Level 6

Alum turns out to be the best way to remove pest snails form aquarium plants.

Discussion of how to set up a low tech planted aquarium.

How do I treat Malawi Bloat in my aquarium fish?

There are several things mistaken for “algae” or “fungus” which are not. This includes the water molds and slime molds covered in these links: 16.10. Water Molds 16.11. Slime Molds But there are a few even rarer types of oddities often mistaken for “algae”. These include fissidens moss, black pellia, bryozoans and sponges. Fissidens Moss … Read more

What is an easy way to set up a planted aquarium.

This type of planted aquarium uses wood pellets in the substrate to create carbon dioxide for the plants.

It is challenging to set up aquariums with even moderate amounts of decent sized fish and plants.

How to set up a high tech planted aquarium.

Diana Walstad wrote the “bible” on “low tech” planted tanks. Her book is called “The Ecology of the Planted Aquarium”. If one wants to know this topic in depth from a true expert, I heartily recommend this book (I think I’ve probably read it about five times!). She is the ONLY aquarium book author that … Read more

This is a guide to keeping discus in an aquarium.

Red spot algae is a type of red algae (rhodophyta) that forms bright reddish brown circles on the glass and red coatings on the leaves of plants. It clings very tenaciously to everything. It can take determined scrubbing to remove it. It is relatively slow growing. It generally comes with high nitrates or high iron.

This is an article on how to set up an aquarium for dwarf aquarium shrimp and how to insure they prosper.

ORP or Redux is of no consequence in any aquarium and should be ignored.

Here are some successful planted aquariums taken off social media. Note how the ones with the healthiest plants are the ones with the least number of fishes. The healthiest planted tanks also almost all have a very heavy planting of plants with little open substrate. The only exceptions to this are a few low tech … Read more

“Water mold” (some people incorrectly call it “biofilm”) is very common on wood put in the aquarium. Most aquarium wood will get some of it at some time. “Water mold” can grow very rapidly and appear in days on any piece of wood put into any aquarium. There are about 250 species of “water mold”, … Read more

Many ascribe to the concept of “biotopes”, where fish and plants from a certain region are grouped together. These biotopes are: There are many who try to set up aquariums per these biotopes. There are even competitions based on aquarium biotopes. Note that this can get very specialized. I’ve seen biotopes of only one particular … Read more

One very interesting organism found occasionally in aquariums is called a “slime mold” (Myxogastria). This is somewhat like a cross between an amoeba and a fungus. It can very slowly move overnight, forming new networks and structures with hyphae like a fungus. It can also separate into thousands of single cells which move away from … Read more

“Brown Algae” in a Nutshell “Brown algae” or “diatoms” occurs in all aquariums. The terms “algae” and “diatoms” are misnomers in that there are many different organisms which can predominate in a brown film on an aquarium surface. If one just leaves “brown algae” alone it will lessen in four to six months. Bushy nosed … Read more

Staghorn algae is a type of red algae that forms coarse long strands of gray green to solid green color. Sometimes it is almost white colored. It is very unsightly. It grows on the edges of plant leaves as well as on the edges of almost any hard surface. Composed of coarse strands or tufts, … Read more

Black beard algae (also called BBA and brush algae) is botanically a red algae. If you put red algae in alcohol, they will turn reddish. This is an easy proof that the algae you’re dealing with are actually red algae. Black beard algae grows on the edges of plant leaves as well as on the edges … Read more

What is “Blue Green Algae”? “Blue Green Algae” is not an algae. It is a bacteria form called a cyanobacteria. The name cyanobacterium is derived from the Greek word for “blue”:  κυανός. Cyanobacteria is normally blue-green in color, as the name suggests. But cyanobacteria can also be yellow green, reddish brown or even purple. And … Read more

Thread algae, hair algae or green hair algae is most often (but not always!) a filamentous green algae (Chlorophyta). Thread algae are a quite commonly found green algae. They form carpet-like layers, growing over plants and decoration. There are many types and forms of filamentous green algae. Very fine pale green brown strands are typically … Read more

Green spot algae, also known as green coat algae, is found in every aquarium. These green algae (chlorophyta), which cover glass and structures, are relatively easy to clean because we have the most weapons to combat them, including: algae scrubbers, and algae-eating catfish and invertebrates. As green algae, they do not cling tenaciously to surfaces … Read more

I deliberately added a “gotcha” photo, above, at the top of this article. Most hobbyists would say this tank has an obvious “algae” problem. It doesn’t. The green mat on the substrate is probably not an algae, it is probably a bacteria. And the gray wispy “stuff” is probably something called a “water mold” which … Read more

Unless one has some very easy aquarium plants (anubias, Amazon sword, Java fern, Java moss) a planted aquarium needs a source of carbon dioxide. Carbon dioxide (CO₂) does help a great deal with any planted tank. The Aquapros YouTube channel (great channel!) ran a test of CO₂ injection. For 40 days they ran two aquariums … Read more

There are as many good ways to set up a planted aquarium as there are good ways to set up a fish only aquarium. But surprisingly plants are more difficult than fish are. Growing lush plants can be tricky. Growing lush plants without growing lush algae can also be challenging. And adding large numbers of … Read more

There are many types of small schooling fish which do very well in a planted aquarium.

There are six basic ways to set up a planted aquarium.

Summary of Blackwater Fish Needs The term “blackwater” refers to soft, acidic water which is deep brown in color, like clear tea. The dark brown color is due to organic acids in the water. Many river systems of northern South America including the Rio Negro and the Orinoco have blackwater. Some streams and swamps in … Read more

How long will a tropical fish live?

This article only proves one should put medication into the food and not into the water, if one is treating an internal disease of a fish. If you believe that statement just stop right here. If one questions that statement, read on. But note the “proof” below is lengthy and only meant for real nerds … Read more

This is a general discussion of the best way to avoid ALL tropical fish diseases.

By the simplified version there are many types of filters used for the tropical aquarium which can be scored by approximate number of three inch (7,5 cm) fish the filter will support, media capacity, ease of cleaning, cost, and appearance: *# of 3″ (7,5 cm) Fish refers to the number of three inch fish that … Read more

Tropical aquarium fish can thrive anywhere from 70 degrees F to 86 degrees F

The idea the Malawi Bloat is caused by high protein food is a myth.

There a a host of fish foods which are supposedly “bad for fish” which are actually very good for fish in an aquarium.

Almost all dry fish food is quite acceptable for virtually all fish.

When fish food is added to an aquarium it should be thoroughly dispersed throughout the aquarium.

The concept of herbivore and carnivores has little bearing in feeding aquarium fish.