Successful plant growth requires a balance of light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish nutrients, and Wholesale Tropical Fish trace elements, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and carbon dioxide (CO2). The light should be provided in a spectrum the plants can absorb, and Wholesale Tropical Fish must be of great enough intensity to keep the plant alive, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and should be consistently on 10-14 hours a day. Most nutrients are supplied by fish waste. Some trace elements might be supplied by your tap water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but are more consistently obtained using commercial trace element mixtures. CO2 is supplied partly from the air and partly by your fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but can be enhanced by injecting it from an external source (for example, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a compressed bottle). If your plants have a deficiency of even one of these factors, and Wholesale Tropical Fish their growth will be limited. (Don't panic about this; most of us don't need optimal plant growth.) Overabundance of one factor over another may cause problems, and Wholesale Tropical Fish such as plant malnourishment, and Wholesale Tropical Fish undue algae growth or toxic buildup. Each ingredient will be discussed in detail in the following sections.

``My friend grows plants beautiful plants and doesn't do high-tech stuff like CO2 or fertilizers. Is it really necessary?''

The quick answer to this is no. It is completely possible to grow plants using basic tank equipment, and Wholesale Tropical Fish either by chance or by patiently learning through trial-and-error. This is accomplished by slight modification of the basic equipment and usual fishkeeping practice. High-tech gadgetry, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish can remove much of the guesswork by allowing you to better control each of the four ingredients.

We should also mention that the term beautiful is a bit subjective here; Many hobbyists achieve great success with ``easy'' plants and no special equipment, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and this is perfectly fine. But beware comparing this to a high-tech monger and their ability to grow a wider variety of plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish because they're really two different categories!.

``How do I disinfect my plants?''

New plants may have unwanted hitchers: snails, and Wholesale Tropical Fish algae or disease. Disinfection can help reduce their transmission into the tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and can be used to remove algae growths from established plants. Beware, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there is always a danger of going too far and damaging the plant itself. Some popular methods:

A ten minute soak in potassium permangenate (pale purple) works well; it is available in dilute form from Jungle products as "Clear Water". Permangenate is particularly good for killing bacteria and pathogens.

A 2-day soak in 1 tbsp/gallon of alum (buy it at drug stores) is good for killing snails and their eggs.

If the plants are kept in a fish-free system for three weeks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish parasites like ich and velvet will die without their fish hosts.

A soak in a 1:19 diluted bleach solution; 2 minutes for stem plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 3 minutes for tougher plants. Make sure to remove all traces of bleach afterwards by rinsing with water and dechlorinator. This method can kill your plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so use only as a last resort against hell algae.

(See the ALGAE SECTION of the DISEASE FAQ for more algae-prevention tips, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the SNAIL SECTION of that same FAQ for snail prophylaxis.)

``Do I leave my new plants in the pot?''

Many aquatic plants are now sold in potted rockwool. Plants with delicate roots, and Wholesale Tropical Fish such as Cryptocoryne and Anubias, and Wholesale Tropical Fish are usually best left in the rockwool wadding, and Wholesale Tropical Fish especially if you have to move them around in the tank. Leaving them potted also can reduce transplant shock; otherwise you must be patient and allow the plants time to recover in their new substrate. You can bury the pots in your gravel to conceal them. Some folks like to cut away the plastic pot, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and just leave the plant in the wadding so it can grow out into the substrate.

Fish

``What kind of plants can I keep with fish X?''

``What kind of fish can I keep with plant X?''

These are essentially the same question, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though asking the second one shows you are a serious plant person. You need to match the habits of the fish with the plant. Big cichlids that like to dig should not be kept in a tank with rooted plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though floating (or ephiphytic) plants are fine. Vegetarian fish should not be kept in a tank with plants they like to eat, and Wholesale Tropical Fish unless the plants grow faster than they destroy them! Some algae-eating fish also turn out to be plant-eaters too. In general, and Wholesale Tropical Fish try and learn the habits of your fish before you buy them and your plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and be prepared to find out what works by several trials.

Some fish that can be kept with virtually any plants: small tetras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish danios, and Wholesale Tropical Fish rasboras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish gouramis, and Wholesale Tropical Fish discus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish bettas, and Wholesale Tropical Fish angelfish (Pterophylum), and Wholesale Tropical Fish rainbowfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Corydorus catfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish livebearers, and Wholesale Tropical Fish killifish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish dwarf cichlids, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and in general most small fish.

Lighting

``How much light do I need''

The ``classic'' rule of thumb for lighting is 2-4 watts of fluorescent light per gallon (0.5-1 watts/l) for a tank of normal depth, and Wholesale Tropical Fish less than 24 inches (60cm). In reality, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the issue is clouded (so to speak) by the amount of algae and other particles in the water and on the walls, and Wholesale Tropical Fish what sort of reflector you have on the light source, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and how far away the source is from the tank. In general, and Wholesale Tropical Fish start with the guidelines, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but be prepared to add more later.

For plants that demand medium to high light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish most people find they need at least two fluorescent bulbs of the length of normal tanks (20-gallon (80l), and Wholesale Tropical Fish two 24 inch tubes; 55-gallon (200l), and Wholesale Tropical Fish two 48 inch tubes). More detail can be found in the later LIGHTING section.

``Can I grow plants with my single strip light?''

Yes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you can, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though you are limited to the lowest-light plants and will get very slow growth. Some of these include Java fern, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Anubias, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Cryptocoryne species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish water sprite and Java moss. Some of these plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish notably Cryptocorynes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish actually prefer lower light. We should also mention that some people may have luck with plants that normally prefer higher light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but the odds are that they will grow slowly and stunted.

``What kind of bulb do I need?''

First and foremost, and Wholesale Tropical Fish don't use incandescent lights; they generate far too much heat and not enough light. Full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs are ideal, and Wholesale Tropical Fish since they duplicate the spectrum of the sun. These tubes (``Vitalite'', and Wholesale Tropical Fish ``Spectralite'') can be costly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish at $8 to $20. An inexpensive but effective alternative are tri-phosphor daylight tubes such as the Chroma-50 or Design-50, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which retail at $4-8; these tubes do a reasonable approximation of sunlight. Cheaper ``plant lights'' are also good, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and may actually bring out your fish's color better. Tri-phosphor bulbs (Triton, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Tri-lux) are slightly more powerful, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but also more expensive than full-spectrum bulbs, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and high-end bulbs with internal reflectors (BioLume) are overpriced and unnecessary. Other bulbs to avoid are standard cool-white tubes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and ``aquarilux'' tubes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish designed to show off the fish and retard plant growth, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though some folks have had success with a mixture of cool white and plant bulbs.

``What's T-8?''

The term T-8 refers (usually) to high efficiency fluorescent tubes installed in most modern office buildings, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as opposed to the "T-12" standard fluorescents. They are currently in vogue with some aquatic plant keepers because of their relative inexpensiveness, and Wholesale Tropical Fish longer life, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and high energy savings (consider that the ballast and tubes for a 4-tube 128-watt setup can be had for under $50). They can be distinguished from their standard counterparts by three things: 1, and Wholesale Tropical Fish diameter (which is the literal meaning of T-8: 8/8 inch, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as opposed to T-12 = 12/8 inch), and Wholesale Tropical Fish 2,wattage (4-foot 32-watt, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 3-foot 25-watt, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and 2-foot 17 watt), and Wholesale Tropical Fish and 3, and Wholesale Tropical Fish their markings ("FO-32", and Wholesale Tropical Fish "F32-SPX" "TL7xx", and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc., and Wholesale Tropical Fish depending on manufacturer). T-8's use a different (but inexpensive) type of ballast, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so you should not use them interchangably with standard fluorescents. The one trick with T-8's is that you may need to get the tubes and ballasts from a commercial lighting supplier (check the phone book). Tubes are available in 5000K and 6500K color balances, and Wholesale Tropical Fish ideal planted tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but they may need to be special ordered.

One word of warning, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there are some standard fluorescent tubes that are T-8 diameter, and Wholesale Tropical Fish most notably 18" and some 36" tubes. These should not be mistaken for the above bulbs, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and should be used with normal ballasts. When in doubt, and Wholesale Tropical Fish make sure to check the wattage and identification (3-foot 30 watt and 18-inch 15 watt bulbs are not the new kind).

``What's MH? Is it better than fluorescent?''

Metal Halide (MH) lights are most commonly seen illuminating football fields, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but are also used in our hobby by reefkeepers and die-hard plant enthusiasts, and Wholesale Tropical Fish who demand very high light intensity. The fixtures cost significantly more than fluorescent (over $200 per fixture). The bulbs last longer and provide more efficient and brighter illumination than fluorescents (typically 175-250 watts per bulb), and Wholesale Tropical Fish but generate an appropriately higher level of heat as well. Some aquarists like the sun-like shadow effects generated by MH bulbs.

``Can I use those cheap Halogen bulbs from the hardware store?''

Do not confuse MH with the tungsten halogen lights sold in hardware stores as utility floods or living room fixtures; Halogen lights are basically high-wattage incandescent lights, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and generate an enormous amount of heat and are very inefficient in their light output. Some also find the spectrum too yellowish.

``How do I add another light to my tank?''

If you can fit a second tube in your existing hood, and Wholesale Tropical Fish many stores sell upgrade kits to add the second fixture. Otherwise, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you might be able to add a second hood to the tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or you can find a replacement two-bulb hood (mail-order places sell them). Another option for 4-foot (130cm) long tanks is to buy a ``shoplight'' fixture and lay it across the top over the glass. You can also build your own hood or canopy and mount the shoplight or fixture inside. It's possible to omit the fixture by purchasing special end caps and clips for the tubes. These are available, and Wholesale Tropical Fish with ballasts, and Wholesale Tropical Fish from aquarium stores and are commonly used by marine aquarists.

``How long do I leave the light on each day?''

Plants want a definite daily light and dark cycle each day; 10-14 hours is fine; twelve hours is the duration on the equator, and Wholesale Tropical Fish where many tropical plants are found. You should buy a timer ($5-10) to automatically turn the lights on and off for you, and Wholesale Tropical Fish since the plants (and fish) prefer a regular cycle to an erratic one. If the plants need more light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you should not extend the light period, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as that will only help the algae. Rather, and Wholesale Tropical Fish install another fixture and increase the intensity of light.

Speaking of timers, and Wholesale Tropical Fish many fluorescent fixtures don't self-start, and Wholesale Tropical Fish i.e. you have to hold in a button for a few seconds to turn it on. You can quickly convert any fixture into a ``self-starting'' one with a few new components from a hardware store or sold as a kit from mail-order houses. See the later LIGHTING section for a diagram.

``How often do I change the bulb?''

Most fluorescent bulbs lose a major portion of their intensity after six months, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so they should be replaced every 6-12 months (T-8's can be kept longer). If that seems expensive to you and you can live with the reduced light level, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you can cheat and wait until the bulbs burn out after two years (that is, and Wholesale Tropical Fish according to TAG editor Neil Frank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish what ``many experienced plant enthusiasts'' do). It is best to stagger the replacement on multi-bulb tanks in order to avoid dramatic intensity changes.

``Won't increased light fill my tank with algae?''

If you are adding that second light to your tank for the first time, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you should be prepared for this. Increased light is welcomed by both algae and plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so the plants must out-compete the algae. You can help tip the balance in the plants' favor by maintaining a low fish population, and Wholesale Tropical Fish keeping algae eaters, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and frequent water changes (see the ALGAE SECTION of the DISEASE FAQ).

Carbon Dioxide (CO2)

``Is CO2 injection really necessary?''

CO2 injection is not required to grow plants. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish most people who have used it feel that, and Wholesale Tropical Fish aside from high-intensity lighting, and Wholesale Tropical Fish CO2 is the most important step to getting excellent growth. In fact, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as light intensity is increased, and Wholesale Tropical Fish plants will require more nutrients, and Wholesale Tropical Fish including carbon which is derived from CO2. In conjunction with carbonate buffers (see the WATER CHEMISTRY section of the BEGINNER FAQ), and Wholesale Tropical Fish CO2 injection will buffer your water to a neutral or low pH. Lower pH will help plants get access to certain nutrients. Some also report CO2 injection keeps algae down.

``Isn't CO2 expensive?''

The startup cost can be a bit steep; expect to pay around $500 for a fully-automated Dupla system, and Wholesale Tropical Fish $350 for a manual injector. If you do it yourself using welding or bar supplies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you can drop the price to $100-$200 for a tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish regulator, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and needle valve. After your initial investment, and Wholesale Tropical Fish CO2 refills (try fire extinguisher or beverage service outlets) are cheap: $5-10 a year for a 5 lb cylinder.

If this is still too much, and Wholesale Tropical Fish try the ultra-cheap Yeast Method of brewing CO2 (see below).

``How much CO2 is normal?''

The optimum dissolved CO2 level in an aquarium is 15-20 ppm. Some references say that levels above 25ppm poison your fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but general experience is that this doesn't happen. The amount found in the water from atmospheric concentrations varies by elevation and temperature, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but is less than 1ppm.

``How does the compressed gas method work?''

A compressed gas cylinder supplies CO2 at a high pressure of 800-1200 PSI. This is dropped to 5-20 PSI through a regulator, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and reduced to a few bubbles per second by a fine-control ``needle valve''. This slow bubbling must be dissolved in your aquarium's water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish through either a gas reactor (which lets water and gas mix in a chamber much like a trickle filter), and Wholesale Tropical Fish an inverted jar (which just lets the gas diffuse into the water slowly), and Wholesale Tropical Fish or by injecting the bubbles into the intake of a power or canister filter (the impeller ``chops'' them up into smaller bubbles, and Wholesale Tropical Fish many of which dissolve). The reactor is the most efficient method, and Wholesale Tropical Fish while the power filter injection is the easiest to try.

It is important to have control over the rate of injection, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as too much CO2 can kill your fish. Expensive ``automatic'' systems use an electronic pH meter to regulate the amount of CO2 in the water by shutting off the gas when the pH drops too low. ``Manual'' systems require you to start with very low injection and gradually increase over several days, and Wholesale Tropical Fish all the time carefully monitoring pH drops and CO2 bubble rate in order to find the correct needle valve setting.

Construction and operational details can be found in the later CO2 SECTION.

``How does the yeast method work?''

CO2 is generated by fermentation of sugars in a bottle (just like when brewing beer!) and then injected into the tank using the same methods described above. The parts are very cheap and easier to set up than the compressed tank. The main drawback is that CO2 generation rate can be erratic, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and will quit on you if you do not change the solution (once every two weeks or so) or get the mixture right. The CO2 level generated is lower than that of compressed gas tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but is still enough to help plant growth. Initially passed off as ``useless'' by much of the aquarium literature, and Wholesale Tropical Fish this technique has enjoyed a certain vogue in the last few years as a good way to try CO2 without draining your wallet.

Here is one quick construction method: Tap the cap of a 2-liter plastic soft drink bottle (the author uses drip-irrigation taps, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which can be obtained cheaply at local hardware stores; if you get leaks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish try sealing it with ``Amazing Goop'' or ``Shoe Goo'') so that an airline tube can feed the gas into your tank. Half fill the bottle with water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and add 1/2 tsp yeast and 1/2 cup (or more) sugar. The solution will last about two weeks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish after which you can throw it out and start a new batch. Beware of water siphoning back from your tank... put a check valve in-line with the airline tube.

``Can I just dump carbonated water into my tank?''

No! Plants need a slow continuous source of CO2. If you dump carbonated water in, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it will spike the pH (stressing your fish), and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the CO2 will just dissipate back into the air within a few hours.

``Does injecting CO2 reduce the oxygen content?''

No. The level of dissolved CO2 and oxygen are actually independent of each other; high levels of both can exist at the same time. Furthermore, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if you have a set of healthy plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they will be saturating the water with oxygen on their own. The problem is that many of the techniques used to increase oxygen content (airstones, and Wholesale Tropical Fish trickle filters, and Wholesale Tropical Fish keeping the water moving at the surface) also cause CO2 to diffuse out of the aquarium; i.e., and Wholesale Tropical Fish if you turn off your airstone in order to keep the CO2 in, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you might also reduce your oxygen content. The best solution is to keep the water moving at the surface of the tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but inject CO2 faster than it can escape, and Wholesale Tropical Fish giving you high levels of both CO2 and oxygen.

Nutrients and Fertilizer

``Is fish food enough to fertilize my plants?''

Fish food usually provides enough of the three macronutrients, and Wholesale Tropical Fish nitrogen, and Wholesale Tropical Fish phosphate, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and potassium (N-P-K), and Wholesale Tropical Fish to keep your plants healthy. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the trace elements such as iron are not all supplied in a form that the plants can use. Some trace elements may be in your tap water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so frequent water changes will replenish them. This may provide enough for some plant growth, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but if you want the best growth you should consider adding a trace element fertilizer.

``Can I use normal plant fertilizer?''

Normal land plant fertilizer contains high amounts of N-P-K which is already supplied by the fish food. Adding more will cause algae outbreaks and possible fish stress. You may be able to find a trace-element-only fertilizer at better garden shops, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or even mix your own. Aquarium-specific mixes by Dupla (available world-wide) and Dennerle (not available yet in the U.S.) are expensive, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but are proven to work very well. Beware some other brands that supply N-P-K (check the label for ingredients; some do not list their contents for this exact reason.) Fertilizer tabs, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or even 1/4 inch pieces of ``plant sticks'' (without sulfates) have been successfully used if placed deeply in the substrate and used sparingly.

``How do I know if I need fertilizer?''

Lack of fertilizer shows up in your plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as sickly transparent or yellow leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as holes in the leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and as reduction in plant growth. Old leaves die off more quickly than they are supposed to, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the new leaves are small and stunted. Another symptom is the plants grow very well for a month or so after you buy them, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but then stop as their internal supply of trace elements and macro nutrients run out. You also need to add fertilizer if you have high levels of CO2 and lighting, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but no plant growth.

``How do I know which nutrient is limiting plant growth?''

This is always difficult to answer without actually trying it yourself. If you have slow growth and it picks up shortly after you change your water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then your water is probably supplying some trace elements which get depleted later; consider adding a trace element mix or changing your water more often. If you have slow growth, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but it picks up after adding trace element mix, and Wholesale Tropical Fish problem solved! If you have slow growth but it picks up after feeding your fish a little bit more, and Wholesale Tropical Fish problem solved! But watch out that you don't increase things too drastically, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or you'll get algae blooms.

``How much is too much?''

If you like keeping zillions of test kits, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then you can check some trace element levels with them (Dupla recommends an iron level of 0.1ppm). Ammonia and nitrate test kits will tell you if you are overfeeding. Alternatively, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you need to watch your tank. Too much fertilizer and fish food may show up as excessive algae growth.

``What's PMDD? How do I make it?''

