by Susan Core | Feb 23, 2023 | Aquatic Plant Care
Submitted by KassCeeBee
January 1, 2023
This is for you guys who like to use root tabs. I just added some today during my water change.
Here are some BEFORE pictures to see if they help or not.
I have switched it up recently and changed my liquid fertilizer. I switched from API to Fluval Gro+ . I have seen new growth using this liquid fertilizer. I do not have their recommended iron test kit though, to know how much to dose. I have been conservative with the amount I add. I could see more growth if I knew how much my aquarium needs.
by Susan Core | Feb 23, 2023 | General Maintenance
FISH CURES
Published 23 June 2022
It seems like early Spring and late Fall there is a significant change to water parameters and fish seem to come down with more disease that other times of the year. Knowing what to watch for can help reduce stress on your fish and potentially avoid disease.
Have you noticed an increase in chlorine or chloramine smell in city water? In the Spring many water treatment plants often flush their systems. And the sudden increase in chlorine or chloramine may require extra dechlorinator than is normal. There are test kits to monitor chlorine, but the best test is your nose. If using a water conditioner such as Seachem Prime, it can be safely dosed 5 times normal strength when needed. Better safe to use extra conditioner than to have dead fish.
Has your area recently undergone a heavy rainstorm or experienced a recent snow runoff? This can change the general water chemistry. A quick water test can help determine if the pH and other parameters have changed or remain stable. For me, I have two different water sources. One source I get about 9 months out of the year. It comes from a local spring with very soft, low pH water and my other source is moderately hard water that is high in minerals and a high pH. If I’m not careful when the source water changes a large water change can kill my fish. Unfortunately, this has happened to me once. I lost thousands in rare, replaceable fish.
Have you recently moved? Doesn’t matter if in the same town or across the country. Every water source can have some difference; different pipes can rarely affect water chemistry as well. Again, knowing what you are dealing with and how close it matches your tank parameters is all that is needed to make educated adjustments to keep your fish safe at all times.
Periodically test your source water to determine what is normal. Does it contain high levels of minerals? Does it hold heavy metals? You can obtain the basic details of your water chemistry from your municipal water company or by paying for a water analysis if on a well. Or, can use a test kit, such as the API Master Kit plus the GH and KH tests for a good overall general analysis of your source water.
Compare these results with your tank parameters. If things are being well maintained then both the source and the tank water should have similar parameters. And stable parameters in the proper range is the key to long term health of your fish.
For example, are there any measurable ammonia or nitrites? If so, your tank may not be cycled or it may be under-filtered. Simple enough to fix if you know what is leading to measurable ammonia and/or nitrite. Both should always undetectable.
Is nitrate over 40ppm? Do you have species sensitive to waste? Are you fish coming down with one disease after another? Then, need to step up maintenance to better manage waste buildup.
By providing a healthy environment along with a variety of high quality foods you will be able to enjoy your fish for a long time.
by Susan Core | Feb 2, 2023 | Feeding Our Fish
What is the Best Diet for Guppies, Endlers and Other Livebearers?
submitted by Dena Edwards
fishcures.com
1/30/23
All livebearers are considered omnivore species, which need a variety of proteins and plant matter in their staple diet. In the wild they would eat insects, insect larvae, copepods, shrimp, algae, plant leaves, etc. They really are opportunistic eaters.
In an aquarium I like to offer different foods to keep the overall diet varied. There is no single food that can provide everything needed, not even a prepared food sold for feeding in the home aquarium can provide everything needed for growth and overall health.
I like to have proteins in the range of 40-50% generally, and prefer quality proteins, such as a variety of shrimp, insects and even fish.
Good protein sources include whole meals, such as whole salmon meal or even fish hydrolysate, which basically is fish meal before all the liquid has been removed. Insect meal is another great protein source that is found in some higher quality foods as well.
As for plant matter, there are many, many options. Along with spirulina, kelp and veggies in processed foods I like to add fresh, raw veggies and even occasional fruits. I try to get organic, but not always possible. Cut a small bit and stab it with a fork to weight it down in the tank. Cucumber, zucchini, mushroom, green beans, broccoli, etc. Easy to get into the habit of setting a small amount aside for the fish before cooking to prepare my own meals. My fish go crazy over strawberry and tangerine slices, but they can quickly pollute the tank so those are offered the day before a water change.
Good treats include live (so long as you could trust the source), frozen or even freeze dried, but rehydrate first to avoid digestive issues.
Everyone has their own idea on what the the best diet may be. Personally I believe if you offer a variety of foods, including some fresh veggies as well as a few fruits along with a varied protein diet you should be able to provide the correct balance.
In my tanks I feed Guppy Color Feast (a granule very high in protein at 52%), Guppy Flake (a mix of veggie and meat based flakes, 40% protein), and if needing a color boost I add Guppy Color Flake (47% protein focusing on shrimp sources to boost oranges and reds). Then, for veggie content I occasionally add fresh, raw veggies. Just a small bit which I can stab with a fork. No cooking, no blanching as I want to retain the nutrients. I also on occasion feed live Baby Brine Shrimp as well as Repashy, etc.
In the summer I also set out a bucket of water and collect the mosquito larvae to feed to my fish. Man do they go ape over them! They perk up so much that I don’t even recognize their behavior!!
So, like I said, variety is important as no one food can provide a complete balanced diet for any creature.
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