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I live in a state with very hard water with excess minerals in it. So much so you can see white residue at the bottom of a settled glass that looks like someone sprinkled salt in my cup. However, it is safe to drink it just has a displeasing taste. Not bad, but not pleasant. So like I said...

Unless your fish's abdomen is severly shrunk or bloated in size do not worry about watching them poop. I've only seen my betta do it once in the year I've had him since his petco rescue. I sometimes see a bit when I siphon the tank. As long as your water is clean and parameters stable and your...

Unless you're drinking from an old, nasty well all you need to do is buy water conditioner. Water conditioner removes the chlorine, chlormarine, and heavy metals found in your tap water to make it safe for fish. It's also much cheaper than buying "pre-conditioned" betta water as its someone in a...

Is your tank properly cycled? Are you treating with any medications? How much food do you feed your fish and how often? Are you using water conditioner when you do water changes? You also need to be performing water changes of either 50% once a week or 30% to 40% twice a week. When you do water...

My bristlenose fights with the amazon sword I've barely kept alive (probably due to her fighting it) and its right outside the wood she claims as a cave.

Unless the pet store you are going to is using a liquid test kit and giving you specific numbers, then stop relying on them. What Nick is asking is the hardness of your water. Is it soft or hard water? You can find this out by looking on the website of your local water authority. I would also...

Welcome to the forum, lets get started! I can't tell from the picture, but is the darker edging along his fins dark brown/black in color? If it is this is fin rot. I'm also noticing some spikey fake plants in the background. I'll let you know right now that pointed, sharp edged, or any kind of...

Having a betta in with guppies is not a good idea. Male betta can often mistake the flashy colors of a guppy for a rival and kill them. He may seem fine now, but you are asking for a problem here.

Just a thought, but not a definate solution to what may be your problem, but do you have any driftwood in your tanks? I agree with fluttermoth that a bare tank encourages hiding. When I got my first BN pleco I noticed she hid quite a lot too, despite at the time being one of the few members in...

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I've recently acquired a yoyo loach from a fellow a newbie aquariest at work. She decided, after I told her howmmuch I enjoy my fish tank, to get a small five gallon tank of her own and fill it with a betta, corydora, and one yoyo loach. She didn't tell me until two weeks after she set up the...

I've been entertaining the idea of getting a snail for my main tank but I have no experience with them. I also have a fear of pest snails and getting an infestation like you see in pictures online. I'd be interested in a snail species that is slow to reproduce or easy to maintain. A bit on the...

I am not requiring that people be an expert on all things fish. I couldn't begin to tell you the difference between most aquatic plants, requirments for brackish water fish, marine fish, live coral and sand. I can't even tell you where to find ferts for your substrate. However there is no...

Have you thought of getting a background for your tank. I read online that some people make a sort of java moss wall on the inside but I've never tried this. And also, I have a large piece of driftwood that turned my tank tea brown within an hour. I can still see all my fish clearly and my tank...

I love angels, they are so sassy and inquisitive. Kind of like betta :D

I get the same way when my father happens to be around during my weekly water changes. He stands behind me and follows me back and forth to the tub as I fill buckets and put water conditioner in. The story usually goes "when I owned a fish tank I never changed the water as much as you. Maybe...

I went in to the pet store they just built near my grandma's last night to pick my dog up a new beef bone to chew on. After I paid I noticed an employee putting out plants that were partially submerged in their plant tank but not all the way. As I was interested in this I asked what they were...

Thats a shame they allow such a lovely fish to suffer like that. It was kind of you to try and help the fella. He still looks like he has some spunk, best of luck!

If you are concerned about killing your bacteria you can always take the filter pad out of your fliter and place it in a clean bucket of dechlorinated water. I'd also place an air stone in there but thats just me. You can keep buddy in your main tank when you treat him and keep the filter on for...

SO MANY JARS :eek:

I am a I am aware that water changes are necessary. Id lapsed by one day because if a hectic work schedule. I tested the water once more before work this morning and everything is stable. She still shows interest in food and other shoaling activity. My question remains though on how to treat...

As I was replacing my filter intake sponge (I removed the sponge and exchanged it for a less bulbous one) one of my more inquisitive panda cordydora swam up to the uncovered intake tube. She was only stuck for a moment and as I went to unplug the filter she took matters into her own hands and...

