General Faqs and Problems

Algae Control

Healthy "green" algae should be allowed to grow on rocks in the tank. If you find too much algae on the decorative rocks and items in the tank you can remove these items and place them in the sink and pour boiling water over them and then allow them to sit until they have cooled before placing them in the aquarium again. This will cause the algae to die and they will return to their original color within a few days...

Algae should be scraped from the sides of the tank glass with an algae scraper sponge. Never use metal to scrape with as it will scratch your glass. Besides NO metals should be placed in a tank or aquarium!

You should avoid using algae medications unless it has become uncontrollable. You could instead get an algae eater (Plecostomus, snail, etc).

If the tank has a greenish tint, more than likely it is caused by an excessive amount of algae growth. This could cause respiratory problems in your fish. If this has happened do a 50% water change and remove as much of the algae as possible. If within 2 days it has not helped do an additional 25% water change.

Add carbon filters and increase aeration for one day after the water change. The secret to maintaining a good healthy algae growth is to provide good water quality and lighting. Use an algae eater, and perform routine water changes and keep the glass scraped to control algae growth.

Aeration and Filtration

The objects of this is to increase oxygen content of the water and provide a direct benefit to the fish as well as aiding the nitrification of waste products. Also, it is to remove waste material mechanically, chemically, and biologically.

Aeration must be carried out during the actual filtration process, or provided separately. The goal is to allow oxygen to diffuse into the water and waste gases (carbon dioxide and ammonia) to diffuse out. An air pump with an airstone or bubble wand are good choices.

Filtration is based on the idea of removing water from the aquarium and processing it to remove waste products and returning it to the aquarium while aerating at the same time. Usually these filters are a box type setup with some form of filter media such as carbon and floss or a pre-packaged carbon type filter. The water is usually drawn up by a stream of bubbles or a small electrically driven pump and ran through the filter media. These are used to remove dirt and debrie and provide water aeration as well as water circulation. The carbon that is associated with most pumps has two main functions: It absorbs waste material, which helps purify the water. It acts as a biological medium. It can become a bed for nitrifying bacteria.

Fish Changing or Losing Color

This is sometimes seen in goldfish. The orange fish will change and turn a white or yellow color. The black fish will lose their black and become orange. There are a few rules to rule out disease. Read them here...

Orange Goldfish Develops Black Patches

Some individuals will get a bright orange fish from the petstore and within a few days of getting it home it develops black patches on the body. These black patches are usually on the back and sides. After a week, the patches begin to fade and the fish is returning to its normal orange color. The reason for this is Melanophore Migration. This is caused by either a chemical irritant or injury to the fish's body.

Some common reasons:

ammonia surge
low pH
fluke infestation
ick or costia infection

The black coloring usally does not come until the fish is in the healing process! so it is safe to assume that the fish was either in poor water conditions or under some type of stress before you purchased it. Once the healing begins the fish will usually regain its normal coloration within three to six weeks.

Artificial Respiration

Some fish may develop physical problems that may severely, but only for a short time, hinder their breathing. To help the fish through this time, you may have to help it breathe. You can do this by running water over the fish's gills. Severely irregular breathing that is not caused by disease could be caused by poisoning, an adverse reaction to medication, poor water conditions (lack of aeration, the fish receiving a hard blow from a tank mate, being frightened, or in shock, or jumping from the tank). If you notice that your fish is suddenly breathing very hard, or irregularly you may need to administer artificial respiration.

Symptoms: The fish appears to be hyperventilating, or exhibits unusually fast breathing, or may even be breathing very slow and shallow. The fish may not be able to breathe, may appear listless, or be lying on the bottom of the tank.

Treatment: Catch the fish in a net, and very slowly move the net back and forth with long sweeps of the arm. This will cause the water to flow over the fish's gills; thus, enabling it to artificially breathe. Continue the treatment for a few minutes. If the fish does not recover then the problem may be severe and you may want to look at humane fish disposal.

