Aquarium Answers, Pond, Fish Questions, Help

Directory; Aquarium & Pond Answers

2011-09-16T11:55:00.000-07:00

This "Home" page is designed as a directory of articles here at Aquarium Answers (we also provide the list of articles in the right navigation bar on every post/article that is set in chronological order)

Our Newest Article is: Head Pressure in Aquarium and Pond Water Pumps

This page is set up by topic
TOPICS;

AQUARIUM CHEMISTRY:

*How do Fish Drink, OSMOTIC FUNCTION; Use of RO & Soft Water in Aquarium- This article deals with the often forgotten yet very important subject of aquatic osmoregulation. It also goes in depth with the use of Reverse Osmosis (RO) and Distilled (DI) Water in Aquariums, especially for Amazon River Fish and Bettas. As well this article cover subjects such why soft water via a home water softener should NEVER be for aquarium.
This is not only one of my more in depth and most updated articles this subject, but probably the most in depth anywhere on the Internet as well. This is a MUST READ article.

*Hydrogen Sulfides- Hydrogen Sulfide production in anaerobic De-Nitrification for Aquarium/Pond Nitrate Removal

*Salt in Freshwater Aquariums- The use of Sodium Chloride more commonly known as just plain salt seems to be a constant source of controversy among aquarists. This article deals with the known facts and myths about the use of salt in FW Aquariums.

*Aquarium Nitrates- Although less toxic than ammonia and nitrite; nitrate (NO3) as a nitrogen compound also causes stress at all levels making a fish’s organs work harder to adjust to it’s new environment, especially at levels higher than 100 ppm)

*TAP WATER USE IN AQUARIUM; From Chlorine and Chloramines to Phosphates -Regularly updated information about the use of tap water in aquariums as well as removal of toxic elements there in.

*AQUARIUM TEST KITS; use & importance- Aquarium/pond Test kit basics and what they should be used for as well as general water parameters to achieve with your test kits.

*Plaster of Paris in Ponds/ Aquariums- This article deals with poor chemical comparisons to mineral block (such as Wonder Shells) and Plaster of Paris (as perpetuated in some backward forum posts). Also the article contrasts the chemical composition of the ocean

AQUARIUM DISEASES, TREATMENTS AND SIMILAR

*Betta Fin Rot; Treatment and Prevention- "Fin Rot" is a generic term that does not define any one disease, rather there are many causes of this Symptom; of which Fin Rot is better described as a symptom with more than one cause.

*Fish Eye Infections; Streptococcus Gram Positive Bacterial Infections in Aquarium -As well as common eye infections, This article deal with the most common gram positive bacterial infection affecting fish; Streptococcus iniae, and agalactiae as well as closely related bacterial groups; Lactococcus, Enterococcus , and Vagococcus.

*Fish Baths, Dips, Swabs- Fish Baths/Dips for supplemental (& even primary) treatment of Bacterial infections, wounds, sores, Fungus (Saprolegnia), parasite infestations, poisoning & more.

*HITH; Hole in the Head Disease in Fish- Information that is regularly updated about this often controversial disease/syndrome that afflicts Cichlids in particular.

*Ichthyophonus in fish- Ichthyophonus (Ichthyphonus) fungi are one of the more devastating aquarium diseases. It is nearly impossible to treat, however it is easier to prevent.

*Fish Parasites, Detritus Worms, Feeding Worms - Information about Trematodes and Nematodes in Fish as well as Detritus Worms, planaria, and feeding worms such as Grindal Worms.

*Angelfish Virus, Aids- Although not as common as in the 1990s, this viral infection can devestate an angelfish population (& potentially other fish)

*NEON TETRA DISEASE; Identification, Prevention and Possible Treatment -Information about a fish disease that is often is often a catch all name for diseases of Neon Tetras specifically and many other fish as well.

*FRESHWATER VELVET - Piscinoodinium pillulare (also known as oodinium)- Also Information about Costia (Ichtyobodo)

*Molly Disease, Livebearer, Disease, Shimmies- Cause and treatment of this common problem that is not technically a disease, rather is caused by poor water chemistry

*Lateral Line in Fish - Information about Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE) which affects primarily marine fish

*DROPSY in Fish -prevention, causes, and possible treatment of this malady that is often a symptom of other problems

*Fish Anatomy, Fin Identinfication- This Aquarium Answers Post is simply for Fish Fin and Fish Anatomy identification

*Molly Disease, Care of Mollies- Molly Disease ("Shimmies") as well as basics and water parameters for Keeping the popular molly fish in aquariums, including the importance of GH of salt.

*USNEA; USING USNIC ACID AS A FISH REMEDY -How Usnic acid and Mucilage which are both found in Usnea lichen can be used as effective alternative aquarium and pond fish treatments.

AQUARIUM FILTER MEDIA, CONDITIONERS, SIMILAR

*Aquarium & Pond Filter Media- In this article I will discus three basic filter media types and subtypes of these.
These filter media types are Mechanical (such as Micron), Biological (Such as Ceramic Bio Media), and Chemical (such as Carbon).

*AQUARIUM (& Pond) WATER CONDITIONERS - their ingredients (where available), what chemical functions they perform and uses based on my opinions of each based on using these products in a professional capacity as well as tests and available research.

*Activated Carbon for Aquarium or Pond- The pros and cons of carbon use; what carbon can and cannot remove and much more

AQUARIUM & POND FILTERS, PUMPS, & OTHER EQUIPMENT

*HEAD PRESSURE in Aquarium and Pond Water Pumps
An in depth article explaining the affect of head pressure on water flow in aquariums and ponds. This is a must read for those attempting to determine the best fit for their UV Sterilizer, water features, and over all water flow scheme for their aquarium or pond

*Marine (Saltwater) Aquarium Protein Skimmers & Ozone Generators- Useful opinions about Protein Skimmers & Ozonizers based on my use and other aquarium maintenance professionals experience.
This article is based much hands on experience, however it is still a more subjective article

*Aquarium and Pond Pump, Power Head Review- Useful opinions about pumps (power head, propeller, etc.) based on mine and other aquarium maintenance professionals experience.
This article is based much hands on experience, however it is still a more subjective article as with the article above

*AQUARIUM HEATERS- Types of Aquarium Heaters, how they work, temperature guide for selecting heaters, as well general care/information.

*POND VEGGIE (PLANT FILTERS)- The Basic types of Veggie Filters and how to install them, based on many years experience using this method (long before it became a fad)

*Do Bio Wheels Really Work- An excellent fact based study of the often over hyped Bio Wheel.

FISH CARE, HELP, BASICS, ALGAE & MORE

*Basics of Shipping Fish- Tips and basics about shipping, Problems to be aware of, Methods and products.

*Aquarium Size, Fish Stunting- This article deals with often controversial subject where anecdotal information is most often treated as facts, such as the 1 inch per gallon rule. Regularly updated!

*Aquarium Moving/ Power Failures- Opinions and methods for Aquarium moving based o many years experience moving aquariums both short and long distance. This article has some information in common with the Fish Shipping article.

*AQUARIUM ALGAE; Removal, Control- Information about these algae: Brown Diatom Algae, Common Green Algae, Thread/Hair Algae, Marine Hair Algae, BBA/Black Brush Algae/Black Beard Algae/Red Algae, Cyanobacteria (Blue Green Algae)

*Blue Green Algae in Aquariums (Cyanobacteria)- more in depth information that is regularly updated about Cyanobacteria.

*Betta Fish Wild Habitat & More - information about the natural habitat of the common Bettas and how it can relate to their care domestically.

*SEXING FISH -Basic information about sexing some freshwater fish for beginners (not an article for experts)

*STARFISH; Chocolate Chip, Knobby and Fromia

*Octopus as Aquarium Pets

*Cyclops, Are these freshwater copepods dangerous in an Aquarium- Information about Cyclops and also Predatory Damselfly larvae that occasionally find their way into aquariums and especially ponds

GENERAL AQUARIUM/ POND CARE INFORMATION

*AQUARIUM SILICONE APPLICATION; Aquarium Repair, Construction- What Silicone to use and what not to use; Also DIY Aquarium Glass Thickness recommendations, repair video, and more.

*Aquarium Gravel/Substrate; including pictures - Aquatic substrate recommendations/basics.

Please see this Web site for vastly more articles that compliments this Aquarium Answers Website:

SUMMARY
As I also note at Aquarium & Pond Information although some of these articles/posts are more basic in nature, many are more in depth and require a thorough reading to fully understand and picking out snips without reading the full article may yield incomplete information.

A little background; when I first started writing these articles for the internet (something many of my clients asked for years), I made them VERY basic. My early feedback was rather harsh as many said it was "nothing special", then some who knew me better said that although they were still better than many in content due to less anecdotal information, they did not come close to the delivering the information they knew I could and that my constant research should be reflected. Many experts in SEO told me similar as well. So now, although some of the articles are still more basic and not all that unique, many however will have well researched information you will not find elsewhere in one location and this information is only best understood when read in full.

I will make my point as to why I feel it is so important that these articles be read in full and not in snips which can result in anecdotal or poor information dissemination;

"In the 1980s I was mentored by an Endocrinologist (MD) whom was also an avid fish keeper (mostly marine). He helped me much understand the ins and outs of medications and one time gave me an in depth medical article that he though had useful information that could be applied to fish as well. Much of the information was not readily easy to understand for me, so I skipped over many sections and gleaned the points I wanted.
Later I was making some points to the Dr. and he stopped me and said I was incorrect and if I had read the article in full, to which I replied, 'no'. He then said that there is no way I could understand this article without reading it in full and applying ALL the information contained there in".
My point is, often it is easy and unfortunately ALL too common in this hobby to read just what we want, and many web sites (such as about.com) are good at satisfying this basically lazy desire (of which I too have been guilty of), however this often leads to poor understandings of the subject or worse.

Head Pressure in Aquarium and Pond Water Pumps

2011-09-16T11:37:00.001-07:00

Sections Include:

Overview
Simple Calculation Methods
Impeller Design affect on Head Pressure
Affect of Electromagnet design on Pump Head Pressure
Head Pressure Improvement Suggestions

Updated 12/17/11

Overview

An aspect of any water pump (not air pump) that many aquarium and pond keepers over look, yet can be a significant factor in choosing the correct pump is head pressure.
I will attempt to describe in basic and more advanced terms this important aspect of "mating a correct water pump to your aquarium or pond application.

The most simple description of head pressure is that this is the force (or resistance) placed on the "head" (outlet) of the pump by gravity, weight of the water column past this point, water features, and devices in-line past this point that often constrict or impede flow (such as UV Sterilizer, pond "spitter", fountain, waterfall feature, or Fluidized Filter).
In other words the ability to LIFT water while maintaining current (think torque in a truck that allows the "lifting" or pulling of a load up a hill), not simply move water on a level plain as in the current/flow directly out of the water pump with no pressure placed on the pumps flow.
Another way to think of this is to take a 5 gallon bucket full of water; to simply tip and pour out the water takes very little energy or "lift" (head pressure for our example), however if you were to climb a ladder and pour this same bucket would take more energy or lift (again head pressure in our example).

The majority of aquarium and pond water pumps list their maximum head pressure, so this can be used for determining your end water flow (after head pressure is applied), which may be essential for not only determining the correct pump to purchase, but the correct UV Sterilizer (if desired) to be purchased since flow rate is a major factor in UVC Sterilization effectiveness.

Most aquarium water pumps are open impeller designs that are greatly affected by head pressure. Propeller pumps, just by their design can handle almost no head pressure and thus are only intended for under water applications with no lifting of water out or into an aquarium.
A few pumps such as the Rio HF Pump series have closed designs that can handle much more head pressure and are thus better suited for lifting water through multiple devices, water features in ponds, or deep sumps.

The bottom line is regardless of the pump design you choose, know its maximum head pressure so as to calculate what the actual flow will be with the devices you might add in-line.
For instance, do NOT expect a 1000 gph pump with a maximum head pressure of 10 feet to pump any more than 700 gallons per hours lifting water 3 feet from a pond to a waterfall (other factors including water in-line likely will reduce this even more). This also applies to aquarium applications too!

Simple Calculation Methods:

This section will provide simple and reasonably (but not 100% accurate) methods to calculate head pressure on a pump or filter.

(1) Vertical:
This one is the most obvious; Add 1 foot of head pressure for every 1 foot of vertical tubing past the pump or filter to the discharge point in the aquarium or pond (do not count tubing coming from an aquarium to a canister filter as this is gravity assisted and does not add to this calculation).

Looking at Vertical Head Pressure another way we can use this accurate formula:
1 vertical foot = 0.433 pounds per square inch (psi)
or conversely
1 psi = 2.31 vertical feet

(2) Horizontal:
There are not 100% accurate formulas that I have found for measuring horizontal head pressure (other than the very complicated Bernoulli's Equation).
However both in my observations and other reading it is safe to say that horizontal head pressure equals a vertical run of .25 to .4 times its length.

(3) Add approximately 1 foot of head pressure for every 90 degree turn in tubing/pipe under 3/4" ID (inside dimensions). Add approximately 1/2 foot of head pressure for larger dimensions for 90 degree turns

(4) Although I do not have firm calculations for tubing/pipe sizes, I can state that smaller diameter tubing or pipes add to head pressure, but this can have variables within itself in calculations including pump outlet size and pump impeller design.
The pump outlet size is a major determining factor that you can calculate; for instance if you have a pump with an outlet designed for 1 inch tubing and you use a reducing part (often supplied with many pumps) for say 1/2 inch, you are literally going to reduce your total head pressure by half.
However if your pump is designed for only 1/2 ID tubing, using this size tubing/pipe is not going to subtract from calculation.
I also should point out that not all pumps are designed with the best outlet sizes for their design (which includes head pressure, impeller design, and more), so these calculations can be off if for instance a pump is designed with a 1 inch outlet when in reality its design is better suited for 3/4 inch outlets.

As a side note, in tests I have conducted with several pumps and 1/2 ID tubing with one foot of head added I have not been able to achieve flow rates beyond 350 gph regardless of open impeller pump sizes, wattages, stated flow rates, etc.

