7.2.14. BioHome Filter Media
BioHome does not work well and is hugely overpriced. Biohome does very poorly at ammonia removal and does NOT do ANY removal of nitrates.
Level 7
The Scientific Research Papers
10.13.5. Bryozoans and Stentors
Bryozoans One interesting little critter that looks much like a hydra but is a different type of animal is something called a “bryozoan”. It acts and looks much like hydra but tends to occur in clusters and colonies, often quite large. It is very rarely seen in the aquarium. The little bodies have many more … Read more
8.5.2. DIY Undergravel Filter
An article on how to build a do it yourself aquarium undergravel filter.
17.11.4. Food for Discus
University research has shown discus are somewhat less forgiving than most fish when it comes to fish food. Commercial dry foods generally are not “optimum” for discus, even if they have a label that says “For Discus”. But note the word “optimum”. Perfectly satisfactory results can be had with most pelleted commercial fish food as … Read more
17.11.6. Breeding Discus
Breeding discus is a very misunderstood topic. It all has to do with what black water is. The native waters of discus are typically “black water” biotopes. Black water is water which is so low in dissolved solids that bacteria cannot grow. Bacteria need some sodium chloride and other salts in order to metabolize well … Read more
17.11.5. Discus Pheromones
A pheromone is a chemical that an animal produces which changes the behavior of another animal of the same species. Think of a pheromone as a “smell”. These “smells” can be very complex and have a lot of components. There is one large supplier of discus which started out their huge discus breeding faculty with … Read more
17.11.3. Water for Discus
Many think that discus MUST be kept at a high temperature 84 to 90°F (29 to 32°C) in water which has a low TDS and a pH between 6.0 and 7.0. This is ONLY true if one is trying to raise competitive discus which are as large as possible. Adult discus in a decorative aquarium … Read more
17.11.2. Filtration for Discus
I found the key to decorative discus is ultra-crystal-clear water with NO bacteria counts and a HUGE amount of biofiltration. And I mean HUGE! For decorative discus one should ideally have a sump of at least 40% of the aquarium size (a 50 gallon (189 liter) aquarium needs at least a 20 gallon (75.7 liter) … Read more
17.11.1. Discus Husbandry
The “optimum conditions” for DECORATIVE discus are: But note these are “optimums”. Very fine, healthy, attractive DECORATIVE discus can be raised well away from these optimums as long as the water is low in bacteria. Tankmates for Discus Discus typically are kept in a species only tank. But some like some other fish in with … Read more
17.11.7. Discus Photos
Here is a page of photos of discus tank which will give one an idea of how varied the selection of discus breeds can be.
15.5.7. DIY Fertilizers
These are instructions on how to make several do-it-yourself planted aquarium fertilizers.
15.5.5. DIY Epiphytic Fertilizer
These are the instructions on how to make a fertilizer for a planted aquarium with epiphytic or floating plants,
15.5.6. Fish Food Fertilizer
These are instructions on how to use fish food to fertilize a planted aquarium.
15.5.2. Fertilizer Programs
There are several worthless programs that use a complex of five or more components to supposedly make a good fertilization program. It is all marketing hype.
18.1.4. Softened, RO, DI, TDS
Any water you can drink is fine for almost any fish. Plants are a little more touchy. The only time one can have problems is: So any sort of water treatment beyond chlorine conditioner is normally just a waste of money. But many want to know the options so here goes: Water Treatment in Depth … Read more
2.5.2. Rapid Fish-in Cycling
This is how to rapidly do a fishless cycle of a sponge filter outside the aquarium in a one or two gallon jug.
8.7.8. Small DIY Filters
This article describes some 16 different ways to build DIY filters for small aquariums.
16.2.7. Chihiros Doctor
Many planted aquarium photos from Europe show a little fan-like device in one corner. These are the “Chihiros Doctor” (the Twinstar Unit is very similar and does the same thing). The units are somewhat expensive ($73 to $110). This device supposedly controls algae. This device is nothing more than a “sneaky” way to use chemicals … Read more
17.2.1. Blackwater Biotope
Blackwater is a very bacteria free biotope which creates some problems for fish species from blackwater.
10.3.10. Red Mouth in Goldfish
Why does my goldfish have a red mouth?