PMDD (or Poor Man's Dosing Drops) is a do-it-yourself recipe, and Wholesale Tropical Fish put together by Kevin Conlin and Paul Sears as part of their experiments to control algae. Much discussion an experimentation with the recipe is occuring on the Aquatic Plants E-mail List, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so you are likely to get the most current info there. Semi-regular updates are kept on the WWW at THE KRIB. Future updates of this FAQ may include sources and recipes when things settle. :)

The Substrate

``What should I put in my substrate?''

Gravel or sand is a good start! Size is an issue; with small grains the roots might not be able to get a good hold and the sand tends to compact, and Wholesale Tropical Fish while larger gravel has a tendency to collect pockets of rotting detritus. Most believe the ideal size is 2-3mm (#8) gravel, and Wholesale Tropical Fish while a few others like 1-2mm coarse sand (though it may be harder to find). Malaysian trumpet snails (see the ALGAE SECTION of the DISEASE FAQ) will burrow into the substrate and keep it aerated. The bottom 1/3 of the gravel can be supplemented with a fertilizer, and Wholesale Tropical Fish of which popular choices are peat (softens water), and Wholesale Tropical Fish laterite (a clay containing iron, and Wholesale Tropical Fish usually used with undergravel heating systems), and Wholesale Tropical Fish and soil. One word of warning: if you use an undergravel filter, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it may suck your fertilizer back into the tank instead of keeping it with the bottom of the gravel. Dupla makes special laterite balls which can be used in an UGF (though expensive).

``How deep a substrate?''

In general, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it's good to match the substrate with the types of plant (or types of roots). For instance big Amazon Sword plants like deep gravel of 4 inches (10cm), and Wholesale Tropical Fish but Lilaeopsis grass can do fine with an inch or less. This can be helped by terracing the back of your tank to be deeper and planting your deep-rooted plants there. You also can't go wrong with a uniform 3 inches (7cm) of gravel all-around.

``Can you grow plants with an undergravel filter (UGF)?''

Oh my yes! Make sure you have enough gravel for the plants to be happily rooted. It should also work best with a very slow flow rate. Pluses of UGF may be an increased circulation to the roots. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you will probably get roots growing in the plates, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it will be harder to vacuum everything, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and will be a major pain to pull and replant. Many feel so strongly that you shouldn't grow plants with an UGF that it has become a bit of a religious issue on Usenet. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish this does not mean it is not possible... like most religious issues, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is something for which you must make your own decision. :)

Heating

``What temperature do I keep a planted tank?''

This varies from plant-to-plant, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but you can keep most aquatic plants from 72-80F (22-27C). For warm-water discus tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish check a plant book for species that thrive in these special conditions.

``Do I need to have substrate heating?''

The exact benefits of substrate heating have not been proven yet, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but it is believed they provide long-term stability to a tank. If you are a beginner, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it's hardly worth messing with before mastering the basics (fertilization, and Wholesale Tropical Fish lighting, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc). If, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you are a gadget freak or love to spend money, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you may get a sense of pride from installing a cable heating system. (Some believe that a very slow UGF can provide the same benefits.)

Long Term Problems

This list is by no means exhaustive! Please feel free to suggest more long-term problems that can be addressed here.

``The leaves turned yellow and fell off.''

``The leaves got holes & fell off''

Might be a trace-element deficiency, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or in the latter case, and Wholesale Tropical Fish fish and plants eating them.

``It grew for a while & then died/still grows, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but slower.''

This is by far the most common problem beginners experience, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and has several different causes.

Plants can store some nutrients and trace elements, and Wholesale Tropical Fish using them later. When they come from the greenhouse, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they are fully stocked. But after a month or more, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if you do not supply them with a balance of nutrients they take what's missing from their stock. When the stock's gone, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the plant dies.

Most potted plants are grown emersed (hydroponically) in greenhouses, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and are used to growing in very high light (i.e. filtered sunlight) and with high levels of nutrients, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and must acclimate to aquarium conditions. First, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they'll lose the old leaves which were growing out of the water and produce new leaves that have a different shape and firmness. Secondly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as they acclimate to the lower light and nutrient levels their growth rate will temporarily slow down.

While potted plants ship well, and Wholesale Tropical Fish this may not be true for non-potted plants. They may have been stressed by passing through many hands from grower or collector to wholesaler to retailer, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so they may not be in optimum condition when you acquire them. The non-potted plants were most likely grown underwater, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but also outdoors under filtered sunlight, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so they also must acclimate to the aquarium conditions.

The plant might not be a true aquatic plant. Many stores pass off land plants as aquatics (see our BLACKLIST). These plants can manage to stay alive for a month or more, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but eventually succumb.

Some plants go into hibernation. Aponogeton bulbs will lose all their leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish at which point they should be removed from the tank and kept in cold water for a few months. Then they can be replanted and will send out new leaves.

Cryptocorynes will ``melt'' all their leaves on a change in water chemistry. Don't despair, and Wholesale Tropical Fish eventually they will send out new leaves.

``My ... grows great but everything else dies''

Some plants are hardier than others, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and will grow in lower light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish CO2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or worse water conditions than others. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some plants will actually out-compete others for the available nutrients, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and some plants will not do well in the presence of other species; try moving the other plants into a different tank if you can.

``My ... is covered with algae!''

Please read the ALGAE SECTION of the DISEASE FAQ for details on specific algaes and remedies. But to summarize, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you can keep algae-eating fish to munch on it, and Wholesale Tropical Fish starve it for nutrients by adding floating or fast-growing plants that consume nutrients faster than the algae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish harvest some plants and remove dying leaves often to take nutrients out of the tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish reduce feeding (or increase water changes if you must overfeed), and Wholesale Tropical Fish reduce the number of light hours per day, and Wholesale Tropical Fish use root fertilization instead of liquid leaf fertilization, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or physically remove it from the tank. There are also antibiotics for blue-green algae and other algicides, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but the latter can kill your plants as well; use with caution!

Plants need certain things to grow: light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish CO2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish nutrients and trace elements. This should be no surprise. What is generally not known is that plants need these things in fixed proportions (and unfortunately, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the proportions vary with each type of plant). For example, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if you have plenty of light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish CO2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish nutrients and most trace elements but not enough of one specific trace element for a plant, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the trace element in short supply will determine how well that plant grows even though other plants do fine. This explains why some plants are "easier" than others - their needs are typically supplied by tap water or other incidental sources. If the plants aren't able to utilize all the nutrients due to a shortage of one or more specific elements, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the "excess" nutrients and light energy will be wasted or be used by algae.

In general, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there is no information available that says "this plant needs this much light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish CO2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish nutrients and trace elements". Aquarists can only determine "what works for me" by tedious trial and error. Aquarists who follow the Dupla "Optimum Aquarium" regimen try to ensure that all the requirements of all the plants are met, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but this leads to expensive and complex systems.

LIGHT

Light is very important for photosynthesis since it supplies the energy required to drive the chemical reactions involved. The plants use light energy primarily in the blue and red spectrum but an aquarium will look better to people if full spectrum lighting is used.

Light intensity and spectrum are more important than duration. You can't make up for dimmer bulbs by leaving them on longer. 10-12 hours per day is usually sufficient. You need about 1.5 to 3 watts per gallon, and Wholesale Tropical Fish with deeper tanks requiring more intensity.

It is important to balance light intensity with other nutrients. Intense lighting will be wasted if not enough CO2 and nutrients are available to support the needs for photosynthesis.

CO2

This is very important to plant growth. Without sufficient quantities of dissolved CO2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish photosynthesis cannot take place. Most tanks will have some CO2 due to fish respiration but this is usually not enough to get "lush" growth. Some plants do not need much CO2 and some plants like Cryptocorynes actually seem to do worse with higher levels of CO2.

Typical levels of CO2 in a non-CO2-injected aquarium are in the range of 1-3 ppm. Most plants will flourish with levels of 10-20 ppm but this requires some type of CO2 injection. With lower levels of CO2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the plants will not be able to utilize high levels of light and nutrients and the extra light and nutrients will be used by algae.

NUTRIENTS

Beyond the "building blocks of life" provided by water and CO2 (oxygen, and Wholesale Tropical Fish hydrogen and carbon), and Wholesale Tropical Fish two other important nutrients are required: nitrogen and potassium. Nitrogen is usually available in sufficient quantities from fish waste in the form of ammonium (NH4+). Most plants will prefer ammonium but some will use the end product of the nitrification cycle, and Wholesale Tropical Fish nitrate (NO3-). Ammonium is the preferred source since it takes less energy to use that form of nitrogen. A good test for ammonium levels is to monitor nitrates. If the nitrates are 0 ppm, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you know that all the nitrogen is being used. This may indicate that some plants are starving for nitrogen. It also might indicate that a perfect balance has been achieved, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but that is unlikely.

Potassium (K+) is also usually available from fish food. Unfortunately, and Wholesale Tropical Fish potassium is difficult to measure in the water. If there are enough nitrates, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there is usually enough potassium. Some fertilizers contain additional potassium and can be used to be on the safe side.

TRACE ELEMENTS

Trace elements are those things required in very small quantities yet are still vital to plant growth. These are taken in by the plant in ion form. The more important trace elements are sulfur (SO4--), and Wholesale Tropical Fish calcium (Ca++), and Wholesale Tropical Fish phosphorus (HPO4--/H2PO4-), and Wholesale Tropical Fish magnesium (Mg++) and iron (Fe++).

Sulfur, and Wholesale Tropical Fish calcium and magnesium are usually found in tap water. If the water has too little general hardness (< 3 degrees dH), and Wholesale Tropical Fish calcium and/or magnesium may be in short supply. This can be remedied by adding calcium and magnesium sulfate in small quantities.

Phosphorus can be measured in the water and should be present in quantities less than 0.2 ppm of phosphate. If the nitrates are OK, and Wholesale Tropical Fish phosphorus levels are usually also OK.

Iron may be present in tap water in the correct ionic state (Fe++) but will quickly oxidize to a form unusable by plants. To prevent this, and Wholesale Tropical Fish chelated iron mixtures can be used. The chelator prevents the iron from oxidizing and makes it easy for the plants to assimilate. The iron concentration should be less than 0.2 ppm.

Other trace elements are needed in extremely small quantities and can usually be provided in fish food or specialized trace element formulations. Note that some of these elements are toxic in anything but trace amounts so the addition of trace elements should be done very carefully.

OTHER INFORMATION

Some plants can concentrate carbon, and Wholesale Tropical Fish potassium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish nitrogen, and Wholesale Tropical Fish phosphorus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish iron or the lesser trace elements and store it for later use. This means that plants may do well for a while, and Wholesale Tropical Fish using stored nutrients, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and then mysteriously wither if they can't replenish their supply. This also means that some plants may "out-compete" others for required nutrients, and Wholesale Tropical Fish preventing the other plants from doing well.

Regular water changes are an important part of keeping a planted aquarium healthy since many of the nutrients and trace elements are in tap water. Changing 25 percent every two weeks is recommended.

The substrate can play a major role in the availability of nutrients. Nutrients can be put in the substrate when an aquarium is setup by mixing laterite (tropical clay), and Wholesale Tropical Fish potting soil, and Wholesale Tropical Fish peat moss or commercial equivalents into the lower layer of gravel. These additives will release some necessary elements and provide chelating sites so that the correct ionic states are maintained. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if nutrients aren't replaced, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the substrate will eventually be exhausted and the plants will begin to do poorly.

If laterite or peat is used in the substrate and a very slow flow of water can be forced through the substrate, and Wholesale Tropical Fish water-born nutrients will be chelated by the laterite or peat. This will provide a continuous source of nutrients in the substrate. Substrate heating coils are recommended for this since they can provide slow convection currents. They are expensive, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however.

The following table is based on data from the Feb, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 1988 "Today's Aquarium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the International Magazine of the Optimum Aquarium", and Wholesale Tropical Fish ("Aquarium Heute" in German), and Wholesale Tropical Fish published by Aquadocumenta Verlag GmbH.

Average nutrient content of plants and aquarium water

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

| Symbol Nutrient Plant Water Absorbed as Concen|

| mg/kg mg/l Factor|

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

| O Oxygen 48,000 880,000 H2O 0.02 |

| Abundantly available in the water |

| |

| C Carbon 36,000 Varies CO2(HCO3-) 1000 |

| Absent if no CO2 injection |

| |

| H Hydrogen 6,000 110,000 H2O 0.02 |

| Abundantly available in the water |

| |

| K Potassium 3,600 5 K+ 1000 |

| Sufficient with good feeding, and Wholesale Tropical Fish otherwise fertilizing |

| |

| N Nitrogen 3,200 5 NH4+/NO3- 1000 |

| Too much nitrate with good fish feeding |

| |

| S Sulphur 660 15 SO4-- 50 |

| Source: fish food and mains water |

| |

| Ca Calcium 650 90 Ca++ 10 |

| Absent in soft water |

| |

| P Phosphorus 460 0.1 HPO4--/H2PO4- 1000 |

| Too many phosphates with good fish feeding |

| |

| Mg Magnesium 210 18 Mg++ 10 |

| Absent in soft water |

| |

| Fe Iron 15 0 Fe++/Fe+++ 1000 |

| Absent under good light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish unless fertilized |

| |

| Other Trace elements 10 0 Ions 1000 |

| Sufficient with good feeding, and Wholesale Tropical Fish otherwise fertilizer |

+-----------------------------------------------------------------+

Notes: "mg/kg" and "mg/l" are roughly parts per million or "ppm"

"Concen Factor" is how much plants can store beyond their needs for growth, and Wholesale Tropical Fish i.e., and Wholesale Tropical Fish plants can store 1000 times more iron than they need.

The information on this page is collected from my own firsthand knowledge, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the plant list in the previous FAQ (author unknown), and Wholesale Tropical Fish TAG (further info indicated as volume:number), and Wholesale Tropical Fish Aquarium Plants Manual by Scheurmann (1993), and Wholesale Tropical Fish various aquarium society bulletins, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and old articles on the Krib. Contributions by Elaine Thompson, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Len Trigg, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Eric S. Deese, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Shaji Bhaskar, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Peter Konshak.

Contents:

Blacklisted Plants

Explanation of Symbols

Stem Plants

Rosette Plants

Ferns

Blacklisted Plants

These plants are so-called ``blacklisted'' because though they are sold under the guise of being true aquatic plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they are actually land or emersed plants. Typically what happens is you buy one of these, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it lives for a month, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then dies. Don't buy them, and Wholesale Tropical Fish unless you are setting up a paludarium and want to keep their leaves above water. The main problem with identifying all the blacklisted plants is that they are mostly known by goofy trade names which vary from region-to-region... To make things worse, and Wholesale Tropical Fish true aquatics are sometimes sold under one of these trade names as well, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so it's best to know the plant's scientific name!

umbrella pine

ground pines/club mosses (Lycopodium)

aluminum plant (Pilea cadairei)

crinkle (Hemigraphis)

green hedge

underwater palm

spider plant (Chlorophytum)

Chinese evergreen

arrowhead -- either Syngonium (the houseplant) or a species of Sagittaria that doesn't do well submerged.

pongol sword

sandriana, and Wholesale Tropical Fish green dragon plant (Dracena sanderana) -- tall corn-like stalk, and Wholesale Tropical Fish dark green sword-like leaves with white edges.

mondo grass, and Wholesale Tropical Fish fountain plant (Ophiopogon japonicus) -- Grassy, and Wholesale Tropical Fish leaves in one plane.

Japanese rush (Acorus gramineus) -- looks like mondo.

Brazil sword, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Borneo swords (Spathiphyllum sp.). S. wallisii may be suitable for submersion according to Rataj.

scarlet hygro/dragon flame/alligator weed (Alternanthera sessilis and other sp.) -- see stem plant listing as some varieties can be grown.

Legend

Most plants that grow under low or medium light will usually do even better under higher light. Exceptions are noted. Here is what each symbol means:

High light requirement

Medium light requirement

Low light requirement

Tolerates brackish or high-pH water.

Fast grower

Floating plant

Stem Plants

To propagate most stem plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish cut the stem and replant the top cutting. You can also leave the bottom part (the mother plant) planted, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and it will sprout two or more new side shoots. Some stem plants will grow out of the water (emersed) and produce flowers. Most stem plants are suited for grouping as background plants.

Alternanthera reineckii (scarlet hygro, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc.)

Scarlet to deep red color, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which turns olive in lower light conditions. Not to be confused with A. sessilis sold under the same common names, and Wholesale Tropical Fish this species can truly grow underwater. (TAG 6:4, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 6:5)

Bacopa (water hyssop)

A bog plant that grows OK underwater, and Wholesale Tropical Fish background or filler plant. Pale green-to-red fleshy leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish up to 16" tall stem. 68-78F. Makes good background or side plant, and Wholesale Tropical Fish in groups.

Cabomba (fanwort)

Stems up to 20" (50cm) tall. Leaves resemble fine pine needles, and Wholesale Tropical Fish fanning out from central stem. Pair of leaves at each node. Will tend to break apart and litter the aquarium if light is too low. Difficult to grow; needs high fertilization.

Cardimine lyrata

Beautiful, and Wholesale Tropical Fish delicate plant. Small (1/2 - 1") heart-shaped leaves with wavy edges on a thin stem. Grows roots above water at each node. Tolerates cold water very well; will overwinter outdoors at temperatures around freezing, and Wholesale Tropical Fish even when emersed. Leaves look kind of like Hydrocotoyle sp., and Wholesale Tropical Fish but stem is straight.

Ceratophyllym demersum (hornwort)

Very hardy. Whorls of forked leaves. Grows leggy under medium light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish quickly under better conditions. No roots, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so can be kept free-floating or planted. Lengths up to 2 feet.

Elodea/Egeria (anachris)

Prefers low temperature (50-77F) tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish somewhat alkaline pH. Translucent green whorled leaves. Good goldfish food and tank oxygenator. Can be kept free-floating or rooted. Nice beginner plant.

Hydrocotoyle leucocephala (water pennywort)

Tall stem plant (over 20") with heart-shaped green leaves of 1" diameter. Develops several small roots at each node. Tolerates 50-82F. Will grow floating when it reaches the top of the water and flower in the aquarium. Doesn't root well, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so needs to be refreshed occasionally from cuttings. Leaves look kind of like Cardimine lyrata.

Hygrophila corymbosa (giant hygro, and Wholesale Tropical Fish temple plant)

Also known as Nomaphila stricta. Light green leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish sometimes with reddish veins. Easily grows out of the water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish where leaves turn dark reddish green. Big plant; makes good corner/background in large deep tanks. Grows quickly given high fertilization. Fairly hardy. Another species with similar appearance and requirements is ``narrow-leaved hygro'' (probably H. augustifolia).

