Below you'll find answers to the questions we get asked the most about keeping fish.
The length x depth x width in metres, multiplied by 1000 will give the volume in litres.
To work this out you might need to convert inches to cm, the equation for this is 1inch = 2.54cm. For example 12 inches x 2.54 = 30.48cm. 30.48 / 100 = size in metres.
If you then want to convert the litres to US Gallons, multiply the volume in litres by 0.264.
For example: 20 litre aquarium 20 x 0.264 = 5.28 US Gallons
You should never have to drain your aquarium, in fact, doing so is likely to cause more bad than good.
Any water quality problems should be easily addressed by completing small but regular water changes.
Removing large amounts of water from your aquarium will stress your fish and could also lead to filtration problems.
The Nitrogen Cycle is a naturally occurring cycle driven by the biological filter in your aquarium which processes waste in the water.
In new aquariums, the filter is not biologically mature.
This means the essential bacteria required to nitrify the toxic waste produced by fish have not yet become established on the filter media.
We recommend the use of a Filter Booster treatment, Filter Boosters adds bacteria, which is essential to start a healthy aquarium and cuts in half the time usually required to mature a filter.
The term 'cycling' is used to refer to the process of getting the filter started and mature with the correct level of good bacteria that process fish waste.
It refers to the natural process 'The Nitrogen Cycle' that we generate in the aquarium to break down the poisonous fish waste into safer compounds.
See 'Understanding the nitrogen cycle'.
Cloudy, or milky water can occur due to several reasons:
Only add the recommended amount and size of fish, see 'How many fish?'
Green water is caused by tiny algae cells suspended in the water. This algae grows when there is excess light and/or food.
Test the water for high nitrate levels and address high readings with water changes and by adding live plants which use up the food.
Ensure the aquarium is not positioned in direct sunlight and turn the lights off at night to replicate a day/night cycle.
Also check that the algae is not growing on the inside of the glass (this is a different type of algae). If it is, remove using a magnetic aquarium glass cleaner.
If your fish are becoming sick, dying or showing other symptoms of being unwell, it is important to test your aquarium water with an aquarium water test kit.
These tests will highlight any water chemistry problems that are invisible to the naked eye.
Prevention is better than cure; so good aquarium care and purchasing healthy fish will set you up well.
However, disease and fish problems can occur for many different reasons. See 'How to prevent fish illness and stress' for more information.
Flicking or scratching on ornaments is often a sign of bad water quality.
Test your aquarium water using an aquarium test kit to identify your next actions.
Flicking and scratching may also be a sign of parasitic infection, however in this instance there would be other visible symptoms.
Treat either the water or the fish according to the observations.
Erratic behaviour, such as a jumping, is often a sign of bad water quality.
Test your aquarium water using a test kit and treat the results accordingly.
In most cases removing fish from their home is likely to cause more harm than good. A separate aquarium will have different water quality, filtration, temperature and could cause unnecessary stress.
If you are concerned that your fish is being bullied by others during treatment you could consider using a floating fry net which will separate the fish whilst keeping them in their natural habitat.
You should dispose of your fish in whatever way you wish.
However, we would not advise flushing livestock down the toilet, using a bin or compost heap would be an advisable alternative.
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