15.6.4. CO₂ From Food
There is one “interesting” approach to providing carbon dioxide to the aquarium which bears mentioning. This is to use food as the source of CO₂. Note I do NOT recommend this method. It is challenging, to say the least. Let’s do some simple math here. In a planted aquarium it is desirable to add VERY … Read more
16.2.6. Chemical Algae Control
We do not recommend chemicals to treat algae. The two photos above were posted to an aquarium forum in Facebook. The show what API Algaefix did to a tank. It killed every fish. This is VERY common. Any chemicals (save antibiotics for “blue green algae”) which kill algae are “disinfectants” that will kill ANY cell … Read more
16.2.5. The Algae War
Summary This is only for planted aquariums. If you have a fish only aquarium ignore this article. It is very important to plant a planted aquarium with a LOT of plants. There needs to be a plant of some sort every three inches. To illustrate, a 20 gallon aquarium is 24 x 12 x 16. … Read more
16.2.4. Algae Eaters
A very good way to treat nuisance algae is by using “algae eaters”. These include sucker catfish such as bristlenose catfish (ancistrus), otocinclus, flying foxes (Epalzeorhynchos kalopterus), Silver Flying Fox (Crossocheilus reticulates) and Siamese algae eaters (Crossocheilus siamensis). Black mollies and redline sharks also eat algae. Shrimp and snails also eat algae. These can be … Read more
16.2.3. Algae in Low Tech Tanks
By the terms “low tech planted aquarium” we mean an aquarium with vascular plants but no carbon dioxide injection. In these types of planted aquariums heavy algae growth can be prevented by several means: Because vascular plants have lots of carbon filled cellulose in their structures, they need more CO₂ than simple algae needs. And … Read more
16.2.2. Algae in High Tech Tanks
We define a “high tech planted aquarium” as a planted tank with carbon dioxide injection and high intensity lighting with some crimson and blue light. There are a whole list of things needed for the good growth of higher plants in the high tech planted aquarium: Algae control in high tech planted aquariums is surprisingly … Read more
16.2.1. Algae in Fish Only Tanks
To control a severe algae outbreak in a fish only aquarium it is best to simply do some six to eight 50% water changes over the span of two days. Contrary to popular mythology, large water changes are perfectly natural (a fish swimming in a river has a water change every second) and harmless to … Read more
15.5.3. Estimative Index
These are instructions on how to use the estimative index fertilizer program for planted aquariums.
18.1.3. Water Change Water
Newcomers to the hobby are bombarded in the fish store with all sorts of water treatments: conditioners, stress coat, pH adjusters, ammonia detoxifier, bacteria in a bottle, buffers, aquarium salt, ad. infinitum. Only a cheap conditioner is necessary. All the other products are simply scams. When it comes to water this is the “Rule” If … Read more
18.1.2. Aquarium Water Change Math
There is a “rule” that says you need to change the water 50% every week and a 25% change twice a week with an aquarium. The only reason for doing water changes is to keep the nitrates down. Note there are all sorts of other reasons given on social media for doing water changes: “You … Read more
18.1.1. Water Changes in Depth
It is generally (but not universally!) accepted that fish will do better in an aquarium if some of the water is drained upon occasion and replaced with new clean water. This is called a “water change”. People drain and refill anywhere from 75% of the aquarium twice a week to 10% of the aquarium every … Read more
15.5.4. NH₄ and Tabs Fertilizer
These are instructions on how to make the optimum planted aquarium fertilizer by using ammonium salts and phosphorus and iron additions to only the substrate.
15.6.5. Liquid CO₂
There are a whole series of products which supposedly add “liquid carbon” to a planted aquarium. There are three points which summarize the discussion: To go into more depth read on. “Liquid Carbon” in Depth There is one supplier which is honest about “liquid carbon”. It is Cory at Aquarium Co-op. Cory is the most … Read more
15.5.1. Ready Made Fertilizers
The easiest approach to planted aquarium fertilizing is to simply use Aquarium Co-Op Easy Green™ per the instructions on the container.
10.4.2. Mycobacteriosis in Humans
Fish TB or mycobacteriosis can infect humans and is a serious disease not to be taken lightly. All hobbyists should know the symptoms.
