cheaper.

I'm trying to figure out if there is a difference in quality with regards to the aquarium itself. If one is more sturdy or better built? No difference?

I haven't looked into the warranties.

I plan on transfering my driftwood and plants to the new tank. The only thing I will need to buy is more sand. Filter and heater if I go with the Aqueon.

Thanks!

Old food

LilMissBetta — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 13:36:09 GMT

What do you do with your old fish food that's no good anymore? Do you just throw it away, or is there something you can do with it. Would it be a good fertilizer for plants?

Filter media with External Power Filters

thilving — Thu, 17 Jan 2013 12:54:19 GMT

I use an Aqueon Power (external) filter for my 29 gallon tank. I have been using their filter cartridges specifically for this filter. The filter will accommodate up to about a 45 tank, so the filtration is adequate. My fish and plants appear to be healthy. On occasion, I have been noticing cloudy water and wondering if this could be a filter issue. Water quality parameters all check within normal range (nitrates, pH, etc). Tap water is hard in our area.

Does anyone use other filter media (carbon, sponges, etc.) instead of the ready made cartridges that fit the filter? If so, is it more efficient and cost effective? Not sure if the water cloudiness is the result of the filter cartridge not adequate. The manufacturer recommends to replace the cartridge once per month, on average, but I wonder if it should be replaced more often. The cartridge includes a very small amount of carbon.

Looking to buy a new filter

creino — Tue, 11 Dec 2012 18:39:19 GMT

Hey everyone, I have a 29 gallon freshwater community tank. It's been established for about 6 years and I have been slowly replacing everything. I am looking into getting a new filter. I have a Tetra Whisper 30 as of right now. I was looking at the Marineland Emperor 280. Does this sound good? Any suggestions or advice would be greatly appreciated.

Homemade 3D aquarium background

ctemt — Thu, 16 Aug 2012 05:28:45 GMT

Hello all, I am making my own 3D background for a 55 gal Lake Malawi Chiclid tank. In the tank I am using a Fluval 350 cannister filter and a couple of air strips. Is there a problem if I put my filter tubes behind the background? The background sits a few inches from the back and is raised slightly above the bottom of the tank and I have a 3 inch sandbed. Thank you everybody.

Eheim Classic 2211 Canister Filter

Paris — Thu, 03 Jan 2013 13:29:00 GMT

Could someone who has experience with this filter tell me what the flow power is like? If I were to put it into an 8 gallon Betta aquarium would the flow need to be muffled?

glass tank outside for the winter

Nelle94 — Sun, 23 Sep 2012 10:10:19 GMT

I am moving my goldfish from the pond. I was thinking of having a heated 30 gallon tank in the garage and placing them in there for the winter. I live in Wisconsin so the temperature does get below freezing. Will the glass crack even if it is heated?

PFS in fish tanks

Nelle94 — Thu, 11 Oct 2012 19:15:04 GMT

I have been having trouble with my fish tanks lately. I had, within the past 6 months, replaced my gravel with pool filter sand seeing as I had heard from over 10 different sources (both people, books, and websites) that pfs does work. I tried it and it was fine for about 2 weeks. then the water chemistry started to freak out. I started doing extra water changes and gravel vaccuming and scrubbing the sides more than normal since algae was booming from the water being off. Finally after about a month and after losing 1/2 my fish, my dad found a fish breeder he contacted. The breeder told me it was the sand and never to use that sand in a tank and sure enough, I drained the entire 55 gallon, scrubbed everything, and replaced the sand with fine gravel which is working great. I tried the new theory of using the pfs and it failed. I would not recommend it to anyone.

Undergravel filters

brianp — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 13:34:20 GMT

I am curios about how many folks still use under gravel filters and how folks deal with drawbacks such as dead zones and aquarium decorations etc.

Bri

Marineland Hoods

spritestyle — Wed, 12 Sep 2012 07:51:45 GMT

Help! I'm new to fish keeping and bought a SeaClear Acrylic 20G tank with the Marineland Eclipse2 hood that has filtration and lighting. Had it for a few weeks now and have added low light plants and fish to it. The problem is that one of the light socket is now not working. I'm getting a replacement hood and will have to change out the entire top when it comes in 7 to 8 days.

Now here's my question: Would it be wise to continue to use this hood, or should I look for other options?

I've looked at glass canopy, with thoughts of setting up a new lighting and filtration system. I'm just not sure if I need to make adjustments (i.e. creating a surround to place the glass canopy on) or if I could just leave it sitting on top of the cross bar. The tank is acrylic, so this might not be a wise idea.

I'm so frustrated right now, cause I've just got things started! I'm afraid that my plants might die on me before my replacements arrives. Any thoughts or insight on this would greatly be appreciated. Thanks.

