Category Archives: Basic Fish Care
7 Ways To Avoid Fish Ich In Your Fish Tank
This fish ich article is a follow up from a previous post entitled “Using Rocks In An Aquarium Design“.
Imagine looking into your fish tank one day and seeing your listless fish with tiny white spots on it looking as if someone powdered it with salt. This is a clear sign of fish ich and not only do they make your beautiful fish look weird and ugly, they will also be detrimental to the health of the fish.
Fish Ich
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Fish ich can affect anyone’s aquarium anytime and it is not an unusual aquatic disease but it is one that you would need to address as fast as possible. The affected fish needs to be quarantined and treated, the entire tank needs to be clean out and sanitized and the sick fish needs to be closely monitored. But rather than have to solve the problem on hand, what you should be focusing on is to avoid introducing fish ich to your fish tank in the first place. This is because as always, preventing is always the best cure.
7 Ways To Stop Fish Ich
Here are 7 ways that you could put in place to ensure that your precious fish are never affected by fish ich:
- Perform your water changes diligently. You must do a water change at least once a week or at the worst once every two weeks. But a water change is more than just throwing out the old water and pouring in new water. You should only remove and replace about 20% of the water in your fish tank during each water change. Changing the entire tank of water will actually harm the fish and should be avoided as much as possible unless it is because of a disease. Also, the replacement water should never be taken straight from the tank. It should be allowed to sit in a bucket for at least 24 hours before introducing it into the existing aquarium water.
- Vary the the fish food. Could you imagine eating the same food each day for the rest of your life? The different brands of food sold on the shelves of pet shops each stress a different nutritional need and content so change food types once in a while. Also if your fish feeds on live food which you could get from your pet shop, use that for main meals and keep the packaged fish food as supplements.
- Reduce the amount of stress that your fish has to endure. The more stress the fish is placed under the more the more likely it is to fall sick. Stress can come in so many factors, not just physical. Do not place the fish tank in an area that has heavy human traffic. Place rocks and plants in your fish tank, not just as decoration but as little hiding places that your fish can escape to when they feel stressed. Control the chemical and well as temperature fluctuations well and monitor them with a proper test kit.
- Do not breed too many fish in one tank. More is less. Having too many fish not only stresses the fish out but it also increases the chance of disease spreading.
- Never introduce a new fish immediately into your existing fish tank. Always quarantine new fish for no less than 4 days before allowing it to mix with your existing fish. This is to rule out the possibility of e fish having fish ich and spreading it to your existing fish. Fish ich has a life span of 4 days and if there are no signs of disease after the period is over, the fish is fine and ready to be integrated into your aquarium.
- Choose your pet shops well. There are many pet shops around today which has a tendency to have several tanks sharing one filter. These merchants do not concern themselves with fish disease too much because they buy fish in bulk and sell them for a higher price. Regardless of how great a filter may seem, there is always a chance of disease being spread through the filtration filter too. Also, when you bring your fish back home from the shop, never mix the water they came in with the water in your fish tank.
- Do not buy plants that are sold from a tank with fish in it. Always buy plants that are sold from a separate tank. If the plant that you bought did come from a tank of fish in the pet shop, then make sure that you quarantine the plants just like you would quarantine a new fish. The 4 day period would ensure that any fish ich has completed its life cycle and died before it had a chance to spread.
Prevent Fish Ich From Spreading
These are 7 simple steps that you can take to ensure that your fish live long and healthy lives. These steps will ensure that fish ich as well as many other fish disease will never hurt your fish ever.
Safely Move Fish To A New Fish Tank
This article on how to move fish is a follow up of an earlier post titled “Setting Up A Fish Tank | How To Prepare A Brand New Fish Tank“.
It will eventually happen one day. Like most people, you might have began the hobby with a smaller fish tank but as time went by, you would have introduced new fish, new decoration and new plants to a point where that old aquarium is just too crowded. It is then that you decide to buy a bigger fish tank and move fish into the new one. But you can’t just set up the new tank, move fish and expect them to live. They’ll probably last a couple of days before floating upside down on the surface of the water.