16.10.1. White Fuzz
There are a whole host of ways in which water molds and other “white” organisms can present in the aquarium. The terms for such “fuzz” include fungus, mold, slime, tufts, coating, cotton, white streamers, fog etc. Most of these white fuzzy growths are species of “water mold” (order Saprolegniales, generally from three genera: Achlya, Leptolegnia, … Read more
2.8.2. Sludge Removing Bacteria
There are products which are supposedly “sludge removing” bacteria-in-a-bottle. These include Seachem Pristine™, Tetra Cleaning Bacteria™, API Stresszyme +™, Fluval Biological Cleaner™, Nutrafin Waste Control™ , Outbreak!™, FritzZyme® MONSTER 360™ and Dr. Tim’s Waste Away™. They are the very definition of fraud. “Definition of fraud; DECEIT, TRICKERY, specifically: intentional perversion of truth in order to … Read more
4.8.1. Rapid Thermal and pH Shifts
The going mantra is that tropical fish require “stability” and “constancy” of pH and temperature. Supposedly any rapid change over 0.2 pH or 2 degrees temperature will “shock”, “stress” and possibly kill the fish. This idea is a myth. Experimentation and scientific research by the author and Universities has shown this to be patently false. … Read more
8.9.3. Assimilatory Denitrification
Nitrates in any aquarium CAN be removed via something called assimilatory denitrification but we do not recommend it.
6.5.2. Substrate as a Filter
The substrate in an aquarium does not act as a biofilter, as proven by testing.
2.4.1. Dr. Tim’s Cycling Method
This delineates the procedure Dr. Tim recommends for cycling an aquarium filter with pure ammonia.
6.8.1. Filter Cleaning Tests
Testing established that new filters just cycled will need to be recycled if thoroughly cleaned.
2.8.1. Bacteria in a Bottle in Depth
This delineates a whole series of test which clearly showed bacteria in a bottle products to be worthless wastes of money.
2.5.1. Fish-in Cycling Science
This article goes into some depth on the science of doing a cycle on an aquarium where there are fish in that aquarium.
17.5.4. Goldfish Care
Goldfish, due to hundreds of years of “inadvertent selective breeding” are simply the easiest fish there is to keep. Yet well meaning but ill-informed individuals on social media will tell the hobbyist that goldfish are very touchy fish that requires a great deal of careful care. This is because of a concerted effort by PETA … Read more
17.5.3. Stocking Goldfish
Stocking for goldfish (i.e. the number of gallons needed for each goldfish) is controversial, to put it mildly. But it all can be summarized in one bullet: . It all boils down to an OPINION . It is the OPINION of many hobbyists that goldfish need very large aquariums in order to “thrive”. It is … Read more
17.5.2. Size of Goldfish
In a small aquarium a common goldfish will grow to possibly four inches and no greater. In a large lake a common goldfish will normally grow to six inches with an occasional fish getting to eight inches. If you want a bit of a rant followed by a very long and boring analysis of the … Read more
17.5.1. Types of Goldfish
There are two distinct types of goldfish. The common, sarasa and shubunkin goldfish are one type of goldfish, which some call “narrow bodied goldfish”. These fish are easily kept under many different conditions, including overcrowded, small tanks with poor water quality. They can live to be 20 or even 30 years old. “Fancy goldfish” or … Read more
3.1.1. Fish Food Science
There are a lot of beliefs about aquarium fish food that, in fact, have no basis in science.
4.5.2. Carbonate Hardness
Carbonate hardness (KH or alkalinity) is relatively unimportant in an aquarium.
8.3.3. FX Series Canister Filters
The FX Series Canister Filters can be made into excellent aquarium filters.
8.7.6. Small Filters
There are several different designs of filters commercially available for small aquariums.
7.1.1. Cost of Filter Media
If one adds in the cost of more filters needed for poor media the cost differential between the most cost effective media and the least cost effective media becomes a factor of 25.
7.1.2. Media Function
Aquarium filter media should be designed to provide a very high surface area for colonization by populations of nitrifying bacteria.