Hygrophila difformis (water wisteria)

Easy to grow. Prefers high light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but grows slowly under medium. Fine branched light green leaves. Has different emersed leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and flowers above water. Propagated from cuttings. Also known as Synnema triflorum. Sometimes confused with water sprite.

Hygrophila polysperma (green hygro, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Indian hygro)

Spreads like a weed. Green under medium light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but gets brownish tinge (and grows larger) in high light. ``Sunset'' and variegated varieties are available, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but harder to grow. (TAG 7:4)

Limnophila sp. (ambulia)

Similar in appearance to Cabomba, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but less light-demanding. Grows light green leaves in whorls at each node (Cabomba has a pair of leaves at each node). There are two common species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish L. aquatica and L. sessiliflora. The former is larger, and Wholesale Tropical Fish more bushy, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and has finer leaves. It is hardy in tropical aquaria with high light.

Lobelia cardinalis

Similar/same the red-flowered land garden plant. Rumored to leach poison if cut.

Ludwigia repens

Spade-shaped leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish dark green to brownish colored. Stiff stems, and Wholesale Tropical Fish up to 20" (50cm) long. For me, and Wholesale Tropical Fish transplant stems sometimes rot.

Mayaca fluviatilis

Very pretty plant. Light green, and Wholesale Tropical Fish narrow leaves about 1/2" long, and Wholesale Tropical Fish arranged in whorls. Attractive for background plantings. Became commonly available in 1994. Like Hygrophila species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it seems to be a delicacy for fish. Doesn't root well, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so plantings need to be refreshed from cuttings.

Myriophyllum (water milfoil)

Temperate water plant that needs good lighting. Good for background. Fine, and Wholesale Tropical Fish green to reddish green leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish depending on the species. Produces coarser leaves above water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which will flower.

Rotala

Very delicate leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish easily damaged. Grows up to 20" tall, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so they make excellent background plants. R. indica can grow in medium light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but just will not stay as green. R. macrandra is largest, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and hardest to cultivate. It has red leaves with pink undersides, and Wholesale Tropical Fish turning to green in lower light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and requires iron fertilization to maintain its red color.

Utricularia (bladderwort)

``Rosette'' Plants

These plants reproduce vegetatively (asexually) by runners or stalks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which you can usually cut after the new plant is large enough to grow on its own. Like stem plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish many will grow emersed and produce flowers in that state. Generally, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they prefer slightly-soft acidic water (2-3dKH, and Wholesale Tropical Fish pH 5.5-7).

Anubias

72-82F (22-28C). Not really a rosette plant, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Anubias all have a creeping rhizome that grows very slowly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish throwing out new leaves as it grows. The plant is built like a tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some having reported keeping them in a closet for six months in a plastic bag yet still surviving. It is also one of the most expensive aquarium plants. If grown emersed, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they may produce larger leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and will grow faster, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and flowers will produce seeds. Anubias will frequently flower underwater, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but not seed. You can grow the roots in gravel, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or even train the rhizome to grow on bogwood like Java fern does. (TAG 6:2) Most commonly kept species is A. barteri var. nana, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the smallest Anubias, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which has egg-shaped leaves and makes a great foreground plant in medium-to-large aquariums. A. barteri var. barteri looks similar to the nana variety, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but with bigger leaves. A. congensis, and Wholesale Tropical Fish A. lanceolata and others grow very tall and make good background plants. They can sometimes be seen in better stores.

Aponogeton

Tuber. Needs rest period (triggered after blooming? drops its leaves), and Wholesale Tropical Fish except for hybrid crispus. Easy beginner plant. Foreground plant singly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or background in groups. Most species flower by sending up a stalk with single or double-spike and seed easily. (Grows very slowly from seeds, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and you must protect the young seedlings from fish.) (TAG 4:3) Oft seen Species:

bouvianus

crispus: up to 20" (50cm) tall, and Wholesale Tropical Fish red to green leaves; easy starter plant, and Wholesale Tropical Fish often sold as bulbs at Wal-Mart. Single-spike flower stem, and Wholesale Tropical Fish slightly-undulating leaf margins.

elongatus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish

ulvaceus: 10-20" (25-50cm) wavy light green leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish twin-spiked flower.

undulatus: 16" (40cm) slightly-undulating leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish smooth in low light. Flowers rarely.

Aponogeton madagascariensis (Madagascar Lace Plant)

Very desired plant because of its 6-18" leaves which are actually a lace-like skeleton. Pink self-fertile flowers on double-spiked stalk. Likes rich substrate. Observe dormancy period! Dies in water over 80F. Difficult plant to grow.

Barclaya longifolia (orchid lily)

10-20" (25-50cm) delicate brownish or olive-green leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish moderately-undulated margins. Likes warmed substrate and warm aquariums (75-82F). Foreground single plant. Often rots on transplant. Flowers and seeds easily by sending a stalk to the surface, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or will remain submerged and closed (seeds still viable). Very difficult to grow. (TAG 4:1).

Crinum (``onion bulb'')

As the name implies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it grows from a bulb and looks like a scallion. Bright-green leaves are huge 20-40" (50-100cm), and Wholesale Tropical Fish and recommended only for large aquariums. Does better in bright light.

Cryptocoryne (most species)

Shocks on transplant, and Wholesale Tropical Fish takes up to months to adjust to new tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so don't move them once you've planted them. Crypt rot caused by sudden water chemistry/quality changes. Spreads by rhizome; new plants develop at nodes. -> Not a good beginner plant. Often sold potted in rockwool, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which reduces the above shocks. Usually prefers acidic water. Some species will not tolerate high light. Requires iron fertilization and likes rich substrate. (TAG 4:1, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 4:2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 5:1, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 5:2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 5:3, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 5:4) Oft-seen species:

affinis: emerald-green 4-12" (10-30cm) leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish red undersides. Foreground plant in large aquariums or center plants in small tanks. Grows OK in alkaline water.

balansae: likes higher light?

becketii: likes higher light?

lutea: easier crypt to grow.

walkeri

wendtii: easier crypt to grow. bronze, and Wholesale Tropical Fish red, and Wholesale Tropical Fish green varieties. wrinkled leaves. Up to 8" tall. Adaptable to high light and will grow with CO2.

Echinodorus (Amazon swords)

Most are good as single highlight plant, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or background groups in large aquariums. Like high levels of fertilizer. Can grow emersed. Reproduce by adventitious plants on end of stalks runners, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or root division, and Wholesale Tropical Fish depending on species. (TAG 4:5, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 5:5, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 7:1, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 7:5) Common species:

bleheri, and Wholesale Tropical Fish paniculatus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish amazonicus: Your generic amazon swords, and Wholesale Tropical Fish usually available in small, and Wholesale Tropical Fish medium or large. Light green leaves can be over 20" (50cm). Produces plantlets directly on the flower stalk.

cordifolius (radican sword): heart-shaped leaves. Likes being emersed; will flower in open-top aquarium. Sends floating leaves if illumination is low.

major/maior (ruffle sword)

osiris (melon sword): blood-red slightly-undulate leaves.

parviflorus (tropico sword): smaller variety.

tenellus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish quadricostatus (pygmy chain sword): leaves up to 6", and Wholesale Tropical Fish 72-86F. Fast reproduction by runners; can create a lawn on large enough tank. Small plants; nice foreground display.

Lemna (duckweed, and Wholesale Tropical Fish green plague)

Tiny (1/4") plant with a pair of leaves and a root. Reproduces very quickly. A very noxious weed, and Wholesale Tropical Fish hard to eradicate, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and most fish don't like to eat it. Try a floating fern such as Salvinia instead of this one.

Lilaeopsis novae-zelandiae (``micro sword'')

64-77F. This plant sold under this name is probably L. braziliensis, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a South American Liaeopsis. It slowly spreads out in thick "turf" of grass, and Wholesale Tropical Fish about three 1-3" long light green grass-like leaves per plant. Nice spawning medium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish foreground plant.

Nuphar (spatterdock)

Water lily-like plant. Usually sold as rhizome end-cutting, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which rots away in a month. Likes colder temperatures.

Nymphaea (Water Lily, and Wholesale Tropical Fish tiger lotus)

Bulb. Delicate leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish colors varying from red to green with possible mottled spots, and Wholesale Tropical Fish depending on the variety. Pinch off floating leaves if you want only submerged ones. Reproduction is by blooms, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or side-tubers from the main bulb. Need 3-5 floating leaves for it to bloom.

Nymphoides aquatica (banana plant)

Olive-colored Heart-shaped leaves that look superficially like water lily, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and banana-like tubers on roots. Plant by sticking the tubers 1/3 in the gravel. Prefers lower temperatures. Throws out floating leaves if light and fertilization is good.

Pistia stratiotes (water lettuce)

Very demanding plant that prefers full sun (where it will grow the size of actual lettuce) over aquarium conditions (where it might be the size of a quarter). Reproduces by runners. Buy at water garden supply stores.

Sagittaria (sag, and Wholesale Tropical Fish arrowhead)

Straight-bladed green grass. Many different varieties, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some small foreground plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some rather big. Hardy. Propagates by runner. S. subulata grows 4-24" leaves and throws up small white flowers in shallow water. 63-82F.

Valisneria

Grass. Reproduction by runners. Some find it grows wildly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then mostly dies off, and Wholesale Tropical Fish in a cycle. Wide temperatures 59-86F. V. spiralis (Italian val) has ribbon-like leaves up to 20" (50cm) and throws up a spiral stalk when flowering. V. tortifolia grows ``corkscrew'' leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish hence its name Corkscrew val. Other common species: V. gigantica (Jungle Val).

Wolffia (watermeal)

Similar to duckweed (Lemna), and Wholesale Tropical Fish but even smaller.

Ferns and Mosses

Azolla (floating fern)

Floating fern that grows out in triangular ``rafts''. Buy at water garden stores.

Bolbitus heudelotii (African water fern)

Slow-growing creeping rhizome with dark green, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 8" (20cm) lobed leaves. Tie roots to bogwood like Java fern. Don't bury the rhizome in the gravel. Can be grown emersed with fast-moving water.

Ceratopteris (water sprite)

Up to 20" (50cm) tall. Exists as rooted or floating specimens. Good fry shelter, and Wholesale Tropical Fish shade plant. Baby plants grow on older leaves. Confused with Hygrophila difformis sometimes. Several different species and/or forms, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which may require more light than others.

Microsorum pteropus (Java fern)

``It's actually Microsorum but everyone writes it as Microsorium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish '' says Arie De Graff (FAMA, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 1991). This is one of the more hardy aquarium plants. It roots itself to solid objects like bogwood and rocks (attach with a piece of string or rubber band to hold it in place at first) and has a creeping rhizome which may be divided for cuttings. Young plants will also develop directly off spores, and Wholesale Tropical Fish attached to old leaves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and can be cut off and rooted. In high light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it produces tough, and Wholesale Tropical Fish plastic-like leaves; under low light the leaves are more delicate. Fronds are up to 8" (20cm) long and undivided, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though on older plants are trilobade (three lobes to a frond).

Riccia fluitans (floating liverwort, and Wholesale Tropical Fish crystalwort)

Big tangly glop like Java moss; good livebearer fry cover. Grows fast under high light.

Salvinia (floating fern)

Small floating fern that grows in long chains of two oval leaves and a ``root-like'' third leaf. Easier to control than duckweed. Buy it at water garden supply stores, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as it's too cheap for most aquarium shops.

Vesicularia dubyana (Java moss)

Grows in branching strands, and Wholesale Tropical Fish tangling around other plants. Dark green. Makes good spawning medium and cover for young fry. Min temp 75F. May dislike salt.

All plants have a cycle in which during the light hours they use CO2 and release Oxygen through a process called photosynthesis. During the dark hours the opposite occurs and the plants use Oxygen and release CO2 in a process referred to as respiration. In most aquarium plants the period of photosynthesis in nature is between 10 and 12 hours which should be duplicated as closely as possible in the aquarium to allow a balance between the two processes.

In nature some plants are located in large open ponds and receive a large quantity of light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish others are located in triple canopy jungles and receive low quantities of light. Each variety of plant has its own light requirements and for best aquarium results these requirements should be met as much as possible. In this FAQ we will divide the plants into groupings that require low light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish low to moderate light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish moderate to bright light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and bright light. There are also bog plants that are often sold as aquarium plants which we shall not cover in this FAQ except to mention here that their lighting requirements are usually greater than even the bright grouping.

Fluorescent lighting is the most economical means of establishing a broad spectrum of light in an adequate quantity for the survival of aquatic plants. It is recommended that broad spectrum tubes be used to produce the proper lighting similar to the varieties sold in plant stores and aquarium stores, and Wholesale Tropical Fish rather than the standard cool white bulbs available at hardware stores. People have had good luck with almost any of the "full spectrum" or plant specific bulbs (Vita-Lite, and Wholesale Tropical Fish GE Chroma 50 and 75, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Phillips Agro-Lite, and Wholesale Tropical Fish UltraLume and Advantage X). The more expensive "three phosphor" bulbs like Triton and Penn-Plax Ultra-TriLux seem to have a more realistic color rendition. You can combine different types of bulbs to achieve the same results but the tri-phosphor bulbs are generally much brighter than less expensive types. Note that fluorescent bulbs age and will lose intensity over time. It is recommended that bulbs be changed every 6-12 months (try to have the bulbs on a rotating schedule, and Wholesale Tropical Fish i.e., and Wholesale Tropical Fish a new bulb every 3 months rather than 2 new bulbs every 6 months).

When calculating the amount of lighting you will need there is a general of thumb. First multiply the surface area of the aquarium by the distance from the light source to the top of the gravel. Then depending on the type of plants you desire multiply this by one of the factors given below.

Low light plants 0.08

Low to Moderate light plants 0.12

Moderate to Bright light plants 0.18

Bright light plants 0.27

This will give you the ideal watt hours of fluorescent lighting that you need. Divide this number by 11 and you now have the approximate total wattage of lights you need. Unfortunately this number may not be equal to what is available in bulbs so find the combination of wattage that will most closely match this requirement and adjust the available time to match the watt hour calculation.

Example: required watt hours is 1440, and Wholesale Tropical Fish divided by 11, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is 131 watts of power. since the closest is 3, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 40 watt tubes we divide 1440, and Wholesale Tropical Fish by the 120 watt total and we find we need 12 hours of lighting at this level.

Warning: A common mistake is to deviate greatly from the 11 hours of light to compensate for low or high wattage. If the light time exceeds 16 hours more wattage should be added to reduce this time, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Or if the light time is less than 8 hours less wattage must be used to allow adequate time for photosynthesis.

When selecting plants also keep in mind that large center plants will shade the smaller plants under them and that higher light requiring plants should not be selected for small filler plants.

Converting a fluorescent fixture to auto-start

Many older or cheaper fluorescent fixtures require you to hold down a pushbutton for a few seconds to turn it on, and Wholesale Tropical Fish thus preventing you from plugging it into a timer. You can convert such a fixture into an auto-starting model by clipping two wires and buying two new parts. You need a starter, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a little gray can-like thing found in any hardware store. Make sure to buy the correct one for your size bulb; they say which is right on the package. You also need to buy a socket for the starter, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or find some way to attach the wires directly to the two terminals on the starter. The sockets can sometimes be hard-to-find, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but big hardware stores might have them, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and mail-order fish suppliers (MOPS, and Wholesale Tropical Fish for instance) can sell you both parts as a kit. Refer to the diagram below:

Anyone who has observed the explosive growth of aquarium plants in response to carbon dioxide (CO2) fertilization must be convinced of the usefulness of this system. Certainly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there are thousands of aquarium hobbyists who do not give their plants any sort of special treatment and still end up with a fairly nice display. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish truly luxuriant growth, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the sort that you see on the covers of aquarium magazines and in pictures of "Dutch aquariums, and Wholesale Tropical Fish " can only be achieved by fertilizing with CO2.

During photosynthesis, and Wholesale Tropical Fish plants use light energy to capture CO2. This CO2 is used to build the basic carbon structures from which all plant material is made. In a poorly lit aquarium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish light is likely to be what limits the rate of plant growth. The amount of CO2 produced by fish- and bacterial respiration is more than enough to allow photosynthesis under these conditions. If on the other hand, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you try to make your plants grow faster by adding more light, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is likely that there will not be enough CO2 in your aquarium. The plants simply can not grow as fast as they would like to, and Wholesale Tropical Fish given the available light energy.

The easiest way to increase the amount of CO2 in an aquarium is to buy a tank of CO2 and let it bubble into the water. Several, and Wholesale Tropical Fish mostly German, and Wholesale Tropical Fish companies sell systems for adding CO2 into the outflow of your canister filter. If you buy your CO2 system from someone like Dupla, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you are likely to spend about $300. That seems a bit pricey, and Wholesale Tropical Fish doesn't it? Fortunately, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is very easy and also a fair bit cheaper to buy a CO2 tank at a local welding supply place and use it to bubble CO2 into the water.

CO2 in the tank is under high pressure. A pressure regulator brings this pressure down to a manageable level, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and ordinary aquarium air valves can be used to regulate the flow to individual aquariums. [Editor's note: this is counter to general net-experience. Most of us end up installing a fine-metering needle valve after the normal regulator in order to regulate the flow down to a few bubbles per second, and Wholesale Tropical Fish because normal aquarium air valves do not have good enough control.] The CO2 reactor is simply a small chamber that allows the CO2 to be dissolved in the water before it escapes into the air. Outflow from a filter or a pump enters the top of the reactor; CO2 is bubbled in from the bottom. To give the CO2 more time to dissolve, and Wholesale Tropical Fish one can add a system of baffles to trap the gas as it is moving up. Near the top of the reactor, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there should be a small hole to vent other gases, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which may be present in small amounts in the compressed CO2. These gases do not dissolve as readily in water as CO2 does.

I purchased my CO2 tank and regulator at Wesco on Vassar Street in Cambridge. Their current (May 1992) prices are: 5 lbs CO2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish $52.50, and Wholesale Tropical Fish refill $9.74; 20 lbs CO2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish $101.75, and Wholesale Tropical Fish refill $19.55. A CO2 pressure regulator is "$79 and change." People who have better welding connections than I do might be able to get things more cheaply than that. [Editor's note: look in the PLANT RESOURCES section for more current prices and good inexpensive sources.] Refills are generally not a very big expense. My 20 lb CO2 tank is used on three aquariums (30, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 65, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and 110 gallons) and lasts about three years between refills. That works out to about $2 per aquarium per year. Other possible sources of CO2 that I have not investigated are CO2 fire extinguishers and the CO2 canisters they use to put the bubbles in beer and soft drinks. Don't bother trying to rig up something with dry ice, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is too complicated.