I think it would be worth resealing and getting a new tank if you really want one. You never know when you might need (or want) to set up a random tank somewhere else in the house. It'd save you money in the future to have a freshly resealed 20 gallon that you can just grab from storage.

I think petco website honors the dollar per gallon sale price online. I could be wrong but its worth checking out if you really want the deal.

I usually buy them from the tubes as they are pest and parasite free. I bought some new driftwood for my betta tank and its shelved next to a tank where they keep weighted plants. This tank that have them in is obviously free of fish and they have a NICE selection of anubias, amazon swords, what...

It's very important you don't use soap or other chemicals that might leave residue. Diluted bleach is your best bet because basic bleach (nothing scented or the like) can be rinsed off and any remaining traces can be neutralized with water conditioner. Dawn dish soap or pinesol for example not...

Breeder*, have you even kept betta? How experienced are you in this hobby? Do you have the necessary breeding tanks as well as a way to give away the fry when they get older? Betta are very territorial fish. A male will often kill a female when you put them in the same tank UNLESS he's...

Good lord those run on sentences,. Is your female molly the ONLY female in the tank? Live bearers like molly, platy, and guppies are always interested in mating. It is not uncommon for a lone female to get excess attention from other males seeking to breed. Often to the point of harrassment and...

If you have a female platy its safe to assume shes pregnant. Fun fact! Female mollies and platies only need to mate ONE TIME for them to have several batches of fry, as they retain the sperm from that single mating :D! Here is a handy dandy picture I found on google that took 3 seconds.

Your pleco are most likely shy and not confident in their new home yet. My BN pleco hardly touches her wafers either but she nibbles now and again. I have more bottom feeders so it doesn't go to waste. Your plecos ARE eating you just don't see. Give it a few more weeks and you'll notice...

Automatic feeders are terrible don't waste your money. You fish should be having there light off much soon than midnight. Id recommend getting a timer for your light so it goes off between 8 and 10 and by the time you get home around midnight you can put the food in.

Always assume a female platty is pregnant. Like mollies a platy can retain the sperm from one mating and have several batches of fry from this one mating. If you want to raise the fry I recommend getting a seperatr breeder tank to raise them as platy eat their young. If not make sure your fry...

Your tank is too small for those fish. If fry come along you'll have an even bigger problem. Also platy and mollies are schooling fish and like to be kept in larger groups. if you have males its usually 1 male to 3 females to prevent aggression. Always assume a female livebearer is pregnant, as...

You tell us the water parameters are great but can you please give us some numbers? The number one cause of fish illness is stress. What medicines have you used and can you tell us more about your tank? is it heated, does he have other tank mates, any sharp decor like fake pokey plants and the...

What in gods name... you say your betta coughed this up? Have you noticed any missing fish recently? One of my angels once ate a good chunk of a dead fish that wasn't removed till I got home from work. He spit out a thick, whitish mass as I had to "snatch" the piece from his mouth as it was too...

I've finally caved in to the need to get another betta. I've already purchased the tank but I'll not be setting it up until I get the issue with my current bettas tank taken care of. I'm currently waiting on a new filter to arrive and fix our slime issue. Anywho! I've ordered a 5.5 gallon tank...

I agree with the genetic issue snork mentioned, I've seen guppies at my local petsmart that will sometimes have a bent spine and struggle to swim. This is usually a result of inbreeding and genetic defects. If your fish has lived to adulthood with this issue I'm thinking its a combination of his...

In my opinion this is a very bad idea. We dont know what could be dumped in the water farther upriver including litter, human waste, and run off from farms and the like. River water is not clean and what grows and lives in it will absorb what is in the water. There are all sorts of unknown...

NO that stuff is garbage and causes weird things to happen to a bettas labyrinth organ. Your tank is overstocked alright. That's the reason for the spikes in your water parameters. I'd reccomend 30% water changes everyday until you get a new tank. I know it seems excessive but your fish will get...

Nitrate, nitrites and ammonia should all be at zero. Do a 50% water change right now. Test again and record numbers. If they are still not at zero make sure your gravel has been vaccumed and that there is no sludge like substance on your filter media. Proceed for another water change. Thr number...