Chiclid Sand

ctemt — Wed, 22 Aug 2012 17:33:39 GMT

Again I am setting up me chiclid tank with all of your help. I am using Chiclid sand as my substate. It is beautiful but so fine, when I have it set-up how do I vac the detritus when I do a water change? I use a Python to clean and ill my tanks but of course it pulls up the sand.

gromets?

bceagle — Sun, 09 Sep 2012 08:26:00 GMT

I have an air pump with four outlets. I can only control all four with a single control. Am using just two at the moment. What is the best way to close off the two that still move air? It does affect the output of the two I'm using.
Thanks

Marineland LED's

Coryboy21 — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 21:02:04 GMT

I saw the new Marineland aquatic plant lighting system on their website. Does anyone know when their going to start selling and where?

A Little more help please.

ctemt — Tue, 21 Aug 2012 10:34:09 GMT

Thanks for all the help so far. I have another question, in the Lake Malawi tank I am setting up I have 2 filters 1 is a Fluval 350 the other an Emporer 400. In the 55 gal tank is one better then the other? Should I use both?

backyard slate

ctemt — Sun, 19 Aug 2012 05:35:29 GMT

Hi, I am setting up slate for caves and decorations for my tank. I have beautiful pieces of slate in my backyard. Is it safe to clean this slate and if so how is my best way to do this? I have recently become disabled and have a limited income but am finding that getting further into this hobby is helping me. I have always had a 55 gal community tank but now have set up a 29 gal discuss and actually know what a heckell is and someone recently sold me a 100 gal set up for $200.00 and am setting it up as a lake Malawi. I even know the difference between a hap and mbuna.

Black or cream sand for 55 gallon... can't decide

canuck — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:09:33 GMT

I plan on purchasing a 55 gallon tank. Currently I have a creamy color sand in my 29 gallon. I suppose it's what you prefer. But I was wondering if tetras (neons, cardinals), cory's and otto's prefer a darker substrate or doesn't matter? I have live plants in my 29 gallon and have experienced zero problems with growth. Thanks!

Mela&Pima

NeonBlue64 — Sat, 18 Aug 2012 16:03:29 GMT

Will Melafix and pimafix kill invertebrates or could the stuff of caused something elce to go wrong like a chain reaction.

All my ghost shrimp began going crazy swimming around then they died a couple of days later.

Treating Driftwood

Buxguy83 — Tue, 27 Sep 2011 08:09:30 GMT

I was wondering if anyone knows how to properly treat driftwood to go into your aquarium. I have heard that you should soak it in water for 30-60 days to leech the tannins and make sure it will stay submerged. So I really have two questions:

1. Is there anything else I should do to treat the driftwood?

2. While soaking the driftwood would it make sense to use dechlorinated water to do so, or does that not matter?

how strong is my light for plants?

Nelle94 — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 09:30:00 GMT

I'm new to having actual light fixtures over my aquariums. I have just had low light plants in my aquarium since I knew I didn't have anything higher than that. I just bought a 32 watt t8 full spectrum light yesterday for my 55 gallon tank. About how many watts is that per gallon? is that how you measure the intensity of the light for plants? any advice would be appreciated.

Treating

NeonBlue64 — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 17:50:02 GMT

I am atm treating slate and driftwood in saltwater. I wan to to know how long i should do it then how long so i can get all the salt out of it especially the driftwood. Also how long will it take for it to leach everything out.

LED Lighting - All the Rave?

AngelFan — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 10:19:13 GMT

Well what do you think, is it worth it? I have trouble with it for two reasons: 1) how do I know if an LED light is the right power for my tank with no formal "wattage" listed, and 2) if you lose one LED, you have to replace the whole unit, correct?

Uv Stererilizer

NeonBlue64 — Mon, 11 Jun 2012 17:34:27 GMT

Do UV Sterilizer work to prevent diseases. I know they will clear up water but would they prevent stuff like ick.

In tank lighting

NeonBlue64 — Sun, 10 Jun 2012 23:20:22 GMT

A couple of years ago like 10 when i saw something where their were submersible lights that were light spotlights submerged in the water and were different colors.

I am wondering i this was a aquarium thing or a pond thing. I was 9 or 10 when i saw them and i want to know if i can find them. I am planing on getting a blue florescent tube to put on my second fixture so that at night it looks cool and would like to have shining on my rocks a red or green with the spotlights.

Also if this is a pond item would it be safe to use in my tank sense some stuff mite have oils and crap on it.

tannins leaching-- purigen vs carbon ($$)

fish4962 — Fri, 25 May 2012 20:48:46 GMT

I have a 70 gal freshwater with driftwood that makes the water tea-colored. Should I use purigen or carbon? The purigen seems expensive, the bags loose some of the product and bleaching to recharge, etc. (I have to put in alot of food: flakes for the top fish, shrimp pellets,bloodworms and algae wafers for the bottom fish..) I run 2 double-hanging filters w/out carbon.

Thanks, fish4962

From Power Filter to Sponge Filter???