The bottom line is this is an aspect I have often seen where clients/customer of mine over the years have over looked. An example was a person who had a 3800 gph pond pump connected to 1 inch tubing, even though the pump was designed for 1.5 tubing/pipe. This reduced the flow immediately by 1/3!!

(5) This next calculation is not one where I can state it is exact, but it still should not be over looked and that is devices added inline to your pump.
This can vary from device to device.

Generally speaking a UV Sterilizer will add 2 feet to head pressure, but this can vary considerably by UV size and design. As an example a small well designed 8 watt UV would add as little a foot to head pressure, whoever some, such as the Coralife 9 Watt Turbo Twist can double this for a similar size UV. A large UV such as the TMC 110 Watt PRO Pond /Aquarium UV will add as much as 4 feet of head pressure (although less if 2" ID inch pipe is used).

Devices such a Fluidized Filters can add anywhere from 2 to 4 feet of head pressure (sometimes more or less). Again design is a factor as well as the sand size (smaller requires less head pressure), but again as a generalization consider a minimum 1 foot for every 6 inches of sand fluidized plus the added elbows in the device add to head pressure as noted earlier in section #2.

(6) If all else fails in calculations or you have already purchased a pump and simply desire to know the end flow rate, this can be simply calculated quite exactly;

Simply place a container under the outlet of your pump as it empties into the aquarium or pond after passing through all devices and water feature. Then time how long it takes to fill the container in exact measurements.
As an example if a 1 gallon container fills in 10 seconds, that is 6 gallons per minute or 360 gph (this works for metric using liters too).

Admittedly this can be rather difficult for very large flow rate pond pumps that pump say 10 times the previous examples flow rate (3600 gph versus 360 gph), as this would fill 1 gallon in a second. This would required a 5 gallon bucket that might be difficult to position 100% in the water flow discharge; the end result would be 5 gallons in 5 seconds to produce 3600 gph

Affect of Impeller design on Pump Head Pressure

The design a of a water pumps impeller has a major impact on whether it will produce higher flow rates through a higher flow rate curve.

Here are three common designs and their affect on water head pressure
(Please Click on the pictures to enlarge);

The "Propeller" pump impeller design has almost no head pressure and is not intended for any real lifting of water.
However it also is very efficient at moving reasonably high volumes of water with a very smooth rotating current and requires very low electrical wattages to do so.
These are popular in pumps such as the Premium Seio Propeller pumps for under water circulation devices, especially in reef tanks.
Another advantage of this impeller design is that it also has very low start up resistance making it the best design for wave makers that automatically turn pumps on and off to simulate waves.

The standard open impeller is the most common design for aquarium and light duty pond water pumps. While not as good for wave makers, these tend to be the most versatile design which use reasonably low electrical wattage.
Even with these impellers there is a very wide variance in design quality with some having lighter magnets, thin blades or even slight hybrid propeller designs (the Fluval Pumps have impeller designs that are not well suited for adding much head pressure).
As pure water pumps/ power heads go, the newer upgraded Rio Plus Pumps are the superior design in this class from what I have used and seen

The "closed impeller" design is generally the most heavy duty water pump impeller.
This design can handle many more in line devices and its head pressure falls off much more slowly towards its maximum head pressure (where it obviously falls off to 0). In fact this is an aspect of pumps that utilize these closed impellers that is difficult to measure in the previous sections calculations (which I made many generalizations).

This design is best for deep sumps, multiple water features/devices, multiple aquarium systems, and simply larger ponds or aquariums.
A good example of a well made closed impeller pump is the Rio HF Pump

Affect of Electromagnet design on Pump Head Pressure

This is rather straight forward, but still occasionally missed by aquarium or especially pond keepers, and that is the design of the electromagnet of most typical "Mag-Drive" pumps used for aquariums and ponds.

One way to think of this in terms of car/truck engines is horse power versus torque.
Many simple pumps (or in the case of high flow pond pumps; "cheap") have the horse power to move a lot of water, but almost no torque to lift water if there are any devices in-line or debris in the water.

The electromagnet that drives a propeller pump is generally very "simple", meaning it does not need to be a very heavy winding that uses much current, thus this design is generally quite efficient as for electrical usage. As an example a Seio 530 Pump uses only 7.5 watts yet moves 530 gph.
This is an excellent pump for what it is designed for, but it has absolutely no torque and therefore should be used for nothing more than underwater current, not running a UV Sterilizer or similar.

With most standard impeller design and especially closed (or partially closed) impeller design pumps the electromagnet is much heavier and will require more electrical current (wattage). This will obviously increase depending upon the load and flow it is designed for.
Unfortunately not all pumps marketed for applications such as ponds in particular have the heavy duty electromagnet to provide the torque to provide the "lift" necessary for head pressure. So even if the flow is good or even the impeller design is excellent, often the electromagnet is not, so the end result is often poor head pressure or worse; a shorter life span due to an electromagnet burn out from attempting to run a large pump and impeller design (often in harsher pond conditions) with an inadequate electromagnet design.
A good example is the Via Aqua 4900 pump (although I like many Via Aqua pumps as good, albeit more economy pumps, this is one to be avoided). Another is the entire Laguna Max-Flo pump line.

Often a dead give away is a pump of what may seem "too low of wattage" for a high flow pump.
This may be fine a for a propeller pump, but not a pump used in sumps or ponds to lift water, especially with more debris in the water column or devices in-line.

Head Pressure Improvement Suggestions

This most basic suggestion is to adjust the level of lift if head pressure (slow water flow) is a problem.

As an example, say you are using an Internal Filter or Power Head Pump to run a UV Sterilizer (often utilizing intake and return adapters) such as the Vecton 8 Watt UV; I would recommend hanging the UV Sterilizer just below the rim of the aquarium with minimal tubing between the UV Sterilizer and the intake and return connections. Such a short drop will reduce head pressure considerably versus placing the UV Sterilizer at the base of the aquarium or even lower such as at the base of an aquarium cabinet (which may be too much head pressure for many small Internal Filters and Power Head Pumps).

The above suggestions works for many similar applications, and that is moving any device closer to the aquarium (or pond) thus reducing vertical lift.
Horizontal lift is also and issue, but not nearly as much so as vertical lift; that said reducing any unnecessary horizontal tubing/piping can improve head pressure as well.

Removing/Reducing turns and twist in the piping/tubing can help improve head pressure too.

If the problem is a waterfall on pond, this may obviously be more difficult to adjust (other than simply changing pumps to one with higher head pressure), but if this can be done or if changes in piping routing can be accomplished, this can help improve flow rates.

References, Additional Reading:

*Pipe Pressure Loss Calculator
This is excellent reading for those with a more technical engineering aptitude.

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For other articles to help readers make well informed decisions about their aquariums or ponds, please consider reading these:
*Aquarium Lighting; the most in depth & researched article anywhere on the internet.

*UV Sterilization; Sterilizer Information; as with the Aquarium Lighting, this article is a must read for aquarium or pond keepers.

*Pond Care Information; Basic but complete information about pond care with links/resources to more in depth pond care help/information

Betta Fin Rot; Treatment and Prevention

2011-06-06T17:46:00.001-07:00

Betta Fin Rot; Treatment and Prevention (this applies to most all fish, but since I get so many emails and questions pertaining to Betta Fish, this is the main subject of this article)

Updated 11/10/11
Let me first start out by noting that "Fin Rot" is a generic term that does not define any one disease, rather there are many causes of this Symptom; of which Fin Rot is better described as a symptom with more than one cause.

Often Fin Rot is brought on by injury or ammonia/nitrite poisoning, so when one considers either treating or preventing the symptom of Betta Fin Rot, these are first places to start.

Here are several points, generally in order of importance to check if your Betta has or continues to contract symptoms of fin rot:

Make sure your tank/bowl is as close to 0 in ammonia or nitrites at ALL times; if your water starts at 0 ammonia but by the end of the week on "water change day" the level is up to 1 ppm, this is unacceptable!
I cannot emphasize how often I have traced back cases of Betta Fin Rot (of of more than one bacterial pathogens) to ammonia levels that are constantly in flux!

Personally I recommend a small Sponge Filter if at all possible for a healthy bio filter.

However I realize that many Bettas are kept in small tanks/bowls where this is not possible, but even then keeping a small amount of Matrix Bio Media (or similar high pore bio media) in a medicine/prescription bottle with holes punched/drilled in the sides to allow water through the container, while not allowing the Betta to drag his/her delicate fins across any potentially abrasive surfaces.
Please click on this picture to enlarge.

Please also read: Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

Water Chemistry other than Nitrogen Cycle (ammonia, nitrites, etc.) parameters.
This is an area where I think many misunderstandings/mistakes are made along with ammonia spikes.
Often in emails, forums, and my previous aquarium maintenance "Fish Doctor" house calls, I have found that Betta keepers (& other fish too) tend to worry about pH and use products attempting to "nail down" "hard" ph numbers while ignoring KH and positive mineral ions.
The KH; which are alkaline buffers plus acid buffers are more essential than a specific pH (within reason as obviously a pH of 5 or 9 is not acceptable).
These buffers maintain a stable pH and just as importantly carbonate hardness (KH) maintains a healthy nitrogen cycle as without these carbonate buffers your nitrifying bacteria cannot thrive and you end up with even more dangerous ammonia spikes!
Generally speaking I would recommend a KH of 50-100 ppm and your pH will be just fine for Bettas as long as it is STABLE at some number between 6.5 to as high as 8.2 (reference: Betta Habitat)

The second part of Aquarium Chemistry (GH, KH, pH) that is also important (if not more so) and also missed by many is the need for positive mineral ions in the water for a healthy Betta (or other fish) immune system.
Often Betta Keepers will use RO, Drinking, or Distilled Water without adding back these essential elements. Even when tap water is used, often products such as "pH down" or "7.0" are employed, which when used alone can drive out some essential mineral ions.
Best is a balanced approach which includes actually maintaining GH (of over 100 ppm) if only to maintain these essential mineral ions (cations) which are depleted quickly even though your GH test kit shows a higher GH (please read the GH section of Aquarium Chemistry; Gh)

Using products such as Bio Lif (preferred) or Atisons Spa for their Indian Almonds leaves to naturally provide a tannin acid buffer (Peat can work too) along with Alkaline Buffers such as SeaChem Alkaline Buffer is a must for use with RO water and even some tap waters.
Then the use of products such as Wonder Shells to provide a constant supply of positive mineral ions is very helpful, if not essential in small tanks/bowls to aid in constant replenishment (water changes help too). These mineral blocks come in sizes small enough for a fish bowl and can be used with Bio Lif (the Bio Lif can be placed in the filter bag it comes in or even split open and placed in a small medicine container/bottle as suggested earlier for bio filter media for smaller bowls/tanks since the Bio Lif is available in "tea bags" meant for 10 gallon tanks).

Please read Aquarium Chemistry, SE Asia Water for much more; a must read!!

Injury is another potential issue with Bettas; Make sure you have smooth decorations (such as marbles). Also watch for reflections that may make your Betta chase his tail (like a dog!); in fact if your Betta is dealing with symptoms of tail rot, I strongly recommend covering your tank/bowl with a towel or similar for a calming effect that can and does help.

One of the first actual treatments I would consider is a Medicated Fish bath that includes salt (Sodium Chloride), Methylene Blue, and a mix of antibiotics Nitrofurazone and Kanamycin.
The methylene blue is very helpful for fin rot and ulcerations caused by ammonia or nitrite poisoning.
However Methylene Blue is not as a strong an antibacterial for gram negative bacteria, if these baths are ineffective, I would switch to Potassium Permanganate (which is a stronger oxidizer). Potassium Permanganate should be used only with salt and no antibiotics.

See this Aquarium Answers post for more about how to perform such a bath:
Fish Baths

Next, assuming your Betta actually has a bacterial infection; the most common cause of fin rot being Aeromonas Bacterium, you may have to start an in tank treatment.
Please read Aquarium Aeromonas, Septicemia, more first and consider the suggestions and treatments there in.

A strong "in tank" treatment would be the before mentioned (for fish baths) Nitrofurazone and Kanamycin combination.
Another alternative (which can also be used in baths) is Triple Sulfa. This is an excellent broad spectrum alternative to the Kanamycin/Nitrofurazone combination and although generally not as "strong" a treatment, it is occasionally effective when the Kanamycin/Nitrofurazone combination is ineffective. As well Triple Sulfa is generally less harsh on the fish.

If this is a serious infection, most often these are caused by gram negative bacteria (such as Aeromonas) and treatment with primarily gram positive antibiotics such as Tetracycline or even Maracyn 2 (to a slightly lessor extent) will often be futile as the vast majority of aquarium bacterial infections are gram negative. (please read Aquarium Medications; Page One)

If this is a minor infection, often just the baths and/or a mild in tank treatment may help (assuming correct water parameters as addressed earlier in this article). Products such as Medicated Wonder Shells or Pimafix/Melafix can help (with Melafix use with Bettas, a pH over 7 and GH over 100 is a must; see Melafix Dangers)

Other Suggested Reading is:
*A Healthy Aquarium, Disease Prevention
Even suggested steps such as the use of a UV Sterilizer should be considered if at all possible, although usually not practical for the average Betta owner. However with larger Betta Breeders or similar multi Betta specimen tanks with dividers, the use of a UV Sterilizer may be practical. Make sure is you are able to employ a UV Sterilizer that you change your UV bulb every six months for optimum efficiency.

