F.A.Qs
Q 1. How easy is it to convert my tropical aquarium into a marine aquarium?
Q 2. Can I mix goldfish with tropical fish?
Q 3. I will be going on holiday, how do I feed my fish?
Q 4. I do not want to buy a pleco that will grow too big, what would you recommend?
Q 5. I have set up a new marine aquarium and I get lots of algae growing on the rocks and coral sand, how can I stop it growing?
Q 6. Why do my fish keep getting white spot?
Q 7. My goldfish do not seem to be able to swim down to the bottom of the aquarium, what should I do?
Q 8. What is your policy at The Fish Lodge on fish purchased from your shop that die or develop disease?
Q 9. Do you have special offers on fish every week?
Q 10. What would be the perfect p.h reading for my community tropical aquarium.
Q 11. What is brackish water and what fish are suitable for it?
Q 12. My new marine aquarium is all set up and I’m ready to put in some fish, what would you recommend to start off with?
Q 13. Can I use normal table salt for a marine aquarium?
Q 14. Can I keep axolotls with fancy goldfish?
Q 15. How do I transfer my tropical fish when I move house?
Q 16. My plants keep getting brown spots on them then they eventually die off, what can I do to stop this happening?
Q 1. How easy is it to convert my tropical aquarium into a marine aquarium?
A. It’s fairly easy and yes it will be possible but you will need to purchase a few extra items such as a skimmer and marine lighting. Try and read a few books before you decide to convert to a marine aquarium. Read our “how to keep marines web page”
Q 2. Can I mix goldfish with tropical fish?
A. The simple answer is no. They are not compatible as they require different water conditions. Goldfish will tolerate warm water but tropical fish cannot tolerate cold water.
Q 3. I will be going on holiday, how do I feed my fish?
A. We have 3-7 day aquarium holidays blocks and automatic feeders that will dispense flake food twice a day until the foods runs out.
Q 4. I do not want to buy a pleco that will grow too big, what would you recommend?
A. Ancistrous plecos will not grow too large and are more suitable for an average size aquarium, bristle nose and golden nuggets are very popular.
Q 5. I have set up a new marine aquarium and I get lots of algae growing on the rocks and coral sand, how can I stop it growing?
A. While your tank is maturing you will get occasional outbreaks of red, green and brown algae. This is nothing to really worry about, but it looks unsightly, Some phosphate remover placed in you filter will help to reduce the algae along with regular water changes using a good quality salt like TMC pro reef salt. Adjust your lighting to 10 hours per day on an automatic timer. If using frozen food always drain the defrosted liquid away and only feed the solid, we have found that this really does help.
Q 6. Why do my fish keep getting white spot?
A. Generally white spot is caused by stress due to the environmental conditions the fish is living in. Check temperature, nitrate, p.h and nitrite levels. Good water circulation will help to keep oxygen levels high and stress to a minimum.
Q 7. My goldfish do not seem to be able to swim down to the bottom of the aquarium, what should I do?
A. Well its sound like your goldfish are suffering from a swim bladder disorder, our advice would be to stop feeding them for a few days then introduce some live food such as daphnia, the following day some bloodworm and the next day some flake. Continue this routine for a few weeks and you should notice a difference in their behavior. Also increase oxygenation of the water using an air pump.
Q 8. What is your policy at The Fish Lodge on fish purchased from your shop that die or develop disease?
A. At The Fish Lodge we will exchange or replace any fish that the customer is not happy with within 48 hours of purchase. A water sample must be provided for us to test and depending on water quality, we will make a decision. The Fish Lodge will not replace any fish after this period of time.
Q 9. Do you have special offers on fish every week?
A. Yes we do, check out the special offers page, sometimes the fish will sell out very quickly so be quick, call us for details on stock.
Q 10. What would be the perfect p.h reading for my community tropical aquarium.
A. A p.H of 7 would be perfect; you can use p.h down if your p.h is too high, this will take several days of fine adjustments to get it spot on.
Q 11. What is brackish water and what fish are suitable for it?
A. Brackish water will contain a small amount of salt, usually between 1-4 teaspoons per gallon. A mangrove aquarium setup would be ideal for archer fish, scats and mono angels. A close eye must be kept on salinity levels, evaporation loss must be topped up regularly to avoid salinity fluctuations.
Q 12. My new marine aquarium is all set up and I’m ready to put in some fish, what would you recommend to start off with?
A. Some scooter blennies would be fine or some green chromis. Leave these for a few weeks to settle down then maybe add a pair of common clowns. A few weeks later add a yellow tang. It will take several months to bring your aquarium to maximum stocking level; if you do it too fast you will have problems. We will always be happy to help you with your fish selection at The Fish Lodge.
Q 13. Can I use normal table salt for a marine aquarium?
A. Most definately not, there are many specially blended sea salts for you to use such as TMC pro reef salt.
Q 14. Can I keep axolotls with fancy goldfish?
A. No you can’t. The goldfish will bite off the axolotls gill membranes and occasionally the axolotls will bite the goldfish. You are better off having a couple of axolotls in a species coldwater aquarium. Axolotls must have coldwater conditions that are well oxygenated.
Q 15. How do I transfer my tropical fish when I move house?
A. Well you need to get some polystyrene fish boxes and some fish bags. Catch your fish and individually bag them up with plenty of air in the bag and place them all in the box and seal the box with tape, the box will keep the heat in. The fish will be fine for about 2-3 hours maximum. Meanwhile your aquarium can be dismantled, try and keep as much water as possible, though it is a good time to do a decent water change too. The sponges in the filter should be kept in aquarium water to preserve the life of the bacteria. Now re-assemble the aquarium in its new position and fill with water, use some aqua safe and put the heater on and bring up to temperature. Switch on all the filtration and check everything is working as it should. Now you can start adding the fish, float them on the surface for 10 minutes then mix some water into the bag then release them into the aquarium. Now make a cup of tea, sit back and relax!
Q 16. My plants keep getting brown spots on them then they eventually die off, what can I do to stop this happening?
A. Improving the brightness of your lighting, the use of co2 (the new tetra co2 is highly recommended) and plant substrate mixed in with your gravel will all help; plant fertilizer tablets could also be used, simply break into small pieces and place beneath the roots of your plants.