5.2.3. Ammonia Spikes
Most home hobbyists measure the total ammonia via the API “Ammonia” test kit. This test kit measures both ammonia gas and ammonium ions. It is not unusual for a hobbyist to be surprised by a sudden unexpected spike in these numbers. It is not cause for concern most of the time. Ammonia+ammonium spikes and nitrite … Read more
10.12.2. Capillaria
The tropical fish disease called capillaria explained.
17.4.1. Malawi Aquariums
These are examples of Lake Malawi aquariums pulled off social media. Note that they are all heavily stocked. Heavy stocking is the key to keeping a good Lake Malawi aquarium. This illustrates that Lake Malawi cichlids do best with very heavy stocking. Very heavy stocking reduces aggression. These aquariums all had very good filtration. If … Read more
7.1.3. Filter Media Test
This is the procedure used to test the efficacy of various aquarium filter media.
14.4.2. Obsolete Standards
There are several methods of measuring lights in an aquarium which have become obsolete.
14.4.1. Light Spectrums
The spectrum of any aquarium light is very important to its successful operation.
14.2.3. Buffering Substrates
It is beneficial for most aquariums to add a bag of crushed coral to the filter. This buffers the water to 7.6 to 7.9 pH. This pH is great for all fish, contrary to popular mythology.
5.5.3. Water Conditioners
Most water supplies in the developed world have either chlorine or chloramine in them to kill bacteria and prevent disease outbreaks. This chlorine and chloramine need to be neutralized before it gets to the gills of a fish as it is very toxic to the fish. This is done with something called a “conditioner”. All … Read more
12.4.7. Quinine
One very typical example of the profit motive at work is the promotion of Chloroquine Phosphate as an ich medication. The claims put out by the manufacturer of the product, as usual, combine fact with fiction in a blend that deceives many people. The manufacturer claims Chloroquine Phosphate kills the malaria organism, a true statement. … Read more
12.4.6. Furan and Sulfa
Sulfa and Furan Drugs Sulfa and furan drugs do not treat fish diseases very well. They should be thought of as antiseptics which have limited bacteriostatic actions when dissolved in the water column of an aquarium. They will stop the transmission of bacteria from one fish to another fish. They are far more effective when … Read more
12.4.5. Antiseptics
There are many medicines marketed for fish diseases which are properly termed antiseptics (other terms are disinfectants and antibacterials). These are frequently touted for use in fish for treating fish diseases. The following antiseptics are commonly touted for treating fish pathogens: They all have been touted as being good to use in solution in a … Read more
12.4.4. Formalin
Some medications use a compound called formalin in them. Formalin is simply a 30% solution of formaldehyde, the stuff which preserves frogs for dissection. Believe it or not, this compound supposedly kills all the following pathogens; In actuality this is true. At a high enough concentration formalin kills the exposed living cells of all these … Read more
12.4.3. Aquarium Dyes
Malachite green and methylene blue have some limited uses as fish medications.
12.4.2. Salt
As a medication, salt has very limited uses in the aquarium.
12.4.1. “Natural” Aquarium Medications
There are a whole host of aquarium medications which are labeled as “Natural”. Sorry, I just cannot sugar coat this: “Natural” Medications are ALL Worthless . ALL the claims made for “natural medications” on social media are simply parroted marketing hype designed to make money. I.e. they are all simply “snake oil” and will not … Read more
11.1.2. Spots on Head
White tufts on the head of a fish is a syndrome called canal neuromast inflammation, a form of hole in the head syndrome.
11.1.1. Hexamita and HITH
Hole in the head (HITH) disease in aquarium fish is not caused by hexamita.
7.4.8. Chemi-pure
There are several varieties of a “Proprietary Product” called Chemi-pure. These are simply mixtures of the products below with very high price tags: So if you want to do some of the above things and pay a huge amount of money to do them, be my guest. Buy yourself some Chemi-pure! If you want further … Read more
10.4.1. Fish TB in Depth
Fish TB or environmental mycobacteriosis is delved into in some depth in this article.
10.3.11. Treating Bacteria
Bacterial diseases in fish need an antibiotic in the food and ONLY in the food.
10.3.1. Skin Ulcers
Tropical fish get bacterial skin ulcers quite frequently.
