Keeping your aquarium at constant temperature is essential for maintaining good aquatic health.  A tank that is too warm promotes algae growth and a tank that is too cold encourages growth of parasites.   Below is a general guide for determining the size heater you will need to keep your aquarium at a constant temperature.

Instructions:
Subtract the average temperature of the room the aquarium is located in from the temperature you wish to maintain the aquarium water at. Find the size of your aquarium in the left hand column and move to the column that shows the number of degrees the aquarium needs to be heated. If the heating requirement is between levels, move up to the next larger size.

In larger tanks, or where the room temperature is significantly below the desired water temperature, two heaters may be required. Heaters should be installed at opposite ends of the aquarium to heat it more evenly.

Example:
Average Room Temp = 68 degrees F
Desired Water Temp = 77 degrees F
—————————————–
Heating required =  9 degrees F

Tank Size = 20 gallon
Heater size needed = 50 watt

 
Remember, this is a only a guide.  Feel free to contact us  if you have questions about this chart.  If you are interested in puchasing a heating system for your tank, please take a look at our wide selection of heaters at Gredens.com

Understanding Your Fish Tank Water Hardness

            We have all seen the instructions on testing kits that tell us how to test for certain chemicals in the tank but sometimes we are not exactly sure what we are testing and why. In this article I will cover the two basic types of water hardness which are General Hardness (GH) and Carbonate Hardness (KH).

            General Hardness (GH) is a test that measures the amount of Calcium (Ca²⁺) and Magnesium (Mg²⁺) that has dissolved in your freshwater tank. Hard water, testing at > 200 ppm, is high in both Calcium and Magnesium. Soft water, testing between 50-100 ppm is low in these minerals. It is important to know that a special saltwater test is required for saltwater aquariums because the ions of Calcium and Magnesium are higher than the testing ranges for most test.

            The general hardness of your tank can increase over time and so it is important to check the water level continuously. As water evaporates it leaves behind the metal elements which increase the general hardness, when water is added more metals are added to the tank further increasing the hardness. Adjusting the level of your water hardness can be as simple as completing partial water changes using deionized water or adding a water softener “pillow” to the filter to reduce the hardness, or by using specialized salt to increase the hardness.

            Different types of fish require certain hardness levels and the following is small listing of fish and some plants along with their hardness requirements.

30ppm- Discus, arowanas, elephant nose, neons and cardinals.

60ppm- Certain Tropical fish, angelfish, tetras, botia, and community aquariums.

120ppm- Certain Tropical fish, swordtails, guppies, mollies, cichlids and certain goldfish.

180ppm- African Cichlids and certain goldfish.

            Carbonate Hardness (KH) is also known as Alkalinity and is the measure of Carbonate (CO₃²) and Bicarbonate (HCO₃). This type of hardness helps to stabilize the pH in your aquarium and with a high level (> 200ppm) your aquarium will have a high pH. In low levels, your tank water will be acidic and you will experience rapid shifts in pH. Carbonate is used by aquarium plants and consumed in the filter so this level will need to be maintained or it will fall and become unstable.

           Reducing you Carbonate Hardness is as simple as doing a partial water change and using distilled or deionized water. Increasing can be done by using a pH adjuster

            The following are acceptable levels for the listed fish. Please check the levels for your individual fish.

40ppm- Discus, arowanas, elephant nose, neons and cardinals.

80ppm- Certain Tropical fish, angelfish, tetras, botia, and community aquariums.

120ppm- Certain Tropical fish, swordtails, guppies, mollies, cichlids and certain goldfish.

180ppm- African Cichlids, certain goldfish brackish water and certain marine fish.

240ppm- Rift Lake Cichlids, certain goldfish, brackish water and certain marine fish.

Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis)

            Ich (also spelled Ick) is one of the most common maladies found in both fresh and salt water aquariums. It is seen as white salt-like specks on the body and fins of fish. Other symptoms include excessive slime, problems breathing because ich invades the gills, clamped fins and loss of appetite. There are three life cycles that this protozoan goes through and despite other claims ich can only be treated in one of these three stages.  

            The adult stage finds the ich embedded in the skin or gills of the fish. In this stage the fish will show obvious signs of irritation as the protozoa feeds on red blood and skin cells. The ich will appear as white nodules in this stage. After a few days of this stage the adult protozoa bill burrow out of the fish and fall to the bottom of the tank where they will enter cyst stage.

