Questions tagged [freshwater]

Aquariums which are freshwater-based, indicating a different maintenance style from other water types. The "aquarium" tag should normally be included with the question.

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Male Platy clamping fins and hiding

I got 7 coral red platy for a planted ten gallon tank about two months ago. The water conditions are very good and the temperature is 76. I have 3 males and 4 females, and they have been breeding so I ...
2 votes
1 answer
127 views

Does an underground tank need a heater?

I have dug out a 3ftx3ftx44ft (d/w/h) (0.9mx0.9mx13m) area for raising tilapia, and I will be adding a layer of 6mm plastic to hold the water. I want to know whether I will need to buy a heater for ...
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1 vote
1 answer
90 views

Can you help me identify baby snails in my freshwater aquarium?

I have a freshwater aquarium which I added plants and two nerite snails to approximately two weeks ago. Today I noticed two baby snails -- one about 2mm long, the other about 1mm. As noted I do ...
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0 votes
1 answer
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Why putting Peas in the Fish Tank to feed fishes clouds the fish water?

I have a 30 gallon fish tank and the water was very crystal clean when I feed my fishes ONLY their fish flakes and pellets. As soon as I threw bunch of boiled, skinned, washed peas into my fish tank, ...
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4 votes
1 answer
47 views

How to change which water conditioner I'm using

I have two tanks: my ghost shrimp tank is using Tetra AquaSafe for Bettas water conditioner (the tank used to also contain a Betta fish, but no longer does). My Betta tank is using Seachem Prime water ...
3 votes
2 answers
109 views

New freshwater fish tank disaster, please help

Santa elves brought a 37 gallon freshwater fish tank early for Santa, youngest asked Santa for fish. Petsmart said use spring water for the tanks, so I did. Tank set up for a week. Went to aquarium ...
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6 votes
3 answers
221 views

Why do my Betta fish keep dying?

I got my first Betta fish (name: Dream) back in September of 2020, he was the first pet I've ever owned and it took me a little time to be able to get him a proper home. But after educating myself ...
2 votes
1 answer
447 views

Difference of CAE, SAE, and OTTO fish

I bought an algae eater at Petsmart and I recently learned myself that there are different algae eaters that look the same at a young age. I bought an algae eater that has a brown and cream brown body....
2 votes
1 answer
327 views

How many fish for a 29 gallon tank?

I am wanting to know how many fish could thrive in a 29 gallon (110 L) tank. Dimensions of the tank are 30” in L x 12” in W x 18” in H (76 x 30 x 46 cm). These guys could include any live bearers like ...
1 vote
0 answers
445 views

Clear bubble forming on guppy fin

My male white guppy has a strange, bubble-filled pocket on both sides of his dorsal fin. It does not seem to be affecting or causing any pain to the guppy. He is acting normal. He is still energetic ...
-1 votes
1 answer
213 views

Fish tank keeps becoming cloudy with a green tint

My friend texted me that her 30 gallon (around 114 liters) fish tank keeps becoming cloudy. She has eight small fish in the tank, which means that her tank is not overcrowded. She told me that after a ...
2 votes
0 answers
32 views

Too much solid debris after filter media change

I have my tank for about 10 years now. Three years ago filter stopped working and has been replaced with Tetra that was available at hand. It was working fine until couple months ago. It is still ...
1 vote
0 answers
62 views

Female Guppy Health Question

I went to feed my fish and I always check on my female guppies because they are the smallest in my community tank. I saw that one of my female’s gravid spot was a “odd” color to me. It is usually a ...
2 votes
0 answers
250 views

Is My Guppy Sick?

My adult guppy has been acting strange in my opinion. He has been inactive unlike the other guppies and platy fish in the tank. I’ve noticed that he has been swimming in place at the top of the tank. ...
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2 votes
0 answers
37 views

Digital pH Tester - fish tank

Is there any digital pH tester on the market at all? I've done a search around and pet-stores and the usual companies (Fluval, API, etc) don't sell them as far as I can tell. Some companies I don't ...
2 votes
2 answers
173 views

Best Brown Algae Eaters for Freshwater

I have brown algae growing in my tank and I was wondering if Cory Catfish could clean it. If they could not, what other fish, besides shrimp and plecos, could clean the algae? Just a note, my tank is ...
4 votes
2 answers
130 views

Can't reduce my nitrite/nitrate levels, any help appreciated!