Note: If the fish has been poisoned, artificial respiration must be performed outside the tank in freshly prepared water. If the fish has been wounded, once it is breathing refer to firstaid for more information.

Chilling

Chilling refers to a reaction that fish have when they are subjected to cold water. In many cases the symptoms will be the early stages to something other than being cold, such as diseases. If the tank has been placed in a room that has no heat source or you have done a water change and added to cold of water your fish may experience chilling.

To avoid this situation, try to get your water when doing routine water changes approx the same temperature as the tank's temperature.

Symptoms: The fish shows signs of equilibrium problems (rocking, wobbling, sluggish behavior). The fish may remain stationary while fanning its pectoral fins to maintain balance. The fish's eyes may also become hazy or cloudy.

Treatment: If the tank is too cold, you may have to adjust the heater to raise the water's temperature slowly. You will want to raise the temp by 1 degree every 5 hours. If the heater is not functioning properly, you will need to fix it or purchase another one.

If the fish's symptoms remain after 5 days, or if at any time, they should become worse, the problem is not associated with chilling but disease.

Constipation & Diarrhea

If a fish is being fed an improper diet or living in poor water conditions, it may develop these problems. Diarrhea can be caused by feeding a steady diet of frozen foods. Make sure that you thaw the frozen food in a cup of water from the tank before placing it in the tank for your fish to eat.

Constipation Symptoms: A string of feces hanging from the fish, the stomach swells, the fish is not as interested in food, and the fish acts sluggish or rests on the tank bottom. No symptoms of disease are present.

Constipation Treatment: Do not feed the fish for 2 days. Separate it from the tankmates if possible. After the 2 days feed your fish herbivore plant and vegetable foods such as romaine lettuce, green peas, algae, etc over the next 2 days. After the treatment period you need to feed your fish a proper diet of varied foods.

If the varied diet does not help, or if the constipation is severe and causing your fish much distress, it could be treated with cod liver oil. You place this directly into the fish's mouth. Place 2 drops directly into the mouth of the fish. Do this outside of the main tank. The fish should not be fed for 2 days following the cod liver oil treatment.

More info on constipation here

Diarrhea Symptoms: The fish has extremely loose feces, is not interested in food, and may have a swollen body. No symptoms of disease are present.

Diarrhea Treatment: Don't let the fish eat for 2 days. Separate it from the tank members during feeding time by using a piece of glass or a tank divider (local petshops carry them). After the 2 days have passed, feed flakes and carnivore foods for 3 days.

Note: Internal diseases can also give the same symptoms as constipation or diarrhea. If your fish does not respond to the preceding treatments, or if its condition gets worse, then you should check into treating for diseases. You can also take a look at the disease diagram.

Egg Binding

During their spawning egg binding can occur. In a natural environment, a fish releases its eggs during the spawning cycle. However, if the fish cannot for some reason or has not found a suitable mate, or has been fed a poor diet, water conditions are not adequate, a fish may not be able to release its eggs. The result being a build up of eggs, causing the fish to look bloated in the stomach or belly region. ( Do Not confuse this with Dropsy) The main difference between dropsy and egg binding, is dropsy bloats the entire body, causing the scales to protrude. See photo Usually egg binding is only seen in freshwater aquarium fish.

The best prevention is providing adequate water and tank conditions, and feeding your goldfish properly.

Symptoms: The fish is severely bloated in the belly not the whole body. The fish may be lazy or lethargic, show signs of rapid breathing, and have a loss of appetite.

Treatment: No medication is available for the treatment of egg binding. Attempts to squeeze the eggs from the body will usually damage the internal organs of the fish (in an individual who does not know what they are doing). So, the best course of action to take is to let the body absorb the eggs naturally.

Another suggestion is to siphon water from the main tank and mix in one tablespoon of Epsom salt for every one gallon of water and place an airstone in the bucket. Cover the top and leave the fish in the bath for 15 minutes each day until it shows improvement!

