Frequently Asked Questions
How Should I Cycle My Tank?
In all aquariums we recommend a “fish in” cycle meaning once the tank has been filled and the water has been properly treated (dechlorinated, salt, cycling starter, etc.) that you add fish into the aquarium that are hardy to start the creation of beneficial bacteria colonies in your tank and filtration system(s). In freshwater, feeder fish or some the hardy tetra species are our personal recommendation and in saltwater we recommend our black mollies along with some of the live sand within our invert row.
What Temperature Should I Keep My Tank?
For most tropical freshwater aquariums, a temperature of 77-82 degrees Fahrenheit or 25-28 degrees Celsius as this is the natural range of these fish. For fish like goldfish or amphibians like axolotls, cooler temperatures are encouraged, low 70s for goldfish and into the 60s for axolotls. Some tropical fish from the South American rivers and lakes do best at warmer temperatures of 84-86 degrees Fahrenheit or 29-30 degrees Celsius for things like discus and ram cichlids.
For saltwater aquariums, the standard range of temperatures for freshwater aquariums can be applied to fish only tanks while reef aquariums with corals should be kept at 78 degrees Fahrenheit or 26 degrees Celsius.
How Should I Clean My Filter?
We find that often, first-time fish-keepers will often find their tank starting to collect waste in the filter(s) at a volume that greatly affects the filtering capabilities of their aquarium. When it comes time to clean the filter the most common mistake we find is that people take their filter and/or filter pad and rinse it with water to clean it. While this effectively cleans the filter, if it is run through water not belonging to the tank, it will shock and kill the bacteria living within your filter, greatly reducing the effectiveness of waste filtration putting your tanks inhabitants at risk. Cleaning your filter with a small amount of water from your aquarium is the best way to go to keep your filter clean and your tank healthy.
Bonus tip: the waste water left behind from cleaning your filter is an excellent fertilizer for your plants and/or garden and lawn and can be used to water them!
How Do I Treat Ich?
Ich is the most prevalent disease that plagues and level of fish keeper, white grainy dots that cover your fish, starting with the fins before covering the body. If ich is not treated it can kill your fish.
How did Ich get in the tank?
Ich is almost always present in your tank, dormant waiting for the opportune moment to hatch and get onto your fish. It appears when your fish are stressed, when fish are stressed they drop their slime coat, the protective layer that all fish have that protects them from sicknesses and infections.
How can I help my fish recover?
The first two things we recommend are raising the temperature in your tank to 86 degrees Fahrenheit or 31 degrees Celsius to kill off the ich parasites living on your fish and then adding salt to your water to also kill off the parasites. The salt levels you are adding to your water does not pose a risk to your fishes health as the level of salt being added to the water is a natural level found in natural freshwater. We recommend putting 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons of water or 1/2 cup per every 40 gallons of water. Once this process has been completed waiting for the recovery of your fish is all that is left.