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Question for the Fish Experts

Discussion in 'Questions and Answers' started by pennphinfan, Jan 25, 2010.

  1. pennphinfan

    pennphinfan Stelin Canez Arcade Scorz

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    Today I bought all the equipment to start up a 29-gallon freshwater aquarium in my apartment, and I'm getting ready to go put together the stand for it but I had a quick question for the fish experts first. I know tap water is generally fine to use in a freshwater aquarium, given you treat it for chlorine, etc., but my problem is that our tap water in our LA apartment has a yellow tint to it (way to go los angeles municipal water...) annnywho, I dont think any sort of water treatment is going to clear up the yellow tint to the water. I bought water clearing solution for the tank but I don't believe that's meant to clear up already discolored water.

    anyway, question is, can i buy some sort of water from the grocery store to use in my tank? I read that a lot of bottled water has added chemicals/vitamins/etc that can hurt your fish, but I wasn't planning on buying dasani or something like that, just those big 3 or 5 gallon jugs of generic "distilled water" or "purified drinking water" or something along those lines...

    are any of those safe to use?

    thanks in advance, off to build me a cabinet stand
     
  2. sking29

    sking29 What it takes to be cool

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    I remember reading somewhere that Spring water is good to use in tanks but of course you still have to treat it (as you know).

    I will look into this a bit more when I have time but it sucks that you have to use bottled water to fill up a 29 gallon tank...that's a lot of work and money...way to go LA indeed. :pity:

    Anyway glad to welcome you into the wonderful world of indoor aquariums...so what kind of fish you looking to get?
     
  3. dolphindebby

    dolphindebby Season Ticket Holder Luxury Box

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    Go to tetracommunityforum.
    I only have a 10 gallon with platy's and neons, but they helped me tremendously when I first started.
    their all big fish lovers and have a lot of advice.

    Let me know if they help you or not.
     
  4. Tone_E

    Tone_E Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    And tetras are one of the hardest fresh water fish to keep, so take their advice and you should be fine.
     
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  5. 2socks

    2socks Rebuilding Since 1973

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    Having 2 - 50 gallon tanks and a pond with 50+ koi.........well that was before the Herring I would consider myself on a scale of 1-10 and 8.5 in terms of knowledge.

    You first want to do 2 things.

    1. set up the aquarium with "Distilled" water. It is the best. You can also use tap water as long as you let it sit for 72 hours. You will not need to declourinate it as that happens naturally when you let it sit. Cheap way to make fish safe water without chemicals.

    this is very important ******as much as you want to put fish in it right away DONOT put fish in it no matter what for at least 7 days. It takes that long for the different chemicals to come in balance with themselves.

    2. you want to have a small 10 - 15 gallon tank set up and operating at all times. You will thank yourself later when a fish gets sick (they will all the time).....because you want to immediately quarantine them from the rest of the population. You also want to not introduce any new fish to your main aquarium without first observing the "new" fish you bring home in your small tank for at least a week. You will be surprised 50% of the time you will bring home some sort of disease from the pet store.

    Reason...........8 - 10 dollar an hour employees who do not give a crap and have little if any knowledge other then what they are told to do on caring for fish.

    The second tank is key....I can not stress it to you enough.

    Also if you are able to collect rain water from your gutter.....simple way is to disconnect downspout, go to home depot and buy one of the black flex pipes that you would hook to the end of the downspout and run it into your "Clean" garbadge can when it rains. Instant 200+ gallons of the best water money can not buy!!!!!!!!!!!

    Trust me your fish will absolutely love it and it is free.

    I am here if you need any other assistance so if you want please feel free to PM me

    Regards

    Gerry
     
  6. dolphindebby

    dolphindebby Season Ticket Holder Luxury Box

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    Tetra is the brand name of a lot of products for fish, not the fish themselves.
    They have a good site with forums etc. for any questions on all kinds of fish, aquariam set ups etc.:up:
     
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  7. 2socks

    2socks Rebuilding Since 1973

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    Actually, Tetra is a species of fish. They are small fresh water fish from Africa with I believe over 150 different varieties. Sold at most pet stores and usually considered a 7 on scale of 1-10 for aggressiveness, for clarification assuming 1 is the most aggressive.
     
  8. Sethdaddy8

    Sethdaddy8 Well-Known Member

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    Great advice, but maybe for a 75 gallon saltwater tank. The gutter thing is out because he lives in an apartment complex. and i've had big salt water tanks, and never bothered with the quarantine tank route. we're dealing with a 29 gallon fresh water tank. in an apt, i doubt he wants to be running another tank.