I set a 60 litre tank up and run it for 3 weeks, all water parameter levels fine. Added 4 fish, left 4 week's all fine. Added 4 fish again and 5 days later fish started to die. Checked levels and the ...
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-1 votes
2 answers
160 views

How often to do water change for betta fish

How often should I be doing water change for my betta? My wife seems to think it should be done pretty often.
2 votes
2 answers
244 views

Are there any species of turtles that won't eat fish?

I have lots of pond fish, from tiny .5" (1.25 cm) minnow size to large fat goldfish. I want to add some aquatic turtles, but I found the pet store sells goldfish as food for the turtles. Are ...
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0 votes
1 answer
71 views

Suggest purchase a pet fish from a four-star online store?

Due to the currently pandemic we are in, one of my wife's friend gave us her fish tank and its supplies. We have two boys and they like fish. I, myself, do not like Petco or Petsmart store that sells ...
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2 votes
1 answer
89 views

Transferring my tetras and rasboras to a bigger tank

I am moving my Harlequin Rasboras, Neon Tetras, and Skirt Tetras from a (44 Liter)11.5 gallon tank to a (76 Liter) 20 gallon tank. I would like to know if I HAVE to bring the same gravel from the 11.5 ...
2 votes
0 answers
696 views

Nitrates spike right after a 50% water change (ammonia,nitrite and nitrate readings were all zero before it)

Need help in a situation I'm a bit puzzled with. I have an established, 3 foot (90 cm) bare aquarium with discus. I have added a few plants in the last 3 months. Once the new plants have adapted to ...
1 vote
2 answers
585 views

What bottom feeders are good for a 5-gallon fish tank?

I have a 5-gallon (19 liters) fish tank, with two neon tetras in it, and I am going to Petco in the future to get more fish. I was thinking about more neon tetras and some sort of bottom feeder. Are ...
2 votes
1 answer
104 views

Goldfish with intermittent swim bladder problems

I have an 11 year old common goldfish and he has recently been having some swimming issues-but only in deep water after a few hours. He is fine in shallow water and he can swim fine for about 8-9 ...
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2 votes
1 answer
96 views

8.0ppm ammonia spike that's been "in effect" for about a week or two

OK, so I went into fish keeping way too fast with almost no knowledge. I will give a short rundown of what happened in my tank. I got a 5 gallon (19 liters) tank and a silver molly and a leopard ...
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2 votes
1 answer
92 views

Odd-sized aquarium with damaged canopy: what are my options?

I've recently come into possession of a used aquarium; while it includes all the basic parts (tank, stand, hood, and canopy), the glass canopy was dropped at some point and a chunk is missing out of ...
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3 votes
0 answers
55 views

Aquarium ammonia question

My wife and I purchased a small 5.5 gallon aquarium: Top Fin Starter Kit with a silent-stream carbon filter. We are brand new with aquariums and unfortunately didn't do our due diligence and research ...
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2 votes
0 answers
20 views

When (or If) to reseal an sump?

I bought a glass sump (intended for a fresh-water tank) 2nd hand that has clearly been put together at home. The construction looks great, but you can tell its homemade since the seal has "frayed ...
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1 vote
1 answer
88 views

If I boil tap water will it be safe for my iguana would that clear the chlorine oxide out of it

I would like to know if boiling my tap water would clean it for my iguanas
4 votes
2 answers
53 views

Preferable flows in aquarium?

I am in the process of setting up an aquarium, and experimenting with the water flow. It's 100x40x60cm (60cm high). I employ an HMF in one of the back corners, so there is no well defined "inflow" - ...
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294 views

Why did all my goldfish suddenly die?

I have read this question, and this one, about goldfish/pond life suddenly dying. These situations are similar, but not identical to my own, and so I'm not sure whether this question is a duplicate. ...
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2 votes
1 answer
137 views

Can a shrimp be a pet?

I want to keep shrimp as a pet, but it would always be dead in about 1 or 2 days. I read lots of information and I know that it is lack of dissolved of oxygen. How to get the water full of dissolved ...
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1 vote
0 answers
28 views

What cleaner fish should I include with my aquarium?