AngelFish Virus

2010-03-14T14:03:00.000-07:00

AKA Angelfish Aids, Angel Virus

Updated 2/21/11

This can be a very virulent and devastating disease.
All exposed angelfish that are not immune will come down with symptoms within 2-4 days of exposure, often quicker as “Angelfish Aids” is highly infectious. I witnessed many angelfish from fish farms in Southeast Asia that came in as carriers of this virulent infection in the 1990s; as a result many large angelfish breeding operations closed and there was a shortage of angelfish in the retail trade. I found some small scale angelfish breeders that were able to avoid exposure to this virus and keep me and others supplied with healthy stock

SYMPTOMS:

Clamped fins, excess slime, listless with nose pointed up slightly, usually with the fish on the bottom of the aquarium (unlike Gill Flukes which would have the fish at the surface). It has an approximately 3 week infectious period. This disease is quite virulent and if an angelfish survives the virus, it may become a carrier for up to six months. These symptoms can also be caused by other infectious diseases such as Ichthyophonus fungi infections (which are internal), but show similar external symptoms in later stages of the disease. However one major difference in external symptoms is that the progression of Angelfish Aids/Virus is much quicker than Ichthyophonus, often going from healthy and vibrant to sickly to death in as little as 5 days.
Do not also confuse Angelfish Aids/Virus with internal worm infections such as Nematodes or Annelids as these parasitic worm infections often have a bulge in the lower abdomen near the vent, or worms protruding from the anus, as well the progression is again generally not nearly as quick as Angelfish Virus/Aids (often internal parasite infections can go on for weeks of slowly more noticeable symptoms). Parasites such as Gill Flukes cause some similar symptoms, although again the progression of Gill Fluke symptoms is much slower than Angelfish Virus (often gill fluke symptoms slowly appear over a week or more time)

If you suspect that a quarantined fish has this virus, I recommend that you destroy the fish. The risk of spread is too high to keep a potentially infected fish around.

Here is a video of the fish pictured above in a video format; this fish is showing most of the classic symptoms of Angelfish Virus from which I have seen many times (especially during outbreaks during the 1990s). I also sent the video link to friend in the professional maintenance business that confirmed this. The other possible diagnosis is Gill Flukes, however as per the owner of this angelfish, the progression of the disease, nor the fish resting on the tank bottom does not indicate this diagnosis.

Video Courtesy DaharkazAngel

MODE OF DISEASE TRANSFER

This is where there is not clear evidence (scientific that is), all I have is my observations as well as speaking with other aquarium maintenance professionals experience and brief non-scientific articles about Angelfish Virus.
I will provide a few observations/theories (please note that these are not proven at the time of writing this article):

*Direct transfer in the water column; this seems to be the main mode of transference, which of coarse quarantine or purchasing of fish from a known good source can help prevent. As well I have noted that UV Sterilization has helped check the spread of Angelfish Aids to non-immune/exposed fish (which further supports this theory as a UV cannot prevent the spread via feces or similar)

*Transfer via infected water, decorations, or even plants; this is similar to the above and similar preventative measures as above should be taken to prevent this mode of transfer

*Transfer via direct contact/feces; I personally do not support this mode of transfer as I have not observed it nor has the few tests to check the spread bear this out, however a few knowledgeable persons I know (or read) have postulated this.

*Incubation of the virus; as noted in the symptoms section of this article, it has been espoused that a fish can be a carrier for up to six months

TREATMENT:

Since immunity is the objective, it is important to keep the angelfish comfortable while giving the immune system time to fight this virus (if it can). Part of the problem is this virus moves so fast, the fish’ immune system cannot respond quick enough, so optimal conditions is a must (and this includes the little known among aquarists parameter of Redox Balance which may be quite important for immunity during times of viral infection)
Secondary bacterial and Fungal/Saprolegnia infections are also often issues during Angelfish Aids infections from my experience.

Steps:
*Removal of any bright lights from the aquarium (a darkened quarantine tank with a seasoned Sponge Filter is strongly recommended).
*A medicated Bath utilizing Methylene Blue is recommended
*Treatment (again preferable in quarantine for Angelfish Virus), may include a “cocktail” of SeaChem ParaGuard, Nitrofurazone, and Kanamycin
*Treat as the medications suggest until symptoms are gone plus 3 days
*Partial water changes between each treatment along with strict monitoring of water parameters (ammonia, nitrites, even GH & KH) is a must
*The addition of a UV Sterilizer to the main display tank while the fish are in quarantined is strongly urged to aid in stopping the water borne spread of the virus and improve Redox Balance.

SUMMARY:

Although I have given a method of treatment, please do not let me give the reader too much false hope; as even with strictly following this treatment regimen quite strictly, chances of success are less than 50% from my experience (many aquarists choose to put the fish down rather than to treat and this is a valid option in my humble opinion as well).
However I have also had success with this treatment regimen (much more so than doing nothing), so if you are willing or able to strictly follow it, you may have success.

Either way, with success, failure, or putting the fish down; prevention of spread to other angelfish (or some other fish as well) should be considered.
Multiple water changes, optimum water parameters, UV Sterilization, and holding off from adding other angelfish for 3-6 months should all be considered.

Activated Carbon for Aquarium or Pond Use; Information, Use Table

2009-10-07T16:10:00.000-07:00

Use of Activated Carbon in Freshwater, Marine Aquariums and Ponds

Index:

How Activated Carbon Works

Common Carbon Uses

Lignite Activated Carbon

Chemical Properties

Contaminant Properties

Water Temperature and pH

Exposure Time

Possible Concerns with Carbon Use

List of compounds carbon can or cannot absorb

Updated 11/03/11

Carbon is primarily an adsorbent which is a very popular chemical filter media that is often misunderstood as to use in established aquariums and ponds as well.
A healthy established aquarium (fresh or salt) with regular water changes generally needs little carbon (although more carbon is generally needed in marine reef aquariums and less in low pH freshwater aquariums). Carbon will NOT remove or absorb ammonia, nitrites, or nitrates. Carbon is very useful in removing medications after treatment or even between doses.

Please read the entire article for a good understanding of what activated carbon can or cannot do for your aquarium/pond; including the table of what carbon can and cannot remove as well as the referenced resources

How Activated Carbon Works

Activated carbon has an extremely large surface area per unit weight, which makes AC an extremely efficient absorptive AND adsorptive material. The activation of carbon and its manufacture creates many pores within the particles, and it is the vast areas of the walls within these pores that accounts for most of the total surface area of the carbon. In water, activated carbon has a preference for large organic molecules and for substances which are non-polar in nature. The forces of attraction between the carbon and the absorbed molecules are greater the closer the molecules are in size to the pores. The best absorption takes place when the pores are just large enough to admit the molecules.
Activated carbon, when contacted with water containing organic material, will remove these compounds selectively by a combination of adsorption of the less polar molecules, absorption (filtration) of the larger particles, and partial deposition of colloidal material on the exterior surface of the activated carbon.

As well as absorption, activated carbon uses a process called Adsorption, in fact adsorption is the primary method of molecule removal by carbon, not absorption.
When a material adsorbs something, it means it attaches it by chemical attraction.
The extent of removal of soluble organics by absorption depends on the diffusion of the particle to the external surface of the carbon and diffusion within the porous adsorbent. For colloidal particles, internal diffusion is relatively unimportant because of particle size.
Organic substances that pass through the column consist of hydrophilic organic molecules (substances that are attracted to, and dissolve well within, water) and hydrophobic molecules (repulsed by water). If the molecule is “polar” (having both a hydrophobic and hydrophilic attributes) which many organic molecules are, the hydrophobic side will be attracted (attached) to the activated carbon.
Adsorption is partially the result of forces of attraction at the surface of a particle that cause soluble organic materials to adhere to the activated carbon. The limited water solubility of many organic substances will affect AC adsorption of these molecules.

Put more simply (I hope): Polar, hydrophobic and hydrophilic interactions are important interactions necessary to understand how activated carbon adsorb the certain molecules. A Methylene Blue dye molecule is hydrophobic and has a large affinity to the hydrophobic carbon rings of the activated carbon. The dye prefers to interact with the carbon rather than water. Where as non chelated metals (such as copper ions) are positively charged (hydrophilic), and the carbon is neutral and hydrophobic. Therefore, the positively charged metal ions prefer to interact with the water, which is hydrophilic. “Like dissolves Like”.
This applies to most metals from the periodic table, including calcium, magnesium, etc., and for this reason most essential minerals are not removed by activated carbon unless chelated or if they loose their positive charge due to oxidative processes of the Redox Potential (which is another reason to replenish these positive mineral ions, please see this article for further information: The Aquarium Redox Potential)
This positive/negative ionization is why DOC (organics) will also negatively affect the Aquarium/Pond Redox Balance

Common Uses

As already noted healthy aquariums often do not need much activated carbon, however this is a rather ambiguous generalization. An aquarium keeper need to consider DOC (dissolved organic compounds/carbon), pH, desired compounds that can or cannot be removed, bio load of the aquarium or pond, desired environment (an Amazon River aquarium will generally need less or no carbon while a heavily fed reef tank will need more).
I have noted performed a controlled study of how much carbon is best however I have made many observations over the years in freshwater and marine aquariums of different environments, as well as ponds. I would use tests of pH/KH (which will tend towards lower pH/KH without carbon use), nitrates (although carbon cannot remove nitrates, it can remove DOC that will eventually end up as nitrates), even TOC or Redox tests if available (Methylene Blue can be used a Redox indicator, please see this article for much more about Redox: The Aquarium/Pond Redox).
Simply gauging carbon use by tank water color, can be a simple method to base carbon use by (admittedly very unscientific though).
The use of carbon if only for a day or even hours after or between medication treatments is another important aspect of carbon use.

In Reef aquariums, the use of carbon (even though less effective in higher pH water) is important in my experience/opinion as part of a regimen that where carbon is but one piece of the aquarium maintenance puzzle that often includes Protein Skimmers (which also remove many similar DOC, but not as quickly after production), water changes, micron filtration, de-nitrification (with deep sand beds or products such as Matrix), and use of chemical absorbents such as Purigen.

Carbon can also be used in mixed products such as Ammo Carb, but zeolites are only for freshwater use. The use of zeolite/carbon mixes is especially useful in areas where municipal tap water contains chloramines (instead of the usual chlorine). I have also achieved good results with carbon/zeolite blends in ponds which are generally exposed to even more contaminants than aquarium.

A good starting point for carbon use (please note that this is a generalization) is one to three teaspoons per ten gallons of water. One teaspoon of activated carbon is equal to approximately 6 grams in weight measurement. This amount will vary greatly depending upon many other factors that the aquarium or pond keeper can determine. As well sometimes an aquarium keeper may choose to only use this amount of carbon as part of a clean up procedure (in particular freshwater aquariums) and then discontinue use after a day or two. If you have an Aquarium Cleaning Machine, I and others will only use carbon in this machine for freshwater aquariums and not during normal tank operation.

Lignite Activated Carbon

The best Premium Activated Carbon is produced from a soft, brownish-black coal (Lignite) in which the alteration of vegetable matter which has proceeded further than in peat but not as far as in bituminous coal. Lignite based carbon is the best choice for use in aquarium & ponds to remove organic molecules, pesticides and for color removal, due to its large pore size. The large pore size is important, because the organics in a aquarium or pond environment will clog and render ineffective, the smaller-pored, coconut shell and Testing has shown other Activated Carbons; such Large pelletized, to be almost useless for aquarium or pond water, but excellent for Chlorine and Heavy metal removal in clear water applications such as swimming pools or drinking water.
6 grams (.21 ounces) of Lignite Activated Carbon has the surface area of a football field, so a little goes a long ways in aquarium use in particular.

Here are a few aspects that impact the effectiveness of activated carbon

Chemical Properties;

The carbon surface may actually interact chemically with organic molecules. As well electrical forces between the activated carbon surface and some contaminants may result in adsorption or ion exchange. Adsorption, then, is also affected by the chemical nature of the adsorbing surface. The chemical properties of the adsorbing surface are determined to a large extent by the activation process. Activated Carbon formed from different activation processes will have chemical properties that make them more or less attractive to various contaminants.

Contaminant Properties:

Large dissolved organic compounds/carbon (DOC) are most effectively adsorbed by activated carbon. A general rule of thumb is that similar materials tend to associate. DOC molecules and activated carbon are similar materials; therefore there is a stronger tendency for most organic chemicals to associate with the activated carbon in the filter rather than staying dissolved in a dissimilar material like water. Generally, the least soluble organic molecules (such as large complex amino acids or fatty acids) are most strongly adsorbed. Often the smaller organic molecules (such as sugars) are held the tightest, because they fit into the smaller pores.
It is also noteworthy that although larger complex organic molecules (often nitrogen based) are more readily absorbed, these molecules are also not held as tightly and re-leased under certain conditions which is why carbon should not be relied on for the sole form of organic contaminant removal. Other methods such as Purigen, de-nitrifying filters, water changes, Protein Skimmers (marine aquariums), micron filters, UV Sterilizers, etc. should be employed as part of the mix.

Concentration of organic contaminants can affect the adsorption process. A given activated carbon may be more effective than another type of activated carbon material at low contaminant concentrations, but may be less effective than the other carbon material at high concentrations.

Water Temperature and pH;

Adsorption usually increases as pH and temperature decrease. Chemical reactions and forms of chemicals are closely related to pH and temperature. When pH and temperature are lowered many organic chemicals are in a more absorbable form (this is noteworthy for marine/saltwater use and why Protein Skimmers are also important as these devices will remove DOC as well, although not immediately as carbon can)

Exposure Time;

The process of adsorption is also influenced by the length of time that the carbon is in contact with the contaminant in the water. Increasing contact time allows greater amounts of contaminant to be removed from the water. Contact is improved by increasing the amount of activated carbon in the filter and reducing the flow rate of water through the filter.

There is controversy in what essential minerals carbon will absorb or what activated carbon will or will not absorb in general. I will state based on my own experience and scientific evidence that carbon has many uses in aquariums/ponds but is also over used or incorrectly recommended. Although I use little carbon in my established healthy aquariums and ponds, I disagree with those that state it should not or rarely be used (based on some false assumptions of what carbon removes or adds to water). On the flip side I also disagree with those that make carbon the answer for water quality issues such as nitrates for which carbon does not remove.
Activated Carbon is very useful for removing most medications after or between treatments (this is where I strongly recommend its use), although even here, carbon does not remove most copper formulations effectively.