The tubing and valves that I use for my CO2 setup are the sort that one buys for use with the aquarium air pumps. It is better to get the brass rather than the plastic valves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish since it is easier to make fine adjustments with them and they also tend to leak less. Even a tiny leak can empty out a gas tank distressingly quickly. I check all of my valves and connections with a soap solution and make sure that no bubbles appear.

The CO2 reactor can easily be constructed out of any wide bore tube. I use the lift tubes from an undergravel filter in my aquariums. Local aquarium enthusiast Jim Bardwell does well with the top half of a one-liter coke bottle, and Wholesale Tropical Fish with the filter hose attached to where the cap should be. It is best to use a clear plastic, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so that one can see what is happening inside. Baffles, and Wholesale Tropical Fish designed to let the water cascade down in one direction and to trap the CO2 moving in the other direction, and Wholesale Tropical Fish are helpful, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but not absolutely necessary. I make my baffles out of foam cubes that I cut to the right size and shape to fit inside the tube. Jim simply lets the CO2 collect at the top of the reactor, and Wholesale Tropical Fish where the water is coming in. He does not have a vent and does not seem to have a problem with excess gas accumulating.

While a small increase in the amount of CO2 in the water causes lush plant growth, and Wholesale Tropical Fish too much CO2 can prove to be toxic. CO2 dissolved in water forms carbonic acid (H2CO3). With weakly buffered water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish like what comes out of the tap in the Boston area, and Wholesale Tropical Fish adding too much CO2 can bring the pH down to as low as 3. That is not quite as acidic as Coca Cola, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but about equal to vinegar. Naturally, and Wholesale Tropical Fish this can cause death or other serious reactions in your fish and plants.

One can buy CO2 test kits that measure the actual level of CO2 in the water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but measuring the pH and counting the bubbles in the CO2 reactor works just about as well. It is best to start off by adding CO2 very slowly (about one to three bubbles per minute) and increasing the rate until a small, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but measurable drop in pH is achieved. In my 30-gallon aquarium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish I add one bubble of CO2 every three to four seconds to bring the pH from 7 to between 6 and 6.5. How much CO2 one needs to add varies from aquarium to aquarium and can depend on several factors: the size of the aquarium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish how fast the plants are growing, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the number of fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish how much food is decaying on the bottom, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the buffering capacity of the water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the types of rock and gravel, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and how well ventilated the surface of the water is. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish anything in the range of one bubble every two to fifteen seconds seems to work pretty well. Bubble size will vary with the diameter of the tubing. I am referring to the sort of bubbles that come out of the end of ordinary, and Wholesale Tropical Fish one eighth inch inside diameter aquarium air tubing.

By using a CO2 reactor, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you are saturating the water with CO2, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and any excessive agitation of the water surface or bubbling of air through the water will cause the CO2 to escape into the atmosphere, and Wholesale Tropical Fish just about as quickly as you can add it. Thus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish at least during the day, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you should *not* have an airstone or an undergravel filter turned on. If you have a plant aquarium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you should probably not be using an undergravel filter, and Wholesale Tropical Fish anyway, and Wholesale Tropical Fish since most kinds of plants do better without one. When the lights are on, and Wholesale Tropical Fish plants use CO2 and produce oxygen. In my tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so much oxygen is being produced, and Wholesale Tropical Fish that I can often see it forming streams of bubbles from the plants. At night, and Wholesale Tropical Fish on the other hand, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the plants are actually using oxygen (and not CO2) If there are not too many fish in the aquarium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then the oxygen produced by the plants during the day will tide everyone over until the next morning. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if you notice that your fish are gasping at the surface in the mornings, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they are obviously running out of oxygen. To remedy this problem, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you can simply turn on an air stone when the lights go out. This will keep up the oxygen level and remove excess CO2. I have the aquarium lights and an air pump on two separate timers; when one turns on, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the other one turns off. It would also be fairly easy to rig up a solenoid valve for the CO2 supply and have it turn the CO2 on and off with the same timer that is regulating the lights.

The system that I have described here and use is a very basic one that works well. For those who like those sorts of things, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the automation possibilities are almost limitless. My brother Albrecht, and Wholesale Tropical Fish who is an electronics whiz, and Wholesale Tropical Fish has his entire aquarium run by a TRS-80 computer. Among many other things, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the computer measures the pH, and Wholesale Tropical Fish adds more CO2 if the pH is above a predetermined level, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and sounds an alarm if the CO2 tank is running low. Fortunately, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you don't need all of that to have a truly great-looking plant tank. There are more than thirty kinds of thriving plants in my aquariums; I have to weed out bunches once a week, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and I have enough extras to supply all of my aquarium friends and still sell some at the monthly BAS auction. The fish are also doing well and reproducing.

CO2 makes it easy to grow aquarium plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but it is not a cure-all. You still have to observe some of the other essentials of proper plant care. Aquarium plants need a lot of light. When using fluorescent bulbs, and Wholesale Tropical Fish I usually figure about four watts per gallon. Wide-spectrum plant and aquarium bulbs seem to work better than the "soft white" ones that you can buy at the hardware store. The amount of iron in most aquariums is too low for maximum plant growth. I supplement the iron by adding "Micronized Iron" to the canister filter (about one teaspoon at every cleaning) and "Ortho Greenol" directly to the water (two drops per ten gallons per day). Both of these are available at gardening stores. Other nutrients and trace elements that your plants need are usually taken care of when you feed the fish and do water changes (frequently). Also, and Wholesale Tropical Fish don't forget the regular sacrifices of goat entrails to the aquarium gods, and Wholesale Tropical Fish at midnight when the moon is full.

Much of the mystery surrounding heating cables is that Dupla has been careful to hide the rationale to protect their product, and Wholesale Tropical Fish i.e., and Wholesale Tropical Fish keep it "magic".

I think a key concept is that we are NOT trying to mimic what happens in nature (even though the Dupla description implies that) but we are trying the achieve an equivalent biological affect.

In nature, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you have sources of underground water moving to the surface or surface water moving to aquifers due to natural pressure differentials. Dupla mentions this in terms of "nutrient springs" in tropical streams. In our aquariums, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there are no such natural pressures to cause any movement (except for UGF, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc).

The water column will tend to keep the gravel at water temperature through conductive heating; heat will "seep" downward. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish in glass tanks especially, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the glass bottom is radiating heat into the room, and Wholesale Tropical Fish cabinet, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc, and Wholesale Tropical Fish unless insulation is provided. This will tend to keep the roots cooler than the water temperature. Even with insulation, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you'll find the bottom of the substrate cooler than the top, and Wholesale Tropical Fish just not as much.

Here is a list of substrate processes I think are important (no particular order of importance implied):

Provide warmth in the substrate for certain plant species (Barclaya longifolia, and Wholesale Tropical Fish specifically). In this case the substrate should be warmer than the water. (``hot feet'')

Provide warmth in the substrate to speed up biochemical processes.

Transport nutrients from the water into the substrate. Important nutrients would be ammonium (fish waste, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc), and Wholesale Tropical Fish iron (from trace element additions), and Wholesale Tropical Fish calcium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish potassium and other trace elements. This will replenish nutrients used by the roots and provide long term viability (in terms of years).

Transport harmful products out of the substrate. Decomposition products may be harmful to plant roots. There is also conjecture that plants give off low level toxins to keep other plants out of their territory (successful weeds have made this an art form). If these toxins build up due to poor circulation, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the plant may harm itself.

Provide a chelating medium that binds the divalent state of trace elements with an organic molecule, and Wholesale Tropical Fish enabling the trace element to be adsorbed by root hairs.

Provide a reducing rather than oxidizing environment so that trace elements are kept in their divalent state (usable by plants) or are reduced from their oxidized trivalent state. Iron especially will rapidly oxidize in water with normal levels of oxygen.

Heating coils provide the ``hot feet'' and warmth for biochemical processes directly. The convection currents generated by the "spot" heat source of the coils provide for nutrient and toxin transport. Laterite in the bottom 1/3 of the substrate provides the chelating medium. The slow convection currents, and Wholesale Tropical Fish coupled with nitrifying bacteria in the gravel will reduce the concentration of oxygen getting to the bottom layer of the gravel, and Wholesale Tropical Fish providing a reducing environment.

A heating pad under the tank will tend to warm the entire bottom layer uniformly. This will provide hot feet and increased biochemical activity, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but I suspect the heat will go through the gravel as conduction and won't generate convention currents. Thermodynamics theory says that conduction will occur up to a certain heat threshold and then convection currents will be formed with more heat. I think the linear hot zones generated by proper spacing of the coils along with the higher temperatures of the coils will provide this. Yes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there will be hot and cool zones for the roots but I think the other factors outweigh this.

Schemes that use warm water flowing in tubes in the gravel (Bioplast, and Wholesale Tropical Fish for example) won't work, and Wholesale Tropical Fish IMHO, and Wholesale Tropical Fish because they can't generate enough heat. Bioplast wraps some tubing around a heater and pipes it through the gravel with a pump. The first foot or so of the tubing may get hot enough (though I doubt it) but the water in the coil will cool off rather quickly as it travels through the tube. If the tube is insulated enough to keep the water hot, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then it won't transfer any heat to the gravel.

Reverse flow undergravel filtration (RUGF) will provide increased biochemical activity, and Wholesale Tropical Fish toxin transport, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and a reducing environment. It may provide ``hot feet'' if you heat the water before putting it through the RUGF. Nutrient transport is kind of difficult since the water is usually filtered before going to the RUGF (to avoid injecting crud into the gravel) and trace elements probably will be oxidized in the filter (oxidizing is a bio-filter's purpose). Chelating is a problem because a RUGF will probably push the laterite up and out of the gravel. Don't get me wrong, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a RUGF may provide the six processes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but it would be difficult to get it set up with the right flows and even flow across the substrate and proper mechanical filtering, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc. A coil setup is a "no-brainer" if you have the correct wattage.

UGF will provide warmth for biochemical activity, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and nutrient and toxin transport. Hot feet would be very tricky to achieve, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if not impossible. Detritus pulled into the gravel can be chelated by the substrate, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but a reducing environment is almost impossible unless a very slow flow is used and that would be hard to do evenly across the whole substrate.

We have three ~100g tanks with coils and one 85g tank with UGF. All grow plants equally well but the 85g is much more unstable. We think it is sensitive to too much detritus building up in the gravel; a thorough vacuuming every 6-9 months perks it up. The coil tanks require no gravel vacuuming and the 90g tank was rock solid biologically for at least three years. We replanted at that point because some of the plants had gotten out of control but we didn't "tear down" the tank - just replanted.

I think this is the key to the cables - long term stability. Plants will grow fine without them if you can accomplish most of the six things I mentioned. Just pulling up plants for trimming every month will accomplish as lot (stirring up the gravel, and Wholesale Tropical Fish moving roots out of their toxin zone, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc).

Construction

Fully-automated systems can be purchased from commercial sources such as Dupla, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though the cost can be a bit much for a beginner. You can save a great deal of money by buying just the cables and building the rest of the setup yourself. If you use a small enough wattage cable as a supplement to your tank's main heater, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the temperature controller can be ignored or replaced with a timer, and Wholesale Tropical Fish requiring only a low voltage transformer! Furthermore, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is possible to make your own cables, and Wholesale Tropical Fish taking the price down almost to that of a ``normal'' heater.

Q: Why is my fish sick and how do I prevent more illness?

A: Probably 80-90% of diseases in captive fish can be prevented by avoiding stress. Stress weakens fishes' immune systems, and Wholesale Tropical Fish leading to increased susceptibility to disease. Actually, and Wholesale Tropical Fish diseases and pathogens are almost always present in tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but a healthy fish's immune system will prevent them from being a problem. Some of the most common stressors for captive fish are:

Poor water quality: measurable ammonia or nitrites, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or very high nitrates.

The water temperature is fluctuating more than 2 deg F/day

Incompatible species in the tank.

Too many fish in the tank (5 adult angelfish in 10g tank).

The tank is too small for the fish (foot long fish in 10g tank).

The water is too warm or too cold for the species (goldfish vs. tropicals).

wrong pH for species (Discus vs. African cichlids)

pH fluctuations greater than 0.2 units/day.

Insufficient cover or hiding places present.

Wrong water hardness for the species (Discus vs. African cichlids).

Insufficient oxygen in the water.

Improper fish nutrition (wrong food, and Wholesale Tropical Fish foods not varied).

Keeping your tank free of disease

Q: Do I need a quarantine tank for new fish?

A: Quarantining new fish is a good habit for all aquaria, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but is not absolutely necessary for success. Quarantining is simply keeping a fish in a separate tank for long enough to be certain that it is disease free. Many beginners do fine without a quarantine tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and object to the cost of another setup. A quarantine tank does cost more, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but if a hobbyist has hundreds of dollars invested in fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is cheaper to have a separate quarantine tank than to replace fish killed by a newly introduced disease. Also, and Wholesale Tropical Fish many of us become attached to fish and do not want to expose our pets to diseases from newcomers, and Wholesale Tropical Fish no matter what the cost.

The purpose of quarantining is to avoid introducing new diseases to a stable system, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and to be able to better observe new fish for signs of disease. A quarantine tank can also double as a hospital tank for sick fish. Hospital tanks are good because they lower the cost of using medicines and keep diseased fish separate from healthy ones. Quarantine is probably most important for saltwater tanks/reef systems because of the difficulty of treating diseases, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or wild-caught freshwater fish because they are probably not disease-free. Quarantining itself can stress fish so be sure quarantine is as stress-free as possible.

To set up a quarantine or hospital tank:

Keep an extra filter -- a sponge filter is ideal -- or piece of filter floss in an established tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so that you don't have to keep the quarantine tank set up at all times. Some people choose instead to keep the filter going with guppies or danios (for freshwater) or mollies (for saltwater).

If you don't keep the tank running, and Wholesale Tropical Fish use old tank water to fill the tank. So: old tank water + established filter = instant established tank.

Add a spare airpump and heater. If you haven't messed with the heater during storage, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it should come to wherever you had it last time.

Consider using Amquel or equivalent when medicating the tank in case the biological filter bacteria are sensitive to the medication. Sick fish are especially susceptible to ammonia. (Note that ammonia which has been bound with Amquel still shows up on a nessler ammonia test. So, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if you are planning on testing for ammonia in that tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you need to use a salicylate ammonia test.)

For a hospital tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish do small, and Wholesale Tropical Fish frequent water changes (even every day).

If possible, and Wholesale Tropical Fish quarantine all of your new fish for about three weeks. During that time, and Wholesale Tropical Fish gradually acclimate the fish to your tank's parameters: hardness, and Wholesale Tropical Fish pH, and Wholesale Tropical Fish salinity, and Wholesale Tropical Fish temperature, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc., and Wholesale Tropical Fish and watch for and treat any signs of disease.

Do not medicate quarantined fish ``just in case.'' Only treat evident, and Wholesale Tropical Fish definitely identified diseases. Treating all quarantined fish with a bunch of medicines will just lead to weakened fish and antibiotic resistant bacteria.

Once you are done with the quarantine, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if you treated any especially nasty diseases, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is good to disinfect the tank and reestablish the filter. Chlorine bleach or strong saltwater (for freshwater) work well. Be sure all traces of bleach are rinsed off. Another good disinfectant is potassium permanganate (Jungle's Clear Water is one commercial way to get it).

If you choose not to quarantine, and Wholesale Tropical Fish do not add store water to your tank with the new fish (see the BEGINNER FAQ for acclimation ideas).

Q: How about quarantining plants?

A: Plants can carry diseases into a tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish too. It is a good idea to disinfect new plants if there were fish in the tank with them at the store. Refer to the PLANT FAQ for disinfection methods.

Q: How do I avoid introducing diseases in the first place?

A: Never buy sick fish from a store. Especially do not buy fish or plants from a tank if *any* fish in the tank shows any signs of disease or if there is medicine in the water (water is colored yellow, and Wholesale Tropical Fish green, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or blue). Store people may say the fish are fine, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but if they were, and Wholesale Tropical Fish why is the medicine in the tank? Also ask how long the fish have been in the store. New arrivals may be carrying diseases that have not shown up yet. It is better to wait a couple of weeks before purchasing the fish. If you must have a fish that just came in, and Wholesale Tropical Fish be especially sure to quarantine it properly.

Diagnosis/common diseases or: How do I know the fish is sick?

Most important: watch your fish and know what their normal behavior and appearance is. If you don't know what normal is, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you can't know what sick is.

Bad signs:

Clamped fins (fins are held abnormally close to body)

The fish refuses its usual food for more than 2 days.

There are visible spots, and Wholesale Tropical Fish lesions, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or white patches on the fish.

The fish gasps at the surface of the water.

The fish floats, and Wholesale Tropical Fish sinks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish whirls, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or swims sideways.

The fish shimmies (moves from side to side without going forward).

A normally active fish is still.

A normally still fish is very active.

The fish suddenly bloats up, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and it's not due to eggs or young.

The fish is scratching against tank decorations.

I suggest setting up a fish medicine cabinet. It seems like fish always get sick when the store is closed.

Water quality test kits: pH, and Wholesale Tropical Fish ammonia, and Wholesale Tropical Fish nitrite, and Wholesale Tropical Fish nitrate

Aquarium salt (NOT table salt. Most table salts contain additives to keep them from clumping. Kosher or rock salt is OK).

Malachite green/formalin ich remedy

Methylene blue

Chlorine bleach for disinfection

Maybe one antibiotic (Kaynamycin or Furanace)

Antibiotic-containing food

Copper remedy for parasites

And for fish big enough to handle:

Q-tips

Malachite green or mercurochrome

Common diseases/problems or What's wrong with my fish?

Bad water quality

Fish are gasping at the surface, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or very inactive, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but there are not visible lesions when it first starts. Their fins may be clamped. Many fish of different species are affected, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and possibly the whole tank. If the water has been bad for a while, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the fish may have finrot, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or streaks of blood in their fins.

If fish are gasping at the surface, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or have purple gills: high ammonia or low dissolved O2 may be the problem; test ammonia, and Wholesale Tropical Fish dissolved O2

If the main symptom is inactivity: test nitrites, and Wholesale Tropical Fish pH, and Wholesale Tropical Fish dissolved 02, and Wholesale Tropical Fish nitrates

Depending on your test results, and Wholesale Tropical Fish try the following:

Ammonia

Change enough of the water to reduce ammonia levels to 1-2 ppm for freshwater or below 1 ppm for saltwater. If that means changing more than a third of the water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish be sure the water you add is the same temperature, and Wholesale Tropical Fish salinity, and Wholesale Tropical Fish hardness and pH of the tank water. It is also okay to do multiple smaller water changes for a few days. Aerate, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and make sure pH is at or below 7.0 for freshwater tanks. In addition to or instead of changing water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you can also add a dose of AmQuel to give fish immediate relief. Find out why ammonia is present and correct the problem.