Eye Abrasions

Fish's eyes can become scratched on the fish net, bags used for transporting them, swimming into objects in the tank itself, fighting or aggressive fish, becoming frightened and swimming into the tank's walls or objects within. If you are alert and paying attention to your fish you will become aware of this. If the eye becomes cloudy or hazy after being netted (this is why I use a container versus a net), or transported it has more than likely become scratched. If you feel that it is from fighting with another fish see here.

Symptoms: The cornea was scratched and the eye appears cloudy or hazy. (especially if the fish was just recently netted) No other symptoms are present.

Treatment: For a minor abrasion, keep an eye on the eye (no pun intended) for one day, if the condition worsens, place the fish in a hospital tank. Treat the fish for 5 days with a broad spectrum antibiotic. Follow the packages directions!

Eye Loss

Occasionally this does occur. The eye may be lost due to a fight with another fish, or running into a sharp object. The eye may become detached from the socket leaving the fish blind. The loss of an eye is not necessarily traumatic for the fish. They can still live a relatively normal life with only one eye.

Symptoms: The fish's eye is detached from the socket or is punctured. The fish may have depth perception problems when swimming or eating.

Treatment: Catch the fish and place it on a clean, wet towel. Dip a cotton swab in a broad spectrum antibiotic such as betadine(available at drug stores). Dab the swab on the damaged eye, or in the empty eye socket. Let the drug penetrate for 10 seconds and then place the fish directly back in the main tank.

If for some reason the eye loss causes extreme complications, you may need to think about humane fish disposal.

Feeding

Most fish tank owners know the importance of proper feeding in order to maintain healthy fish. Proper feeding refers to providing the correct food for the species of fish in what you are feeding. You need to supply a varied diet, using the proper procedures, and the right amounts of feed.

Proper Diet: Different species of fish require different types of food. You need to use the right type of food for the particular species of fish in which you are feeding. Feeding a goldfish carnivorous food will more than likely result in a sluggish, weak, dull-colored fish.

Varied Diet: Feeding only one type of food, such as flakes over an extended amount of time is just as unhealthy as us eating hotdogs day after day. Fish fed only one type of food can develop constipation, diarrhea, or even disease because the fish's resistance has been lowered due to poor nutrition. Fish should be fed a variety of food.

Flakes should be given along with foods such as lettuce, green peas, brine shrimp, etc.

Check out the diet ideas!

Serving Size: Proper feeding also means knowing the correct amount to feed. The easiest way to pollute and poison your tank is to overfeed. This is the most common problem among new aquarists. If you have a low volume tank(20 gallons or less), and you find that your fish were fine yesterday and dead today, you may have overfed them and the large amounts of food left in the tank bottom caused the bacteria levels to rise, which robs the water of the necessary oxygen. This causes the fish to suffocate.

To avoid overfeeding, give your fish only small portions. Watch to see how closely they consume the food. A general rule is to not give your fish more than they can eat in 3 minutes. If you see that the fish have ate all the food you have given them and still seem excited about eating add a tad more. Feed twice daily and remember to vary the diet!

Troublesome Eaters: Fish can become troublesome to feed. A new fish may not eat for days; diseased fish may stop eating, other fish may be shy and cannot compete for food. Some fish may just be plain finicky. You will have to watch for this and make sure that disease is not the problem at hand.

Healthy fish that don't eat may be suffering from shock. They may not like the food your are giving or not realize it is food. By varying the diet you will remedy this fast. Bully fish will take most of the food from the shy fish. The best way to deal with this issue is to feed the bully his favorite food first. While feeding, observe how much the fish are getting. You may have to use a tank divider while feeding.

Vacation Feeding: Keeping your fish from starving while you take your trip has always been a problem. Normally, if you are only going to be gone for a day or two your fish will be just fine. However, if you plan on being gone longer than 3 days you will need to make arrangements for your fish to be fed or they may make a meal out of a smaller tankmate!

There are electric, automatic feeders available today for this purpose. You could add some live plants for the fish to snack on too. If you are going to have someone feed your fish, it is best to have the individual portions already measured out in a container or bag so they will just have to empty the food in the tank. Leave a phone # if possible as to where you can be reached in case of an emergency!