10.3.9. Red Gills
Red inflamed gills are typically infected with a gram negative bacteria and the fish need an antibiotic in the food and ONLY in the food.
10.3.8. Popeye
Popeye is typically a gram positive bacterial infection and the fish needs an antibiotic such as erythromycin in the food and ONLY in the food.
10.3.7. White Eyes
A tropical fish with one or two white eyes has a bacterial infection and needs antibiotics in the food and ONLY in the food.
10.3.6. Red Blotches
When a tropical fish gets red blotches on its body it is a internal bacterial infection that requires antibiotics in the food and ONLY in the food.
10.3.5. Saddleback
When a white patch appears on the back of a fish it is a bacterial infection called “saddleback”. It requires antibiotics in the food and ONLY in the food.
10.3.4. Fin Rot
Fin rot is where the fins of tropical fish erode away, typically with a white edge. It requires antibiotics in the food and only in the food.
10.3.3. Duck Lips
Very fat lips in an aquarium fish is normally a sign of a serious bacterial infection.
10.3.2. Mouth Rot
When the mouth of a fish starts eroding away this is a bacterial disease called mouth rot.;
10.2.7. Cryptobia
Cryptobia can be suspected if large numbers of cichlids are dying with few symptoms in the matter of a few weeks.
10.2.5. Chilodonella and Costia
What is patches of tiny white spots on my tropical fish?
10.2.4. Epistylis
Epistylis is a very common and very unrecognized fish disease. It is commonly confused with ich.
10.2.3. Velvet
“Velvet” (Piscinoodinium pillulare, or “oodinium”, a dinoflagellate algae) is a very small parasite that looks like tiny spots of yellowish to golden-brown or rusty-colored varnish on the fish. Well intentioned but ill-informed commentators on the social media are constantly identifying patches of white on fish as “velvet”. They are simply wrong. “Velvet” has a distinctive … Read more
10.2.1. All Protozoans
What are the skin diseases found on aquarium fish?
9.3.2. Cleaning Air Stones
Aquarium airstones can be cleaned with a combination of lye and pool acid.
8.9.2. A Feasible Reactor
It is possible to remove nitrates from an aquarium via anaerobic denitrification but we do NOT recommend it
8.9.1. Biocenosis Reactor
A critique of the false idea that a filter made of kitty litter can somehow help reduce nitrate to nitrogen gas.
8.7.5. DIY Bottle Filters
Most aquarium bottle filter designs simply do not work. But they can typically be modified to work.
8.7.4. Diatomaceous Earth Filters
Diatomaceous earth filters are not very useful in the freshwater aquarium.
8.7.2. High Performance Filters
High performance filters for the aquarium are simply very expensive commercial fluidized bed sumps. Don’t even consider them.
8.7.1. Sand Filters
Aquarium sand filters are too complicated in operation to be useful in most aquariums,
8.6.4. Wet-Dry Filters
Wet-dry aquarium filters do not work very well and are going out of favor in the hobby.
8.6.2. Static Sump Filters
This gives several design possibilities for a static media sump aquarium filter.
8.3.2. Do-it-yourself Canisters
Joey (the King of DIY aquariums) has a YouTube Video on making a do-it-yourself pipe canister filter. His was about four-foot-long (120 cm) and made from 4-inch (10 cm) pipe. This will give you about 2.6 gallons or 10 liters of room for media. Leaks can be a huge problem with Joey’s design (or any … Read more
8.3.1. Canisters in Depth
The biggest myth with canisters is that the flow through the canister is what is important. That is just plain incorrect. The test below showed that flow has very little effect on the efficiency of a canister. Test of Flow Rate in Canisters Canisters are normally rated by their flow rate. Supposedly if you double … Read more
8.8.1. Sizing Filters in Depth
This shows how to calculate how large any given aquarium filter should be.
7.4.7. Poly-Filter
Poly-Filter is an extremely expensive ($45 for a one square foot piece!) fibrous pad material which is commonly used in filters. Some breeders add this to the bags of fish shipments, supposedly to absorb or adsorb contaminants. It supposedly removes “Harmful Organics, Toxic Ammonia and Nitrite, Heavy Metals, All Forms of Phosphate, Medications after Treatment”. … Read more
7.4.6. Purigen
Purigen will NOT create clear water nor will it help with nitrates. Purigen will absorb colored compounds such as tannic acid.