Possible Concerns with Carbon Use

*Activated carbon can foster the growth of bacteria by concentrating other organics (such as DOC) on its surface.
Although I have not performed controlled tests to confirm this, I have made many observations over the years that increased use of carbon has coincided with increased incidence of bacterial infections such as Aeromonas, especially in lower pH Amazon River & SE Asia water aquarium environments since Redox is also generally less favorable and the removal of tannins from products such as Indian Almond Leaf Extracts allows these bacteria to thrive.
The fact that activated carbon removes oxygen, further increases the risk of an opportunistic Aeromonas Bacterial outbreak since these bacterium are anaerobic.

*Use in planted freshwater aquariums:
This is an area of some controversy of which some information is based on facts, some information is not, with some reasonable questions in between.

The main controversy I will address for now as to carbon use in planted freshwater aquariums is the removal of trace minerals. I read some experiments at “the Krib”, as well I have made observations and tests (as well as research) over the years myself.
The main testable point is that most metals such as Iron (which is important for plants) are NOT absorbed carbon with an important and noteworthy exception; and that is the use of chelation. EDTA (which is an organic molecule) is used to chelate many metals such as iron to make it more readily available for fertilizers or other uses, and since activated carbon is especially effective in removing organic carbon based molecules, these chelated metals are then removed. Any aquatic plant fertilizers that contain chelated metals will be bound to the carbon pores, and as result their concentration into the water column will get lower with the use of activated carbon. If the carbon is left in the aquarium for a period of time, the chelated compounds in aquariums slowly decay and release their metals.

However not all trace elements are chelated, for instance SeaChem Flourish uses water soluble non-chelated iron, as well mineral blocks such as Wonder Shells are non chelated and any possible absorbed trace minerals are rapidly replaced by the Wonder Shell (which although mineral depletion by activated carbon is low, the use of Wonder Shells in aquariums/ponds utilizing activated carbon insures adequate minerals)

The use of Activated Carbon with Marine Protein Skimmers:
Although conclusive tests are forth coming, there is evidence that the use of activated carbon can limit the amount of foam refraction generated by a marine protein skimmer. This is likely due to the adsorption of Foaming Agents (MBAS) by activated carbon.
This presents a problem for many reef keepers since both carbon and protein skimmers are useful aspects of a complete marine filtration system.
My suggestion is to limit carbon use in cleaning filters run during certain times of the day (or week), especially after heavy feeding.

*A final concern with activated carbon is the possible release of contaminants after they have been initially adsorbed. This action is known as desorption or dumping. This could occur if other ambient water quality characteristics change.
Although at the time of writing this article, I have not discovered the exact mechanism for causing this, but I do know that a tank that is not stable in its general chemistry, whether pH or Redox is a candidate for this possible problem of carbon use.

Here is a list of compounds carbon can or cannot absorb.

Please note that some compounds may be desirable to remove depending upon your tank requirements while the same compound may not be desirable in another aquarium environment. A good example would be tannins (which carbon removes reasonably well); in a soft water environment an aquarist would likely want to restrict the use of Activated Carbon, while someone keeping “dirty” goldfish may find the use of carbon on a regular basis (in higher quantities) a necessity.

WHAT CARBON CAN ABSORB:
Excellent Absorption:	Fair/Good Absorption	*WHAT CARBON CANNOT* ABSORB (or absorption is poor)**
Amyl Acetate Amyl Alcohol Benzene Bleach Butyl Alcohol Butyl Acetate Calcium Hypochlorite ORGANIC carbon Chloral Chloroform Chlorine Chlorobenzene Chlorophenol Cresol Defoliants Diesel Fuel Dissolved Organic Compounds Dyes (such as Methylene Blue) Ethyl Acetate Ethyl Acrylate Foaming Agents (MBAS) Gasoline Glycols Herbicides Hydrogen Peroxide Hypochlorous Acid Insecticides Iodine Isopropyl Acetate Isopropyl Alcohol Ketones Methyl Bromide Methyl Ethyl Ketone Naptha Nitrobenzene Nitroluene Odors (general) Oil - dissolved Organic Esters Oxalic Acid Oxygen PCB's Pesticides Phenol Sodium Hypochlorite Toluidine Trichlorethylene Turpentine *Xylene	Acetaldehde Acetone Alcohols Antifreeze Chloramine (only the Chlorine, zeolite needed for remaining ammonia) Calcium Hypochlorite Chlorophyll Citric Acid EDTA (an organic chelator of metals such as iron) Ethyl Alcohol Ethyl Amine Ethyl Chloride Etyl Ether Hydrogen Sulfide Lactic Acid Mercaptans Methyl Acetate Methyl Alcohol Methyl Chloride Organic Acids Organic Salts Ozone Potassium Permanganate Propioc Acid Propyl Acetate Propyl Alcohol Propyl Chloride Radon Solvents Sulphonated Oils Tannins (such as Indian Almond Leaf extract) Tar Emulsion Tartaric Acid Xanthophyll Cyanide Copper (this in part depends upon type of copper compound and chelated copper is not readily removed by carbon), also availability of oxygen and a lower pH can improve basic copper sulfate adsorption by carbon. Basically carbon should not be relied for total copper removal, especially in Marine aquariums using chelated carbon *Free, low molecular weight hormones.	Alkalinity Calcium Carbon Dioxide Fluoride, Formaldehyde Hardness. Lime Magnesium Manganese Microbes, Molybdenum Nitrates, nitrites, ammonia Phosphates Selenium Sodium, Lead, Iron and other heavy metals are removed only by adding a chelation process using EDTA, an organic carbon molecule (then these metals can be readily removed) *Protein bound hormones are generally NOT removed by carbon

References

*http://www.ci.epping.nh.us/MTBE%20Water%20Supply%20Engineering%20Fact%20Sheet.htm
*Activated Carbon For Pure Water
*http://www.ag.ndsu.edu/pubs/h2oqual/watsys/ae1029w.htm
*The Krib; Activated Carbon
*http://www2.hawaii.edu/~delbeek/reefaq3.html
*http://cnsi.ctrl.ucla.edu/nanoscience/pages/waterFilt-teach
* http://infotrek.er.usgs.gov/
*Copper & Cyanide Removal by Carbon
*http://www.hallman.org/filter/gac.html

Fish Baths, Dips, Swabs; For Disease, Ammonia, etc. Treatment

2009-07-14T09:22:00.001-07:00

Fish Baths/Dips for supplemental (& even primary) treatment of Bacterial infections, wounds, sores, Fungus (Saprolegnia), parasite infestations & more

Sections;

Basic Ingredients

What is a Bath or Dip used For

What is Better; A Bath or Dip

Performing a Fish Bath

Further Bath Tips

Bath Risks

Medications in Baths

Alternatives to Methylene Blue

Dips, Swabs, etc.

Helpful Conversions (metric to SAE, etc.)

Bath Video

Updated 1/03/12

Although the Article; Aquarium Disease Prevention has a relatively in depth explanation of how to perform (& why) a fish bath or dip, this Aquarium Answers post/article will hopefully expand more on this subject for a better understanding. I am also including input from members of Everything Aquatic Forum to further assist in this article.

The use of Swabs and Dips is also discussed.

The basic ingredients of a bath include:

• Salt (Sodium Chloride)
• Methylene Blue (this can be substituted with Potassium Permanganate in certain instances)
• Occasionally Epson Salts (Magnesium sulfate) can be used as well
• Further medications can be added (this will be addressed later in this article)

What is a bath or dip used for in the treatment of fish diseases or similar?

• Treatment of sores or injuries, especially open sores that expose deeper tissues (often minor injuries do not require a bath/dip). The Methylene Blue will stain tissues and aid in prevention of bacterial growth, as well Methylene Blue will increase available oxygen to tissues. Swabbing (or dripping) the wound, sore, or red streaks (caused by Septicemia) with Methylene Blue prior to a bath often increases the effectiveness.
• As an Aid to Ich, Velvet and similar parasite infections. Although a bath or dip is not an effective cure for in tank Ich infestations or similar, a bath/dip can increase survivability in severe cases as the bath/dip provides critically needed oxygen to gills/tissues (via the Methylene Blue), as well Methylene Blue will often stain the parasite on the fish and weaken it severely (keep in mind that Methylene Blue was used as an early Malaria treatment, and that Malaria is a protozoan as is Ich and Velvet). The use of baths/dips with sensitive fish such as Clown Loaches is often a must in my experience for moderate to severe Ich (Ichthyophthirius) infestations.
• As an aid to bacterial infections (such as Columnaris) or Saprolegnia (Fungus). As with wounds/sore, swabbing or dripping the Methylene Blue directly on areas of infection greatly increases effectiveness.
• As an aid to and for treatment of osmoregulation problems in fish such as Bloating and even Dropsy.
• As an aid to ammonia/nitrite poisoning, often as the result of poor handling/shipping and over crowded conditions prior to an aquarist obtaining a new fish. The Methylene Blue will be absorbed into the blood, kidneys, and liver where is can help lessen the effect of ammonia and nitrite poisoning.

What is better; a Bath or Dip?

This is a subjective question that can not be simply answered however I will give some generalizations.
A properly performed bath is much less stressful to the fish (the most stressful part is capture of the fish which can be minimized with a breeder/holding net or proper netting). In fact I have seen fish bounce back from baths within a hour.
So with this in mind a mild to moderate infection or for many quarantine purposes the bath is the better choice. As well almost any injury is better treated with a bath since stress is a major factor with an injury. I often use baths over in tank treatments where “tank wide infections” are not present so as to not interfere with the biology of the aquatic environment in any way.

A dip is often a choice of last resort for seriously ill fish, especially with Dropsy, bladder infections or other infections causing osmoregulation problems.
One exception for healthy fish where I often choose a dip over a bath is for the prevention of Ich, Cryptocaryon, Oodinium and similar parasite infections. I have not seen a healthy fish ever succumb from a dip when used for this purpose and a dip is nearly 100% effective for such prevention in marine fish, somewhat less for freshwater (provided there is not latent infection already in the aquarium).
A dip is NOT a good choice for seriously injured fish or fish that have considerable open tissue due to infection, as the dip will often make this worse by extracting necessary body fluids that are already being lost. For these fish, the bath is the vastly better choice.

Performing a Fish Bath

(expanded from Aquarium Disease Prevention);

A bath can be performed in as little as 1 quart of water (or even less) or in a 1 gallon Rubbermaid (or similar) container or a small BARE tank (not gravel, décor though). I generally use a 1 quart pitcher with ½ teaspoon of salt and several drops of MB (I also recommend rubber gloves and old towels, rags, paper, etc spread around since Methylene Blue is messy and stains).

For freshwater I would add Methylene Blue at double normal tank treatment strength (as per bottle instructions) then add salt (NaCl) at about 1 teaspoon per gallon (Epsom Salts can also be uses at 1/4 teaspoon per gallon in baths used for treatment, especially in cases of bloat, water retention, selling, etc.).
The salt (regular salt; NaCl) can be increased for difficult treatments, especially with salt tolerant fish such as livebearers (it is best to slowly add dissolved salt to increase levels gently in salt amounts over 3 teaspoons per gallon, even in salt tolerant fish).
Generally for most fish (even catfish based on University of Florida studies) 2 teaspoons per gallon can be tolerated for up to 30 minutes (many fish can tolerate 4 teaspoons per gallon), although if unsure about your fish’ tolerance, gradually add the salt via a dissolved solution during the first half of the bath.

A few more tips:
• I also recommend keeping the “bath” container in a location that does not allow the temperature to drop more than 2 degrees during this time so as to prevent shock when transferred back to the holding/display tank.
• If at all possible I recommend keeping the fish that are being given baths in a Breeder Net Box (see picture) or similar in the tank or in another filtered bare tank so as to make capture easy and less stressful for both you and the fish (if too much stress is incurred capturing the fish for each bath, this can negate the positive effects of the bath).
• ALL baths should start with water from the fish’ holding tanks water, so as to avoid pH and temperature shock. As well, ALL baths should have fresh Methylene Blue, salt & other medications if used, otherwise many medications can and will degrade and be less effective or even toxic in some cases.
The bottom line here is to throw away all bath water after completion of each and every bath.
• Floating pre-made fish bags of the dip water (with salt and Methylene Blue, do not add medications until immediate use) can make the bath process easier as everything is ready to go when you may be in a hurry. As well this allows for the correct water temperature.
• Although most bottles of Methylene Blue do not come with a dropper any more, I recommend finding a dropper that will fit the bottle or use an eye dropper so as to limit MB stains/mess.
• Since mineral cations can help with stress (in part due to improved Redox Balance), I recommend to use a product such as the Wonder Shells in the bath water (also dip water too). You can break off a piece of Wonder Shell for this bath, then leaving this piece in the bath for the duration of the bath to add these mineral ions.
• I generally do not recommend baths for larger fish (unless you are sure of your fish handling abilities), such as over 6-8 inches (15- 20 cm.), as often handling of these fish can be difficult and cause quite a mess. As well larger fish can be more easily injured due to the difficulty in handling them.
However, if a larger fish is in poor condition and question arises that the fish is already in a severely weakened condition, a bath or better, a dip may be attempted (see below for more about “dips”)

For saltwater I would add Methylene Blue at double normal tank treatment strength, Dilute the saltwater to 1.015 to 1.009, making sure your pH stays up by adding any buffers necessary before adding fish (1.009 is a must for Cryptocaryon prevention/removal).
The purpose of adding or lowering salt (whether SW or FW) is to change osmotic pressure which is an aid to parasite removal as most parasites such as Ich or Cryptocaryon cannot tolerate these changes as well as fish.

• Finally, Do not add bath water back to your aquarium (a small inadvertent amount when adding back fish is not going to to create issues with your aquarium water). However continued addition of all Methylene Blue & other chemicals, salt, medications, etc. can destroy your nitrifying bio filter bed or cause other water quality issues.