Fish Wasting Away: If you find that one of your fish eats but is still losing weight, or is pinched looking in its belly, you are dealing with some form of disease. See the ailments page!

Fighting Fish

Fish are very territorial by nature. In a natural setting they have their own feeding source as well as shelter. When placed in an enclosure such as an aquarium this becomes harder to do. This is especially troublesome if the tank is overcrowded.

The primary reason for fighting is incompatibility. Placing an aggressive fish in with a passive, shy fish.

Don't choose fish which are all the same color, size, all bottom feeders, top feeders, etc.
Provide as much room to swim as possible. (do not overcrowd the tank)
Feed your fish a varied diet.

If you follow these rules, yet still have aggressive fighting fish you may need to trade your bully in for another fish, or place it in another tank. You could use a glass partition in the tank to separate the fish.

Fish First Aid

Fish can be wounded by aggressive tank mates, or injure themselves on something in the tank. There are 3 immediate concerns when a fish becomes injured.

How severe is the injury.
Is there aggressive tank mates?
Bacterial infections or fungus.

The severity of the injury can be determined by how the fish is acting. If it has been wounded but still eats and swims alright, assume the injury is not serious. If the fish hides, has problems swimming or defending itself, does not eat, it is serious! Knowing the level of injury determines the length of time needed for treatment. If the fish's wounds has caused severe breathing, or caused your fish to hyperventilate, artificial respiration may be needed.

Prevention of wounds is most easily acquired when tankmates are compatible and the fish are not suddenly freaked out. Fish can become scared when someone turns on the lights on the tank, or in the room in which the tank is. This can also occur if someone bangs on the glass.

Symptoms: The fish's fins are nipped (from fighting not finrot). Cuts, scratches, scrapes, are located on the fish's body and it may even be bleeding, hiding, swimming funny or not eating.

Treatment: Take the fish and place it on a clean, wet towel. Dip a cotton swab in a broad spectrum antibiotic (betadine found in drug stores). Dab the swab on the wounded area of the fish's skin. Let the drug soak in for 10 seconds and then place the fish immediately back into the tank. Never keep the fish out of the water for more than 1 minute.

A seriously injured fish is prey for an aggressive tankmate. So be sure to watch for this or prepare a hospital tank for the injured fish, or use a tank divider.

Algae Eaters (plecostomus)

A lot of people like the idea of adding an algae eater to the tank to keep the slime away. Well that is great, unless you get a rather large pleco who takes a liking to your fish's slime coat. These sucker fish will suck on the sides of the fish causing a great deal of damage. They leave the fish with a huge sore and other problems could arise from this. It is best to keep the algae eater small or keep a watchful eye on it. If you notice it chasing your goldfish around and sucking on them it is time to find it a new home!

High Mortality Rate

The most irritating experience is when you have fish dying and there is no apparent sign of problems. New fish added to the tank can also die from unusual stress caused from capture and transport. Many of the new fish are also carriers of disease. The best way to avoid the introduction of disease into your aquarium is to have a quarantine tank or hospital tank to hold your new arrivals until you feel that they are not carrying diseases.

If several fish have died without no apparent reason, it is more than likely a water condition that needs looked into. Overcrowding, temperature changes, and aeration needs attention as well. When people start out with their first aquarium they tend to overfeed their fish. This uneaten food rots in the gravel below and causes the bacteria to buildup and throws the ammonia into toxic levels as well as changes the pH, nitrites. This rapid buildup can deplete oxygen and eventually suffocate the fish. If you have a small tank and the fish were fine and now are dead, you may need to see what the water conditions are as well as ask yourself if you are overfeeding the fish.

If it is one fish and sudden, check for a rock in the mouth.

Remember that fish can also die from natural causes. If you have had the pet for a few years and it has been fine, it just may have passed on.

