I have a quick question, I need some kind of algea eater for my F8 tank, it's a 20g with 2 F8's and there both 1", moderately to heavily planted with a few "caves". And the filter is a whisper(i know crappy) for 30g's.
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nmonks
A stroke of the brush does not guarantee art from
Please read my pinned topic on so-called algae eaters, here, and then read the how to beat algae topic in the plants section, here.
Adding a fish -- any fish -- to an aquarium encourages the growth of algae because you add extra food (even for a plec) and that fish in turn fertilises the aquarium with more nitrates and phosphates. What you really want are fast-growing plants that produce "algae-killing" chemicals. Hornwort is one of the most useful in a brackish water aquarium because it tolerates salt quite well. Vallisneria will also work well. Slow-growing plants like Java fern aren't any use at all for this sort of thing.
There really aren't any brackish water algae eating fish traded in the hobby. Some species certainly eat some algae (Florida flags, for example, and mollies) but they will only do the trick in a supporting role, nibbling little bits of algae, while the fast-growing plants do the dirty work of stopping algal growth in the first place.
Cheers,
Neale
Adding a fish -- any fish -- to an aquarium encourages the growth of algae because you add extra food (even for a plec) and that fish in turn fertilises the aquarium with more nitrates and phosphates. What you really want are fast-growing plants that produce "algae-killing" chemicals. Hornwort is one of the most useful in a brackish water aquarium because it tolerates salt quite well. Vallisneria will also work well. Slow-growing plants like Java fern aren't any use at all for this sort of thing.
There really aren't any brackish water algae eating fish traded in the hobby. Some species certainly eat some algae (Florida flags, for example, and mollies) but they will only do the trick in a supporting role, nibbling little bits of algae, while the fast-growing plants do the dirty work of stopping algal growth in the first place.
Cheers,
Neale
I have another question to. I was examining my puffers today and one of them has little brown spots on him and the other doesn't, could this be parasites or the fish or something else?
But I'm using silk plants right now and would like to stay away from plants for a bit, how can i get rid of the algea?
PS:This isn't my first tank and I know algea eaters(it's a habit calling them that) add alot to the bio-load. Can Oto's be kept in brackish? or what should I do outside of plants? And yes I know I'm not very good at making things clear lol.
But I'm using silk plants right now and would like to stay away from plants for a bit, how can i get rid of the algea?
PS:This isn't my first tank and I know algea eaters(it's a habit calling them that) add alot to the bio-load. Can Oto's be kept in brackish? or what should I do outside of plants? And yes I know I'm not very good at making things clear lol.
nmonks
A stroke of the brush does not guarantee art from
No idea what the brown spots are without a photo. May simply be natural variation, or may indeed be some kind of skin parasite. Because puffers are more tolerant of salinity changes than external parasites, either raising the salinity to SG 1.010 for a while, or dipping the fish in full seawater for 20-30 minutes two or three times, should do the trick. Standard copper-based medications are best used as a last resort with puffers than as a knee-jerk reaction.
Algae can't really be "stopped" in any meaningful way without rapid plant growth. In brackish water tanks where people tend not to grow plants, inevitably it ends up being algae removal the old fashioned way... with a scraper or sponge. I would suggest just letting the algae grow on everything save the front glass.
If that doesn't appeal, floating plants can work very well. Hornwort needs only moderate light to survive (1.5 W per gallon) though more light is better. It tolerates brackish water well up to about 1.003, maybe slightly higher if acclimated carefully. Hornwort is one of the best algae-busters. Being a floating plant, it looks very "seaweedy" in a brackish tank so can work well when coupled with driftwood, rocks, and shells.
No, ottos cannot be kept in brackish water. They're soft water fish, and even in plain hard freshwater aren't easy to keep.
Cheers,
Neale
Algae can't really be "stopped" in any meaningful way without rapid plant growth. In brackish water tanks where people tend not to grow plants, inevitably it ends up being algae removal the old fashioned way... with a scraper or sponge. I would suggest just letting the algae grow on everything save the front glass.
If that doesn't appeal, floating plants can work very well. Hornwort needs only moderate light to survive (1.5 W per gallon) though more light is better. It tolerates brackish water well up to about 1.003, maybe slightly higher if acclimated carefully. Hornwort is one of the best algae-busters. Being a floating plant, it looks very "seaweedy" in a brackish tank so can work well when coupled with driftwood, rocks, and shells.
No, ottos cannot be kept in brackish water. They're soft water fish, and even in plain hard freshwater aren't easy to keep.
Cheers,
Neale
Alright I'll just do away with it the old fashioned way until I muster the courage for plants 
.
EDIT:infact I'm going to make sure I was told right about the salt, 2 teaspoons for every 1 gallon correct?
.EDIT:infact I'm going to make sure I was told right about the salt, 2 teaspoons for every 1 gallon correct?
nmonks
A stroke of the brush does not guarantee art from
Nope, you were told wrong.