Nitrites

Change enough of the water to bring nitrites down to below 2 ppm (as with ammonia, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if this is a lot of water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish match water parameters or do multiple water changes), and Wholesale Tropical Fish add 1 tbsp/gallon salt (not all fish may tolerate this much -- start out with 1 tsp), and Wholesale Tropical Fish and add supplemental aeration. Find out why the nitrite levels are high and correct the problem.

Nitrates

Change water and clean the filter. If your filter is dirty, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there is more waste material present to break down into nitrate. Start feeding less and changing water more often.

Low oxygen

Run an airstone. If this helps a lot, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the fish probably don't have enough oxygen in the water. Your tank may need cleaning, and Wholesale Tropical Fish fewer fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or additional water movement at the surface from a powerhead, and Wholesale Tropical Fish airstone, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or filter.

Improper pH

If pH is too low: make sure carbonate buffering is adequate -- at least 5dKH. In general, and Wholesale Tropical Fish adding baking soda at 1 tsp. per 30 gal. raises dKH about 2 degrees. For a 10-20g tank that just needs the pH a little higher, and Wholesale Tropical Fish try about a quarter teaspoonful. If that isn't enough, and Wholesale Tropical Fish add up to a teaspoonful more. You can scale this up to 1 tsp/30 gal for larger tanks. If the pH is still too low and the KH is at least 5-6 dKH, and Wholesale Tropical Fish clean the tank. For long-term buffering in saltwater and alkaline freshwater systems, and Wholesale Tropical Fish add crushed coral. If pH is too high, and Wholesale Tropical Fish pH down (phosphoric acid) can be added. Don't rely on this stuff, and Wholesale Tropical Fish except in extreme situations like ammonia poisoning because it can cause excessive algal growth. To lower pH long-term, and Wholesale Tropical Fish filter over peat, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or use distilled or deionized water mixed with your tapwater.

Freshwater Ich

Symptoms: Fish look like they have little white salt grains on them and may scratch against objects in the tank.

White spot disease (Ichthyopthirius multifiliis) is caused by a protozoan with a life cycle that includes a free-living stage. Ich grows on a fish --> it falls off and attaches to gravel or tank glass --> it reproduces to MANY parasites --> these swarmers then attach to other fish. If the swarmers do not find a fish host, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they die in about 3 days (depending on the water temperature).

Therefore, and Wholesale Tropical Fish to treat it, and Wholesale Tropical Fish medicine must be added to the display tank to kill free-living parasites. If fish are removed to quarantine, and Wholesale Tropical Fish parasites living in the tank will escape the treatment -- unless ALL fish are removed for about a week in freshwater or three weeks in saltwater systems. In a reef tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish where invertebrates are sensitive to ich medications, and Wholesale Tropical Fish removing the fish is the only option. Some people think that ich is probably dormant in most tanks. It is most often triggered by temperature fluctuations.

Remedy: For most fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish use a medication with formalin and malachite green. These are the active ingredients in many ich medications at fish shops. Some products are Kordon's Rid Ich and Aquarium Products' Quick Cure. Just read the label and you may find others. Check for temperature fluctuations in the tank and fix them to avoid recurrences. Note that tetras can be a little sensitive to malachite green, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so use it at half the dose.

Use these products as directed (usually a daily dose) until all of the fish are spot-free. Then dose every three days for a total of four more doses. This will kill any free-swimming parasites as they hatch out of cysts.

Another remedy is to raise the tank temperature to about 90 deg F and add 1 tsp/gallon salt to the water. Not all fish tolerate this.

Finally, and Wholesale Tropical Fish one can treat ich with a ``transfer method.'' Fish are moved daily into a different tank with clean, and Wholesale Tropical Fish conditioned, and Wholesale Tropical Fish warmed water. Parasites that came off of the fish are left behind in the tank. After moving the fish daily for a week, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the fish (presumably cured) can be put back into the main tank. The disadvantage of this method is that it stresses both fish and fishkeeper.

Fin rot

Fishes' fins turn whitish and die back. Fin rot often follows damage or injury. It can also be caused by poor water quality.

Remedy: First, and Wholesale Tropical Fish fix the water and remove any fin-nipping fish. Change some water (25% is good) and add 1 tsp/gallon salt to promote healing. If bad water quality or an aggressive tankmate was the problem, and Wholesale Tropical Fish that should be adequate. Healing will begin within a couple of days.

If it worsens, and Wholesale Tropical Fish decide first whether it's fungal or bacterial. Fungal finrot looks like clumps of cotton on the fins and usually follows injury. It is commonly seen in African cichlids or fish that have injured themselves against decorations. Bacterial finrot is whitish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but not cottony (unless it's columnaris), and Wholesale Tropical Fish and can be contagious. The fish then need to be removed from the tank and medicated.

Fungus: For fish large enough to handle, and Wholesale Tropical Fish catch the fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and dab malachite green directly on the fungus with a Q-tip. This is extremely effective. Repeat treatments may be necessary.

For small fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a commercial fungicide such as Maroxy may work. For severe infestations, and Wholesale Tropical Fish try a bath in methylene blue (enough so you can barely see the fish) until the fungus turns blue or for 20 min. If you add methylene blue directly to a tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you will kill plants and trash your biological filter.

Bacterial: Antibiotic treatment in a quarantine tank. This is stressful for the fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and doesn't always work, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so be sure of what you are doing before you attempt it. If the fish is still eating, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the best bet is an antibiotic food. Tetra makes one that works well -- just buy the one for bacterial diseases and follow the directions on the can.

If the fish is not eating, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a bath treatment is necessary. A combination of Kaynamycin and Furanace usually works, and Wholesale Tropical Fish especially for Columnaris. Again, and Wholesale Tropical Fish treat in a separate tank and aerate heavily.

Injuries

Cichlids and other ``scrappy'' fish may sustain injuries that are severe enough to draw blood from fighting. Other fish may run into tank decorations, and Wholesale Tropical Fish walls, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or rocks.

Larger fish can be netted and their injuries dabbed with mercurochrome (available at drug stores) or Betadine (iodine-based antibiotic also available at drug stores) to help prevent infection. Be sure to keep these chemicals off of the gills and eyes. For really small fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish put the affected fish in dilute methylene blue (pale blue) and 1 tsp/gallon salt in a separate tank. If you want to keep the fish in the main tank just add salt, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as methylene blue will trash your biological filter.

Watch the fish to be sure injuries are healing cleanly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and repeat the mercurochrome dosage if necessary. If finrot or fungus sets in, and Wholesale Tropical Fish see the above section on finrot.

Dropsy

Fish swells up like a balloon and may show popeyes. It may recover with no treatment and may die despite it. The swelling is because the fish is absorbing water faster than it can eliminate it, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and it can be caused by many different problems. High nitrates are one thing to check. Internal bacterial infections, and Wholesale Tropical Fish including fish TB, and Wholesale Tropical Fish are other possibilities. If there are no water quality problems, and Wholesale Tropical Fish you may want to attempt antibiotic treatment in a separate tank.

Head and Lateral Line Erosion (hole-in-head disease)

This disease can affect discus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish other cichlids, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and many saltwater fish. The fish develops holes in it's head and sometimes along its lateral line. Causes are unclear but as in any disease, and Wholesale Tropical Fish stress and poor water quality likely play a role. The Manual of Fish Health states that HLLE is probably due to nutritional deficiency, and Wholesale Tropical Fish especially of vitamin C. Fish in planted tanks rarely get HLLE, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which supports the nutrition idea, and Wholesale Tropical Fish since fish can nibble on the plants and obtain extra nutrition. Untergasser also observes that the protozoan Hexamita can be found in the lesions. Untreated cases can eventually prove disfiguring or fatal.

Remedy: First, and Wholesale Tropical Fish make sure water quality is optimal and reduce stress. Stopping carbon filtration may help as it can remove nutrients from the water. Then feed a vitamin-enriched food, and Wholesale Tropical Fish paying particular attention to vitamin C supplementation.

For stubborn cases, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some books suggest metronidazole (Flagyl) to eliminate Hexamita (a mildly pathogenic protozoan) from the lesions. Your mileage may vary with that one. Metrozole and Hex-a-mit are commercial medications with metronidazole.

Swim bladder disorders

Fish floats upside-down or sideways. This is particularly common in fancy goldfish because of their bizarre body shapes. Dry food eaten quickly swells up in the fish's intestine and keeps the fish from controlling its swim bladder properly.

To help, and Wholesale Tropical Fish feed the fish pre-soaked or gel-based foods. Green foods are also helpful; peas in particular.

As with finrot, and Wholesale Tropical Fish these disorders can also be caused by bacterial infection. Treatment is much the same. Use antibiotic food if the fish is eating, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or add antibiotic to the water in a quarantine tank if the fish is too sick to eat.

Large external parasites (as opposed to ich)

Add a copper remedy to the tank and monitor it with a copper test kit. Also, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Mardel's Maroxy works well. For anchor worms or leeches on pond fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish remove them from the affected fish with tweezers and swab the area with mercurochrome to prevent infection.

Velvet

Fish look like they have been finely dusted with flecks of gold. Fins may be clamped and the fish may shimmy.

Treat with an anti-parasitic medication such as copper or formalin/malachite green.

References

The Manual of Fish Health

Dr. Chris Andrews, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Adrian Exell and Dr. Neville Carrington.

New Jersey: Tetra Press, and Wholesale Tropical Fish 1988

This is an outstanding book, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and I highly recommend it to anyone who is interested in reading about fish disease.

Handbook of Fish Diseases

Dieter Untergasser

Translation by Howard H. Hirschhorn

T.F.H. Publications, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Inc., and Wholesale Tropical Fish 1989

This is my second-choice disease book. It is very good, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but some of the treatments may be difficult to obtain, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and it goes into more detail than the average hobbyist needs (or wants) to know.

Scientific vs. Common Disease Names

Scientific Name Common Names

Amyloodinium ocellateum Amyloodinium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Oodinium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Marine Velvet, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Saltwater Ich

Cryptocaryon irritans Cryptocaryon, and Wholesale Tropical Fish White spot disease, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Saltwater Ich

Brookynella Hostillis Brooklynella, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Clownfish disease, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Angelfish disease

Mycobacteria marinum Fish TB

Tubellarian worms Black Ich, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Tang Disease

Benedenia melleni Fish Flukes

Argulus sp. Fish lice

Ichthyosporidium hoferi Fungus Disease

Unknown Head and lateral line erosion (HLLE)

Lymphocystis virus Viral disease, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Cauliflower disease

Pseudomonas sp. Fin Rot, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Red Spot Disease, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Ulcers (Bacterial Disease)

Vibrio anquillarium Vibrio, and Wholesale Tropical Fish "Wipe Out"

Suggested Treatment

Disease Name Treatment

1(4) Black Ich Freshwater dip coupled with formalin bath

2(4) Brookynella* Copper coupled with formalin bath

3 Fin Rot Erythromycin, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Neomycin

4 Fish Lice and Flukes Freshwater dip or Formalin bath

5 HLLE ? - Better environment

6 Intern. Parasites Medicated Food

7 Cryptocaryon* Formalin bath (1/2 -1 hour) once every other day for a week.

8 Ichthyosporidium None - better environment

9 Lymphocystis (None - it should go away)

10 Amyloodinium* Freshwater dip coupled with copper

11 Microsporidian None - euthanasia

12 Poisoning Massive water changes/move to an untainted environment

13 Poor Diet Vary Diet; meet the requirements of the animal

14 TB Kanamycin, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Isoniazid

15 Vibrio Erythromycin, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Neomycin

* Both tank and fish must be treated to erradicate the pest.

Introduction

There are two categories of algae of concern to aquarists: "good" and "bad". Good algae is present in small quantities, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is indicative of good water quality and is easily kept in check by algae eating fish or simple removal during routine maintenance. This algae is a natural consequence of having a container of water with nutrients and a light source.

Bad algae is either an indicator of bad water quality or is a type of algae that tends to overtake the tank and ruin the aesthetics the aquarist is trying to achieve. The label of "bad" is entirely subjective. For example, and Wholesale Tropical Fish one type of green, and Wholesale Tropical Fish hair-like algae is considered a plague by some American aquarists, and Wholesale Tropical Fish yet is cultivated by European aquarists as a valuable addition to most tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish serving as a dietary supplement for the fish.

Algae Types

Blue-green, and Wholesale Tropical Fish slime or smear algae

Grows rapidly in blue-green, and Wholesale Tropical Fish slimy sheets. Spreads rapidly over almost everything and usually indicates poor water quality. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish blue-green algae can fix nitrogen and may be seen in aquariums with extremely low nitrates. Sometimes seen in small quantities between the substrate and aquarium sides. Will smother and kill plants.

This is actually cyanobacteria. It can be physically removed, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but this is not a viable long term solution as the aquarium conditions are still favorable for it and it will return quickly. Treatment with 200 mg of erythromycin phosphate per 10 gallons of water will usually eliminate blue-green algae but some experts feel it may also have adverse effects on the biological filter bed. If erythromycin is used for treatment, and Wholesale Tropical Fish ammonia and nitrite levels should be carefully monitored.

Brown algae

Forms in soft brown clumpy patches. In the freshwater aquarium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish these are usually diatoms. Usually indicates a lack of light or an excess of silicates. Increased light levels will usually make it disappear. Easily removed by wiping the glass or siphon vacuuming the affected area.

Green water

Green unicellular algae will sometimes reproduce so rapidly that the water will turn green. This is commonly called an "algae bloom" and is usually caused by too much light like direct sunlight.

An algae bloom can be removed by filtering with micron cartridges or diatom filters. UV sterilizers can prevent the bloom in the first place. Green water is very useful in the raising of daphnia and brine shrimp.

Film algae

Grows on the aquarium glass and forms a thin haze. Easily removed by wiping the glass. Considered normal with the higher light levels needed for good plant growth.

Spot algae

Grows in thin, and Wholesale Tropical Fish hard, and Wholesale Tropical Fish circular, and Wholesale Tropical Fish bright green spots, and Wholesale Tropical Fish usually on the aquarium glass but also on plants under high light conditions. Considered normal for planted tanks. Must be mechanically removed. On acrylic aquariums, and Wholesale Tropical Fish use a cloth pad or a gentle scouring pad like a cosmetic "Buff-Puff" and a lot of elbow grease. On glass tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish scraping with a razor blade is most effective.

Fuzz algae

Grows mostly on plant leaves as separate, and Wholesale Tropical Fish short (2-3mm) strands. Considered normal. It might be a less "virulent" form of "beard" algae. Easily controlled with algae eaters such as black mollies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Otocinclus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Peckoltia and siamese algae eaters.

Beard algae

Grows on plant leaves and is bright green. Individual strands have a very fine texture but it grows in thick patches and looks just like a green beard. It grows up to 4 cm. It cannot be removed mechanically. This does not indicate bad water quality but grows very fast and overtakes the tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish making it a "bad" alga. Can be eliminated with Simazine (Aquarium Pharmaceuticals "Algae-Destroyer").

Hair algae

Grows in bright green clumps in the gravel, and Wholesale Tropical Fish around the base of plants like Echinodorus and around mechanical objects. It has a coarser texture than "beard algae". Beard algae will ripple in the water current, and Wholesale Tropical Fish hair algae tends to form matted clumps. Individual strands can get to 5 cm or more. This is easy to remove mechanically by twirling a toothbrush in it. Can be troublesome if left unchecked. This is a popular food supplement for fish among European aquarists.

Thread algae

Grows in long, and Wholesale Tropical Fish thin strands up to 30 cm or more. Tends toward a dull green color (hard to tell because it is so thin). Usually indicates an excess of iron (> 0.15 ppm). Easily removed with a toothbrush like hair algae.

Staghorn algae

Looks like individual strands of hair algae but tends to grow in single branching strands like a deer antler and is grey-green. Seems to grow mostly on tank equipment near the surface. Difficult to remove mechanically. Soak affected equipment in a 25% solution of household bleach and water to remove it.

Brush algae

This grows in feathery black tufts 2-3 mm long and tends to collect on slower growing leaves like Anubias, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some Echinodorus and other wide leaf plants. Also tends to collect on mechanical equipment. This is actually a red alga in the genus Audouinella (other names: Acrochaetium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Rhodochorton, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Chantransia).

It cannot easily be removed mechanically. Remove and discard the affected leaves. Equipment can be soaked in a 25% bleach solution, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then scrubbed to remove the dead algae. Siamese Algae Eaters (Crossocheilus siamensis) are known to eat this algae and can keep it in check. A more drastic measure is treatment with copper.

Prophylactics for Algae

Algal spores are everywhere and will always be present in an aquarium unless drastic measures are taken. For fish only tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a properly set up ultraviolet sterilizer will kill algal spores in the water and prevent them from gaining a toehold.

For planted tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish this is not a good solution since the UV light will also oxidize trace elements needed by the plants and will limit the plant's growth potential. Unfortunately, and Wholesale Tropical Fish conditions that are good for growing plants are also good for growing algae. Fortunately, and Wholesale Tropical Fish plants will usually out-compete algae for the available nutrients. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if there is an imbalance of nutrients, and Wholesale Tropical Fish algae will opportunistically use whatever is not used by the higher order plants. Different algae will utilize different nutrients, and Wholesale Tropical Fish causing sporadic outbreaks of new algae types in apparently stable tanks when a temporary imbalance occurs.

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. To avoid introducing a new algae type to a planted tank with new plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a simple bleach dip seems to work well. Mix 1 part bleach in 19 parts water and dip the new plant in it for 2 minutes. Immediately rinse the plant in running water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then immerse it water containing a chlorine remover to neutralize any remaining bleach. This will kill the algae and only temporarily slow down a healthy plant. Plants in poor condition may succumb to this treatment, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but they probably would not have lasted anyway.

Algae Eaters

The most effective control of algae in a planted aquaria is via algae eating fish. It is especially critical in the set up of a new tank to make sure algae does not get established before the plants have had a chance to establish themselves. For this reason and to help the biological filtration get established, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is recommended that some hardy algae eaters are added right away.

Black mollies

Black sailfin mollies are excellent candidates for the break-in period of a planted tank since they are cheap and easy to find. They are usually considered expendable and are removed after a month or so. It is important to NOT FEED THEM. If they are fed, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they will not be quite so eager to consume algae. When they are hungry, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they are eager consumers of most algae types seen during the break-in period.

Otocinclus sp.

Otocinclus are diligent algae eaters, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but are best kept in schools due to their small size. One per 10 gallons is a useful rule of thumb. Various species of otos are seen in the shops at various times; most are good algae eaters but some seem to prefer the slime coat on fish to algae. Unfortunately, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there seems to be no way to distinguish the "attack otos" from normal otos.