Treatment: When several fish die, and the tank is established, there is no signs of disease, the water conditions are normal, you may have a disease present. (see fish ailments)

Hospital Tank

There are many reasons why a hospital tank is needed.

You should treat your diseased fish there instead of causing problems with the bacteria process in the established tank.
Aquatic medicine can often be expensive and treating a large tank will cost more than treating in a smaller one.
Treating fish in the main tank means treating all the fish.
It is not wise to treat healthy fish.
Sick fish tend to hide. A smaller tank is much easier to monitor your fish's progress.

The recommended tank size for a hospital tank is 5 gallons. Now if the fish is large you will have to use a larger tank. Purchase a tank with a lid, heater, and thermometer.

Bucket to Bucket

This is a good way to deal with a sick fish. You can get buckets at Costco, FredMeyer, Albertsons, Safeway. Most bakeries will have them and you can get them fairly cheap. You should have 3. Fill them with water that has sit overnight.

Place the fish in the 1st bucket with an airstone, and any medication you are using., heater etc.
Check the ammonia level within 12 hours. If there is a low ammonia reading than place the fish in the 3rd bucket.
After removing the fish from one bucket you will want to clean out and fill with water so it can sit overnight.
You will want to watch the ammonia levels and if they are high keep moving the fish from bucket to bucket.
Feed the fish about 1 hour before moving it so it leaves its waste behind.

If you are medicating every other day you will want to keep doing the medication as stated on the package directions. Just make sure the fish is placed in a clean bucket each day and the medication placed in the water as specified.

The entire idea behind this is to move the fish to fresh water daily and leave the disease or parasites behind in the previous bucket.

Mercy Killing

If you have determined that your fish is not going to make it you may have to provide humane fish disposal.

Leaky Tank

If your tank has any type of leak, your must tend to this immediately. If not you could end up with a big disaster! If you are lucky, the leak will be near the top and you can siphon the water level to below the leak. You should drop the water level to 3 inches below leak. If the tank has a small leak between the sides of the glass, a temporary seal can be made with two-part epoxy. Mix the epoxy and apply it to the outside of the glass(never on the inside) where the water is leaking. NOTE: This is only temporary!

If the leak is near the bottom, or on the bottom and requires that you drain the entire tank, keep as much of the water in buckets or plastic containers as you possibly can. If you can leave enough water in the tank to keep the gravel wet you will keep your beneficial bacteria that is needed for a healthy aquarium.

Place the fish in containers and cover with towels. Try to add airstones to the containers housing the fish. Do not feed the fish during this time. (unless the repair takes more than 3 days)

If the room is cooler than what the tanks water was kept, wrap each container in towels. Turn up the room's temp.

Tank Repair: If the tank glass is broken, your will need new glass or a new tank altogether. If you attempt to fix it on your own, remember that silicone needs to be aquarium approved and takes 2 days at least to cure.

Replace the tank water with as much of the original tank water as you can, and start the filtration devices. Replace the carbon and floss if you use these. Run the filters for at least 2 hrs before adding the fish back in.

If you have had to replace the entire tank's water, or the gravel has dried out, the tank may have to go through the complete bacteria process again.

Water Spills: If water has leaked onto your carpet, dry as much of it as possible with towels. Do not rub the carpet as this may cause the carpet to fray. Remove as much water as possible. If you have a wet-dry vac use this. Place fans on the area and this will help to dry out the area much faster. If you have spilt a lot of water you may have to rent a large wet vacumn or steam cleaner from a business to remove the water.

Plants

Live aquarium plants can add lots of color; however, they need proper care or they will develop problems. Most live plant problems stem from water quality problems, improper lighting, fish eating them, or uprooting them.

Signs: Unhealthy plants will appear soft, unusually dark or light-colored, thin leaves, mushy or dark-colored roots, or bad smelling.

Symptoms & Diagnosis: In many cases, if an aquarium plant's leaves appear healthy but the roots look unhealthy, the cause is improper water conditions. If the roots look healthy but the leaves appear thin, the plant most likely has some form of bacterial or fungal disease. Occasional brown leaves are normal, but should be pruned. Numerous brown leaves or abnormally long, thin leaves indicate inadequate aquarium lighting. Abnormally stunted plants or excessive algae growth indicates too much light. Holes in the leaves are normally caused by fish, snails,etc.

