I don't recommend using the "adjuster chemicals" like ph up/ph down.... they only treat the symptom, not the problem
newbie here, i need some insight from you pros
- Thread starter m3th0d
- Start date
I don't recommend using the "adjuster chemicals" like ph up/ph down.... they only treat the symptom, not the problem
I lived in a place where getting a desirable ph would have been very hard as the water was close to a 5.5 ph and I was raising live bearers. I didn't know about using other stuff to change the waters chemistry at the time like driftwood, or coral into the water
i followed the link to petsmart and i found a test kit that's pretty cheap.. click here
what do you guys think?
also i have a few questions.. the light in my tank is a bit dull. it has like a slight yellow tint which i really don't like. i was surfing around this forum and i saw some tanks with like this flourescent WHITE glow. what bulbs do i need to buy to get that kind of lighting? right now i have two standard 15W bulbs that came with my setup.
another thing, i bought some frozen blood worms for my african dwarf frog because he wasn't eating the fish flakes.. anyway the cubes are huge! do i put the whole thing in there or what? i was just experimenting and i grabbed a pair of chopsticks (lol) and held it in the water for a few seconds to let it thaw and let my frog peck at it. am i doing anything wrong? and the other fishies esp. the tetras love them.
what do you guys think?
also i have a few questions.. the light in my tank is a bit dull. it has like a slight yellow tint which i really don't like. i was surfing around this forum and i saw some tanks with like this flourescent WHITE glow. what bulbs do i need to buy to get that kind of lighting? right now i have two standard 15W bulbs that came with my setup.
another thing, i bought some frozen blood worms for my african dwarf frog because he wasn't eating the fish flakes.. anyway the cubes are huge! do i put the whole thing in there or what? i was just experimenting and i grabbed a pair of chopsticks (lol) and held it in the water for a few seconds to let it thaw and let my frog peck at it. am i doing anything wrong? and the other fishies esp. the tetras love them.
I saw at wal mart that they sell 10w flourescent bulbs that fit into standard incandescant sockets for about $5, if that is what you mean.
I have ADFs too, and I feed them frozen brine shrimp from those same cubes. I have two frogs, and I fed them half of one the first time, and they ate until their bellies visibly bulged, and there was still food left! So now I feed about 1/3 of a cube for the two of them, PLUS I have a betta with them who likes to help eat the shrimp while they float around. Maybe a similar amount would be good for you too. Oh, and I only feed them once every other day, and they are both active and growing.
I have ADFs too, and I feed them frozen brine shrimp from those same cubes. I have two frogs, and I fed them half of one the first time, and they ate until their bellies visibly bulged, and there was still food left! So now I feed about 1/3 of a cube for the two of them, PLUS I have a betta with them who likes to help eat the shrimp while they float around. Maybe a similar amount would be good for you too. Oh, and I only feed them once every other day, and they are both active and growing.
Yeah, that test kit you linked is the one with ph, nitrite, ammonia, and gh. Usually much more expensive in LFS, but you can still check around.
I'm assuming that your tank came with incandecent lights. Usable things, but definately not the best. You can try Drs. Foster & Smith this sight to find a solution to your lighting issues. You will be looking at about $25 plus shipping to get a flourescent fixture for your tank. That would give you an 18" flourescent tube with a 15 watt rating. Alternately there are some screw in flourescent spiral lights that you may be able to use in your current hood. They are about as slim as incandescent lights. Try Wal-mart for those.
As for the frozen food. Get a shotglass (or something else small) and add a bit of tank water. Put the food in there for a few minutes so it can thaw and then dump it into the tank.
I'm assuming that your tank came with incandecent lights. Usable things, but definately not the best. You can try Drs. Foster & Smith this sight to find a solution to your lighting issues. You will be looking at about $25 plus shipping to get a flourescent fixture for your tank. That would give you an 18" flourescent tube with a 15 watt rating. Alternately there are some screw in flourescent spiral lights that you may be able to use in your current hood. They are about as slim as incandescent lights. Try Wal-mart for those.
As for the frozen food. Get a shotglass (or something else small) and add a bit of tank water. Put the food in there for a few minutes so it can thaw and then dump it into the tank.
thanks guys, i'll check out wal-mart tomorrow after school.
as for thawing the frozen food in a shot glass and dumping them all in, isn't that a bad idea if i'm trying to target feed my ADF? like, i don't mind if the other fishes get some worms because they go crazy over them but i want their diet to be strictly based on flake food. the mollies go nuts over them and usually steal them all before my ADF gets to 'em.
another thing, i got some plastic plants and i was wondering if i can put them in while the fish are in there or do i have to take them out? because i'm going to have to shuffle the gravel around to get the plants well in there. don't wanna scare the fishies too much.
as for thawing the frozen food in a shot glass and dumping them all in, isn't that a bad idea if i'm trying to target feed my ADF? like, i don't mind if the other fishes get some worms because they go crazy over them but i want their diet to be strictly based on flake food. the mollies go nuts over them and usually steal them all before my ADF gets to 'em.
another thing, i got some plastic plants and i was wondering if i can put them in while the fish are in there or do i have to take them out? because i'm going to have to shuffle the gravel around to get the plants well in there. don't wanna scare the fishies too much.
you can use a pipette or baster to target feed the frog, and you don't want to strictly base a fishes diet on one thing imagine if you only ate one food. You wouldn't be that healthy same for the fish. You can put the plants in if you are not too rough with the gravel and watch for the fish. I have done that, just make sure they have some refuge to hide near while you are doing it to ease the stress.
thanks for that. 
about the flourescent lightbulbs, i found these drsfosterandsmith.com. click here
would these be ideal for a 10 gallon tank? and would it give me that bright white glow compared to the yellow glow my incandescent light emits?
about the flourescent lightbulbs, i found these drsfosterandsmith.com. click here
would these be ideal for a 10 gallon tank? and would it give me that bright white glow compared to the yellow glow my incandescent light emits?
You bet those will work, and look a lot better, as well as save some on the electric bill, last longer, and not get so hot on your tank.
Also, I agree on the subject of not feeding your fish solely flake food. Most fish can live on this "staple" just like you could live on rice, considered a human "staple"... but it's not necessarily the healthiest thing to feed them every single day.
Most fish are omnivores, and will eat just about anything you offer them. I try to alternate dried bloodworms, live ants (since I have a small ant problem around here, it's a win-win situation...), and algae tablets, as well as sinking shrimp pellets, not just flakes... the variety will make for more active and colorful fish that are healthier on the whole. (This isn't even counting the snails they pick off of the plants, or the roots of the plants that they dig up and eat...) Not everyone goes to the extreme I do in providing a variety of foods to their pets, but it's kinda fun for me to decide "what's for dinner" every other night (and yes, I skip every other day...)...
Also, I agree on the subject of not feeding your fish solely flake food. Most fish can live on this "staple" just like you could live on rice, considered a human "staple"... but it's not necessarily the healthiest thing to feed them every single day.
Most fish are omnivores, and will eat just about anything you offer them. I try to alternate dried bloodworms, live ants (since I have a small ant problem around here, it's a win-win situation
...), and algae tablets, as well as sinking shrimp pellets, not just flakes... the variety will make for more active and colorful fish that are healthier on the whole. (This isn't even counting the snails they pick off of the plants, or the roots of the plants that they dig up and eat...) Not everyone goes to the extreme I do in providing a variety of foods to their pets, but it's kinda fun for me to decide "what's for dinner" every other night (and yes, I skip every other day...)...