There are measures that need to be taken to safely move fish into a new fish tank. These measures involve preparing the fish for the transfer and ensuring that the environment of the new aquarium is as similar as possible to the old one. The main idea is to transfer the beneficial bacteria colonies to the new tank when you move fish.
Step #1: Before You Move Fish
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You will be transferring the gravel, tank decoration, plants and move fish. So the first step is to vacuum large debris from the gravel and tank decoration. Then, test the pH and temperature of the water to have a record of the levels that you want to achieve in the new tank.
Step #2: Prepare Before You Move Fish
Since your new fish tank will probably be bigger, we’ll assume that you will be getting a new fish tank filter. Fill the tank to three quarters of its volume with water and run the new filter and heater for twenty four hours. Don’t put in the gravel and tank decoration yet because there might be chlorine in the water that will kill of the bacterial colonies on them.
If your existing filter is large enough and you plan to use it in the new fish tank, leave it running in your old fish tank first and if possible connect an air stone to it and run the air stone in the new fish tank.
Don’t think about reusing the old fish tank heater. You have to stabilize the temperature of your new aquarium by running the heater for a day so get a new one. Anyway, you could always keep the old heater as a spare in case the new one breaks down.
Step #3: Testing Before You Move Fish
After twenty four hours has gone by, test the fish tank pH and temperature of the new fish tank and ensure that it is similar to those of the old aquarium. It should not deviate more than two tenths of a pH level and a few degrees in temperature from the old fish tank. If it is, then leave it for another twelve hours or more until it has stabilized. Do not move fish until you have achieved the fish tank pH and temperature that you need to.
Step #4: Transfer The Gravel and Decoration
Use a clean scoop and move the gravel from the old tank to the new tank first. You could even use one of those disposable plastic cups to do this as long as it is clean. Once you have moved all the gravel, start arranging the decoration. Though you had vacuumed them yesterday, there might be debris on them so allow the debris to settle down before adding the fish.
Step #5: Transfer The Filter
It doesn’t matter if you’re using a new filter for the new tank or not, you will need to run the old filter in the new tank for a couple of weeks. This is because the existing filter media has had time to be populated by beneficial bacteria colonies and by running the old filter in the new tank, you will aide in the growth of bacteria colonies in the new filter media as well.
Step #6: Move Fish To The New Fish Tank
It’s time for the all important step. You should only move fish when you’re sure that the fish tank pH and temperature of the new tank matches that of the old tank. A good, stress free way to move fish is by using a net and a cup. Immerse the cup in the tank water and use the net to usher the fish into the cup. The gently pour the fish into the new tank.
By following all these steps to move fish you will not only give the fish the best possible opportunity to survive and live well in its new environment, but you will also prevent other unwanted occurrences such as cloudy water which new fish tanks are generally prone to.
Aquariums Maintenance Tools You Need (Click for details)
From learning how to move fish, let’s take another look at undergravel fish tank filters.
Dealing With Fish Ich In A Fish Tank
This fish ich article is a follow up to an earlier post entitled Spotting Aquarium Fish Diseases Before It’s Too Late.
Fish Ich are aquarium fish diseases that are so common that almost every fish breeder will have to face it at some time. While in most cases Fish Ich really isn’t that deadly, it will cause the fish to itch, making them rub themselves against fish tank decoration to relieve themselves and this constant rubbing will cause their skin to tear. Open wounds that are untreated will eventually cause the fish to die.
The right way to solve a problem is to understand it first. Treating the cause is always better than solving the effect.
What Causes Fish Ich
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Fish Ich is caused by a protozoa known as Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, which is capable of multiplying at an extreme fast rate. The enclosed condition of a fish tank and the lack of immunity of bred fish makes it even easier for Fish Ich to spread. The protozoa attaches itself to the outer skin of the fish and begin to feed on the skin and outer tissue. The protozoa will eventually cause a cyst that allows it to rapidly multiply within the enclosed tissue, feeding even more on the fish. This cyst can easily be seen as white spots on the fish and is very itchy.