Otos seem to be very delicate fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but this is probably due to capture and shipping abuse rather than an inherent weakness. When a fish shop gets some in, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is wise to wait a while before purchasing to account for die offs. Most people report getting a dozen and having them die over a period of a few months until just a couple are left. Those then seem to last for a long time.

``Plecostomus'' sp.

Plecostomus is the generic name for a wide range of sucker-mouth fish. Only the smaller types are useful in a planted tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish since the larger varieties tend to eat the plant right along with the algae. Two common types that are useful are the "bristle-nose plecostomus" and the "clown plecostomus" or Pekoltia. Both stay under 4" long and don't seem to cause too much plant damage. Sometimes broad-leafed plants like Amazon swords will be scraped a little too closely by the plecos, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so they bear watching.

Their diet can be supplemented by blanched zucchini and bottom feeder tablets. They also appreciate a chunk of driftwood in the aquarium to satisfy their need for cellulose. See the GOOD FIRST FISH FAQ for more information on keeping suckermouth catfish.

Siamese Algae Eater

Do not confuse this fish with the Chinese Algae Eater, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which is very aggressive and does not eat algae. The siamese algae eater, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Crossocheilus siamensis, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is a very good algae consumer and is known to eat black brush (red) algae. The only problem is that these fish are hard to find in the United States (see the RESOURCES section of the PLANT FAQ for sources and identification paper). There are several fish in this family. The most commonly seen is Epalzeorhynchos kallopterus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish commonly known as the Flying Fox. The Flying Fox is the more attractive of the two. It tends to have a brownish body with a very distinct, and Wholesale Tropical Fish sharp-edged black stripe with a distinct, and Wholesale Tropical Fish thin gold or bronze stripe above it. These tend to be very aggressive when they are full grown and don't eat red algae (as far as one aquarium reference is concerned).

The other member is the Siamese Algae Eater. It is the same shape as the Flying Fox but tends toward a silverish body with a somewhat ragged black stripe. There may be an indistinct gold or bronze stripe above the black. These are definitely not aggressive; they are good companions for discus and small tetras.

When they are young, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the differences between E. kallopterus and C. siamensis may not be very apparent, and Wholesale Tropical Fish especially if you haven't seen both types together. Unfortunately, and Wholesale Tropical Fish most wholesalers don't sell fish to stores by their scientific name and the common names that are used sometimes get pretty silly (like "siamese flying fox"). If you really can't tell which one the store has, and Wholesale Tropical Fish buy it anyway, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but be prepared to sacrifice it if it turns out to be the wrong kind (unless your fish aren't bothered by it, and Wholesale Tropical Fish of course).

Farlowella

Farlowella are useful algae eaters although they are very sensitive to water conditions. They type known as the Royal Farlowella will get too large for a plant tank and may cause damage.

Snails

Water Hardness

Most snails do best in harder/alkaline water. If the hardness/ph drops below a certain point, and Wholesale Tropical Fish their shells will start to dissolve and/or grow improperly (the behavior seems to be based on species). Malaysian trumpet snails seem the hardiest, and Wholesale Tropical Fish showing little adverse effect from soft water. The Ramshorn snails shell will start to dissolve, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and gaps will form in the new shell growth. Mystery snails will form gaps. Most of these problems can be corrected by hardening the water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the snails will recover, and Wholesale Tropical Fish although exterior shell damage (from dissolving) will remain.

Types of Snails

Malaysian trumpet snail

The Malaysian snail, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Melanoides tubercularia, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is an interesting creature in that it lives in the substrate during the day and only comes out at night. Its shell is a perfect cone shape and gets to about 2 cm long. It is a livebearing snail and reproduces quite readily. It is considered beneficial to a plant tank and doesn't seen to harm plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish even in large populations. They are hard to find for sale, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but usually come for free on plant shipments. If desired, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Clown loaches will keep them and other snails well under control.

Ramshorn Snail

Ramshorn snails are very common and come in various sizes. Their shape is as their name suggests. The smaller varieties (under 1 cm) are not too damaging to a plant tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish although they seem to relish the tender leaves of the Hygrophila family.

The other type is the dark and light brown striped Columbian Ramshorn that can grow big as large as 2 inches in diameter. The stripes run the length of the shell with a pattern of random width light-dark- light stripes that stays constant throughout the snails life. These snails are extremely prolific and have a terrific appetite for plants.

Pond Snails

Pond snails are football shaped snails under 2 cm in length. They are to be avoided, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as they will happily eat all your plants.

Mystery (Apple) Snails

One of the most beautiful kinds of snails are the Mystery snails. These snails have a shape similar to the Pond snail, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but their spiral is rounder, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and they grow much larger. They can reach tennis-ball size if well taken care of. The come in many varieties. The snail's body can be dark, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or almost albino (very light with a bright orange speckle pattern). The shell can be dark, and Wholesale Tropical Fish bright orange, and Wholesale Tropical Fish albino, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or multi-colored striped (length-wise like the Ramshorn). The Apple snail variety typically has the multi-colored stripes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish with a dark body. In general these snails don't eat living plants. They prefer algae and dead plant/animal material (canned spinach will get you a very large Mystery snail).

Snail Prophylactics

To guard against unwanted snails, and Wholesale Tropical Fish use a weak potassium permanganate solution. The Manual of Fish Health recommends a concentration of 10 mg/l as a 10-minute bath as a general disenfectant for aquarium plants. Then rinse them in running water. This kills snail eggs and parasites and might guard against algae spores.

Alum is also useful. Get "Alum U.S.P." at the drug store. Soak the plants in a gallon of water that has up to 10 teaspoons of Alum. The Alum kills microscopic bugs. Longer soaks (2-3 days) will kill snail eggs and/or snails.

Introduction

Since even a small amount of material can be difficult for a newcomer in any field to digest and retain, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the novice aquarist may wish to read only the ``Good First Fish'' section to begin with. Then, and Wholesale Tropical Fish while consulting a good beginner's book (the most essential item for any novice aquarist to own), and Wholesale Tropical Fish she or he should choose a small number of possibilities for the fish with which to start her or his new tank.

If someone familiar with the local fish stores is available, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is wise to get a recommendation for where to shop for fish. Otherwise the beginner should try looking for shops that specialize in fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish either exclusively or as a major part of their business. This is no guarantee, and Wholesale Tropical Fish of course, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but it does improve the odds of finding a good store.

If, and Wholesale Tropical Fish upon reaching the store, and Wholesale Tropical Fish none of the selected fish can be found, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the novice should refrain from purchasing any fish that he or she is unfamiliar with, and Wholesale Tropical Fish even if recommended by the store's employees. (Some stores have very knowledgeable staffs but many, and Wholesale Tropical Fish alas, and Wholesale Tropical Fish do not. It will take some time before the new fishkeeper can discern a good store from a bad one, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or good advice from poor.) At this point, and Wholesale Tropical Fish another store could be sought out or further reading done to determine alternate choices for first fish.

Assuming that desirable choices for first fish can be found, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the beginner should carefully inspect the specimens for sunken bellies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish sunken eyes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish clamped fins, and Wholesale Tropical Fish labored breathing (often with gill covers quite extended), and Wholesale Tropical Fish and any sort of external blemishes that might indicate parasites or disease. If the fish appear healthy, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the novice should ask to purchase a very small number of fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish depending on the size of the tank and the fish. A twenty gallon tank is a good size for a beginner; it is large enough that the water conditions will be fairly stable, and Wholesale Tropical Fish yet small enough that the beginner is not intimidated. For this size tank a single fish of one to two inches in length, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or three or four smaller fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is the most the novice should start with. (If more fish are put into the tank initially, and Wholesale Tropical Fish poisonous ammonia will build up and kill the fish. If the tank population is built up gradually, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish this will not be a problem. To understand this gradual introduction of fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish known as `cycling the tank', and Wholesale Tropical Fish the novice should read about the nitrogen cycle in his or her aquarium book, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or the NITROGEN CYCLE section of the BEGINNER FAQ.)

Good First Fish

If we define a good beginner's fish as one that is easy to feed and care for, and Wholesale Tropical Fish hardy, and Wholesale Tropical Fish able to live in a variety of water conditions, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and attractive, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then there are a number of widely available fish which fit the bill nicely. Many of these are regularly sold as beginner's fish. But watch out! Many of the fish sold as beginner's fish really are not well suited to that role.

Many of the smaller schooling fish make ideal first fish. These include White Cloud Mountain Minnows, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the several commonly available species of Danios and Rasboras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and most available species of Barbs. For those with a slightly larger tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Rainbowfish make a great schooling fish. Corydoras Catfish are ever popular schooling catfish.

While many beginners are tempted to get just one or two of each of several different schooling fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish this should be resisted. Schooling fish do better if there are several of their own species present for them to interact with. A minimum of six of each of the midwater schooling fish is recommended, and Wholesale Tropical Fish while four is the bare minimum for Corys. In the long run, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a school of a dozen fish showing their natural behavior will be more pleasing than a mixed group of fishes unhappily forced to share the same tank. (``Mom, and Wholesale Tropical Fish why is that one fish hiding behind the heater and that other one just hanging in the corner?'')

Of course, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as mentioned in the introduction, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the population needs to be built up slowly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish two or three fish at a time. The aquarist might, and Wholesale Tropical Fish for instance, and Wholesale Tropical Fish build up a school of eight Rasboras of a certain species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then turn to building up a school of six of a species of Cory Cats.

Some Cyprinids

White Clouds, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Danios, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Rasboras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Barbs are all Asian fish related to the Carp and the Minnow. All of these fish belong to the family Cyprinidae. White Clouds, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Danios, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Rasboras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Barbs are small, and Wholesale Tropical Fish active, and Wholesale Tropical Fish hardy, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and colorful.

``White Cloud Mountain Minnows'' - Tanichthys albonubes

Found in mountain streams in China, and Wholesale Tropical Fish White Clouds can be kept in unheated tanks (down to 55F). Some people advise against putting these fish in tropical tanks but I have found that they do fine in heated aquaria as well, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as long as the temperature is not kept above the mid 70s. They can be fed any small food and they spawn often but fry will not be seen unless the parents are removed to another tank. White Clouds are brown with a red tail and a silvery white line down the side that shines in the light. They get to be 1 1/2" long.

Danios

Several species of Danios are often found in pet stores, and Wholesale Tropical Fish including the Giant Danio - Danio aequipinnatus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Zebra Danio - Brachydanio rerio, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Leopard Danio - Brachydanio frankei, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the Pearl Danio - Brachydanio albolineatus. These fish are fast swimmers and are always in motion. Different patterns of blue markings allows one to tell these fish apart. Most Danios stay under 2 1/2" long, and Wholesale Tropical Fish although Giant Danios can get up to 4".

Rasboras

The most popular Rasbora is the Harlequin Rasbora - Rasbora heteromorpha. A very similar looking species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Rasbora espei, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is also available, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as is the Clown Rasbora - Rasbora kalochroma and the Scissor-Tail Rasbora - Rasbora trilineata. Orange, and Wholesale Tropical Fish brown, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and red are usual colors for Rasboras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and their stop-and-start swimming makes them interesting to watch as a school. Scissor-Tails can get up to 6" long and Clown Rasboras up to 4" while Harlequins stay under 2" long.

Barbs

By far the most commonly seen and commonly cursed Barb is the Tiger Barb - Capoeta tetrazona. It nips the fins of other fish if not kept in a large school of its own species and because it is over-bred it is susceptible to diseases. Several aquarium morphs are also available (such as the greenish ``Mossy Barb'' and an albino variety) but these are even more sickly and often deformed.

Don't give up on the Barbs too fast though, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as many are well suited as first fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish especially for those with moderate sized tanks. Capoeta titteya, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Cherry Barb, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is a terrific little barb - up to 2" long and with a wonderful orange-red color. Mid-sized barbs (up to about 4 1/2" long) include Clown Barbs - Barbodes everetti, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Rosy Barbs - Puntius conchonius, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Black Ruby Barbs - Puntius nigrofasciatus. The artificial morphs (long-finned, and Wholesale Tropical Fish albino, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc.) of the Rosy Barb should be avoided though, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as these tend to be sickly. Checker Barbs - Capoeta oligolepis and Spanner or T-Barbs - Barbodes lateristriga are large, and Wholesale Tropical Fish peaceful barbs (Spanner Barbs up to 7" long). Unless you have a very large aquarium avoid Tinfoil Barbs - Barbodes schwanefeldi. They grow to be over a foot long!

Note that many barbs don't school as ``nicely'' as do Danios or Rasboras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but most should be kept in schools nonetheless. Also note that many authors may put all of the above mentioned species in the genus Barbus.

Corydoras Catfish

Cory Cats are members of the family Callichthyidae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a family of armored catfish from South America. Corys are small (generally 2 1/2" long or less), and Wholesale Tropical Fish schooling fish that are always searching the bottom of the tank for food. There are at least 140 species of catfish in the genus Corydoras. Some of these are quite delicate and die quickly even in the hands of experts. The fragile ones, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish are rarely seen in pet stores and are high priced when they can be found. The Corys you will see for reasonable prices are hardy and can even survive in a tank with low oxygen as they can swallow air from the surface and absorb it through their intestines. Some Corys you may encounter are the Bronze Cory - C. aeneus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Spotted Cory - C. ambiacus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Leopard Cory - C. julii, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Skunk Cory - C. arcuatus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Bandit Cory - C. metae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the Panda Cory - C. panda.

Corys generally feed at the bottom of the tank and special sinking foods should be fed. These include sinking pellets like Tabi-Min and frozen blood- worms. Care should be taken to insure that all frozen foods are eaten quickly as they decay rapidly and can foul the tank. Don't overfeed!

Rainbowfish

Rainbows are extremely colorful fishes native to Australia, and Wholesale Tropical Fish New Guinea, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Madagascar. Like the Cyprinids described above, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Rainbows are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of six or more. Larger, and Wholesale Tropical Fish somewhat more expensive, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and harder to find than many of the schooling fishes already discussed, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Rainbows are easily cared for, and Wholesale Tropical Fish active, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and make good first fish for those who want to try something a little less common. Look in your dealer's tanks for the Australian Rainbow - Melanotaenia splendida, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Boeseman's Rainbowfish - M. boesemani, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Turquoise Rainbows - M. lacustris, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the Celebes Rainbow - Telmatherina ladigesi.

Good Second Fish

The previous section talked about good fish for the complete novice aquarist. This section will discuss good fish for beginning aquarists who have had some experience or who are willing to do more careful research and shopping before buying their fish.

Many of the fish recommended here are every bit as hardy, and Wholesale Tropical Fish adaptable, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and easy to care for as those in the first section. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish in the first section I was able to recommend whole groups of fish or at least say to watch out for only a species or two in each group as bad choices. Here, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the groups will be quite mixed with many good choices and many poor ones. Also, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some of the fish in this section are hardy only if some special needs are cared for. If you wish to successfully keep fish from these groups you need to be sure you know which species you are getting and what their needs are.

Why bother? If you are a complete novice, and Wholesale Tropical Fish perhaps you shouldn't. The great choices from the ``First Fish'' list should allow you to get your feet wet (as it were) with minimum risk. However, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as you gain experience you may decide to give some of these fish a try. Many are quite beautiful and/or have interesting behaviors and some aquarists become so taken with them that they join specialist clubs just to learn about and trade one group or another of these fish.

Loaches

Loaches are long-bodied Asian fishes distantly related to the Cyprinids (Barbs, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Danios, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc.) described above. Like Cory Cats, and Wholesale Tropical Fish loaches have a down-turned mouth equipped with barbels - an adaptation for living and feeding at the bottom of ponds and streams. They will scavenge the tank bottom eating the food missed by other fishes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but you should take care to see that they get enough to eat. Special sinking foods are a must.

Some loaches are sensitive to poor nitrogen cycle management, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which is why they are included here, and Wholesale Tropical Fish rather than in the Good First Fish section. Once the tank is established and the beginner seems to have gotten the hang of maintaining a tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish loaches make great additions to most community fish populations.

The most commonly seen loaches are the Kuhli Loaches - Acanthophthalmus species. These are long, and Wholesale Tropical Fish ribbon-like fishes which grow to be 4" long. Brown with yellow stripes and bands, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Kuhli Loaches are shy and spend a lot of time buried in the gravel.

Another popular group of loaches are the members of the genus Botia. Clown Loaches - B. macracantha, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Yo-Yo Loaches - B. lohachata, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Skunk Loaches - B. horae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Blue Loaches - B. modesta, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Striated Loaches - B. striata are all seen in the hobby. Some of these (notably Clown and Blue Loaches) can get big, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but they grow extremely slowly and can live in a small aquarium for several years. Loaches will often be happier if kept with a few of their own species.

Weather Loaches - Misgurnus fossilis and Spotted Weather Loaches - Cobitis taenia should be avoided. They are cold water species and have the unfortunate habit of jumping out of aquaria, and Wholesale Tropical Fish especially at the approach of a storm.

Dwarf Plecos

``Pleco'' (a shortening of the now-unused genus name Plecostomus) is the common term used for suckermouth catfish of the family Loricariidae. As mentioned below in the Bad First Fish section, and Wholesale Tropical Fish common Plecos (Hypostomus species) are often sold to beginners as algae cleaners. Unfortunately, and Wholesale Tropical Fish these fish get too large for the relatively small tanks of most beginners.

Some species of suckermouth catfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish do stay small enough for most beginners to keep. The Clown Plecos of the genus Peckoltia have alternating transverse bands of darker and lighter brown, and Wholesale Tropical Fish tan, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or yellow and generally stay under 4" long. The Bristlenose or Bushynose Plecos of the genus Ancistrus possess, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as their common names imply, and Wholesale Tropical Fish numerous projections from the area between their eyes and mouth. Within each species the bristles are larger on the male, and Wholesale Tropical Fish especially near breeding. In fact, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Bristlenose Plecos are among the few Loricariids to be successfully spawned in the home aquarium.

Otocinclus Cats, and Wholesale Tropical Fish often just called Otos, and Wholesale Tropical Fish are the smallest Loricariids and will clean algae from live plants without hurting any but the most delicate of them. Otos sometimes die shortly after purchase for no apparent reason, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but if they make it past this critical time they make very good community tank residents.

While the various suckermouth catfish will indeed help to keep the aquarium free from many common algae types, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the beginner should not make the mistake of thinking of these fish as simply algae eaters or scavengers. They should be given foods intended just for them, and Wholesale Tropical Fish such as zucchini which can be blanched or weighted down to sink it to the Pleco's level. Some fish food manufacturers have recently realized that there is a market for specialized Pleco foods and now sell products such as sinking algae wafers which fit this bill nicely. These foods should be fed in the evening when the light reaching the tank is low, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as most Plecos are more active at this time and most other fish which might compete for the food are less active. Pieces of (uncoated) driftwood in the tank are also important for many Pleco species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which rasp at the wood and ingest the scrapings. By the same token, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Plecos should *not* be kept in wooden tanks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or even acrylic ones for that matter, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as they may chew into the tank material damaging it and/or themselves (by ingesting toxins or undigestible matter).

