Sign of trouble II

We have discussed white cloudiness in the aquarium water. Let’s go on to brown cloudiness. What are the causes of brown cloudiness? Mostly it is caused by dirt or by excess food that has not been eaten and lies around the tank, often turning the sand black. Other reasons that cause brown cloudiness is that when the sand used is not properly washed or there might be too much sediment at the bottom of the aquarium which is not siphoned off. Decaying leaves of plants cause brown cloudiness too.

Other factor that might cause this situation is the lack of sufficient growing plants in the aquarium. Though brown cloudiness is unsightly, it is not particularly dangerous. Nevertheless prolong condition can encourage disease to the fish.

What about green cloudiness? Fortunately, green cloudiness is healthy! Under excess light (sunlight, daylight or artificial) microscopic life is born which is green in colour; suspended in the water. It can also settle to become green slime over the sand, rocks, plants, glass, etc. Unless excessive, the fish will thrive on the green algae!

However, green is not pleasant to view and should not be permitted in a show tank. The cure is simple! Cut down the amount of light received by the aquarium. Of course, if the light is reduced too much, the plants will not grow.

How to clear the green algae? It can be cleared in two to four days by adding one grain by weight of potassium permanganate to every eight gallons of water. Then, change one-third of the water by siphoning off from the bottom.

On the other hand, should the green water turn yellow, the water must be changed immediately. This is due to the sudden death of the microscopic green algae causing them to decompose and turn the water yellow which means that the water is now foul and must urgently be changed.

Sign of trouble I

Fish can fall sick too. Curing them requires knowledge which is only obtained with years of study and experience. Otherwise we have to rely on the advice of the dealer. However as an aquarist, there are many things we can learn to enable us to recognize signs of trouble and to apply the more simple remedies.

The first and most obvious sign of trouble is the water becoming cloudy. The cloudiness may be one of these three colours; white, brown or green (sometimes turning to yellow).

In this post, we will focus on white cloudiness. White cloudiness in the aquarium water is dangerous. It often means that the oxygen content of the water is too low and the carbon dioxide content is too high. There might be too many (or too big) fish that are taking the oxygen out of the water quicker than the air is replacing it. It also might be a dead fish, snail, mussel or other decomposing matter that is fouling the tank. Besides that, it might be a harmful rock, shell or ornament that keep on dissolving in the water.

In addition, it might also be that the temperature of the water has risen; reducing the water oxygen content and causing overcrowding and white cloudiness. White cloudiness should be tackled at once or the fish will die. It is thus essential to find the cause, calling in the specialist if necessary and to change one-third of the water at a time, replacing with fresh water of the same temperature. The water can be changed with an ordinary clean jug or it can be siphoned, whichever is easier.

In this state of water, the obvious distress signals we notice is that the fish gasping at the top for air, or have their top fins folded and drooping.

Prepared and live foods

There are two types of foods for our fish; prepared and live foods.

Prepared foods are widely sold and very convenient. Fish prefer their prepared foods to be dry. Thus sodden particles at the bottom of the aquarium are not favored. Therefore, the golden rule still applies. Fish should not be overfed.

The other type of foods is the live food. The very best food of this type is live insects and worms. Daphnia is the favourite. Red tubifex worms, white enchytrae worms, brine shrimp, bloodworms and earthworms are also beneficial. The trouble with gathering these foods from rivers and other natural sources is the very real danger of introducing water enemies and diseases to our aquarium. The good news is that, this food can also be obtained from the aquarium store.

Feeding the fish

There are two main foods to feed our fish – live food and prepared food.

The live are better, but they might be difficult to obtain constantly. Anyhow, fish will thrive quite well on a mixture of live and prepared foods; in fact they can get along without any live food if that proves necessary.

When talking about feeding, the golden rule is ‘do not overfeed’. All the food given, including that which falls to the bottom of the aquarium, should be completely eaten in three minutes. The frequency of feeding is a matter of opinion but once or twice a day should be sufficient. The type of fish and the temperature of water they are in affect their eating habits. Therefore we must be aware of the state of our fish in order to decide the amount and frequency of feeding.

We are all aware that fish can go for long periods without any food, so that if we plan to be away, example for a week; we could only feed up the fish on live food for ten days or so prior to departure so as to store up surplus fat energy in the fish, on which they can draw in. However all traces of excess excreta or uneaten food must be siphoned off before departure or the water will be fouled. Should we are unable to feed them live food before our absence, there is nothing to worry as the microscopic life already exist in the water will be sufficient for the fish. This is better than to let someone unskilled to feed our fish in our absence.

About fish

How to handle ‘bully fish’

Fish that are too boisterous and are inclined to throw their weight about can be ‘stood in the corner’ by being imprisoned in a small container or jar. The water for the jar must be taken from the aquarium itself. If the jar is only two-thirds full, it will float safely in the aquarium and maintain its temperature. The top should be covered to prevent the fish from jumping out. After 12 – 24 hours, it could be released.

What a way to teach the ‘naughty fish’ a lesson!


How to catch fish

Once in a while, for whatever reasons, we need to ‘catch’ a certain fish in the aquarium. How should we do it without ruining the plants and general appearance of the aquarium? The answer is - just chase the fish into the net!

Firstly, we can use a ruler or another small net to drive the fish into the main net.The main net is held in a good position so that it can be quickly pulled upwards and not forward as the fish will prove to be too quick for this. This way, we will not mess up the whole aquarium chasing the elusive creature all round the aquarium.

New fish 'on the block'

Introducing new fish to an existing community must be done with care.

Put the new fish in a small container or can. Then, this container can be hung, or floated in the aquarium until its water temperature becomes similar as that of the tank. It usually will take about 15 – 30 minutes. Nevertheless we must ensure that the container is clean before being floated.

On this one occasion only, feed those already established in the tank extra well and while they are busy eating at one end, tip gently the newcomers at the other. Thus the new arrivals are given a chance to settle down, to find hiding places and generally to take stock of the situation before meeting the crowd.

General maintenance of the aquarium

With proper care, no overfeeding and not to overcrowd the aquarium, not much general maintenance is required. What we have to do is to just remove the sediment. Thus siphoning should be done once in a month. We can do this by using a bucket and a siphon tube. The tube is to be completely filled up with water from the tap, sealing both ends with the thumbs, and releasing both ends simultaneously (with the aquarium end of the tube under water). This will make the water from the aquarium flow down into a bucket place on the floor. As it flows, it will carry the dirt with it. Usually about the bottom ten per cent of water is removed in this process. The aim is to remove as much sediment and as little water as possible. When this task is over, the aquarium should be topped up with water of the same temperature.

Sounds easy but care should be taken not to siphon out the fish too!