Water Conditions: An aquarium that has proper water conditions should be and ideal environment for most live plants. Slightly acidic water is generally preferable to hard water because hard water can cause the leaves to become brown.

Fish Uprooting Plants: Large fish may occasionally uproot plants. Goldfish are notorious for this.

Fish or Animals Eating the Plants: Goldfish love to nibble on the plants provided in their tanks. I give mine Anacharis. I attach it to the tank's glass with suction cup devices made for aquariums. It allows them to eat it without having the mess of the plants decaying in the gravel bed.

Plastic Plants and Decorations: There are some very realistic plastic plants available today for aquariums. With goldfish they are easier to keep since the goldfish are scavengers and will eventually uproot the plants. I provide several different looking plants (plastic) in my tank. It gives the tank a more natural look, plus it gives the fish and frogs someplace to seek refuge if needed.

Cleaning Plastic Plants: This is easily done by soaking the plants in a mixture of bleach and water. You must remember to clean and rinse the plants well before adding them back into the tank or you will cause injury with your fish...

Cleaning Your Newly Acquired Glass Tank

You will want to remove any dust or oil that is on the tank's surface. You should not use any cleaners or you could cause your fish to become ill. Take a damp rag and some warm water and wash the tank out. You can also use the hose and wash it out. There are some special made cleaners for tanks that can be purchased at petstores. I have just always used the bathtub faucet or the hose and rinsed the tank very well.

Outside of glass: I use windex window cleaner to clean my glass on the outside of the tank. Just use caution when spraying so no chemicals get sprayed in the tank. Chemicals and fish do not mix!

Fish In Shock

When a fish is frightened, or is being harassed by another fish it may go into shock. This can also be caused by adverse water conditions.

In some cases, the water conditions of your tank may be so different for the fish dealer's tank that the fish suffers a form of shock when released into your tank. To avoid this, you must float your fish in the bag for 15 minutes. Add a little of your tank's water to the bag. Now if the fish becomes stressed or is gasping you should immediately turn it loose.

Symptoms: Include the fish hiding on the bottom of the tank, in corners or behind things. They may have clamped fins, blotchy or faded colors. (if only one fish is experiencing rapid breathing and such and you can rule out any other problem)

Treatment: The best known treatment is to remove the cause. Refer to Water Conditions or Fish Fighting

ICK like spots

on the fish but only located on the gill and pectoral fins. These white bumps or tubercles are normally found on male fish who have reached maturity.

Check out the site that helps identify male or female fish

Power Outages

Occasionally the power will go out. The severity depends on how long w/out power and how many fish live in your tank and its size.

There are 3 things to be concerned about when the power goes out!

Aeration
Filtration
Water Temp

Aeration: As soon as the power goes out, the filters fail. A rapid buildup of bacteria begins in the tank. This can create a depletion of oxygen. If the water quality is good and the tank is not overcrowded, there should be enough oxygen to last for 6 hrs before any respiration problems will be noticed. If you have a large tank(over 50 gallons) there may be no aeration problems for longer than 6 hrs.

Any outages longer than 6 hrs will require some artificial aeration. Find a small plastic or glass pitcher or container. Remove the tank lid and dip the container in the tank, and fill it with tank water. Lift the container about 6 inches from the water and pour a steady stream back into the tank. This will produce aeration to the water. (don't splash the tank walls)

Repeat this every 5 minutes until the power returns!

Filtration: Any outage will stop the filters from working. If the filter has been w/out electricity for 2 hrs discard the water and used cotton inside it. Replace with fresh water and cotton.

Water Temps: During winter months, if the room's temp is less than the tank's water the temp will cool in the tank as soon as power is lost. If you have a small tank you will lose temperature fast. During summer months, if the air conditioning is off, the temp of the tank will rise with the room's temperature. If the tank's water is becoming too warm you can add frozen jugs to help cool it down.