Pleco species can be quarrelsome amongst themselves and may be picked on by other fish due to their generally slow-moving nature. Provide a hiding cave for each Pleco and give them territories proportional to their size (e.g. 10 gallons for a 3" fish.)

Tetras

Like many of the fish in the first section, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Tetras are schooling fish and should be kept in groups of six or more of the same species. Tetras are native to Central and South America and Africa. In some regions of South America the water is quite soft (very little rock is dissolved in it) and acidic. (Another way of saying ``acidic'' is to say that it has a low pH - one below 7, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which is considered ``neutral''. A strong acid has a very low pH. Liquids above pH 7 are said to be ``basic''.)

Unless you know that your tank water is also soft and acidic, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Tetras that need that water should be avoided. Before you buy a Tetra that you are not sure about, and Wholesale Tropical Fish look it up in your book. If it says that it needs a pH below 6.5 you should probably avoid it. While many beginning aquarists are tempted to simply adjust the pH of their water by buying little containers of chemicals in the pet store, and Wholesale Tropical Fish do not give in to this temptation! Water chemistry is very complex and you can easily kill all your fish by trying it.

On the other hand, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if your tap water is naturally soft and achieves a consistent acidic pH, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there is no reason that you can't try your hand at some of these fish.

Two very popular Tetras which need soft, and Wholesale Tropical Fish acidic water are the Neon Tetra - Paracheirodon innesi and the Cardinal Tetra - Cheirodon axelrodi. These are quite attractive red and blue fish. The red line on the Cardinal runs from the head on back, and Wholesale Tropical Fish while in the Neon it starts only in the belly region. But their attractiveness is their only advantage. Besides its water requirements the Neon has the added drawback that almost all of them are bred in the Far East in huge numbers with no regard to quality. Further, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the raising ponds for the young fish are filled with medicines. The medicines keep diseases in check but as soon as the fish are shipped they begin to get sick. They die in huge numbers in the stores and in buyer's home tanks. Probably less than 1 in 10 Neons lives for more than one month after being removed from the pond it was raised in. Further, and Wholesale Tropical Fish those two or three tiny neons for a dollar at the local store can easily introduce a disease that kills all the fish in your tank.

Cardinals will have a greater chance of not dying immediately after purchase but even they will probably not live long in your home tank. They are wild caught in Brazil as adults so they may have lived most of their naturally short life span before you buy them.

Other Tetras which need acidic water include the Blue Neon Tetra - Hyphessobrycon simulans, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Flag Tetra - H. heterorhabdus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish H. metae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Loreto Tetra - H. loretoensis, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Black Phantom Tetra - Megalamphodus megalopterus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the Red Phantom Tetra - M. sweglesi.

So what about those aquarists without acid water? There are plenty of hardy Tetras out there for beginners without special water. These include the distinctive Black or Black Skirt Tetra - Gymnocorymbus ternetzi, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the brightly colored Glow Light Tetra - Hemigrammus erythrozonus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the radiant orange Jewel Tetra - Hyphessobrycon callistus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Flame Tetra - H. flammeus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the red-tailed Pristella - Pristella maxillaris, and Wholesale Tropical Fish all of which grow to less than two inches long. Slightly larger Tetras include the Penguin Tetra - Thayeria obliqua and the closely related Hockey-stick Tetra - Th. boehlkei, and Wholesale Tropical Fish both of which are easily recognized by the black lines originating in the lower half of their caudal (tail) fins and running forward, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the shiny Diamond Tetra - Moenkhausia pittieri, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the beautiful, and Wholesale Tropical Fish trident-tailed Emperor Tetra - N. palmeri. Finally, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the only African Tetra frequently seen, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Congo Tetra - Phenacogrammus interruptus is a gorgeous fish which grows up to four inches long.

Cichlids

Cichlids, and Wholesale Tropical Fish members of the family Cichlidae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish come from Central and South America and Africa, and Wholesale Tropical Fish with a few species found in Madagascar, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Middle East and into Asia. Cichlids are quite unlike any of the fish discussed so far. They are related to and resemble the Perch and Sunfish of US waters. For aquarists, and Wholesale Tropical Fish cichlids pose four major problems: (1) Some need special water conditions, and Wholesale Tropical Fish (2) some have specialized diets, and Wholesale Tropical Fish (3) some get quite large (the largest up to 3' long), and Wholesale Tropical Fish and (4) all are territorial.

Again, and Wholesale Tropical Fish why bother? Because for those willing to take the challenge, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the rewards can be great. If any fish can be said to be intelligent, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Cichlids can. They display this in their everyday activities as well as in their specialized mating, and Wholesale Tropical Fish breeding, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and fry-raising activities. The fish mentioned in the previous sections all lay eggs and then ignore or even eat them! Cichlids, and Wholesale Tropical Fish on the other hand, and Wholesale Tropical Fish care for their eggs and young. It is said that one of the most rewarding sights an aquarist can see is parental Cichlids herding their fry around the tank and protecting them from all dangers. And, and Wholesale Tropical Fish even if your Cichlids never breed, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they will be more responsive to you than perhaps any other fish. Cichlids can be much more ``pet-like'' than you might think a fish could be.

If you do decide to take the Cichlid challenge, and Wholesale Tropical Fish choosing your Cichlids can be difficult. Some can be added to your community tank and will do fine with the schooling fish talked about above. These include Curviceps - Aequidens (really Laetacara) curviceps, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Dorsigers - Aequidens (again, and Wholesale Tropical Fish really Laetacara) dorsiger, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the less frequently seen Nannacara anomala, and Wholesale Tropical Fish all from South America, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Thomas' Dwarf Cichlid - Anomalochromis thomasi from western Africa. Unlike the monster Cichlids, and Wholesale Tropical Fish these fish stay small (3 1/2'' is a good sized adult) and are relatively peaceful. Two or three may be placed in a 10 gallon tank and they should still all find places to live if there are rocks and other decorations in the tank.

Other Dwarf Cichlids you may see are the Ram - Papiliochromis (some books use Microgeophagus or Apistogramma) ramirezi, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Apistos - Apistogramma species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the Checkerboard Cichlid - Dicrossus filamentosus (referred to as Crenicara filamentosa in the books). These fish vary in their difficulty for keeping as aquarium fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but all of them should be avoided by beginners.

Keyhole Cichlids - Aequidens (really Cleithracara) maronii, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Festivums - Cichlasoma (really Mesonauta) festivus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Angelfish - Pterophyllum scalare can be good fish for the relative novice, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but only if healthy specimens can be found and this is often not easy. For this reason, and Wholesale Tropical Fish small Keyholes and Festivums should not be purchased. Adults of these two species are generally better choices; still, and Wholesale Tropical Fish one should look the fish over carefully and not buy them until they have been in the store tanks for at least a week. Similarly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish for the very popular Angelfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish one needs to be very careful when buying them. Before you buy, and Wholesale Tropical Fish ask the salesperson to tell you where the store gets its Angels. If the salesperson doesn't know, and Wholesale Tropical Fish won't tell you, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or says that they come from ``the wholesaler'' (and who knows where before that?) don't buy them. If you are told that they come from a local breeder then you have at least a chance of getting healthy fish. Also, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Angels should be kept in tanks both taller and longer than a 10 gallon aquarium. Keyholes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Festivums, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Angels are all shy fish and should be provided with cover -- preferably a planted tank.

Discus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish like Angels, and Wholesale Tropical Fish need tanks higher and longer than 10 gallon tanks. Their specialized needs do not stop there, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and beginners should shy away from these difficult and demanding fish.

At the other end of the difficultly scale, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a very good choice, and Wholesale Tropical Fish especially for those with a 20 gallon or larger aquarium, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is the ``Jurupari'' - Satanoperca leucosticta (formerly referred to in the hobby as Geophagus jurupari). It does get large (up to a foot), and Wholesale Tropical Fish but it grows very slowly and may still be less than six inches long when several years old. It is a very peaceful Cichlid which will help to clean your tank by sifting through the gravel for uneaten food. A similar fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Geophagus surinamensis, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is also a good choice.

Kribs or ``Kribensis'' - Pelvicachromis pulcher are a widely seen West African Cichlid that will do well with the larger schooling fish and should be kept in a twenty gallon or larger tank. Male Kribs grow to be 4" long and females stay a bit smaller.

Most of the remaining cichlids which are commonly available are too aggressive and/or grow too large for the beginning aquarist to effectively deal with. This includes the very popular Oscar - Astronotus ocellatus which grows rapidly to over a foot, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is opportunistically piscivorous, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and is a very messy species. If the aquarist is truly interested in keeping more cichlids than those recommended above, and Wholesale Tropical Fish she or he should be prepared to set up special, and Wholesale Tropical Fish separate (and probably larger) tanks for these fish and to read more extensively on cichlids before buying them.

Anabantids

Anabantids are another group of fishes that are quite different from those already discussed. Distantly related to Cichlids and Perch, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Anabantids are found in Africa and Asia. Members of the families Anabantidae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Belontiidae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Helostomatidae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Osphronemidae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Anabantids are also referred to as the ``labyrinth fishes''. This is due to a special breathing organ referred to as the labyrinth organ which is essentially a maze of tunnels near the fish's gills. Labyrinth fish gulp air at the surface of the water and absorb it through the labyrinth organ, and Wholesale Tropical Fish allowing them to live in water with too little oxygen to support fish which only breath through their gills. Some Anabantids can survive out of water for several hours breathing only through their labyrinths, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as long as they stay moist. Anabas testudineus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish known as the Climbing Perch, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is said to be able to climb trees and to live out of water for up to two days.

As well as giving aquarists some additional choices for community-tank fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Anabantids offer some unique options to fish keepers as well as presenting a few problems. Because some Anabantids are able to withstand cooler temperatures, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and because of their ability to survive in water with very low oxygen, and Wholesale Tropical Fish these fishes can be kept in tanks or bowls without heaters or filtration. On the other hand, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some Anabantids (particularly males of some species) are very territorial and some grow quite large.

Breeding Anabantids can be quite rewarding. Some species build nests out of bubbles into which they place their eggs while others, and Wholesale Tropical Fish like some Cichlids, and Wholesale Tropical Fish are mouthbrooders.

The most commonly seen Anabantid is probably the Betta or Siamese Fighting Fish (which is generally said to be Betta splendens but is probably a crossbreed). Artificial color varieties with red, and Wholesale Tropical Fish blue, and Wholesale Tropical Fish green, and Wholesale Tropical Fish purple, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and many other colors in various combinations are widely available. Males are bred to have very large fins and both sexes are seen with double tails. Siamese Fighting Fish generally make poor choices for the community tank for two reasons. First, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as their name would imply, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they are very territorial. The aggression is greatest between two males, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but can be directed towards any fish that looks to the Betta too much like another Betta. Second, and Wholesale Tropical Fish their long fins make easy targets for many fish such as Barbs. Siamese Fighting Fish can be kept alone in bowls (the larger the better) or tanks without filtration as long as frequent partial water changes are done. They do need warm temperatures, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and are sensitive to temperature changes, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so a constant heat supply is needed if the room is less than about 75F. Also, and Wholesale Tropical Fish due to poor breeding, and Wholesale Tropical Fish many Siamese Fighting Fish are not very healthy. A 3" male would be a large adult; females stay smaller.

A better choice for keeping alone in a bowl or small tank is the Paradise Fish - Macropodus opercularis. These are much hardier fish than the Fighters and can withstand temperatures down to 60F. They may jump, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so the tank should be covered to be safe. Also, and Wholesale Tropical Fish like Siamese Fighting Fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish male Paradise Fish can be extremely territorial towards one another. Paradise Fish may get up to 4" long.

Another very commonly seen Anabantid is the Blue or Three-Spot Gourami - Trichogaster trichopterus. Gold, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Silver, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Cosby Gouramies are also widely available and are simply artificial color varieties of the Blue Gourami. Blue Gouramies can get up to 6" long. They are not as aggressive as Fighters or Paradise Fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but more than one in a small tank may lead to constant (if not overly deadly) chasing. They will do well in a tank with larger schooling fishes. Similar, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though slightly smaller species include the Banded or Giant Gourami - Colisa fasciata (which is only a giant compared to the similarly colored Dwarf Gourami described below), and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Thick-lipped Gourami - Colisa labiosa and the somewhat less aggressive Pearl Gourami - Trichogaster leeri and Moonlight Gourami - T. microlepis. The Kissing Gourami - Helostoma temmincki grows larger (up to 12") but makes a good fish for beginners with larger tanks. It is peaceful, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though males will contest with one another by pressing their lips together and pushing - the so-called ``kissing'' from which the common name derives. Most Kissing Gouramies seen will be of the Pink variety.

Small Gouramies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish only growing to 2" or so in length, and Wholesale Tropical Fish are also available. These include the Dwarf Gourami - Colisa lalia, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Honey Gourami - C. chuna, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the Sunset Dwarf Gourami (probably a cross between C. lalia and C. chuna). In theory, and Wholesale Tropical Fish these would all be good fish for the community aquarium. In practice, and Wholesale Tropical Fish these fish are often the victims of poor breeding practices in the Far East (like so many others described before) and many are even treated with hormones before they are shipped to make them appear brighter in the store tanks. A good rule of thumb is, and Wholesale Tropical Fish ``If it looks too good to be true, and Wholesale Tropical Fish it probably is.''

Although harder to find, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Anabantids which have had less human interference with their reproduction are generally better choices. Look for the Mouthbrooding Betta - Betta pugnax, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Licorice Gourami - Parosphromenus deissneri, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Spike-Tailed Paradise Fish - Pseudosphromenus cupanus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Croaking Gourami - Trichopsis vittatus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the Dwarf Croaking Gourami - T. pumilus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which range in size from 1" to 4". Do not buy Chocolate Gouramies - Sphaerichthys osphromenoides which are quite delicate, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or the true Giant Gouramies - Osphronemus spp. which grow quickly to well over two feet long.

Livebearers

The family Poeciliidae contains Guppies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Mollies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Platies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and many other fishes. While these fish are often thought of as beginners' fish they have been intentionally left off the list until now in order to make a point. The reasons these fish are often sold to beginners are that they are cheap, and Wholesale Tropical Fish brightly colored, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and have a general reputation among non-aquarists as easy fish. Notably absent from this list is any real suitability for keeping by beginners. For one thing, and Wholesale Tropical Fish many livebearers need high level of salt in their water to be healthy - making them incompatible with many other aquarium fish. Many common livebearers also are overbred, and Wholesale Tropical Fish resulting in fish not nearly as healthy as those kept by aquarists of previous generations (or by the authors of most books). Some are not even able to reproduce without human intervention. Finally, and Wholesale Tropical Fish due to their low market price, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they are generally not well cared for and may carry diseases.

Poeciliids, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as they are also called, and Wholesale Tropical Fish come from the Americas, and Wholesale Tropical Fish primarily Central America. They are called ``livebearers'' (as opposed to ``egg-layers'', and Wholesale Tropical Fish as all the previously discussed fish have been) because the eggs are fertilized within the female and the fry do not appear until the eggs have hatched. There are also livebearers from other families in which the details of reproduction vary.

The well-known Guppy can be found in a number of colors and with as many as 12 different artificial tail varieties. Also available is the closest thing that you may find to the wild Guppy - Poecilia reticulata: ``feeder Guppies'' which are not bred for color. The fancy strains tend to be fragile while common Guppies often carry diseases. Guppies should be kept in water with at least one teaspoon of salt per five gallons of water.

Common Mollies are the Black Molly (which was derived from the Marled Molly - Poecilia sphenops) and the Sail-Fin Molly - Poecilia velifera (of which there are also several color varieties available). Black Mollies need at least one teaspoon of salt per five gallons of water to keep them healthy and prevent the outbreak of ``ich'' (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a parasite commonly seen in aquaria) while Sail-Fin Mollies need at least three times this amount. Sail-Fins grow to 6" while Black Mollies stay less than 3".

Closely related, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Swordtails - Xiphophorus helleri and Platies - Xiphophorus maculatus are also popular fish. A number of color and finnage varieties are available of each with some of the Platies also referred to as ``Moons''. These fish need at least a teaspoon of salt per 5 gallons of water to be healthy. Some varieties are susceptible to various maladies (Tuxedo Swords often get tumors, and Wholesale Tropical Fish for instance) and as with so many other fish the naturally colored fish are probably your best bets. ``Green Swords'' (which are really multi-colored) are naturally colored X. helleri, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but unfortunately wild morphs of Platies are not often seen. The Variegated Platy - Xiphophorus variatus is sometimes seen, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and fills this role nicely.

Bad First Fish

We have already discussed several poor choice for beginners' fish alongside their more desirable cousins. Here are more fishes that are seen in the stores that beginners should be warned about. Many of these fish make good fish for advanced hobbyists while others never make good aquarium fish. Some are even suitable for a well-informed beginner; you just need to know what you are getting yourself into before you buy the fishes on impulse and drop them into your community tank.

Goldfish

Goldfish are one of the most common fish sold to beginners, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but are particularly poorly suited to this role. The common Goldfish sold as feeders are generally full of diseases and parasites which may kill them and other fish they are housed with. Fancy varieties, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which have been selectively bred for centuries to achieve their unnatural appearances, and Wholesale Tropical Fish are subject to a host of problems associated with their abnormalities.

All Goldfish are cold water fish which do not do well in the lower oxygen levels found in tropical aquaria, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and therefore should not be housed with tropical species.

Piranhas

Piranhas are among the most abused of all aquarium fish. They are often purchased in order to watch their legendary feeding habits. As mentioned above, and Wholesale Tropical Fish feeder fish often bring diseases and parasites with them and these can infect Piranhas. A regular diet of feeder fish can also be quite expensive.

Piranhas are schooling fish and are generally shy and stressed when kept as single specimens. Unfortunately, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they also get big (many species well over a foot long), and Wholesale Tropical Fish so most beginning aquarists don't have room to house more than a single Piranha. If enough tank space is available to keep several Piranhas together, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they must be kept well fed or they will turn on each other, and Wholesale Tropical Fish killing and cannibalizing one fish after another.

Knife Fishes

There are several families of fish from South America, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Africa, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Asia, and Wholesale Tropical Fish referred to as Knife Fishes. Many species of Knives get large, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some over 3' long although some of the less attractive species stay as small as 8". All of them are nocturnal predators, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a fact that many a beginner could have used before all of his or her small fish ``mysteriously'' disappeared a few at a time.

Hatchet and Pencil Fishes

Somewhat related to Tetras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Hatchets (family Gasteropelecidae) and Pencils (genus Nannostomus) are Characins from South America. Many of them need soft and acid water and all of them are delicate. Hatchets have the added disadvantage that they tend to launch themselves out of the aquarium to an untimely death.