Please see the video at the end of this article for more help in understanding the process of a fish bath

Further Bath Tips from Everything Aquatic Member Fishfever

1. Always spread out an absorbent mat around the tank before doing anything to catch drips (and especially Methylene Blue, ***IT REALLY STAINS IF IT GETS ON ANYTHING ***). Gloves are good too to avoid the blue finger syndrome!

2. Premixing the salt with tank water in a large container saves time if you plan to give a number of baths. You could probably premix the MB also (not sure) but would not mix Potassium Permanganate since it reacts with tank water (I think it removes dissolved organic compounds in the tank water). I use an eyedropper to get the proper fraction of a teaspoon to gallon ratio for the Potassium Permanganate in the small bath container or double bag (it's not a perfect ratio but it's consistent).

3. If possible, give your bath in a container or double bags within the tank. This way the bath stays heated to the same temperature as the tank and if the fish jump they just jump into the tank. I fill my bath container or double bags just enough so they still float and the buoyancy pushes the container up against the rim and top cover, keeping it from trying to flip over. If you overfill the bath container will sink. Remember to float the bath container or bags in your tank long enough to equalize temperatures.

4. Since I have to give twice daily baths, I leave the fish in a small breeder net (about 6"x6"x4") overnight after the evening bath which I do just before I shut the tank light out and go to bed. This saves me from having to catch the fish for the morning bath, i.e. only have to catch her once a day for the evening bath.

Bath/Dip Risks

Obviously there are risks in the performance of a fish bath or dip, however in fish less than 6 inches these can often be minimized as per previously suggested tips.
For minor injuries or infections sometimes the risk of stress is simply not worth the bath, HOWEVER in my experience with literally 100s (if not 1000s) of baths/dips the risks for most applications is far less than the alternative. Even with extreme freshwater dips for saltwater fish, whereby the fish will react as if they are dead, the fish will generally “snap out of it” in a matter of hours and will be better than before this dip. Most baths are much less stressful than the previous example, so any observed stress will pass quickly if the bath is performed correctly.
As well in many cases such as sores or diseases, the use of a bath will allow for a more mild in tank treatment which is quite bluntly better for long term aquarium health than dumping in “tons” of harsh medications (especially when a hospital/treatment tank is not available).
The bottom line is to not let the bath/dip stress you more than the fish, as this procedure can often mean the difference of a successful treatment and an unsuccessful treatment especially in severe cases of Ich (this is especially true with sensitive fish such as Loaches) or in often difficult to treat bacterial infections such as Columnaris.

Medications in Baths;

Another option to baths is (IN ADDITION to the salts and Methylene Blue, but NOT combined with Potassium Permanganate), you can safely add many antibiotics at double normal recommended dose for the 30 minute bath, this can both increase the effectiveness of the bath and the antibiotic added.

Medications that generally are good choices for baths are;

* Metronidazole which is s good choice for intestinal infections since it is not readily absorbed through the intestines.
* Kanaplex OR Minocyline for Columnaris, Dropsy.
* Nitrofurazone for Aeromonas, Saprolegnia or Furunculosis
* Usnea is an experimental alternative that has similar properties to Metronidazole and can also be effective for some viruses and possibly tumors. I use about 1 tablespoon per 6 oz. preparation for a 1 quart bath.
Please see this article for more about Aquarium Medications: “Aquarium Medications/Treatments; How they work”

Alternative to Methylene Blue

Potassium Permanganate (at double recommended tank dose) can be substituted for Methylene Blue for treatment baths for ailments such as Flukes, cloudy eyes, & some stubborn parasite and bacterial infections such as Columnaris (generally Potassium Permanganate is the better choice for Columnaris unless the fish is displaying rapid breathing or is on "death's door").
HOWEVER for "pure" preventative baths, ammonia poisoning or unknown problems, Methylene Blue is by far the better choice.

Unlike Methylene Blue; NOT mix Potassium Permanganate with antibiotics.

See this article under Potassium Permanganate or Methylene Blue for more: Aquarium Medications; Chemical Treatments.
Another key point is that Methylene Blue can quite SAFELY be overdosed as it takes high amounts with long term exposure to be toxic, while Potassium Permanganate should never be overdosed.

Cautions About the Use of Potassium Permanganate for Baths/Painting Infections:

Since Potassium Permanganate is strong oxidizer, caution should be exercised in usage for baths and especially as direct application for external infections (unlike Methylene Blue which is very difficult to over dose). For most fish, a double dose of the normal in tank recommended dosage. This varies from product to product, however using Jungle Clear Water as an example; the recommended tank dosage is 5 mL per ten gallons, so the bath dosage would be 10 mL per ten gallons (or 5 mL per 5 gallons of “bath” water).
Fish such as many Tetras, Loaches, and similar “sensitive” fish should be given consideration in dosage of Potassium Permanganate.

An even more important consideration is the use of Potassium Permanganate for direct application/swabbing of certain infections such as external symptoms of Columnaris (see the next section for more about swabbing/dips). Potassium Permanganate should be diluted at least 3/1 (water/PP) for this use and often more so depending upon the fish in question (testing on a healthy part of the fish in question or a related fish may help determine tolerance). As well do Not use even diluted PP anywhere near the gills of a fish.
Please note that this point of dilution does Not apply to Methylene Blue which is safe to use full strength, even around gills (although internal gill application is best performed via a bath, not a swab).

Dips, Swabbing (Swabs), etc.

For known problems (or sometimes as a preventative for new fish from questionable sources) a 3-5 minute dip is sometimes even more effective (albeit more stressful to the fish). In a dip, I again adjust pH and add Methylene Blue, however in the case of the marine fish, I will use a specific gravity of 1.001 for the saltwater fish and a specific gravity of 1.012 of 1.015 for the freshwater fish (2.3 oz. or approximately ¼ cup of fine salt per gallon). This dip should be no less than 3 minutes and no more than 5 minutes to be effective.
To lower the stress a high salt dip for freshwater fish or a freshwater dip for marine fish it is advisable to use the first 2 minutes (of a 5 minute dip) slowly introducing the saltwater (or freshwater for marine fish) until the fish is in the desired salinity water for the remaining 3 minutes.
Make sure that the water added slowly during the first 2 minutes is premixed with salt prior to use for freshwater fish or pre-adjusted for pH for marine fish.

A dip is often a better choice than a bath for a large or otherwise “spastic” fish due to the much shorter duration. As well a dip, albeit much more harsh than a bath (when used as described), may be a better choice for a very ill fish that may be “at deaths door” and the risks of a dip are low when compared to the fact of the probable imminent death of the fish anyway.
A dip is also a good choice for problems that stem from fluid build-up and poor osmotic function, such as many causes of “Pop-Eye”.

*I also use dips to replace quarantine when not possible for fish of questionable sources; especially with marine fish as a dip is nearly 100% effective for destroying Oodinium or Cryptocaryon on marine fish (the osmotic pressure causes the parasite cells to burst). Keep in mind that the dip does not destroy these parasites in the water column if the disease has already been accidentally introduced.

*Swabs:
Another similar idea is to directly drop or “paint” with a Q-Tip (or similar implement) Methylene Blue, Potassium Permanganate, tincture of Iodine, or Hydrogen Peroxide onto a problem area such as Saprolegnia/fungus, Columnaris, Ichthyophonus, or similar. This can be VERY effective for stubborn external infected areas on a fish (such as node on fish tails, etc.).

Potassium Permanganate & Hydrogen Peroxide are generally more effective for the above noted infections (but also should be diluted, unlike Methylene Blue), however open sores, wounds, and in particular gill problems should Not use Potassium Permanganate. Hydrogen Peroxide or tincture of Iodine may be used (except for gills), however Methylene Blue is a better choice (again especially for direct gill applications where PP or Hydrogen Peroxide will burn the gills and often kill the fish as a consequence).

If Tincture of Iodine is used as a swab, a quick dip into some "throw away" water after the swab can help prevent toxic levels of iodine in the aquarium due to excess iodine on the fish after the swab.

The use of Methylene Blue as a swab, dip, and to a lesser degree a bath will also expose healthy or at least normal tissue as Methylene Blue will generally adhere to infected areas or wounds staining the area “blue” due to the lack of the normal “slime” coating fish have on healthy areas of a fish’ epidermis. Even scar tissue will generally not stain “blue”, so this a good test of whether or not a “growth/sore” is actually an infection or similar (please note that some cancers/tumors can mimic healthy tissue and not stain blue).

A FEW HELPFUL CONVERSIONS

(Use accurate teaspoons, not silverware):
*Teaspoon = 4.929 mL
*Tablespoon = .5 fl. oz. = 14.787 mL
*For mixing salt for a dip; 1/2 dry cup will make a specific gravity of about 1.023- 1.025; For 1.015 specific gravity for a dip, use approximately 1/4 to 1/3 dry cup.

Fish Bath Video;

Related Tips:

If you use a UV Sterilizer for Fish disease prevention and improved Redox (for fish immunity improvement), it is important to change the UV Bulb every six months for maximum effectiveness!

Streptococcus, Eye Infections in Fish

2009-01-27T13:51:00.000-08:00

Streptococcus aerobic gram positive bacterial infections in aquariums, Eye Infections
Updated 7/25/11

This article deal with the most common gram positive bacterial infection affecting fish; Streptococcus iniae, and agalactiae as well as closely related bacterial groups; Lactococcus , Enterococcus , and Vagococcus.

The most common symptom these bacteria will show as is cloudy eyes and although by a large majority most aquarium bacterial infestations are gram negative, most eye infections are generally gram positive and caused by Streptococcus or related bacterium

Occasionally Aeromonas in freshwater or Vibrio in saltwater will show up as eye infections, especially in “Pop Eye” and in this case following treatment for the gram negative anaerobic bacteria that Aeromonas and Vibrio are is recommended.
Please see this article for more: Treatment and Identification of Aeromonas and Vibrio in Aquariums and Ponds

Although “Cloudy Eyes” (corneal opacity-whitish eyes) is the most common symptom of these gram positive infections, other symptoms are possible such as:
*"pop-eye" (though usually caused by Aeromonas),
*hemorrhages in or around the eye,
*a “milky” slime,
*erratic swimming,
*swim bladder issues (inability to regulate buoyancy) & lethargy;
*darkening of body (such as a “black moldy appearance, although this is NOT a true mold/Saprolegnia), the gill plate, base of the fins, vent/anus, or elsewhere on the body.
On rare occasions Streptococcus may be a cause of Dropsy. As well some cases of “False Neon Tetra Disease” (FNT) may also be caused by Streptococcus.
Often fish with Streptococcus iniae infections will not eat, which can complicate treatment for this bacterium when it is internal, especially for freshwater fish which do not drink water they are contained in (unlike most marine fish).

Most bacterial diseases of fish are opportunistic (such as Aeromonas or Columnaris), Streptococcus, on the other hand, does not seem to be a truly opportunistic pathogen, as it can be more aggressive than many other environmental bacteria. In one experimental study (Ferguson et al. 1994), populations of zebra danios and white clouds exposed to high concentrations of Streptococcus in the water experienced 100% mortality within 2-4 days of exposure. For this reason it is important that Streptococcus infections be quickly identified and managed to prevent major losses.

It is also noteworthy that recent studies have also shown growing incidents of this bacterial infection in fish farming (which is where most of the research into Streptococcus in fish is made available from). In fact this problem has become severe enough among Tilapia and Trout farms that a vaccine is now in the testing phase for Streptococcus iniae.
Fish that have been documented most susceptible (this does NOT mean other fish cannot get this bacterial pathogen) include rainbow sharks, red-tailed black sharks, rosy barbs, danios, and some tetras and some cichlids.

Treatment

For most “full blown” Streptococcus infections (not necessarily a mild eye infection), Erythromycin is often the drug of choice. Mortality should cease within 48 hr of treatment with the correct antibiotic if complicating factors are not present. If the disease is internal therapy may be difficult because erythromycin does not absorb well, and this case treatment with Neomycin “lased” foods is recommended.

It should be noted that although Erythromycin is the drug of choice, because it is an effective anti gram positive bacterium medication, it is also very hard on nitrifying bacteria, so having cultured sponge filters or other “seasoned” filter media to replace during and/or after treatment is very important since this although Streptococcus is not opportunistic, many opportunistic bacterium such as Columnaris may follow, especially if ammonia/nitrites rise during or after treatment.
Although generally the antibiotic of choice, sometimes Streptococcus bacterium can build a resistance to this antibiotic (as well sometimes destruction of tank environment from the use of Erythromycin can be a double edged sword that renders this antibiotic ineffective especially if tank conditions are not closely monitored). In this case, Tetracycline Hydrochloride may be a good substitute. Tetracycline is not without its side effects either and its use can severely lower red blood cell counts in fish, so increasing circulation is a must. As well it also is hard on nitrifying bacteria and tends to cause a buildup of brown foam and should never be combined with Erythromycin.

Other potential treatments include combinations of Erythromycin and Nitrofurazone (Furan 2); Kanacyn combined with Nitrofurazone (Furan 2) (Nitrofurazone is especially useful for topical infections that may show as a milky slime) or Neomycin (in food for suspected internal infections); Minocycline in the same combinations in place of Kanacyn. The advantage of possibly using Kanacyn is that this medication can also prevent/treat opportunistic Columnaris or Aeromonas infections that may arise.

Melafix is a good preventative treatment and may be effective for mild or even moderate Streptococcus infections. Sometimes for very mild eye infections (no other symptoms) Melafix is the only treatment you may need to use.

If eyes are directly affected (and the only primary target of this infection), removing the fish add treating the fish directly in the eyes with Silver Nitrate followed by Potassium Dichromate is extremely effective, the only problem being is that Silver Nitrate is hard to find, although sometimes photo lab supply businesses may have this. Potassium Permanganate is reasonable second choice for this direct eye application and Methylene Blue a third choice for direct application.
Either way, sometimes the only “in tank treatment” that may have to followed up with when the eyes are treated directly is Melafix (used in the main tank or hospital tank, not in a bath).