    Do 2 things. 1)get hearty fish that wont die easily, and 2) use distilled water. start with the 5 gallon jugs to start your tank, and then just buy a gallon or two a week, as it'll evaporate.

    edit: oh yeah, and try to do water changes once a month. take 3 to 5 gallons of tank water out, and put 3 to 5 fresh gallons back in.
     
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  9. dolphindebby

    dolphindebby Season Ticket Holder Luxury Box

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    I know 2socks. But it is the brand of food I buy and other things.
    I have playties and neons in my tank. I tried gold fish, but their too nasty.
     
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  10. 2socks

    2socks Rebuilding Since 1973

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    I'm sorry Deb didn't mean to insinuate you didn't know. I read your post wrong. Goldfish are really dirty too.:up:
     
  11. 2socks

    2socks Rebuilding Since 1973

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    good advice if all you want are goldfish. The key to a 29 gallon or 100 gallon tank is the water quality and some basic maintenance performed 2x's a week.

    and paying attention.....you will know when something is a miss.

    AMMONIA

    Ammonia is highly toxic to any fish. Reasons for an ammonia poisoning include a new set-up (nitrogen cycle), an interruption of the beneficial bacteria (i.e. power outage, medication, filter exchange) or a change in the bio-load, if too many new fish have been added to the aquarium too quickly.

    The signs are a lethargic motionless fish hovering at the bottom of the tank, red gills and a lack of appetite. Advanced cases will show bleeding gills as well as external and internal bleeding toward the final stage before resulting in death.

    In addition to a water change, first aid can be given by lowering the pH to 7.0 or less. Toxic ammonia changes into ammonium at this level and is, at this stage, harmless and non-toxic.

    PH can be lowered by using distilled water for the partial water change.

    NITRATE

    Nitrite is less toxic then ammonia, but still poses a significant health risk to the fish, and can be deadly in high doses or over long periods of time.

    Here’s How To Do A Proper Water Change For Your Aquarium
    that guarantees your fish will still be alive after the process!

    An aquarium is an enclosed environment, so any waste material release by the living organisms with it end up in the water and substrate. Unless they are removed at regular intervals, these waste materials are biologically transformed into toxic by-products like ammonia, nitrate and phosphate, which affect the water quality and harm the fishes’ health.

    If you do not maintain the aquarium well, the poor fish and plants will be living in a sewer filled with pollutants and toxins, and their health will suffer.

    Water changes involve more than just removing water from the tank and replacing it. Other factors, such as the condition of the replacement water and the amount of water to remove, also come into play. These can affect the water quality, and thus the state of your aquarium’s health.

    Colonies of beneficial bacteria grow on every surface in the tank. These bacteria are part of the biological filter; allowing them to thrive will help improve the quality of the biological filtration system.

    If you use gravel as a substrate (the floor of the aquarium), simply removing water from the tank only eliminates dissolved pollutants but does not eliminate the detritus and organic matter trapped within the gravel granules. If left alone, these waste materials will eventually decompose and pollute the water.

    Using a gravel-cleaning siphon will remove these trapped waste particles, and oxygenate the substrate as well, allowing nutrients and oxygen to reach the biological bacteria living on the gravel.

    The aquarium size, the number and species of fish, and the types of aquarium accessories will determine the amount of maintenance required.

    A small tank with a heavy load may need half its water changed every three days. A large tank with just a few fish may only need a small fraction of the water changed every week or fortnightly.

    Ideally, more-frequent and smaller volumes of water changes should be made. These avoid the problems of drastic fluctuations in water parameters, so the organisms in the aquarium need not cope with sudden changes in their environment.

    On the other hand, too-frequent water changes should also be avoided, as these disturb the fish and plants, and prevent beneficial bacteria from developing.

    Under normal conditions, you should remove 10 to 25 per cent of the total water volume.

    Try not to exceed 50 per cent at a time. Do a complete water change only in emergencies such as a disease breakout or accidental water pollution.

    It is important to remember that testing stipS (about $6) are your best friend and you should test the water every day. It is amazing how out of wack a system can get and how quick it can happen. Testing everyday will allow you to maintain a healthy environment weather you live in an apt or the Taj Mahal. Maybe you have a friend who would let you get water from the rain at their house (mom,dad,sister,brother) it really is worth the effort and will make maintaining a whole lot easier. Don't forget the old "stale"water trick either....72 hours out on the deck straight from the tap in a 5 gallon jug and the water is as good as distilled
     
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  12. Colmax

    Colmax Well-Known Member

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    You definitely want to take the 1 to 2 week thing to heart. I can tell you from experience that not letting your water settle will kill fish. It cost me over $40 when I re-started a few years ago.