After some time, the cyst will burst and the protozoa will fall onto the substrate and multiply even more, waiting to infect other fish. Warmer temperatures will speed up the multiplying rate of the protozoa and the rate of infection.
The physical symptoms of Fish Ich is of course the white spots. Initially it will be hard to notice as these cysts are tiny and look more like specks of salt on the fish but as they progress, they will cover the entire fish. Left unchecked, they will eventually damage the fish gills and vital organs, causing death.
The fish will also start to lose they appetite, seem restless and constantly scratch themselves against anything, which will cause open wounds.
Treatment For Fish Ich
Fish Ich that is encapsulated in the cyst lie in a protective shell and is almost impossible
to treat. That is why we will need the cyst to burst open so that the Fish Ich is released. To do this we will firstly have to raise the temperature of the fish tank water a little in order to speed up the life cycle of the protozoa. Raise the temperature slowly over the next two days until a maximum temperature of 80 degrees Celsius but only do so if this level is not harmful to the fish.
Once you have reached this temperature, begin the treatment over a the next few days to a week. Do not remove the infected fish to quarantine tank, what you want to do is have all the cyst burst within your original tank to kill off all the protozoa.
The most effective treatment for Fish Ich contains formalin but you could also use Malachite Green. However, when using Malachite Green, be extremely careful as it is toxic to invertebrates and other aquatic life. You will need to remove any life that is not scaled into a separate tank during treatment. You can see a list of the best Fish Ich medication in the Recommended List below this article.
Another important thing that you will need to do is to remove the carbon fish tank filters media from your fish tank filters. Carbon fish tank filters are used to treat any chemicals in an aquarium so remove them or they will absorb the medication that you are using in the water.
Preventing Fish Ich From Infecting Your Aquarium
Prevention is always better than cure. It is actually quite easy to prevent Fish Ich if you know how it infects the tank. The only way for Fish Ich to get in is if you put something contaminated into the tank. This could be a new fish or even used decoration or gravel.
Before putting in new fish into the tank, inspect the fish first for any signs of disease. It would also be a great idea to quarantine the new fish for a couple of days and monitor it for signs of disease.
Before putting in any used decoration or gravel into your tank, wash it thoroughly with tap water and set it to air dry in the sun. Tap water contains chlorine which will kill off any microrganisms and the UV rays of the sun will finish off any that may be left over. Never use detergent as it will leave chemical traces that you would accidentally introduce into the tank water.
Lastly, always maintain the cleanliness of the tank, encourage good biological filtration and don’t forget your water changes.
Get Rid Of Fish Ich (Click for details)
These are some of the best ways to cure Fish Ich without harming the aquatic life too much.
Caring For Fish | What’s Gonna Happen To The Fish When You Go On Vacation?
This article on caring for fish is a follow up from a previous post entitled “UV Aquarium Sterilizer – The Different Lamp Types“.
It’s that time of the year again. The bags are packed, the plane tickets bought and just when your mind is filled with the fun that you’re going to be having, a chill crawls down your spine. What about caring for fish while you’re gone?
Well, don’t worry cos there are steps that you can take to help with caring for fish so that they will be alive and well when you get back. This article will guide you on what you can do so that you don’t have to worry about your precious aquatic life.
Caring For Fish
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1) Do a partial water change: Before you leave, change about half of the water in your tank. This will lower the nitrate levels, as well as keep the water level nicely topped up.
2) Rinse the filter media. Give it a good rinse, or you could even change half the filter media if you wish. This will keep it running efficiently while you’re gone.
3) Aquarium Lights. If you have a freshwater plants or even a reef tank with corals, you will definitely have to provide your tank with adequate lighting. One thing you could do is purchase a timer, which is quite cheap, from your local electrical store.
