to all who replyed back...thanks, i answered

[HONEY SO EXOTIC]

i have a 60 gallon salt water tank
i have one smally blue with yellow tail, hardy fish......he survived the ecosystem creation.
i have one big queen angel, thats yellow with bright blue on the tips, and i have one dogface puffer fish.
im in tempe, arizona
i think i answered all your guy's questions.......
thanks everyone......please help me

 

[Tempestuousfury]

Sorry about the mis-informed response.

However, make sure you tell people it's a saltwater tank each time and to ask questions in the saltwater section, if possible.

Sorry again. )

 

[ger87410]

Hi Honey. Don't worry about it fish keeping is very simple. Next we need to know if you have gravel bottom or sand. If it's gravel bottom you really got to get down in there with your vaccuum. If it's sand, just glide along the top.

 

[ger87410]

Then after you clean the bottom, all you gotta do is get the algae off of the glass (I'm assuming saltwater is the same as freshwater here) with an algae scraper. Check your filter to make sure it's not clogged. Check the thing that picks off crap off the top to be sure stuff is flowing through there without any type of clogs. Check your fish (I do it daily or more) for health. Then, enjoy them. Is there anything else I can help with? Can you give us a picture?

 

[HONEY SO EXOTIC]

i have coral gravel at the bottom of my tank.
is there a special vacum for these saltwater tanks?.....i never knew!!!
how much are they, and where do i get one?
you mentioned something about a alge scraper, whats that??

 

[ger87410]

You'll find all this stuff I mentioned at your local fish store, or walmart. The vaccuum looks like a large tube with a long hose attached to it. I don't see why cleaning would be any different with corral gravel, but I'm not sure. An algae scraper looks like a white brush on a plastic stick. You just run it over the part with algae and it just comes off. Like a scrub brush.

 

[HONEY SO EXOTIC]

will it sturr up the water, like make it all yucky, while the fish are in the tank, if i vacum and scrape.......???

 

[ger87410]

Don't worry about it. The filter will get most of it, and the rest will disapper in the 20% water change that you do every so often. I do it about every 2 weeks when I have to vaccuum the bottom. And you will have to stick your hand in there, so make sure it's washed first.

 

[ger87410]

I forgot to mention, that when you vaccuum, it will take some of the water out. Make sure you have enough water that doesn't have any chlorine in it to replace the water you took out.

 

[HONEY SO EXOTIC]

okay, do you have maybe a estimat or something on what these will cost....just curious so i have enough when i go to the store???
also, what do i put my hand in there for?

 

[ger87410]

Most of the vacuums cost around $10. U have to have goot control of the vacuum. U can't just hold it by the hose. U have to grab it by the tube and get it deep into the gravel (I'm not sure on coral rocks) Unless it's sand bottom, then you just pick the stuff off the top. I heard that snails help keep the tank clean. All that gravel (or sand) is called substrate. Just be carefull done of it goes through the hose.