Medicated Baths may also be a useful part of treatment for external Streptococcus infections in fish. These would be twice daily for 30-45 minutes and I recommend the use of Methylene Blue combined with a double dose of Erythromycin or Tetracycline, or even Usnea

If you suspect that you have a group of fish with a Streptococcus infection, the affected population should be isolated from all others. If possible, have dedicated equipment (nets, siphon hoses) for these fish.

Prevention

Since Streptococcus is not as opportunistic as discussed earlier, prevention is VERY key to stopping this bacterium. This would include medicated baths or quarantine of ALL new fish (see this article: “Aquarium Disease Prevention”), and if at all possible “UV Sterilization”,
Although Streptococcus does seem to occur more frequently at warmer temperatures, it can occur at any time of the year. Studies in marine systems in Japan ( Kitao et al. 1979) indicate that Strep may be present in salt water and mud, with higher incidences in the water during summer months.

Nets, siphon hoses, vacuums, etc should ALL be soaked in Potassium Permanganate (or even bleach) prior to use in other tanks if you have more than one aquarium.

Use of anti-septic treatments such as Melafix, especially after injury or similar is helpful for prevention or even treatment early in Streptococcus infections. Think of it this way, many human infections (including Staph) are common and simple treatments with products such as Neosporin is all that is necessary in minor injuries to prevent a major infection. Although Melafix has little or NO anti gram negative bacterial abilities, it is an excellent preventive even for diseases such as Columnaris from getting a “foothold” by killing off disease pathogens such as Streptococcus that may be followed by Columnaris.

Are you looking for an informative and friendly Aquarium Forum to help with your fish problems (or simply to share your experience)? Consider this forum with a friendly family atmosphere: Everything Aquatic Aquarium Forum

References:
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/FA057
http://www-csgc.ucsd.edu/NEWSROOM/NEWSRELEASES/2008/Victor_Nizet.html
http://www.thefishsite.com/articles/190/streptococcus-in-tilapia

Copyright Carl Strohmeyer 1/27/09

Hydrogen Sulfides

2008-11-11T14:47:00.000-08:00

Hydrogen Sulfide production in anaerobic De-Nitrification for Aquarium/Pond Nitrate Removal

Sections Include

Overview

Lowering Hydrogen Sulfides

Evidence of Sulfate Reduction

Updated 4/18/11

Basics/Overview

Hydrogen Sulfide is unfortunately a bi-product of anaerobic de-nitrification, of which denitrification is an important aspect of keeping low nitrate levels in both salt and freshwater. This said, it is important to achieve de-nitrification without undo amounts of Hydrogen sulfide produced
The production of Hydrogen Sulfide in aquariums (both salt and even more so freshwater) is a controversial subject, often with unclear answers as to whether anaerobic de-nitrification is beneficial in freshwater due to the POSSIBLE production of Hydrogen Sulfide. The keyword is “possible” as in saltwater, you CAN have de-nitrification with no or low hydrogen sulfide production.

With the most current research (although admittedly not conclusive in my view), you CAN have anaerobic de-nitrification and NOT have dangerous levels of Hydrogen Sulfide produced in both fresh & saltwater. With healthy de-nitrification it is possible to have low nitrate levels below 20 ppm

Points to achieving De-Nitrification (Removal of Nitrates) without Hydrogen Sulfide Production

• One study showed that even though sulfate reduction (the production of hydrogen sulfides from Nitrates/Sulfur) took place maximally at ¾ inch (1-2 cm) depth, free hydrogen sulfide was present only below a depth of 2-1/2 inches (6-7 cm), above which Fe++ (Iron) was available for precipitation as iron sulfides.
So with this study in mind, keeping your substrate sand bed mixed at depths deeper than 2.5 inches and/or minimally aerated can prevent this process. This will also allow for better de-nitrification (lower nitrate levels) as nitrate will be allowed to better permeate the deeper sand depths allowing for more nitrate reduction and less sulfur reduction.

• Care should be especially taken with Under Gravel Filters as these filters can allow much compaction of gravel when gravel is much over 2.5 inches, as well mulm/sludge can build up under the under gravel plates and the biggest risk is when the filter is shut down either manually or by a power filter as this decomposing mulm can quickly go sulfur reducing anaerobic and not only produce hydrogen sulfide, but the more immediate danger is a sudden decrease of dissolved oxygen levels from the die off of aerobic nitrifying bacteria trapped/dying in the deeper layers of gravel or under the plates.
That said a well maintained Under Gravel Filter rarely has Hydrogen Sulfide problem (although these filters also cannot perform anaerobic de-nitrification either)

• Along this same line of thought as the previous point, a good surface flow of water and correct vacuuming procedures which includes surface vacuuming of top layers of gravel (in marine tanks I recommend a ½ inch layer over the several inch deep bed of fine #00 oolite sand), AND as well occasional and gentle vacuuming of deeper layers except where plant roots would be damaged.
One test/study I read showed that organics in totally oxygen deprived test tubes made little difference in the production of hydrogen sulfides, HOWEVER it was the total lack of oxygen and nitrates in these layers that allow for sulfate reduction to start.

• Change to the brightest lights possible. The lights drive higher oxygen concentrations and the oxygen will help neutralize hydrogen sulfide.

A study showed that when 300 ppb hydrogen sulfide was added to Biscayne Bay and Gulf Stream waters off of Florida, the half life of the sulfide was 49 and 147 minutes, respectively. Such studies found that sunlight (both ultraviolet and visible) was able to significantly accelerate the oxidation.
This speaks “loudly” for strong lighting whether it be healthy 6400 K SHO lamps, Metal Halide, or High Output LED Lights (which my previous notes in reef keeping showed NO hydrogen sulfide production when SHO, MH & LED lights were employed). This also shows one more reason why a UV Sterilizer should be used, whether fresh or saltwater if they can at all be afforded (of which UV Sterilizers are not all that expensive, even for good quality models such as the Terminator).

• In freshwater aquariums, plant roots have been shown to not only remove ammonia directly, but as well (and more importantly as to the subject of this article) prohibit the total anaerobic conditions that promote production of hydrogen sulfides.

• Also with freshwater aquariums, the addition of iron supplements to the water can be helpful for Hydrogen Sulfide prevention. The iron will bind to the sulfide, making it neutral to living organisms.

What these points show is that the hydrogen sulfide production in substrate is only common when the area of sulfate reduction in question is totally deprived of oxygen and nitrates. As long as very small amounts of oxygen and nitrates can penetrate into the substrate (or live rock), this will not become a problem. This same general idea holds true for man made de-nitrators that have no oxygen whatsoever and are not bathed in adequate nitrates.
Light energy has also been shown to be a factor in destroying rogue hydrogen sulfide molecules in the water and penetrating into some layers of substrate as well.

Appearance/Evidence of Sulfate Reduction

A tell-tale sign of Hydro Sulfide production is black areas in the deep areas of sand or substrate, whether freshwater, marine, or especially ponds. The rotten egg odor is another sign although as Hydrogen Sulfide levels in the air increase, research has shown that human’s olfactory senses tend to block out the smell.
Please see the picture to the left of what the "black" Hydrogen Sulfide producing layers look like in sand (click picture to enlarge).

Hydrogen sulfide is toxic to a wide range of organisms, including people, which is a FACT that has been known for many years. It is just now becoming clear, however, that hydrogen sulfide also appears to play important roles in normal biochemical processes in animals. Neurons and muscles, for example, may use it in various ways, but exactly how this takes place has not been made clear scientifically.
One way that hydrogen sulfide exerts its toxicity is by inhibiting a mitochondrial enzyme called cytochrome c oxidase. It can be inhibited at hydrogen sulfide levels in solution as low as 30 ppb.12 Such inhibition limits the ability of mitochondria to produce energy for cells. Another enzyme, catalase, is inhibited at concentrations of 6,000 ppb.12 Other mechanisms of toxicity are also likely, and have recently been studied.

Hydrogen sulfide eruptions happen frequently off the shore of Namibia because of patterns in the ocean currents called upwelling. In this region, cold water pushes nutrients from the ocean floor to the surface, where ocean life thrives. In particular, large colonies of microscopic ocean plants, phytoplankton, grow in the nutrient rich water, forming the dark green swirls seen in this image. As the plants use all of the nutrients, they die and sink to the sea floor where bacteria consume them. The bacteria release toxic hydrogen sulfide gas into the soil. Eventually, the toxic gas erupts from the soil. In addition to the bright waters seen by satellites, the event is marked by massive fish die-offs and a strong smell that resembles rotten eggs. To date, hydrogen sulfide eruptions have only been observed off the shore of Namibia
Please click the picture to the left to enlarge.

HOWEVER hydrogen sulfide toxicity problems aside, I have observed and the most up to date scientific evidence supports that an aquarist or pond keeper CAN maintain de-nitrification without the worry-some production of hydrogen sulfides

For Further information about the Aquarium/Pond Nitrogen Cycle, please see this very well researched article:
"The Aquarium & Pond Nitrogen Cycle"

Further references:
http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/1997.../96JD03817.shtml
http://www.fhsu.edu/biology/eastrauss/Courses/MicrobEcol/Papers/Gerhardt%20et%20al%202005%20Biogeochem.pdf
http://reefkeeping.com/issues/2005-12/rhf/index.php

Fish Shipping

2008-09-06T17:18:00.000-07:00

Basics of Shipping Fish

Updated 1/11/12

By Carl Stohmeyer
• Tips and basics about shipping
• Problems to be aware of
• Methods and products
• This article is intended for shipping by bag, not moving an Aquarium, for this as well as transport of fish in containers please this Aquarium Answers article: Aquarium Answers; Tank Moving

The primary purpose of this article is not to point out a right or wrong way to ship fish, rather to outline what the primary problems are and ways to avoid them as well as to provide different options as to products that may help in shipping of fish (such as the sell of fish on eBay or AquaBid).

Some of the basics are rather obvious, however I will point them out;

*Make sure that you are shipping fish via USPS Priority, Fedex or similar. Also try and ship early in the week to ensure that the fish will not be held up over a weekend. If you can afford the higher fees of Fedex 2 day or even overnight I recommend this service in that you get real world tracking.
HOWEVER, I should note that FedEx technically does not allow for shipping of live fish, but I know of many who simply do not declare the package as "live fish" and then ship FedEx for more reliable results

*Be aware of temperatures along your route of shipping (especially if “Ground” is used and NOT all Priority Mail is Air!!!). For air destination is a primary concern due to time in the truck prior to delivery. Consider cold packs for fish such as Goldfish consider heat packs for tropical fish in colder climate winter months. Whether heat or cold packs are used, they should be wrapped in newspaper and NOT placed directly by the shipping bag. I also recommend choosing shorter duration shipping services during times of extreme temperatures (hot/cold)

*Pack with as much air, water, and insulation as possible. If standard shipping bags are used I recommend at least a 3 to 1 air over water ration. If possible inject pure oxygen into the fish bag.
For the Kordon Breathing Bags, little air is necessary, so this saves on space and more water can possibly be used.
As to Kordon Breathable Bags, these have gotten popular among some circles of aquarists, as these are a unique idea, however they are not without their flaws and in fact more major shippers I know do NOT recommend them; HOWEVER for individual fish shipments by private parties are where these bags have their best attributes, but in larger bulk shipments the negatives generally out weigh the positives.

From the Article “Aquarium Disease Prevention” here is more about Kordon “breathing” shipping bags:
Here are a few points + or – or N (neutral) about this bag:
+ The bags allow oxygen and CO2 exchange which also lowers pH shock upon arrival (the major benefit in my opinion)
+ Lowers size of shipping container as NO air needs to be added to the bag.
- The bags rupture easily; many shippers have told me that bag ruptures are triple normal.
N They still do not aid with ammonia/nitrites (although this is not truly a negative, more to just be aware of)
N These bags CANNOT be double bagged, otherwise they will NOT properly “breath”
- If bags come in contact with each other, they do not work well and packing them for the inevitable rough handling of shipping is nearly impossible or at least very time consuming.
- The bags do poorly with multiple fish per bag, in part because the bags are designed to hold small amounts of water so that fish can come close to the sides of the bags which multiple fish per bags usually does not allow.
- Higher cost.
- The bottom line is that the shippers I asked reported HIGHER losses with these bags.
Do not get me wrong, I think these are a unique idea, especially for smaller individual shipments, however based on my discussions with real world shippers, they do not work well for larger shipments.

PROBLEMS TO BE AWARE OF

Here are a few of the major problems encountered in shipping to avoid:

*First is ammonia/nitrite poisoning; this is major killer in shipping and is best avoided by a few or combined methods.
• Avoid feeding fish for 48 hours prior to shipping to lower wastes into the shipping bag.
• Shorten the duration of shipping as much as possible (I recommend to keep it under 3 days)
• Use of Products containing Methylene Blue as this product improves the Hemoglobin transfer and lowers ammonia/nitrite toxicity. Products such as Wonder Shells can also absorb some Ammonia/nitrites as can Zeolite (Ammonia Sorb), although the later is FW only.

*Oxygen depletion; adding pure oxygen or ample plain air can help here as can length of time in transit. Again Methylene Blue shines here again with its Hemoglobin Transfer abilities in the blood it allows for more oxygen. The use of the Kordon Breather Bags can help considerably with this problem as well.

*pH Shock; this is often the forgotten killer of shipped fish and in my opinion often the number one killer at that. This happens for CO2 buildup in the bag, which will then result in very low pH upon arrival. I have had fish shipped in water with a pH of 8.0 arrive and when the bag is opened, the water pH is under 6.5. It is not the actual pH that is primary concern, rather the fact that many well intentioned aquarists will dump these fish into a tank with pH similar to what these fish are generally kept at, but here in lies the problem: the pH scale is logarithmic and a change of 1 point in pH represents a tenfold increase in acidity or alkalinity. So in the example sited these fish would be shocked by a 15 times increase in alkalinity.
To address this, the shipping bag should only be opened just enough to allow a drip tube so as to slowly drip water from the display (or whatever aquarium will be receiving the new fish) at a rate of a drop every few seconds. I usually place the bag in a tub of aquarium water so as to slowly temperature adjust and allow for gravity dripping of the water (I use an airline valve to adjust the drip). I will also add a dose of Methylene Blue as per water volume for ammonia/nitrite toxicity (brown blood syndrome) to the water during this slow acclimation time. This process may need to take a few hours.

