I accidentally crack it by putting the lighting lamp too close to the side of the aquariam, any ideas to fix the glass crack?
p.s It’s on one of the corner, only one side got cracked, it’s getting longer.
Where is the crack? If its a chip near the top above the water line, if its minor, it should be ok. If its a proper crack going below the water line either replace the whole panel or get a new tank. I would never trust a cracked panel of glass, even with glue, it’s just too risky.
how to repair a glass crack for an aquarium tank?
I am getting a 55 gallon saltwater aquarium and want to know what lighting sources I should use?
I am getting a saltwater aquarium and want to know what lighting sources I could use. I would like to have a reef aquarium. All the books that I have bought are not very good explained.
Thanxs
Books in the market are notoriously behind. Best bet is to do internet research since the technological side of the hobby has exploded in the last few years.
I am running T5 lighting and really like it. With a 55g, you should get a 4 bulb, 54W each bulb setup. This gives you 216W of light, plenty for keeping a variety of corals including SPS (small polyp stonies).
Metal halides are great, but the bulbs are expensive (up to $100 or more) and last only 9-12 months, but you do get a great shimmer in the water. They also produce a lot of heat.
Power Compacts are decent to, but I feel the T5′s are a much better option over PC’s.
Take your time and do your homework. Nothing worse than shelling out $300 for a sub-par piece of equipment only to find a better and cheaper unit the next week.
I always suggest joining a local reef club as a great place to learn and find fellow hobbyists. Also a great way to get free corals 
Join a few different forums and read, read, read and ask a lot of questions. I enjoy www.talkingreef.com and you can find other great info at larger sites like www.reefcentral.com and Bob Fenner’s www.wetwebmedia.com
How can I grow aquarium plants at home?
I bought some "aquarium plants" from a local store here. The lady doesn’t know what kind they are. They are long and skinny and have leaves going all the way around. I put them in my turtle tank and they love them! But I am wondering
1. What kind of plant this is? Similar plants they will eat?
2. How can I grow them at home?
1. It is hard to tell what kind they are.
2. When they have a lot of shoots, cut off some younger ones and then let them stand in a glass of water. Once you see continued growth, transfer them to a second aquarium.
Whenever the supply in the turtle tank runs low, you can shift some from the second aquarium.
How can I raise KH/GH in my goldfish and Betta aquariums?
I’ve used baking soda to get the proper pH in both aquariums by raising the change water to 7.5 for the goldfish and 7.0-7.2 for the Betta. Their aquariums are now stable at 7.5 for the goldfish and 7.0 for the Betta. The Kh and Gh are still low. Kh at 6 percent and Gh at 3.5 percent. The water is very soft here in NYC. Is there any other way to raise the hardness without baking soda which will raise the pH? I’ve already added aquarium salt too, if that affects it.
Our tap water fluctuates pH from 6.0 to 7.0. I found this out when I changed my Betta’s water and he stopped swimming around. I checked the pH and it was down to 6.2 from 7.0. The pet stores around here just use tap for bettas but they have some very still bettas. They use an API product 7.5 for goldfish but it kills live plants. My goldfish has three beautiful live plants.
Are seashells limestone equivalent? Do you get limestone and coral from aquatic stores?
Salt will not affect any of the parameters you are trying to adjust. First let me say it’s a good idea to think very carefully before adjusting pH or hardness in a tank. It’s usually not needed. Those values you give are perfectly acceptable to the fish you are keeping. Personally I would adjust it one bit. Both bettas and goldfish can live comfortably in a wide range of pH and hardness values and unless your pH is below 6 I wouldn’t adjust it at all, but the adjustments you mention are well within the comfort range for both the betta and goldfish so if you like to adjust the water conditions, just continue what you are doing, it’s getting the job done.
MM
What is the difference between a metal, wood, and rubber discus?
I’ve just started doing discus and I was thinking about buying a discus to practice at home with since I’m not up at the school all the time. Whenever I search, though, I find a choice between a rubber, wood, and metal discus. Can someone explain the difference between the three?
Rubber is not legal in a meet, and is for practice only. It is usually cheaper than wood or metal.
There are many different designs and they are based on the ability of the thrower, with the weight distribution a key to how the discus will perform when thrown.
If you are a skilled thrower you want the majority of the weight on the edge so it will spin better and fly farther.
If you are not as skilled you want the weight more evenly distributed so you can control the throw.
If you are just starting and want a practice discus get a rubber one so you can throw it anywhere and not worry about damaging it when it hits dirt or rocks or something else that would harm a good discus.
What kinds of compatible cichlids can be kept in a 36 gallon tank and how many?
We bought a new 36 gallon tank last week and planning to add colorful fishes in couple of days after the cycle is complete. Need suggestions regarding the cichlids fishes which live peacefully among themselves(less aggressive to each other). How many can be added initially?..
In a 36 gallon tank footprint you do not go mixing a group of Mbuna in there as stated above. That’s not enough space and your males will fight amongst each other, not to mention the species listed are quite aggressive ones.
What you want to do is go to a cichlid specific site.
cichlid-form.com
monsterfishkeepers.com
nycichlids.com
start looking over other species out there, find some that interest you and narrow down what you like.
You aren’t going to get large options with only a 36 footprint. If you like Mbuna, then stick with 1 species only, and get 1 male and 3-4 females to go with it. If you like Haps or Peacocks, better look the adult sizes as 36 gallons, again, not a large space, but do follow 1 male to every 3-4 females. Stay with 1 species only. First time tank, don’t go too complex. Take 1 you like the most, put a little extra on the money to get known male and females, and watch them thrive. Down the road you get the hang of it, larger tank, feet wet with care, opens the door for other things. Be patient and don’t be in a rush is what I advise.
How many male guppies should I put in a six gallon tank?
I don’t want babies (fry). I just want males that will swim around for my amusement. How many can happily live in a six gallon tank? Any other advice about keeping guppies? Do I really need a heater?
I splurged and got a 10 gallon tank. How many guppies can I get now? It stays a normal temp in my house, and it’s pretty warm down here in TX.
5 males guppies should be OK in that size tank.
A heater is recommended.
Guppies can live in water from about 19-29C, but it’s better for them if it’s stable about 25C.
Ian
where do pet/aquarium stores get there supplies from in australia?
in regards to live stock we get them from Australia. it would be too long a trip from overseas and the quarantine laws here don’t allow importation of livestock without quarantine periods which would just be ridicules for us. one of big suppliers of live fish is Aquarium Industries.
Aquarium question only answer if you have had a redtail shark fish?
My redtail shark fish has a strange spot on his body. It doesn’t look like ick instead it is a very large raise white bump pertruding from his side. Does anyone know what it is or how ot treat it?
I can not tell you what the bump is but i can tell you that it is not normal.
It could be a parasite or somewhere that has been scraped on a rock etc and maybe has an infection.
You could try treating with a broad spectrum antibiotic and see if that helps
An aquarium tank is 3 feet long, 1 foot wide, and 2 feet high. How many gallons of water would it take to fill?
An aquarium tank is 3 feet long, 1 foot wide, and 2 feet high. How many gallons of water would it take to fill the tank two-thirds full? (A cubic foot is about 7.5 gallons)
3*1*2= 6 cubic feet
6*7.5= 45
45 Gallons