7.4.5. Phosphate Remover
Phosphate removing granules work! Iron and aluminum phosphates are simply very insoluble. So, these products will remove phosphates from the water. The use of phosphate removing granules are indicated where a phosphate test indicates high phosphates are causing an algae bloom. “Blue-green algae” blooms are very commonly caused by high phosphate in the water. So … Read more
7.4.4. Zeolite
There is a mineral which selectively removes ammonium from the water. It is a zeolite called clinoptilolite. This can be found in the LFS as white granules. This material can remove about 1.74 mg NH₄–N g−1 (“Ammonia Removal from Leachate solution using Natural Chinese Clinoptilolite”, Wang et. al. 2006). A 100-gallon aquarium with 3 part … Read more
7.4.3. Ion-Exchange Resins
There are two distinct uses for deionizing resins. One is to treat water for a water change and one is to directly treat the aquarium water to remove nitrates or ammonia. Neither use is a very good use of monetary resources, to put it mildly. What is DI (Deionizing or Ion Exchange) resin? An ion-exchange … Read more
7.4.2. Activated Carbon
The activated carbon used in aquarium filters is elemental carbon, i.e. pure carbon with nothing else in the atomic structure. Activated carbon is typically lignite coal heated above the temperature at which it burns in an oxygen-free atmosphere. Since there is no oxygen, the carbon of the coal doesn’t burn. Instead there are a billion … Read more
7.2.12. Matrix
Seachem Matrix filter media is simply marketing hype that doesn’t work very well. This was confirmed by testing.
7.2.10. Growstone
“Growstone” or “Buddystone” is not a very effective media to put in aquarium filters.
7.2.6. PP EVA Pads
EVA pads are decent filter media for aquariums and ponds. Japanese mats are not good media.
7.2.1. Polyester Floss
Polyester Floss is usually only used for mechanical filtration. It is rarely used for biofiltration. This article goes into why polyester floss has to be used this way.
6.1.1. Cleaned Mechanical Filtration
Mechanical filtration is a minor component of aquarium filtration.
6.1.2. Uncleaned Mechanical Filtration
Mechanical filtration is NOT necessary in an aquarium filter.
6.4.1. Crystal-Clear Water in Depth
In an aquarium, crystal clear water will give very healthy fish.
5.3.2. Nitrite in More Depth
The recommended chronic exposure upper limit in the aquarium of nitrite in parts per million is dependent on pH as follows (from Duke University https://users.cs.duke.edu/~narten/faq/cycling.html): These limits are for chronic toxicity, where long term damage to internal organs occurs. There are some university papers on the toxicity of nitrites: The toxicity of ammonia and of … Read more
5.2.1. Ammonia in Depth
Ammonia is not the poison it is made out to be by many in the hobby of fishkeeping.
5.5.2. Chloramines
Chloramines are used to disinfect drinking water. Chloramines kill tropical fish even in very small amounts.
4.5.1. General Hardness
General hardness, GH, in the water basically reflect the amount of the elements Calcium and Magnesium one has in the water. Calcium and Magnesium is what forms scale and crusts in your toilet and bathtub tiles (and your aquarium). Calcium and Magnesium are elements which don’t dissolve very well in water. So, when given the … Read more
4.4.3. Carbon Dioxide and pH
CO2, KH and pH are the Bermuda Triangle of fishkeeping. Go there and you may never come out. It is a very complex and unpredictable relationship.
4.4.2. Buffering the Water
Buffering makes water resistant to changes in pH but it is rarely needed in any aquarium.
4.4.1. Aquarium pH is Not Important
This article is the research papers that support the idea that pH is not important in the aquarium.
3.6.1. Dry Fish Food in Depth
Almost all dry fish food is quite acceptable food for virtually all fish.
3.3.1. Amount in Depth
Over FeedingSince fish are cold blooded (poikilothermic), they do not require a lot of energy and food to survive compared to mammals. Overfeeding your fish can lead to problems. It leads to excess waste which will cause the biological load on the filtration system will become overworked. Continued overload can lead to the disruption of … Read more
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