Elephant Nose and Baby Whale

More fragile fish include Elephant Noses - Gnathonemus petersi and Baby Whales - Petrocephalus bovei. African fishes from the family Mormyridae, and Wholesale Tropical Fish these are night feeders and are hard to provide for in the aquarium.

Chinese Algae Eater

Chinese Algae Eaters - Gyrinocheilus aymonieri are often introduced into the aquarium to do what their common (sales) name implies - eat algae. They are usually seen at a small size and many die within a short time of purchase. If they live, and Wholesale Tropical Fish however, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they get big (up to a foot long) and tend to prefer to rasp at the sides of slow moving fish (making them susceptible to infections) to eating algae.

Bala Shark

Not a shark at all but a Cyprinid (related to the Carp), and Wholesale Tropical Fish Bala Sharks - Balantiocheilus melanopterus quickly outgrow most home aquaria. They get to be over one foot long.

Iridescent Shark

Unrelated to the Bala Shark or to true sharks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Iridescent Shark - Pangasius sutchi is a catfish. It grows to over 3' and tends to injure its nose against the aquarium glass.

Glass Catfish

Another catfish to avoid is the Glass Catfish - Kryptopterus bicirrhis. While it stays small enough to be an aquarium fish (up to 6"), and Wholesale Tropical Fish it is very delicate and should not be purchased by beginners.

``Plecos''

The suckermouth catfish of the genus Hypostomus are often sold in the stores as algae cleaners. Most of these species get in excess of 12". Some of the slender suckermouth catfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish such as the Whiptail - Dasyloricaria filamentosa and the Farlowella - Farlowella gracilis, and Wholesale Tropical Fish are quite delicate species.

Long-Whiskered Catfish

Catfish don't have long whiskers for looks. They are there to help them hunt for their food - other fish! In addition to eating all fish of less than half their size in the tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish many of the piscivorous (fish-eating) Cats will outgrow most tanks. One common species of long-whiskered catfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the Pictus Cat - Pimelodus pictus grows to 10" while the Channel Cat (a pink form is often seen) grows over 2 feet long. Shovelnose Cats are usually only seen at six inches or greater, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so the beginner does have some warning with these. Still, and Wholesale Tropical Fish one might not expect them to get 2 or 3' long.

Red-Tailed Catfish

Red-Tailed Catfish - Phractocephalus hemiliopterus are particularly large-growing predatory catfish. A dark body with a horizontal white stripe and red tail gives them an attractive appearance at a small size that has unfortunately made them a popular aquarium fish with those who fail to appreciate the enormity of adults. Adults may grow to well over 4' in length and have mouths that more than match their lengths. As such, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they are more than many public aquaria can house, and Wholesale Tropical Fish not to mention private aquarists.

Spiny Eels

Spiny Eels (family Mastacembelidae) are aggressive fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some of which grow quite large (over 3'). Some do stay small (less than 4" for one species), and Wholesale Tropical Fish but all are likely to have internal parasites.

Painted Glassfish

Painted Glassfish are Glassfish - Chanda ranga which have been ``painted'' with chemical dyes. This procedure adds a temporary bit of unnatural color (which disappears with time) and stresses the fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish causing them to be prone to diseases and parasites. This fish needs at least 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of aquarium water.

Dyed Fish

While Painted Glassfish were for a long time the only fish commonly seen that had been ``colorized'' by unscrupulous marketers, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the last few years have seen several other fishes subjected to this abuse. One of these is the White Skirt Tetra (an albino version of the Black Skirt Tetra - Gymnocorymbus ternetzi) which are sold as Blueberry Tetras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Strawberry Tetras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Rainbow Tetras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish etc. depending on the dyes used to color the individuals. Similarly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Blueberry and Strawberry Loaches have also been seen. If you are unsure if a fish has been dyed, and Wholesale Tropical Fish ask.

Brackish Water Fish

I have already mentioned some fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish such as Mollies and Glassfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which come from brackish waters - I simply have not called it that before. Brackish water is intermediate between the fresh water of most rivers and lakes and the salt water of the Oceans. Brackish water is found in gulfs, and Wholesale Tropical Fish deltas, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and lagoons, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as well as a some lakes and rivers. Because brackish water fish need so much salt in their water they are not compatible with most aquarium fish. Further, and Wholesale Tropical Fish brackish water fish generally need more room per fish to stay healthy than freshwater fish. Some commonly seen brackish water fish include Monos - Monodactylus species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Archers - Toxotes species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish Scats - Scatophagus species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and many species of Puffers (family Tetraodontidae).

Salt Water Fish

If brackish water fish are to be avoided by beginners, and Wholesale Tropical Fish then beginners should stay well away from salt water fish. Their bright colors are attractive, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but they are generally much more difficult for beginners to keep alive than are fresh water fish.

Conclusion

There are thousands of species of aquarium-suitable fish from a host of families that are not covered above; this article is far from comprehensive. Killifish (fish of the family Cyprinodontidae) for example, and Wholesale Tropical Fish are widely kept by many advanced hobbyists, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but not often by beginners. This is not because they are all unsuitable as beginner's fish. In fact, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some of them would make very good first or second fish. They are simply not widely available in pet stores.

For choices of good beginners' fish beyond those listed here, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and for expanding once one has moved beyond the beginner level, and Wholesale Tropical Fish local aquarium clubs and friends who are aquarists can be very good sources of information. So can many of the available fishkeeping books and magazines. At every level of experience, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the aquarist will find that good information

Breeding Strategies

``How do fish make babies...and can I watch?''

Fish breed in many ways, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and yes you can watch. In fact, and Wholesale Tropical Fish watching fish breed is one of the great fascinations in the hobby because there are so many interesting breeding strageties among fish.

There are two main strategies that fish use: egglaying and livebearing.

Livebearing fish do what the name suggests. The female gives birth to fully formed, and Wholesale Tropical Fish free-swimming young. The female fish is internally fertilized by the male fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and carries the fry for about a month before delivering them. Upon delivery, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the babies swim off, and Wholesale Tropical Fish hide, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and begin searching for food.

Livebearers include the popular mollies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish platies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish swordtails, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and guppies. Other livebearers are halfbeaks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish anableps, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and fish in the Goodeid family. They are easy to sex, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as the female is larger, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the male has a rod-like anal fin called a gonopodium that he uses to internally fertilize the female. After fertilization, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the female can produce multiple batches of babies without a male present.

Egglaying is also what the name suggests: the fish lay eggs instead of giving birth to little fish. As the fish grow, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they hatch into fry with an attached yolk sac, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and then mature into fish. The process usually takes around a week to 10 days, and Wholesale Tropical Fish although it can vary widely.

Egglayers have many methods of laying their eggs

Egg scatters usually scatter eggs around weeds, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or onto gravel. The male chases the female during spawning, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the eggs are fertilized as they fall. Spawning runs can be spectacular to watch since the fish race around the tank and ignore anything else, and Wholesale Tropical Fish including food. Examples of egg scatterers are tetras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish barbs, and Wholesale Tropical Fish rasboras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and danios.

Substrate spawners are a little choosier about where they put the eggs. They lay eggs that attatch to some sort of substrate. Plants, and Wholesale Tropical Fish rocks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish wood, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and even the aquarium glass may be chosen as a spawning site. Both fish participate in the egg laying, and Wholesale Tropical Fish with the male fertilizing the eggs as the female lays them. Examples of substrate spawners are many catfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some cichlids, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and killifish.

Bubblenest builders lay their eggs in a nest of bubbles blown by the male fish. The bubbles are held together with saliva and look like foam. They tend to attract infusoria that the babies can eat, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and keep the eggs at the surface of the water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish where they are well-oxygenated. The eggs are laid a few at a time, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and carefully placed in the nest where they hatch. Examples of bubblenest builders are bettas and gouramis.

Mouthbrooders actually keep their eggs in their mouths until the eggs hatch. The eggs are again laid a few at a time, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and once the male fertilizes them, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the parent doing the mouthbrooding gathers them up in his/her mouth. That parent eats sparingly, and Wholesale Tropical Fish if at all, and Wholesale Tropical Fish until the baby fish are released. Examples of mouthbrooders are male arrowanas and female cichlids.

Marine fish also lay eggs. Some are substrate spawners, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but many lay pelagic eggs that float in the plankton. There the eggs hatch into a larval stage, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and the larvae float freely and eat tiny plankton until they grow into fish. See the Moe reference for a more complete description.

Breeding and Agression

``Help! Why have my angelfish (or kribs or African cichlids) started killing everything in my tank?''

``Why did my female platy just turn around and eat her babies?''

``I think my tetras spawned. Where are the eggs?''

Parental care in the fish world varies widely. Parents can be anywhere on a continuum from eating all their eggs or fry, and Wholesale Tropical Fish to both parents fiercely guarding their eggs and fry.

Many fish parents show some common behaviors, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so I will discuss them here.

Most fish consider any and all fish eggs and young to be a tasty treat. Therefore most fish will not hesitate to snack on any they find, and Wholesale Tropical Fish including their own. This means that egg scatters and many substrate spawners really cannot be bred in a community tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as the eggs will quickly be eaten by the parents and other fish. Marine fish and invertebrates also eat eggs. Livebearers are especially notorious for eating their young.

A few fish ignore their eggs or fry, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and so can be bred in a species tank. White cloud minnows can breed this way, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and many killifish will at least ignore the eggs. Baby killies are fair game, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though. Guppies will also often ignore babies.

Other fish have one parent that guards the eggs and fry. Most bubblenest builders and mouthbrooders operate this way, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as do some substrate spawners. The responsible male or female stays with the eggs and young, and Wholesale Tropical Fish until they are free swimming. With bubblenest builders, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the male tends the nest, and Wholesale Tropical Fish blows bubbles as they pop, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and keeps any falling eggs or fry in it. He will also defend the nest against other fish. Mouthbrooders simply hide their eggs in their mouths, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and some substrate spawning catfish will hide the eggs underneath them. Certain substrate spawning cichlids also have one parent care for the eggs and fry.

A more common setup among cichlids is to have both fish guard and care for the young. This setup can be really fascinating to watch. The parents will take turns fanning or blowing fresh water onto the eggs, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and removing any fungused eggs. They will also fiercely defend the spawning site, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which can often cause injury or even death to other tankmates. Once the eggs have hatched, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the parents will also guard the fry. Some fish will even move the fry to a different place each day. Once the babies are free swimming, and Wholesale Tropical Fish some fish continue to guard them, and Wholesale Tropical Fish while others end their parental duties. Many African cichlids guard their babies until they spawn again. Discus even feed their babies off of their slimecoats.

A more extreme version of guarding is practiced by some Tanganyikan cichlids. There, and Wholesale Tropical Fish older siblings will stay around the nest and help the parents defend subsequent spawns. The babies are allowed to stay until breeding age, and Wholesale Tropical Fish when they are driven off.

Breeding Tanks

``My fish just laid eggs. How do I keep the eggs or babies from being eaten?''

The most common way to keep eggs from being eaten is to use a separate breeding tank. There the parents can spawn or give birth to their young, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and be removed once they are done. Egg scatterers can be placed over a piece of netting, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a grate, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or a bed of marbles to protect the eggs as the fish spawn. Bubblenest breeders and mouthbrooders can be left in the tank until they stop caring for the young. Livebearers can be allowed to give birth in a dense thicket of plants or plastic spawning grass, and Wholesale Tropical Fish so the babies can hide until the mother is done giving birth and is removed.

A breeding tank also is good because it can be kept clean. Eggs and fry need very clean water to hatch and grow. There are also no adults around to compete with the babies for food. Many breeders use a bare tank with only a sponge filter as filtration. Debris and extra food are easily seen and siphoned off daily. Frequent water changes can be done on the tank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as there are no other fish around to stress.

Another solution is to allow fish to breed on yarn mops, and Wholesale Tropical Fish a plant, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or a piece of slate or glass in the community tank. The eggs can then be moved to the breeding tank to grow. This works well for angelfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish catfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and Australian rainbowfish. Killifish eggs can be collected from peat or yarn mops and set in a separate container or dried to incubate. Livebearers can be bred in a commercial breeding trap or breeding net within a community tank. The trap separates the babies from the mothers and then gives the babies a safe place to grow.

Some cichlids protect their babies well enough to just be left in a community setup, and Wholesale Tropical Fish although this can stress the other fish in the tank. In fact, and Wholesale Tropical Fish there are species of cichlids that will turn on each other if there are no other fish in the breeding tank for them to threaten.

Breeding Requirements

``I have fish in a breeding setup, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but they just won't breed.''

``Why do my fishes' eggs keep fungusing and the fry dying?''

Many fish will not breed successfully without specific requirements. These include:

A mix of male and female fish.

I know this sounds obvious, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but some fish are not easy to sex. In species that are difficult to sex, and Wholesale Tropical Fish is best to start out with at least six young fish so that you are certain of getting both males and females. Starting with many fish also gives monogamous fish a chance to pick compatible mates. Sometimes if a single male and female are introduced, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they will not breed. Other fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish like livebearers, and Wholesale Tropical Fish killifish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and polygamous cichlids need more females that males so that females are not harassed by amorous males.

Extremely clean water.

Most fish will not breed if there is any ammonia or nitrite present, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and large amounts of nitrate are toxic to baby fish. Some fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish especially tetras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish must be bred in a breeding tank that is bare and sterile so that their eggs do not fungus. For more information about clean water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish see the beginner FAQ.

A varied diet.

Fish that are producing eggs need better food that fish that are just living in a community. Breeders call the process of specially feeding parents conditioning. Conditioning foods include live foods, and Wholesale Tropical Fish fresh frozen foods, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or spirulina based foods. Find out the specific requirements of the fish you intend to breed. If you need information about live foods, and Wholesale Tropical Fish see the live food FAQ.

The correct environment.

Fish that breed on substrates need proper substrates to breed on, and Wholesale Tropical Fish like peat, and Wholesale Tropical Fish rocks, and Wholesale Tropical Fish shells, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or plants. Some fish are shy and require a lot of cover, and Wholesale Tropical Fish caves, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or dim light. There are also fish that require a particular water chemistry to breed. Examples are discus, and Wholesale Tropical Fish which require very soft, and Wholesale Tropical Fish acid water or African cichlids which require very hard, and Wholesale Tropical Fish alkaline water.

External cues.

Many tropical fish breed in the rainy season. When it rains, and Wholesale Tropical Fish streams flood, and Wholesale Tropical Fish the water hardness drops, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and there is thunder and lightning. Adventuresome breeders with rainy season fish may try large water changes with distilled water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish watering cans to simulate rain, and Wholesale Tropical Fish strong currents, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and even flashing lights and loud noises. Temperature changes may also stimulate spawning, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as may changes in the light/dark cycle.

Raising Fry

``My fish bred, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but I cannot raise the fry to adulthood.''

Rearing fish can take some work. Baby fish require clean water, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and some require special foods.

Baby livebearers are usually the easiest to raise. Some will take finely crushed flake foods from the start, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and only require frequent water changes to keep up with their growth. They also need algae or spirulina.

Baby egglayers are often more difficult to raise. Most are too small to eat adult fish foods, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and so require special foods. Live baby brine shrimp are the food of choice for most baby fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish although some require even smaller infusoria. Sifted daphnia also work. Baby algae eating catfish require algae or blanched vegetables. There are also commercial fry foods that work or, and Wholesale Tropical Fish in desperate situations, and Wholesale Tropical Fish cooked egg yolk. Be careful, and Wholesale Tropical Fish though, and Wholesale Tropical Fish because non-living foods pollute the tank water terribly -- especially egg yolk.

Actually, and Wholesale Tropical Fish keeping the tank water clean is probably the biggest challenge in raising fish. The growing fish require lots of food, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and they are not very good at finding it which means even more must be added to the tank. As in any fishtank, and Wholesale Tropical Fish adding lots of food must be balanced with keeping the water quality extremely high. In fact, and Wholesale Tropical Fish fry require cleaner water than adult fish. Frequent water changes are a must, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as is efficient biological filtration. Baby tanks often require daily water changes of up to half the tank. Sponge filters are the preferred method of filtration because they are great biological filters but cannot suck up baby fish.

Marine fish larvae have the strictest requirements of all. They must be fed extremely small plankton or rotifers in a tank with near-perfect water. For more discussion of marine fish rearing, and Wholesale Tropical Fish see Moe.

Finally, and Wholesale Tropical Fish as the baby fish grow, and Wholesale Tropical Fish they must be transferred to larger quarters. Clearly the 10 gallon tank that housed 100 fry cannot house those 100 fish for long. Betta breeders have even more work on their hands, and Wholesale Tropical Fish since the little male bettas will fight and have to be put into separate jars or a partitioned tank.

``I have a ton of baby fish. What do I do with them?''

``Can I make any money breeding fish?''

Finding homes for baby fish can be almost as much of a challenge as breeding them. Young fish can be given away, and Wholesale Tropical Fish auctioned at aquarium society auctions, and Wholesale Tropical Fish traded for other species, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or sold. Pet stores will sometimes take African cichlids, and Wholesale Tropical Fish guppies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and bettas, and Wholesale Tropical Fish but many only give store credit rather than cash.

As for turning breeding into a commercial venture, and Wholesale Tropical Fish remember the laws of supply and demand. For most common community fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish pet stores can order whatever they want whenever they want it from importers, and Wholesale Tropical Fish fish farms, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and wholesalers. The hobbyist, and Wholesale Tropical Fish on the other hand, and Wholesale Tropical Fish has occasional batches of fish that the store may not need or want at that time. The only thing on your side when you walk into a store with a batch of unrequested fish is that locally bred fish are often healthier and less stressed that fish that have been shipped and must be acclimated to local water conditions.

If you insist on breeding saleable fish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish try rare catfish, and Wholesale Tropical Fish rare rainbows, and Wholesale Tropical Fish African cichlids, and Wholesale Tropical Fish show quality fancy guppies, and Wholesale Tropical Fish or marine fish. Those are all difficult for stores to obtain. To make money selling more common fish like angels, and Wholesale Tropical Fish barbs, and Wholesale Tropical Fish tetras, and Wholesale Tropical Fish cory cats or livebearers (other than guppies), and Wholesale Tropical Fish you need many breeding tanks and breeding pairs of fish to assure a constant supply. You must also have fish of consistent quality.

Personally, and Wholesale Tropical Fish I would recommend that you breed fish for the sheer pleasure of it, and Wholesale Tropical Fish rather than turning your fun hobby into a business venture. There is nothing like seeing a pair of ciclids court, and Wholesale Tropical Fish disappear into a cave, and Wholesale Tropical Fish and emerge in a few days with a swarm of babies.