I am planning on getting a 20 gallon Marina fish tank (24 inches x 12.5 inches x 16.5 inches). I have already planned on getting several species of fish for my aquarium. I am most likely getting two ...
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4 votes
2 answers
1k views

What the best way to get water up to temperature for a water change?

I'm just about to do a water change and was wondering what's the best way to get water up to the right temperature to put it back in to my tank?
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0 votes
4 answers
184 views

How to raise PH in RO water? (with chemical compounds no commercial products)

I am using RO water for my newly started 100 liters aquarium and it results in a pH value of 6.0 to 6.2 which is too low considering that KH is 0. In this case, I need something to raise pH (and KH ...
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4 votes
1 answer
75 views

If the water quality is already perfect, do I need to wait any longer?

I just set up a small 23 liter aquarium for red fire shrimps. There are no shrimps in there. I filled up the tank with water from a rain collector and mixed it with some mineralised water. This was ...
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3 votes
1 answer
2k views

Why did my betta’s fins grow back curly?

I purchased my half moon about 3 months ago with some fin rot anddull color. This little guy’s fins grew back white and curly and just recently got color. Attached is the progress photos with time ...
2 votes
1 answer
166 views

When should I use bleach to fix the issues in my fish tank?

I have a 55 gallon tank that has been giving me problems but I'm not sure if I'm just over thinking or doing to much. When does one know it's time to bleach the tank to kill anything that could ...
5 votes
3 answers
8k views

What animal can be kept in a tank just under 3 gallons?

I recently had a pet beetle larvae pass away, leaving me with an empty tank. Seeing the empty tank just sitting there makes me pretty sad, so I was wondering if it was a good size for anything else. ...
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3 votes
2 answers
861 views

Betta fish and 2 small snails

My friend’s fish tank has a betta fish and yesterday when I last saw him, he said that there are two snails in his fish tank.* I am worried about the fish in there. Do you know how to handle the ...
4 votes
2 answers
385 views

Which nano fish for a big, colorful, community tank?

I'm planning to set up a big (150 x 65 x 50 cm) tank with lots of small colorful fish and shrimp. I want the tank to be heavily planted I want the tank to be very colorful I want to keep a few ...
4 votes
1 answer
61 views

Betta and geothermal water

I'm moving to a new location that uses geothermal water. Generally, when I top off/replace water for my betta, I get my water to the correct temperature, add the stress coat + to remove chemicals, and ...
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2 votes
2 answers
1k views

Bubbles on top of fish aquarium

I have 4 small fish in my aquarium (two Zebra Danios and 2 others which are a similar size but I don't know what they are). Every few days a lot of small bubbles appear at the top of the aquarium. ...
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3 votes
3 answers
2k views

Can Bettas have lazy personalities?

I had a betta a few years ago who was the most active and happiest fish I've ever seen. He enjoyed hide-and-seek, watched me work at my desk, and constantly swam around his 5 gallon tank. He was a ...
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2 votes
0 answers
165 views

Freshwater aquarium - many fish batches dead, LFS keeps claiming that water is 'perfect'

Got a new 30 gallon aquarium ~1 month ago. The seller told me to use tap water (no conditiner), run the pump for a week (to get rid of chlorine), then bring a sample for test. Did that, didn't use ...
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3 votes
2 answers
112 views

Are these fish eggs..and if so what should I do with them?

Are these eggs and if so what should I do with them?
22 votes
4 answers
10k views

Safe for cats to drink from the aquarium?

This kitten doesn't want to drink from her own bowl but seems to prefer running water, namely the waterfall of a hang on filter. Is this safe for the kitten? The aquarium is occupied by a terrapin ...
2 votes
0 answers
44 views

Green water after refilling dry tank with no fish

Several months ago, I moved to new city and had to drain my 20-gallon tank and give away my fish. The tank sat empty (aside from the gravel) for several months. Last week, I decided to fill it back up,...
4 votes
1 answer
7k views

New guppy disappeared from tank overnight

I just got a new guppy yesterday who was living a tank with a young koi, 4 tetras and one guppy. The old guppy seemed to like the new member of the tank. The next morning the new guppy was gone! I ...
6 votes
1 answer
114 views

Plants for dirty/algae ridden goldfish aquarium

I have a 20 gallon (70 liters) freshwater aquarium with two comets, which are now about 2 inches each. The aquarium gets dirty with algae covering the glass and all the plants very quickly after ...
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