    I had aquariums up until I was 16 and then got out of it. A few years ago, I decided I wanted an aquarium and went with a 55 gallon. I totally went against everything I know and just threw fish in there. BIG MISTAKE! I lost fish after fish until finally I decided to start from scratch....again! I bought a Brita faucet filter ($25 or so) and used that. I also introduced bacteria. I have two 50 gallon filters. Seems to work for me. You could also get a pH test kit ($10), but it is not entirely necessary unless you know your water is too alkaline/acidic. There are starter kits you can get. I would definitely get the bacteria....

    Another thing is do not put too many fish in your tank. It can really screw things up. Fish piss and poop in their environ, which throws things awry if too many fish are in the tank.

    Also, ask the people from where you are purchasing the fish questions. You will be surprised how informed some of the employees are. I recently went to an establishment that rhymes with Wetfart and conversed with a lady who was very knowledgeable.

    Once you get your tank right, you're pretty much squared away unless you introduce new fish. Even then, don't get your panties in a wad. I recently sold my larger cichlids (8" Jack Dempsey and 6" Electric Blue African) and introduced 3 smaller fish from 3 different establishments and have had no problems. Even when I re-started, I did the same thing with no issues.

    If I had to offer anything, I would really just say be vigilant on your filter cleaning (I clean mine every 10 days or so) and water changes (I change 1/3 of my water every 1-2 mos). Unless you live in the Arctic, I would not worry about a heater or an aerator (I refuse to use an aerator because my house burned down from one when I was 16). Plus the cooler the water, the more O2. My tank's temp is usually between 72-76 degrees Fahrenheit. And do not overfeed. It really dirties the tank. Make sure your fish eat for a couple of minutes. I intentionally miss a day a week with my fish. I would get something that eats detritus (stuff off of the bottom) like a Pleco, crawfish, or some kind of bottom-feeding catfish. They really help out my tank and are low maintenance.

    Good luck! It can be a pain at first, but once you get it going, it's smooth sailing. Oh, I forgot! Do not place your tank in front of a window. It promotes algae growth and lowers the O2 levels....
     
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  13. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    The short answer to your question is the water should be perfectly safe for the fish. Just scoop out any water from a local river or lake and hold it up to a light...it is definitely not clear. The tint is probably attributed to the water source, not the company's filtration process.

    If you have any questions I have three tanks that I have maintained for up to nine years now. The majority of my species spawn frequently and I have learned the hard way to take advice on the internet with a grain of salt...so many will tell you to nuke your tank with chemicals to clear the water, but in turn you stress out the fish and they all die two weeks later from natural causes. Then you think you used the wrong chemical so you read some more, nuke the next round of fish with something different, then most of them die too. MSG me if you have any questions, I'll gladly answer them.

    Here's a pretty good article on starting a new fish tank, I wrote it a few weeks back to help out a friend and decided to publish it since I've typed it out in emails far too many times-

    http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2596561/fish_tank_upkeep_guide_to_healthy_tropical.html?cat=53
     
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  14. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    This is exactly what I mean...people post things when they have no idea what they are talking about. I have placed neon tetras, cardinal tetras, red eye tetras, and several other varieties in each of my tanks over the years and they are far from agressive. They are a schooling fish and do better in large groups, but generally leave other fish alone as long as the tank is not overpopulated and provide some natural hiding places. If properly cared for, they may be a 1.5 out of 10 in agressiveness.

    All fish are extremely agressive when there is not enough room for them inside a tank...get in an elevator with 15 other people and you'll quickly see how they feel. Whoever informed the poster of this was obviously not taking proper care of their fish to begin with...so obviously they assumed it had to be the fish.
     
  15. pennphinfan

    pennphinfan Stelin Canez Arcade Scorz

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    wow thanks for all the help everyone, and trust me, I am playing it all VERY safe when it comes to making sure the tank is OK before adding fish. I'm not planning on buying fish until early next week at the earliest. I actually ended up starting the tank with our tap water, and while it isn't clear, it certainly isn't as terrible as I thought it'd be. I think i'll just use distilled water for my water changes for a while and see if over time it clears up a bit.
    I also talked to the people at the pet store and while only 1 was actually helpful, she convinced me to start out with just community schooling fish and to avoid the semi-aggressive ones for now until I'm more experienced.

    In regards to the quarantine tank, I have read about the importance of it and I'm making plans as to setting one up, just need to find a place for it around here..

    and as for the 'collecting rain water' part, I live in LA, so... not gonna happen :wink2:
     
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  16. dolphindebby

    dolphindebby Season Ticket Holder Luxury Box

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    You didn't insinuate anything. All's good :up:
     
  17. Themole

    Themole Season Ticket Holder

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    They make good Bass bait!
     

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