To lower this problem (nothing fully eliminates this problem), the use of Wonder Shell fragments aids pH and mineral control in shipping water. Also this is another benefit of properly used Kordon Breather Bags (please do not forget the negatives as well from earlier in the article).

Stress and loss of slime coat; Stress is obviously hard to prevent, but good handling and the use of stress lowering products can help. Large fish generally do not ship as well as they tend to get more “crazy” in the bag, this is where sedative products such as Tranquil shine and where Breather Bags generally fail miserably (they cannot be doubled and break easier)
Back to smaller fish (generally under 4-5 inches); products such as Jungle Bag Buddies help here with mild sedatives (not as strong as Tranquil) can help as well as Kordon’s Fish Protector and again even Wonder Shell fragments as these naturally add important minerals necessary for slime coat generation.

Useful Fish Shipping Products:

* Methylene Blue
Used for transportation (shipping) of fish as it prevents disease spread and is a hemoglobin transfer agent allowing more oxygen in crowded environments. MB also treats ammonia and nitrite poisoning which is a common in shipping.

* Wonder Shells
Not commonly thought of as a shipping product, HOWEVER I have found excellent results in the use of Wonder Shell Fragments in a shipping bag as Wonder Shells compliment Methylene Blue and Fish Calmers by addressing a major cause of fish death from shipping and the pH shock and mineral depletion

* Kordon Fish Protector
An excellent compliment to Methylene Blue and Wonder Shells; Fish Protector helps in shipping by forming a multi-layered protective slime coating on fishes' skin, protecting the fish during handling and minimizing infection. The coating works as an effective healing aid for fish with bruises, missing scales, or frayed fins.

The protective slime coating is formed by special polymer colloids, and does not involve irritating the fishes surface by the use of salt. Kordon Fish Protectors polymer colloids beneficially absorb medicinal dyes such as methylene blue and malachite green, as well as antibiotics.
Fish Protector acts as a carrier for such medications and can be used as an aid in applying them to the fish’s skin. Fish Protector combines skin slime replacers, that are more concentrated and faster working than those used in traditional slime coat conditioners. Kordon Fish Protector uses ingredients such as Novaqua, with the addition of vitamin B12 and increased Echinacea, all of which aids in the normal healing process of injured or stressed fish. Although Fish Protector also removes heavy metals such as lead, copper, and arsenic, it does not remove necessary elements such as Calcium and magnesium found in Wonder Shells

* Bag Buddies
With some Methylene Blue.
Fish calmer comes in tablets and protects fish by reducing stress, promoting slime coat, removing chlorine and chloramine, neutralizing harmful metals and adding beneficial electrolytes. Plus, with the added fish calmer, fish stress is further reduced. Just one tablet in fish bag water also releases oxygen into the fish bag and ensures fish arrive home safely, in quality condition and better overall health.

* Tranquil (Metomidate hydrochloride) by Syndel Laboratories LTD
Tranquil is a Sedative and acts on the central nervous system, other compounds work only on the peripheral nervous system. Tranquil blocks the stress response, other compounds either have no effect on stress or increase stress

* Aquacalm (Metomidate hydrochloride) by Syndel Laboratories LTD
Aquacalm is used for anesthesia or sedation of fish for tagging, weight sampling, spawning, transportation, experimentation, photography in aquaria and surgery. Aquacalm is also used for sedation of fish, often during transport, to reduce stress levels

*TMS (Tricaine methanesulfonate) by Syndel Laboratories LTD.
for anesthesia or sedation of fish for tagging, weight sampling, spawning, transportation, experimentation, photography in aquaria and surgery

SUMMARY

As I hope the reader gathered from this article (which I will surely update as I gather more information, new products/methods), or simply for better clarity; I have not necessarily recommended any one method as there are many options.
Shipping larger volumes of fish involves different practices than singe or a few fish (which is why Breather Bags can be a good or bad choice). Also a large crazy fish such as some Arowana can require different handling and products to add or use.

I will comment on the method that has worked best for me for shipping via bags (it also works for containers in tank moving as well). That is either Methylene Blue or Jungle Bag Buddies along with Wonder Shell fragments and of course following the other tips as well such as withholding feedings, slow drip, etc. Use of these products addresses some of the most dangerous and important aspects of shipping.
You can also combine Methylene Blue and Wonder Shells with products such as “Tranquil” or “Fish Calmer” for even more potential benefits, although “Bag Buddies” should not be combined with “Fish Calmer” or “Tranquil” as they overlap too much in what they do to the fish.

I do disagree with one sided statements/opinions that I have heard that Tranquil or similar products are best. This is quite bluntly comparing apples to oranges and leaves out the dangers of ammonia poisoning or pH shock that other products do address. Unfortunately these persons that state this are not only ignoring the major killers of shipped fish, but by such bold statements are ignoring the many variables that go into shipping.

Aquarium Size, Fish Stunting, sizing formulas

2008-07-12T16:33:00.000-07:00

Determining The Maximum Aquarium Size For The Fish To Be Kept (including ALL factors, not just inches per gallon); As Well As Fish Stunting:

Updated 12/19/11

Quick "Jump" Index:
*Overview
*Stunting
*Aquarium Sizing

Overview

A lot of controversy surrounds the subject about tank size, often resulting well intentioned but incomplete advice being given.
This often a controversial subject among aquarists, especially well intentioned advanced aquarists, often resulting in confused aquarists (both beginner and even advanced).

One aspect is often missed and that is that although the gallons per fish rule (please see the section later in this article about aquarium sizing) is a good starting point, there is vastly more that goes into this subject making these sizing formulas often very inaccurate as fish grow or based on fish type and habits.

Also it is important to note that there is no denying that the bigger an aquarium you can afford, maintain or have space for the better for many good reasons! BUT I again have kept MANY aquariums under a variety of conditions and monitored them in controlled experiments and is often a small aquarium can work for what many might consider over crowded conditions provided excellent filtration, cleaning maintenance, circulation, feeding procedures (and quality food), chemistry, etc.
For example you can state categorically that a 10 gallon aquarium with (2) 2 inch goldfish that is well maintained with a hang on the back (power) and a sponge filter will have vastly better water parameters than a 20 gallon with the same goldfish that is poorly maintained with a corner bubbler filter.

Similar to the points I have laid out in my “Aquarium Disease Prevention Article”, the more steps you follow beside the very basic amount of fish per gallon rule/suggestion, the more fish you can stock in a given aquarium.
For example, I kept a 60 gallon Feeder Goldfish tank that often had over 500 goldfish at a time in it. Is this over crowded? Certainly, however I kept water parameters good by virtue of twice daily water changes, positive ion mineralization (such as calcium that is often ignored), large amounts of filtration (in the case of the aquarium I am speaking of, a larger tower fluidized filter along with a canister filter and air stones, and finally UV Sterilization, which I cannot say enough about. This of course is an extreme example and NOT meant for long term fish keeping, only VERY short term. My point is I have kept similar Feeder tanks without the same procedures, filtration, etc. and the water parameters were NEVER as good.

As a more “Real World” example are all the controlled trials I performed (mostly using goldfish at the Bahooka Restaurant and Coaster Co. of America, which between the tow clients I had over 140 aquariums). Many of the trails involved filters and stocking and measuring the results and I often found better water parameters, and MUCH healthier fish in the smaller tanks that were maintained with the same number of fish as with the tanks that were often more than twice their size.
The difference was much better filtration, correct chemistry (including GH, KH, please see this article: “Aquarium and Pond GH, KH, pH, and electrolytes”), Better maintenance, and UV Sterilization. All of these also have an affect on Aquarium Redox which is a major indicator of tank health.

I should make one more point as per determining if a tank is too crowded or not (which was noted earlier about twice daily water changes), and that is the water change schedule. In fact if “flow through” water change methods are employed correctly, this can greatly increase the amount of fish the tank can hold (assuming you are not trying to keep a 12 inch arowana in a 20 gallon tank where other issues then arise). This is possible in part due to improved Redox, mineralization and low hormone levels from the fish since these are removed via the constant changes of water.
See this article: “Aquarium Cleaning; Flow through Method

Stunting;

It may seem like I am promoting situations that would induce stunting, but I am NOT.
I am referring to fish populations that can live comfortably within their surroundings and with their tank mates, or in the case of goldfish, knowing that anything less than an 8-10 gallon for short to medium term is not healthy, while a 20 gallon PLUS is much better for the long term.
Stunting would involve placing a baby Arowana or Quetzal Cichlid (or similar cichlid that will easily grow to 12 plus inches) in a 20 gallon aquarium.
Stunting IS CRUEL, and at the very least does not allow the fish to reach its full potential, including lifespan.

There are many theories that go into what happens biologically in stunting, here are a few thoughts:
*Often the tanks these fish are in have high nitrates which are converted into nitrites in the bloodstream and weakens the fish (see this article: "Aquarium Nitrates, about")
*A poor Redox Balance is often observed.
*Hormones excreted from the fish inhibit growth (and lifespan), which are more concentrated in a tank too small for the fish there in contained.

Picture Examples of potentially over crowded aquariums
Both these pictures are photo-shopped examples, not actual aquariums.

In this example a Quetzal Cichlid (vieja synspila) is shown in a 14 gallon Bio Cube. This fish has NO chance of long term or even short term viability due to its large size, inability to move around, and inability to carry out its natural behaviors. Honestly this picture needs little explanation.

In this example, we have an aquarium that is a potential short to medium term problem and a definite long term problem. The difference short term to medium term is filtration and maintenance. This is a viable tank while the goldfish are still young with good filtration/maintenance. This tank shown has a built in wet/dry and separate Sponge Filter that has the pump directing water out to a 5 watt Terminator UV Sterilizer and back in.
If this tank was stocked with fish such as Platties that have no chance of out growing/stunting, this set up could easily handle a higher what is considered “Normal” number of fish.

Here are a few benefits of an under stocked aquarium:

*Less concern about cleaning schedules and missing a cleaning due to a busy schedule.
*More likely to have a stable chemistry, without intervention; this includes a stable pH, KH, GH as well as low ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates.
*Better disease resistance
*When diseases do find their way into the aquarium, they are much less likely to spread like “wildfire” in an un-crowded aquarium
*Generally longer lifespans for the fish

BASICS OF AQUARIUM SIZING

(Expanded information from “Freshwater Aquarium Basics”)

Start with as large an aquarium as you can afford (even for bettas).
The very BASIC principle that is to have 1 inch (or a bit more) of NARROW bodied fish per FILTERED aquarium gallon is a starting point, but not very accurate. This also only applies to a standard rectangular aquarium. Goldfish are dirty and fatter, so I would triple this with them, in fact for long term goldfish health, one goldfish per 8-10 gallons is best (One goldfish per 30 liters).

Obviously longer fish need more tank width and length. I would decrease the amount of fish proportional to the gallons in a tall aquarium or hexagon aquarium.
Remember, many fish purchased can grow much larger than your original purchase size (ex: goldfish), so keep this in mind too.

* To figure your tank size get your tank length, height, and width in inches then apply this formula (multiple all dimensions):
L x H x W = X; Then divide X by 231
This gives you exact gallons of the tank. In round tanks or unusual shapes you will have to extrapolate.
To convert gallons to liters multiply by 3.785
(Ex. a 20 gallon tank = 75 liters).

What is much more important in determining how many fish you should add to your aquarium are these factors:

*The amount of surface area relative to the gallons of water the aquarium holds. I have observed many tall narrow aquariums over the years of my maintenance service where the filtration and other factors were equal to comparable sized and stocked rectangular aquariums, that general fish health and longevity were lower.

*Type of fish; such as fish that naturally produce more waste (partly due to the type of food they eat) such as goldfish where one fish per 8+ gallons are better, although for long term health a larger aquarium is better, however small goldfish can be kept in a smaller aquarium with the aquarist knowing that this is short term housing.

Fish such as an Arowana that stay primarily on the surface will need a disproportionately large aquarium (I recommend 200 + gallons for just one Arowana). And as pointed out earlier, you cannot compare a heavy bodied cichlid for instance to a narrow bodied tetra of similar length (and again consider what your Cichlid will grow to!!)

As noted earlier wide body or simply dirty fish need much more room than their proportional size as they grow. An example would be a Koi kept in an aquarium. While five baby 1 inch Koi could easily be kept short term in a 10 gallon aquarium, just one 5 inch koi should not be kept even short term in this same 10 gallon aquarium (except maybe for transport), this one 5 inch Koi would require a 25 gallon aquarium

*Length of Fish; A fish being able to comfortably turn in an aquarium is also a factor in aquarium sizing.
Using an arowana and Koi as examples again; a 15 inch arowana would need AT LEAST a 15 inch wide aquarium, ditto for a 15 inch Koi. Using a 100 gallon aquarium 60"L x 20"H x 18"w, this would be fine for one possibly two 15 inch Koi
This of coarse is not the only factor to consider, as when we use or Arowana example this aquarium would still be better off in a 200 gallon aquarium as noted earlier.

*Filtration & Circulation; a properly filtered aquarium (good bio filtration, good mechanical filtration, and good circulation) with multiple aquarium filters is important. Good filtration with quality well maintained filters can go a long way in allowing an otherwise small aquarium to hold more fish. See this article for more about Aquarium filtration: “Aquarium Filtration, Filters, About”

*Maintenance schedule that includes regular efficient water changes. Good cleaning routines (20% water changes with a gravel vacuum once per week or two). If you have nitrates that struggle to stay below 40-50 ppm, you probably have an over stocked aquarium (especially if there are live plants!). Also a kH and pH that start out at proper levels, but then drop quickly after water changes and/or addition of stabilizing chemicals or products such as Wonder Shells can indicate over stocking (as well as other problems such as mulm buildup).
Using “flow through” water changes where by a small amount of water is constantly being changed, can allow for much more stocking if done correctly as this allows for improved Redox and considerably lowers hormones in the water. See this article in the section about flow through cleanings: “Aquarium Cleaning; Flow through Method

*Well maintained water chemistry; including GH, KH and Redox not just low ammonia, nitrites, and nitrates. This is an area of aquarium keeping that is often missed even by advanced aquarists since many are not aware of the effect on overcrowding a tank with low electrolytes or an unbalanced Redox have.