Tank Poisoning

Because of the small area in which fish live while being housed in tanks, the slightest amount of toxin can become lethal to fish.

Toxic Substances: Toxins to fish can be both obvious and concealed forms.

chemicals were used around the tank (bug spray, perfumes, aerosol cans, fireplace smoke, cigarette smoke)
metallic objects
over medication of main tank
non-approved aquarium sealant that has not been properly cured.

Other toxic poisoning can be the result of heavily chlorinated water that you have used to replace tank water with, unsanitized rocks, decorations, oil leaking from filters in the tank. In unsanitary tanks, debrie that is rotting on the bottom can create hydrogen sulphide poisoning, which in turn robs the water of the needed oxygen. (this will be noticed when the tank smells of rotten eggs)

Nitrites, Nitrates, Ammonia, and the Beneficial Biological Filter: The beginning of the cycle starts with fish wastes, and uneaten food being trapped in the gravel and decaying. This forms bacteria and ammonium(ammonia). As the bacteria level rises, it begins to turn into nitrites(nitrite ions). At this stage the ammonia level and nitrite level can be lethal to more delicate fish. After this occurs, the bacteria turns the nitrites into less toxic nitrates. Nitrite and ammonia levels will then suddenly drop to near zero and the biological filter cycle is finished. You then have a well established tank!

Fish that are more sensitive to water conditions can now be safely added to the established tank. The length of time needed to completely cycle a tank depends on the tank's size, how many fish are in it, the amount of oxygen the tank is receiving. The cycle can be as fast as 1 week to several weeks.

Tank Cycling Photo and Information

Symptoms of a poisoned fish: The fish may be swimming or darting around the tank running into things. They may be breathing very fast and have blotchy coloration, and or balance problems may appear. The fish may also be on its side breathing rapidly.

The key words for a definite poisoning are "sudden" and "most". If rapid breathing occurs "suddenly"' or "most" of the fish are are acting this way there is some form of toxin in the water. Some poisoning, such as metallic poisoning, may occur gradually, but the fish will show symptoms quickly. Therefore, if the problems have occurred slowly over a few days, your fish is probably not poisoned but living in poor water conditions or suffering from disease.

Treatment: Remove the severely affected fish immediately. Place them in a hospital tank. If only 1 or 2 fish appear affected, you can leave the fish that show no signs. If most of your fish are showing the same signs you should remove all the fish. Provide aeration to the fish by adding airstones. If your fish are showing signs of hyperventilating, it may require artificial respiration. As soon as your fish are safely placed in clean buckets, you should make an 80% water change in the main tank they were previously housed in. Leave all the filtration systems on, add activated charcoal to the power filter(s) and increase aeration by 2.

After 1-3 hrs have passed your fish that are not severely affected should show signs of improvement. Continue to monitor those fish for another hour. If the fish in the main tank are still not showing signs of poisoning the fish in the containers can be added back into the tank. Continue treatment of the severely affected fish for 1 day. If you have some fish that are still not improving you may find that some will die or you choose to perform a mercy killing. These fish may be lying on their side and breathing heavily.

The key to success when the tank has been poisoned is to take immediate action. Waiting just a few hours can make the difference between your fish having a complete recovery and losing them all!

Catching Your Fish

Can be done with a net; however, I find it easier to use a large plastic container. It saves the fish some stress from thrashing around in the net and saves your fish from broken tails and fins as well as abrasions.

Water Chemistry

The single most important factor for a successful tank is maintaining optimum water conditions. The cause of most problems in a tank is poor water quality. In nature, small amounts of pollutants may not always cause adverse reactions. Given the small area of a tank, even small changes can affect an entire tank of fish within a few days.

Improperly maintained aquariums are a breeding ground for diseases. Once a disease is established it can reach epidemic proportions within a few days.

You must do routine water changes and maintain adequate water conditions at all times!

