Some Questions About Changes I Want To Make In My Aquarium

[Discovery86]

1) What is the best way to go about changing substrate?
I want to use a darker color gravel since I've read that it will make the fish show their colors more.

2) I want to add some more fish to my tank. Are guppies and danios compatible with lemon tetras?
I will add a few more lemon tetras, as I only have 3 right now. What's a goodnumber to have? I was told that they (tetras) like to be kept in odd numbers. Is this true?

3) I've decided to make my own filter cartridges. Can anyone provide a link explaining how to do it? I haven't come up with much in my internet searches. My big question is how much carbon to use for 30 US Gal. I did find one site that suggested 2 cups per 55 US Gal. So, would a little over a cup be enough? It sounds like a lot.

4) I'm having trouble with my bubble wall. I can't get the bubbles to come out evenly. It is 3 pieces, and I'm currently using only one. I have a Tetra Whisper 40 Air pump. I've played around with positioning, sometimes i can get it pretty good, but it usually slows down/stops working within 48 hours or so. Any ideas???

Tetragirl86

 

[dwarfgourami]

Lemon tetras and danios should be ok, but I wouldn't advise guppies, as lemons have a bit of a reputation as fin-nippers, and guppies with their long flowing tails might prove a bit of a temptation.

 

[Discovery86]

ok, i won't get any guppies how about rasboras and/or barbs?

 

[jayjay]

harlequins instead of guppies?

to change the substrate, you could put the fish somewhere else, e.g. another tank? or bucket, then take out all the old substrate then add the new substrate.

are you using sponges? big pond filter sponges cut down to size can save quite abit sometimes. not sure on the carbon though.

you could try a different airstone or stronger air pump.

 

[Tokis-Phoenix]

What sort of substrate do you have currently? Generally, what i would do if you want to keep the fish in there, is first clean the substrate with a syphon or somthing (or just stir it up, net out any waste and then do a small water change) after taking out any ornements or plants or things you have in the tank.
Then just net the subtrate out and put it in a bucket- nets can be suprisingly effective at taking out substrate . In my tanks i have fine white silica sand, whenever i want to move the sand around i just net out big scoops of the sand- its far easier than draining the tank and trying to scrape the stuff out with a container or hands .

 

[Discovery86]

harlequins instead of guppies?
>>Yes, they were suggested to me before I had the lemon tetras. I might just stick with danios. Or another fairly small fish. Any suggestions?

are you using sponges? big pond filter sponges cut down to size can save quite abit sometimes. not sure on the carbon though.
>> My lps has a cut-to-size filter pad i'm planning to use. It's marketed as reuseable. One of these days i'm going to examine more closely the one that came with the filter and see how it's put together.

you could try a different airstone or stronger air pump.
>>I get tons of bubbles when I hook the pump up to an airstone...It just seems more particular with my bubble wall. I guess I could look for another one...I'm just a little wary of what one to get as they seem to break easily if you aren't careful with them.


I have gravel substrate, sounds like a good way to replace it,Thanks!!!!!!

 

[sylvia]

For alternatvie small fish, perhaps consider platies as an alternatvie to guppies seeing as they are also livebearers but far less likely to be nipped. Make shure you either get a group that's all the same sex or keep them at a ratio of 2 or more females per male.Besides livebearers, the harlequin rasboras (group of 6 minnimum) are fine but you could also try a trio of cherry barbs (1 male, 2 females - males are brighter red), a group of 6 checker barbs or perhaps a small group of corydoras catfish (of whatever species you like but I reccomend bronze or blackfin as they are very hardy but of a reasonable size).

About numbers, the minnimum group size for schooling fish is considered to be 6 but the more, the better. As for keeping them in odd numbers, that's unecessary - fish can't count! lol The only reason people sometimes suggest this is because they are udner the impression that this devides out aggression better - when you are dealing with 3 as opposed to 2, this is true, but when the number is 4 or more, whether it's odd or even realy is irrelevant!

In terms of carbon, I'd just skip it. I only ever use carbon (if I even sue it then!) to remove medication from teh water after treatment but, at other times, I feel it's unecessary. For one, it doesn't help plant growth and, consdiering I'm not that rgeat with plants already, that's not a good thing for me Also, it removes mediaction so that, if you forget the carbon's in, you can actual cost your fish their lives or, at the very elast, waste the medication. Carbon also needs regular replacement or it can leech back chemicals into the water and it also takes up valuable room - that could be occupied by sponges for biological filtration instead (which is far mroe important in a healthy tank). Finaly, the carbon absorbs all sorts of nutrients, as wella s ammonia, from teh water. Besides hindering plant growth, this, to an extent, can compromise your biological filtration. usualy that's not an issue but, if the carbon were not replaced regularly or removed for meds to be used or similarly ceased to eprform its function, you could end up with a deadly ammonai spike. Carbon realy seems pointless in an established and properly maintained tank - just stick with the sponges and maybe have a little bit of carbon stored away for use after medication (mind you, this isn't necessary as meds. decompose on their own anyway and your water changes will remove what's left).

 

[Discovery86]

In terms of carbon, I'd just skip it. I only ever use carbon (if I even sue it then!) to remove medication from teh water after treatment but, at other times, I feel it's unecessary. For one, it doesn't help plant growth and, consdiering I'm not that rgeat with plants already, that's not a good thing for me Also, it removes mediaction so that, if you forget the carbon's in, you can actual cost your fish their lives or, at the very elast, waste the medication. Carbon also needs regular replacement or it can leech back chemicals into the water and it also takes up valuable room - that could be occupied by sponges for biological filtration instead (which is far mroe important in a healthy tank). Finaly, the carbon absorbs all sorts of nutrients, as wella s ammonia, from teh water. Besides hindering plant growth, this, to an extent, can compromise your biological filtration. usualy that's not an issue but, if the carbon were not replaced regularly or removed for meds to be used or similarly ceased to eprform its function, you could end up with a deadly ammonai spike. Carbon realy seems pointless in an established and properly maintained tank - just stick with the sponges and maybe have a little bit of carbon stored away for use after medication (mind you, this isn't necessary as meds. decompose on their own anyway and your water changes will remove what's left).

Everything I've ever read about filtration says I need some sort of chemical filtration in my set up. Is there something besides carbon I should use? Also, I don't have any live plants, yet.

My power went out for about an hour this morning. Is there anything I need to watch out for in my aquarium?

Thanks