Cichlid Girl — Sat, 19 May 2012 09:38:31 GMT

Hi all fish fans! I was wondering if you can "make" a sponge filter. Not like make from scratch, but more like make an attachment. I have an aqueon 20 gallon filter. I want to know if i can make that into a sponge filter for some of my fish that i'm trying to breed! If I can't then i'll have to buy one but i was wondering if i could convert it to a sponge filter. An answers would help!!!

buying off craigslist

Rabid Puffer — Sat, 12 May 2012 16:03:32 GMT

Is it generally a good idea to buy tanks and equipment off craigslist? I don't want to buy a tank or something off there and find out that they sold it because it leaks and have a huge mess on my hands. Does anyone have any experience buying aquarium equipment off craigslist?

Water will Start Being Flouridated

caliswift — Tue, 10 Apr 2012 16:19:09 GMT

My local water district will begin adding flouride to the water in late summer/fall. Anyone have experience with aquariums and switching to flouridated water? Is there any chemistry changes I should be worried about?

Petco

bmalit — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 17:57:57 GMT

I was trying to return fish at Petco that died on me (I suspect their livestock is not healthy). First, I went to the register and waited there for 5 minutes. Then the dude told me to go to the Aquatic section. Then I waited there for another five minutes. They told me I had to go back to the register to hand a lady (who was apparently a "fish specialist") the reciept. After waiting for ANOTHER five minutes the lady took my reciept and toll me I had to go back to the Aquatic section to get my water tested. After waiting for ten minutes for them to look for their testing kits and get my water, they told me it was fine, and I had to go back in line for yet ANOTHER five minutes just to return my fish and get a refund. All in all, I waited half and hour just to return my fish and get a refund.

And sorry to any Petco associate who's reading this, but your service is not the best at all!

Aquarium Gloves

alkemist — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 13:54:35 GMT

Tried searching but no luck. Anyone know what gloves/materials are safe to use for cleaning freshwater aquariums? I've tried a few in the past, coral life, disposable and never had much luck with them.

Siphons

SKeith — Wed, 16 Dec 2009 08:01:05 GMT

I like the idea of attaching a siphon to the faucet and cleaning that way. I'm looking at a couple online, but I'm confused about the way they work.

I'm currently looking at:

http://www.petsolutions.com/Aqueon-Water-Changer+I15906089+C40003037.aspx

Does it drain the water first and then you can switch the lever and fill the tank back up, are they all like that? I am not super close to the sink (~20 feet), is there a pump or something else that can help start the siphoning action?

Can any recommend one that is easy to get siphoning with the distance I'm looking at?

Cleaning a used tank

CDM — Sat, 11 Jun 2011 05:58:13 GMT

Hello All.

I'm new here and starting to keep an aquarium again after about 20 years. I have a 10 gal tank that I bought new. A neighbor has given me a 55 gal tank that has sat empty for 5 years. It had a severe leak and I have taken it a part and cleaned off all of the silicone. He obviously did not clean it after he took it down. There are water rings stained on the glass and I have tried all that I know to get rid of them. Comet and a green scouring pad, scraping with a razor blade, baking soda, vinegar, even a brillo pad, each with little or no success. I am not opposed to chemicals but I am willing to use a little elbow grease. Does anybody have any Ideas?

Mices vs. Brine Shrimp

tdeardeuff — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 17:33:36 GMT

What is the difference between mices and brine shrimp? I tried to google the answer but I didn't seem to get anywhere so I was hoping one of you know. Thanks for the help!

Diatom filter.

ninkasi27 — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 06:42:18 GMT

I was recently given a diatom filter by someone who has been out of fish keeping for at least 20 years. I have never used one. What are the benefits, if any compared to more "modern" filtration systems. Is it worth getting all of the parts/media to get this thing going?

Whisper Air pump for 20 Gal.

DTH — Fri, 17 Feb 2012 10:36:04 GMT

I just bought an air pump in the instructions it states
to set it above the tank with a drawing show it. On
the next page when It talks about using two lines it
show a drawing of the pump at the base of the tank.
I plan on using one hose can I put the pump at base
lavel?

What is the best way to clean platic plants?

Jpb13846 — Wed, 21 Dec 2011 19:30:04 GMT

Just wondering if there is a better and/or easier way to clean the alge on plastic plants. I usually take them out of the tank and rinse them in a bucket of warm water to remove the lose debris then refill the bucket with hot water and let them soak while I do my water change. Then I have a brush I use just for and only for scrubbing them down under running warm water. I have NEVER used soap or bleach. But sometimes that @$%$%*&*^% alge just won't come off and have thought about it. I've heard some say that they just run them through the dish washer with no soap and then put them back in the tank with no problems. Dare I try it?

t5 ho

jim b — Sun, 05 Feb 2012 05:06:37 GMT

HI just read a past post about t5 ho deeper than 24"do not work well

My tank is 30" minus about 3" of base any comments.

I have( 20) 36" t5HO spread across the top about 4" above the water line

will be freshwater

Thanks Jim northeast md.