Factors for Proper Water Chemistry: Many individuals feel that doing water changes is all that is needed; however that is not correct. Temperatures need to be monitored, pH, nitrites, nitrates, ammonia, aeration, pollution, lighting, feeding, and overcrowding. Equipment must also be maintained properly.

Water changes: Routine water changes must be done. This is very important. Generally a 25% change every 2-3 weeks. Be sure before doing any water changes that the utensils are cleaned. Do not use soap. Use water treatment drops to remove the chlorine and other substances from the water.

Make sure that the aquarium equipment is working properly. Increase aeration for 1 day after making a water change.

Temperature: Water temp problems are usually caused by a faulty heater.

Water too hot: The tank should not be in the direct sunlight, or placed near a heat duct or heat register. To cool the tank water you could unplug the heater, place ice cubes in plastic bags and float them in the tank, or use plastic containers that are filled with frozen water.

Water too cold: Close windows, turn the heater on in the tank, and possibly the house as well. Wrap the tank with towels or blankets. Plastic containers can be added with warm water inside them.

Pollution: Over feeding or not doing routine water changes can create water pollution. Foul smelling water, cloudy or tinted water, debris on the tanks bottom, rotting, dead fish are all indications that the water is polluted. If this occurs you need to do a 50% water change. Increase aeration for 1 day whenever you perform a water change.

Overcrowding: A tank with too many fish can cause fighting amongst them, excessive fecal waste, and rapid oxygen loss. Remember goldfish require more room than other fish species. One goldfish to every 10-20 gallons of water.

Aeration: This is a necessary step for your tank. It gives the animals oxygen. The deeper the tank the more powerful of an airpump you will need. Always increase aeration when temperatures are over 80 degrees.

Place the airpump above water level if possible. This will keep the water from being siphoned if the pump fails.

pH: The pH test determines whether your tank water is too acidic or too alkaline. Acceptable ranges for freshwater is a reading of 6.8-7.3. You should get a pH testing kit from your petstore. They have charts and the necessary vials inside to check the waters quality and conditions.

Water Hardness: Water hardness is not a problem with established tanks. If water hardness is a major problem for you, you will probably have to get a water softener for your household use.

Lighting: The tank should receive at least 4 hours of light each day. Indirect sunlight can be used during the day, while using fluorescent bulbs during the evening. Avoid incandescent lights as they put off heat.

Algae growth is also an essential part of a healthy tank. Algae needs light to grow. The key to this is knowing if you are providing the proper amount of light. Brown algae indicates too much light or insufficient lighting, whereas, green algae indicates proper lighting. Excessive algae is too much lighting.

Snails as Pets in the Aquarium

Some individuals like to add a snail or two to the tank for fun, or to help rid the tank of algae. I have had apple snails and mystery snails. They have provided hours of fun. They like to eat cucumbers. I attach them to the tank by placing them in a suction cup clip.

Snails- Robyn's Snail Page

Snails- Snail faqs by George Booth.

Fins

Main Tank Medicating

Since drugs can upset the beneficial biological filter in the tank it is not recommended to medicate the main tank. If you have no other choice, it is suggested to follow all manufacturer's directions closely. (a 50 gallon tank does not hold 50 gallons of water). The water is displaced due to the gravel, decorations, equipment, animals, etc.

Before you add medication to the main tank:

Remove the carbon from the filters
Remove all live plants, live animals, sponges, etc.
Increase aeration during the treatment period. (some medications deplete oxygen from the water)

After the treatment period:

Return all equipment to normal conditions and perform a 50% water change.
If you have treated the main tank with copper, much of it will have become bound in the bottom gravel. Gently stir up the gravel and siphon out the debris when making water changes.
Replace the carbon and floss in the filters to help rid the tank of the medication.
Keep aeration increased for an additional 2 days.
After 1 day of running the tank water through the carbon filters, return the live plants, and aquatic animals if any to the tank. If they have an adverse reaction to the tank do an immediate 80% water change.

Please email me with comments or questions.

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