4) Feeding: Honestly, fish can go several weeks without feeding. But if you’re worried about no one caring for fish and leaving them without food, you can always buy an automatic fish feeders which are not really that expensive. Never overfeed them, thinking that it will make them last longer without food, that’s not how it works.
The Wardley Vacation Food which you can get from That Fish Place is ideal if you’re gonna be gone for about 10 days.
Caring For Fish : Long Term
Well, what about caring for fish if you’re gonna be gone for more than a couple of weeks then these preparation won’t be sufficient. The best that you can do is to get a sitter to take over caring for fish. I’m sure that if you visit your local fish shop, you could hire a sitter to come by once a week for some daily maintenance. Or try getting the help of a neighbor.
Here’s a list of tasks you could ask your sitter to do when caring for fish for you:
1) Feed the fish. You could get a pill box from the local pharmacy and divide the food into weekly supplies.
2) Check the temperature. Let the sitter know what the temperature should be.
3) Inspect the tank for leaks.
4) Empty the protein skimmer. If you have never seen a protein skimmer that hasn’t been emptied in weeks, believe me it is not a pretty sight (or smell for that matter).
These are some of the precautions you could take if you’re going on vacation. Just get these tasks done and enjoy your holiday. Trust me, your fish will be there when you get back.
Essentials For Caring For Fish (Click for details)
After learning about caring for fish while you’re away, let’s find out more about setting up a fish tank.
Spotting Aquarium Fish Diseases Before It’s Too Late
This is aquarium fish diseases article is a follow up of a previous post entitled “Aquariums Maintenance | Maintaining Your Fish Tank Well“.
No matter how great is the fish tank filter that you have set up or how well you you’ve cared for your fish, they will potentially get sick. Fish can get sick for any number of reasons but mainly it is either due to the introduction of new fish into the tank or too frequent changing of the aquarium water or even when a fish has been in a fight and has an open wound.
Aquarium Fish Diseases
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Whatever are the reasons for your fish getting sick, the most urgent thing to do is to isolate them in a quarantine tank so that they would have a chance to recover and also so that the disease does not spread to the other fish. The following are some of the most common aquarium fish diseases:
Aquarium Fish Diseases #1: Ich
Ich is among the most common aquarium fish diseases. When a fish has Ich, their scales break out in little spots all over as if they have been sprinkled with salt. The fish would feel itchy and would usually rub themselves against the aquarium decorations until they bleed. Ich is highly contagious. The infected fish needs to be isolated immediately and the entire tank washed. You would have to treat all the fish, not only the infected fish or else the rest of the fish will soon succumb to Ich as well. You can treat the fish with Fish Pen.
Aquarium Fish Diseases #2: Fungus
Fungus looks like slimy white puffs on the fish’s body. Just like Ich, fungus will cause the fish to scrape itself against any rough surfaces, causing it to bleed. Left on its own, the fungus will eat away at the fishes outer skin and kill it. Fungus too is highly contagious and the entire tank must be treated. You can also use Fish Pen to treat fungus.
Aquarium Fish Diseases #3: Clamped Fins
Clamped fins is actually the first sign that a fish is getting sick. The best way to treat clamped fins is to thoroughly clean and sanitize the tank. You can still use Fish Pen to treat clamped fins. Also add some aquarium salt to the newly changed water. Doing this will help get rid of whatever was affecting your fish.
Some Solutions To Aquarium Fish Diseases
Aquarium Fish Diseases #4: Open Sores
Most of time time, open sores happen because the fish had gotten hurt in a fight or for roughly scraping itself against the decor. To treat open sores, isolate the fish from the other fish in new water and treat it with Fish Pen. Only return the fish back into the aquarium once the sores have healed. These are some of the most common aquarium fish diseases that your fish might encounter. For most aquarium fish diseases, Fish Pen is a miracle cure and is one I would highly recommend.