            The cyst stage involves rapid division of the adult protozoa, once this division has occurred the ich is in the final stage.

            This third stage or free swimming stage is the stage where treatment is imperative to kill these protozoa. Each adult will divide to an estimated 1000 new protozoa that will start to swim to the surface looking for a host and start the cycle all over again.

            The first step in treating ich is the easiest and most important. The average time that an ich protozoan goes through its three stages is 4 weeks with a water temperature of 70 degrees. By simply increasing the temperature to 80 degrees it speeds up the lifecycle of the protozoa and increases the lifecycle to only 5 days, thus increasing the speed in the transformation between stages. If the fish can stand it, increasing the temperature to 85 will be even better.

            The second step in treating these free swimming ich protozoa is by using chemicals. Quinine hydrochloride is the preferred method at 30 mg per liter; however quinine sulphate can be used if hydrochloride is not available. These medications will make the water cloudy at first but this will disappear in a few days. Other medications that can be used are malchite green and copper.

Hexamita-

            Hexamita are intestinal flagellated protozoa that attack the lower intestine. The first sign is a slimy, white mucous feces even though the fish is acting fine. The fish will start to hide in corners of the tank and swim backwards. Further signs are that the head will start to become thin and black above the eyes. These protozoa attack the lower intestine so another sign is the wasting away of the fish and the loss of appetite.

            Two steps need to be taken to fight these protozoa. The first is to treat the food for the fish with 1% metronidazole, this will treat the protozoa that are in the stomach of the fish. The second step is to treat the water with the same medication at a mixture of 12 mg per liter; this will kill any protozoa that are still in the water. Treat the water every other day for three treatments to ensure the water is treated properly.

            Hexamita is often confused with Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE) or hole-in-head disease. Both Hexamita and HLLE are often seen at the same time. HLLE is seen as tiny holes or cavities in the head and is due to poor environmental conditions, while Hexamita is a thinning of the head and is caused by protozoa.

Costia:

Costia is a somewhat rare disease that is relatively easy to cure if your fish becomes infected. There are several treatments for this disease however two of the treatments have serious side effects. Costia causes the skin of the infected fish to become cloudy and milky. The first treatment is to raise the water temperature to 80-83 degrees. This treatment is not a 100% guarantee but it does not present any side effects to fish. The second method for treating Costia is by adding copper at a rate of 2 mg per liter of water. Caution needs to be used when using this treatment because overdosing can cause copper poisoning. Some species of fish are extremely sensitive to copper so make sure to research your fish and find out the level that your fish can tolerate. The third medication that can be used is Acriflavine (trypaflavine) at a rate of 1 ml per liter of water. This treatment can cause sterility in fish so following the guidelines is very important.

Velvet:

            Velvet is one of the more common diseases in aquarium fish, and can strike down every inhabitant in the tank before the hapless owner realizes what he or she is dealing with. Also known as Rust or Gold Dust disease, it is caused by one of several species of a tiny parasite known as Oödinium. Velvet is found in both fresh and saltwater tanks. All three species of velvet have symptoms and lifecycles similar to Ich.

Oödinium finds a fish and latches onto it; it then forms a rod which penetrates the skin and soft tissues of the gills. The Oödinium releases a chemical which destroys the cells; it then feed on the nutrients inside. After feeding and maturing, the parasite drops off the fish and divides into dozens of cells that are released into the water to seek hosts. They must find a host within 24 hours, or die. Oödinium produces white pustules on the fish that are much finer than the spots seen in Ich. In fact they are so fine they are often not seen before the fish perishes. Velvet attacks all fish and will even affect fry that are only a few days old. Anabantoids, danios, goldfish, zebrafish, and killifish are particularly susceptible to velvet disease. In initial stages the fish rub against hard objects trying to dislodge the parasites. As the disease progresses the fish becomes lethargic, fins are held close to the body, appetite is reduced and the fish loses weight. A key symptom is difficult rapid breathing.

 Some symptoms of Velvet are:

• Scratchs against hard objects
• Fish is lethargic
• Loss of appetite and weight loss
• Rapid, labored breathing
• Fins clamped against body
• Fine yellow or rusty colored film on skin
• In advanced stages skin peeks off

 Because Velvet is highly contagious and usually far advanced before being diagnosed, it is important to take the following steps and to start treatment as soon as possible.