The only safe way to keep these fish is using marine salt mix (e.g. Instant Ocean and the like) and not aquarium/tonic salt. Add the salt to a bucket of water and stir well. Then measure the specific gravity using a hydrometer (some people prefer refractometers, which are more accurate but more expensive). A basic and perfectly usable floating glass hydrometer costs about £5. You are aiming for a specific gravity (SG) of 1.003 to 1.005 with these fish, or about 15-25% seawater. That's about 5-8 grammes of marine salt mix per litre of water. Once you've mad the salt mix up, let it sit for 10-20 minutes. A few of the salts take a while to be dissolved, and while they have no effect on the specific gravity, they could be unhealthy for a fish that swallowed an undissolved grain (just as if you ate a cupful of salt, you'd be very sick indeed).
If you look at the links below you'll see one to my aquarium software. Take a look at Brack Calc; it'll show the relationship between SG, % seawater, and concentration of salt. Bear in mind that you can't really weigh the salt out and add it to a bucket because once you open the salt package, it absorbs moisture, and over time "seems" heavier than it actually is, so you put less salt in than you think. While not terribly serious with brackish water fish, this is a bad habit and best avoided.
Cheers,
Neale
The only safe way to keep these fish is using marine salt mix (e.g. Instant Ocean and the like) and not aquarium/tonic salt. Add the salt to a bucket of water and stir well. Then measure the specific gravity using a hydrometer (some people prefer refractometers, which are more accurate but more expensive). A basic and perfectly usable floating glass hydrometer costs about £5. You are aiming for a specific gravity (SG) of 1.003 to 1.005 with these fish, or about 15-25% seawater. That's about 5-8 grammes of marine salt mix per litre of water. Once you've mad the salt mix up, let it sit for 10-20 minutes. A few of the salts take a while to be dissolved, and while they have no effect on the specific gravity, they could be unhealthy for a fish that swallowed an undissolved grain (just as if you ate a cupful of salt, you'd be very sick indeed).
If you look at the links below you'll see one to my aquarium software. Take a look at Brack Calc; it'll show the relationship between SG, % seawater, and concentration of salt. Bear in mind that you can't really weigh the salt out and add it to a bucket because once you open the salt package, it absorbs moisture, and over time "seems" heavier than it actually is, so you put less salt in than you think. While not terribly serious with brackish water fish, this is a bad habit and best avoided.
Cheers,
Neale
It's a good thing I asked then lol.
EDIT:Is this what I need? http
/www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=1...ilyID=5694& sorry I'm just bound and detiremened(spelling?) that I do good with these little guys.
EDIT:Is this what I need? http
/www.petco.com/Shop/Product.aspx?R=1...ilyID=5694& sorry I'm just bound and detiremened(spelling?) that I do good with these little guys.
nmonks
A stroke of the brush does not guarantee art from
Yes, that'll do nicely. But so will any other marine salt mix. Buy whatever is cheapest. With brackish water fish, it couldn't matter less.
As a ball park estimate, a tub that makes 10 gallons will make 40-60 gallons at the strength your pufferfish needs, so this isn't going to be very expensive, you'll be pleased to know. And the cheapo hydrometer at that store, here, at $3 will be adequate for your needs. The swing-arm ones, like this, are easier to use and more accurate, but more expensive. But I've always used a floating hydrometer and never had any problems.
Cheers,
Neale
As a ball park estimate, a tub that makes 10 gallons will make 40-60 gallons at the strength your pufferfish needs, so this isn't going to be very expensive, you'll be pleased to know. And the cheapo hydrometer at that store, here, at $3 will be adequate for your needs. The swing-arm ones, like this, are easier to use and more accurate, but more expensive. But I've always used a floating hydrometer and never had any problems.
Cheers,
Neale
I've got a baby F8 Puffer no bigger than a pinky nail. Will he eat flake food until he gets some teeth, or should I crush up brine shrimp or something for it now?
The LFS said they've been feeding flakes, but couldn't tell me how long the little guy has been in the tank
The LFS said they've been feeding flakes, but couldn't tell me how long the little guy has been in the tank
pica_nuttalli
don't be a twit
first off, are you sure its an F8 and not a dwarf? at that small a size, it can be hard to tell and dwarf puffers should not be kept in salt. so you may want to keep it in freshwater until he's the size of the first joint of your index finger. that's pretty big for a dp, so if it reaches that size, it's probably an F8.
secondly, the vast majority of puffers won't touch flake. so unless you have witnessed him eat it with your own eyes, he's probably not. try getting some frozen foods such as brine shrimp or bloodworms; most fish love those. ghost shrimp from the LFS are also an option, even for very small puffers. just be sure to not get any shrimp with sharp pincers, as those carry a risk of eating your puffer!
secondly, the vast majority of puffers won't touch flake. so unless you have witnessed him eat it with your own eyes, he's probably not. try getting some frozen foods such as brine shrimp or bloodworms; most fish love those. ghost shrimp from the LFS are also an option, even for very small puffers. just be sure to not get any shrimp with sharp pincers, as those carry a risk of eating your puffer!
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