• Raise water temperature to 82 degrees F
• Dim lights for several days
• Add aquarium salt
• Treat with copper sulphate for ten days
• Discontinue carbon filtration during treatment
• As with any treatment, activated carbon should be removed from the filter, as it will remove the drugs from the water.

Copper sulphate is the treatment of choice. It should be used according to the manufacturers instructions for a full ten days to ensure that the parasite is completely eradicated. Atabrine (Quinacrine hydrochloride) is another medication that can be used to treat Velvet.

Red Pest:

            A fish that is infected with the bacteria that causes what is known as Red Pest will exhibit red “bloody” streaks on the fins, tail and or body that will resemble Hemorrhagic Septicemia. If left untreated these streaks could progress into ulcers or open sores and possibly lead to tail and fin rot with the infected fins rotting and falling off. If you are lucky enough to catch this bacteria early enough you can treat your tank with a bacterial disinfectant such as Binox. As always, follow the instructions on the medications and if the fish are not making any recovery discontinue use. Do not feed large amounts while treating your fish.

            Another option is to feed your fish medicated fish food. This is done easiest by purchasing a pre medicated fish food. If that option is not available mix about 1% of a 250mg capsule in with 25 grams of flake food and your fish should eat it before the medication is absorbed by the water. Since this bacterium is inside treating the water does little good unless this bacterium is caught early. Tetracycline or Chloromycetin are good antibiotics to use for treatment.

Tail and Fin Rot:

Symptoms: Disintegrating fins that may be reduced to stumps, exposed fin rays, blood on edges of fins, reddened areas at base of fins, skin ulcers with gray or red margins, cloudy eyes.

     Tail and fin rot appears to be a bacterial infection of the tail and/or fins and may be caused by generally poor conditions, bully, or fin nipping tank mates. If aquarium conditions are not good an infection can be caused from a simple injury to the fins/tail. Tuberculosis can lead to tail and fin rot. Basically, the tail and/or fins become frayed or lose color. Over time the affected area slowly breaks down.
     First, ascertain the cause and determine if it is a bacterial issue or a “bully” fish. Then treat accordingly. Also, treat the water or fish with antibiotics. If added to the water, use 20 – 30 mg per liter. If the fish is to be treated add an antibiotic to the food. With flake food, use about 1% of antibiotic and carefully mix it in. If you keep the fish hungry they should eagerly eat the mixture before the antibiotic dissipates. Antibiotics usually come in 250 mg capsules. If added to 25 grams of flake food, one capsule should be enough to treat dozens of fish. A good antibiotic is chloromycetin (chloramphenicol) or tetracycline. If you feed your fish frozen foods or chopped foods, try to use the same ratio with mixing. As a last resort add at most 10 mg per liter of water.

Standard Scale Protrusion

     Scale protrusion is essentially a bacterial infection of the scales and/or body. A variety of bacterium could be the culprit here, as can unkempt aquarium conditions. This protrusion resembles Dropsy without the swelling of the body.
     An effective treatment is to add an antibiotic to the food. With flake food, use about 1% of antibiotic and carefully mix it in. If you keep the fish hungry they should eagerly eat the mixture before the antibiotic dissipates. Antibiotics usually come in 250 mg capsules. If added to 25 grams of flake food, one capsule should be enough to treat dozens of fish. A good antibiotic is chloromycetin (chloramphenicol) or tetracycline for treatment. If you feed your fish frozen foods or chopped foods, try to use the same ratio with mixing. As a last resort add at most 10 mg per liter of water.

Dropsy-

            Dropsy is a bacterial infection that damages the kidneys causing fluid accumulation and renal failure. The kidney function in fish is the same as in humans and kidney failure can kill a fish if left untreated. When fluids build up inside the body they will cause the fish to swell and resemble a pinecone with all of its scales standing out. Once the fish reaches this stage it is difficult for the fish to pull through since the swelling is a late stage sign and the fish is already full of fluids and the damage is already done.

            One effective treatment is to add an antibiotic to the food. With flake food, use about 1% of antibiotic and carefully mix it in. If you keep the fish hungry they should eagerly eat the mixture before the antibiotic dissipates. Antibiotics usually come in 250 mg capsules. If added to 25 grams of flake food, one capsule should be enough to treat dozens of fish. A good antibiotic is chloromycetin (chloramphenicol).Tetracycline in the samd dosage will work as well. If you feed your fish frozen foods or chopped foods, try to use the same ratio with mixing. As a last resort add at most 10 mg per liter of water.