*New or experienced aquarist; a new aquarist needs to start with a much less crowded aquarium.
*Proper feeding; Over feeding and/or feeding a poor diet that is mostly passed through the fish’ digestive tract due to low digestibility is a major cause of pollution, leading to high DOC, high nitrates, unstable pH, and poor Redox Balance. All of which will make an otherwise un-crowded aquarium become overloaded as per bio load and capacity.

*Even UV Sterilization will improve bio load as it improves Redox balance and immunity as well as simply lowering DOC (Dissolved organic compounds.

Aquarium Algae Control; Brown Diatom, Hair, Marine, BBA, Green Spot & Water

2008-04-23T10:47:00.000-07:00

AQUARIUM ALGAE

• Brown Diatom Algae
• Common Green Algae (aka Dust Algae)
• Thread/Hair Algae
• Green Water
• Marine Hair Algae (Green Filamentous Algae)
• BBA, Black Brush Algae, Black Beard Algae, Red Brush Algae
• Cyanobacteria (Blue Green Algae)
• Planted Aquarium; Summary

This Aquarium Answers article (post) is not intended as a complete algae control article, but is intended to address the types of algae that I receive the most questions about which are Brown Diatom Algae, Freshwater Thread/Hair Algae, Black Beard Brush Algae (BBA), and Marine Hair Algae aka Filamentous marine algae (I address other algae as well in this article). I will add to and update this article as well over time.

Updated 1/11/12

Brown/Diatom Algae

Brown Algae is not considered a true algae as per many biologists, rather a diatom. However under the 5 Kingdom classification system both Brown Diatoms and more common algae fall into the "grab bag" Kingdom; "Proctotista", although Brown Diatom Algae fall into the division Bacillariophyceae.

Diatoms also single-cell organisms but are significantly larger and more complicated than cyanobacteria. They have cell walls containing silica. The individual cells are yellow-green to brown. They contain two types of chlorophyll and at some stage in their life cycles have motile stages which move by the action of one or two tiny beating hairs called flagella.

Most diatoms show very limited mobility and exist primarily as groups of cells growing a film over the surface of objects. In low concentrations they probably don't have any noticeable effect in aquarium systems, and indeed they are probably always present.
These diatom cells are encased within a unique cell wall made of silica (hydrated silicon dioxide). The yellowish-brown chloroplasts within Brown Diatom algae are what give this “algae” its typical appearance.
Brown Diatoms are found in fresh and saltwater as well as soil. Diatoms are a major component of plankton, free-floating microorganisms of marine or freshwater environments. Not all diatoms float freely though; many may cling to surfaces such as aquatic plants, gravel, décor, molluscs, and crustaceans. Brown Diatom Algae are dependent upon silicates and high DOC (dissolved organic compounds) in the water and thrive in conditions where the minerals and Redox are out of balance. Brown diatom algae also out compete more desirable green algae in these conditions when light is poor for healthy photosynthesis due to lack adequate amounts of light in the proper PAR.

With the above points in mind, I will again emphasize that Brown Diatoms MUST have silicates present to reproduce, although removal of al silicates is often not feasible, in many of the methods (outlined in the removal tips below) the aquarist can lower the available silicates including by simply adding plants or encouraging green algae to grow which will out compete the Brown diatoms.
From the Aquarium Answers article; “Aquarium Test Kits” here are some silicate parameters: Natural seawaters contain silicates around 10 ppm however due to differences in a closed system (which an aquarium is) and the ocean it is best to maintain silicates under 1 ppm in an aquarium to prevent diatom blooms and aid in uptake of essential elements such as Strontium by corals.
In freshwater, silicates are generally between 4-20 ppm and should be kept under 4 ppm in an aquarium, although usually this is not a problem in healthy established freshwater aquariums where lighting is good to encourage plants or green algae (both of which will starve also consume silicates limiting diatom growth).

This is a common algae in new aquariums (including marine tanks), especially aquariums that have not fully cycled as this leaves many available nutrients for these diatoms.
If an established aquarium struggles with these diatoms, this is often an indicator of excessive silica, poor mineral/electrolyte balance, an unstable biological aquarium environment (often caused by poor filtration, poor cleaning procedures, Redox Balance, Aquarium Lightingor over medication).

Here are a few tips (suggestions) for eradication of Brown Diatom Algae (in no particular order of importance):

• Use re-mineralized RO water if silicates are high in tap water.
For saltwater 100% RO or DI water use is fine for both mixing with marine salt mix or topping off for evaporation.
HOWEVER in freshwater I do not generally recommend 100% use of RO or DI water, rather blended water and even then it is best to re-mineralize with products such as Wonder Shells, and check the KH and adjust accordingly with products such as SeaChem Buffer or even SeaChem Cichlid salt which has other important minerals and KH enhancing carbonates as well.

• Correct proper mineralization with products such as Wonder Shells or other mineral blocks. Maintaining a correct KH, pH, and GH balance is a good place to start as well. The use of balanced buffers in marine tanks such as SeaChem Marine Buffer is highly suggested.
• Along the same line of thought as the previous points, the use of products such as SeaChem’s Phosguard which removes silicates (and of coarse phosphates as well) can help rid your tank of the silicates brown diatom algae must have to survive

• Turning over gravel daily by hand and/or with a gravel vacuum slow the spread

• The use of UV Sterilization will also slow the spread of free floating diatoms and aids in the improvement of Redox Balance which is also important.
If UV Sterilizers are employed in your aquarium it is also important that these devices have their UV Bulbs replaced every six months, otherwise your UV Sterilizer will cease being effective.

• A healthy, established nitrogen cycle is essential for control of Brown Diatoms.

• Correct lighting as per the amount in lumens and the correct PAR often usually found at about 6500 Kelvin (an incorrect PAR is often the problem when lighting is the reason behind Brown Diatom Algae growth in established aquariums). Generally around 9-12 hours per day is adequate. This will allow green algae and plants to out compete the Brown Diatoms. Please see this article for more information: “Aquarium Lighting, how it works”
In marine tanks this may also indicate inadequate lumens of this high PAR light energy present in the aquarium, so even if the correct lighting is used, you may need higher energy lights (for both fresh & saltwater) such as LED or SHO

• Live plants (or green marine to algae in saltwater tanks) “out compete” diatoms

• Cut back on feeding or switch to higher quality foods that is less likely to produce high amounts of wastes and may also be high in silicates.

• Use near boiling water on décor, rocks (not gravel), plastic plants, etc. This is VERY effective in killing brown diatoms while at the same time allowing the establishment of healthy green algae that will often survive this procedure. I have used this method for years with excellent results.

• For freshwater aquariums, the addition of salt (sodium chloride) can aid in the control of many algae (not just Brown Diatom), however too much salt can interfere with your live plants (if you have them in the first place). I would recommend starting low, especially if live plants are present at 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons and then slowly increasing if needed.

• Snails, especially Nerite Snails (for FW OR SW). Please see the section on snails for further links/information in this article: "Aquarium Plants"

• Oto Catfish, Otocinclus affinis , or Bristlenose Plecsostumus are fish that MAY remove and keep this algae in check in a planted tank ( I prefer Nirite snails though)

• Patience and time (about 8-12 weeks) for new tanks, often this is all it takes for a new tank.

• Please note that the suggestions using boiling water, algae eaters, and snails are methods to bring Brown Diatoms under control, however after the being "patient" with a new tank for a few months or in the case of established aquariums, these suggestions are meant for control and if their continued use is still needed this indicates other issues that need to be addressed such as organic load (DOC), lighting, mineralization, Redox, etc.

Common Green Algae (Sometimes referred to as Dust Algae)

This is the most common algae in established freshwater aquariums with or without plants.
This is the algae that coats the front and side glass. It's generally a good sign if that is the only algae that is noticeable in your tank. Generally simply scraping the glass and rinsing off plastic plants with a 1/25 bleach/water solution (followed by a rinsing with de-chlorinators and water) prior to your water change is all that's needed to control this easy to control.

Green Spot Algae

These are hard circular algae spots that take hard scrubbing too remove from the tank glass. Moderate to high phosphate limited tanks have more problems with green spot algae on plants. Green Spot Algae is often eliminated with increasing phosphate levels in your water. Try to maintain at least 0.3 to 0.5 of phosphates throughout the week and more preferable is in the range of 1.0 - 2.0 ppm of phosphates (however this algae is considered normal in small amounts).
Some Plecostomus such as the Rubbernose may help, however these fish may also damage plants as well.

Reference:
http://fins.actwin.com/aquatic-plants/month.9604/msg00009.html

Thread/Hair Algae

Most Thread/Hair algae grow extremely fast. Most of the time hair algae come into an aquarium attached to the plant you purchased (I have seen it many times attached to the root structure of Java Fern). It can also come in as some floating fragments in the water with newly purchased fish. As well Hair Algae may be attached to snail shells (often in hard to see tiny “hairs”).
Some aquarium keepers believe that hair algae comes into an aquarium in spores and this may be how it spreads (airborne spores are more likely a problem with a pond), however there is no hard evidence to support this idea; likely the Hair Algae was probably there all the time in vegetative form, but there wasn't enough of it to be noticed until it multiplied under the right conditions.

Please click on the picture to enlarge for a better view

You can manually remove handfuls every couple of days. After eliminating this type of algae is it a good idea to add an algae eating crew.

*There are many fish that may help with this;
Rosy Barbs, American-Flag Fish, Amano Shrimp, Bristlenose Plecostomus, even Platties.

*A 3% bleach solution to dip new plants in for about 4 minutes can kill and thus prevent the introduction of hair algae (this can kill new plants growths on the plant dipped, so this should be expected).

*High levels of iron (1 ppm or more) have also been linked to thread algae.
Discontinue liquid Iron Supplements, consider the use of plant soils or Root Tabs for this nutrient in planted aquariums as excess iron can encourage hair algae growth.

*Checking the introduction of Hair Algae (prevention) is key, as most of the time hair algae will be introduced attached to a purchased live plant. Hair Algae may come in attached to the shells of snails, rocks collected from river/lakes, or similar. It can also come in as some floating fragments in the water containing a newly purchased fish.
There are many anecdotal stories about how a particular form of hair algae suddenly showed up in somebody's aquarium that has resultedin many believing this is the primary cause of spread, which is incorrect. Actually, it was probably there all the time in vegetative form attached in a minute form to a plant root, rock, snail shell, etc.

Generally, while a UV Sterilizer can help aid in the spread of many algae, this is generally not the case with hair algae since it does not spread via spores and thus UV Sterilizers do not help.

*As with BBA, there is evidence that too much light in the blue spectrum allows hair algae to out compete plants, so a tank with balanced 6500K daylight lighting is recommended and discontinue the use of any actinic/blue lights if used or the use of high Kelvin daylight lamps (such as 14,000K) in all but the deepest aquariums (higher Kelvin daylight lights may be used with 6400 -6500K for better water penetration in tanks over 24 inches deep).

If you have 10,000k or higher lighting in a tank under 24 inches I would strongly suggest switching to 6400-6500k lights such as the T2 6400K lights or the TMC GroBeam 6500k LED Lights.

*Magnets can be added to your filter or water lines (place away from the impeller in HOB or similar filter). Magnets work by removing iron from the water that free hair algae need for photosynthesis.
I do NOT recommend using magnets in tanks with live plants, although green water is often less of a problem in these tanks.

GREEN WATER

Green water in aquariums is caused by free floating algae.

*High waste particulate matter in the water column (DOC), which over crowding, over feeding and also important here is improper feeding (poor quality food that is mostly passed thru the fish, usually non aquatic amino acids an too much cereal are the culprits here).

*Nutrients in the water column (related to the previous cause) such as Nitrates and phosphates; Nitrates should be under 40 ppm and phosphates as close to 0 as possible.
See: Aquarium Nitrates

*Poor water chemistry. GH or kH to low (best above 100 and 50 ppm respectively). Redox should be +125 to -200 mV (for freshwater), and pH should be stable and above 6.5 in most cases (a falling/low pH combined with higher nitrates can indicate high organic decomposition in an aquarium which is a major factor in).

*Aquarium not fully cycled; this is a common cause and often shows as elevated ammonia and nitrite levels.
See: Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle

*Intense or incorrect lighting; the use of household standard light bulbs or cool white Fluorescents can contribute to poor lighting that encourages “pea soup” water. Also placement of the aquarium at or near a window can also be a major contributing factor to this problem.

Corrective Measures for Green Water:

*20% water change (or more) using a Gravel Vacuum (especially to remove nitrogenous waste (organic mulm) than often accumulates under rocks or UGF plates).
The use of products such as the Eheim Sludge Remover can help in between water changes (but these do NOT take the place of a water change)

*Add a UV Sterilizer. A UV Sterilizer is almost 100% effective in the eradication of green (pea soup) water, so if you can afford this option, I would use one. A UV Sterilizer can be basic such as the SunSun Internal or top notch such as the TMC 8 Watt Vecton (of which a top notch UV such as the Vecton can go a long ways in aiding in Redox Balance and disease prevention)
Please click on the picture above/left for a larger view of the same aquarium shown earlier after a quality, properly installed UV Sterilizer was added

*Make sure your Nitrates are below 40 ppm (or less), and your phosphates as close to 0 as possible.
Consider products such as Algone

*Lower you fish stocking.

*Electrolytes (mineral cations) such as those of magnesium and calcium. Wonder Shells are useful here so is aragonite in the filter.

*Cut back on feeding and improve food quality. Better choices: HBH, Spirulina 20, AquaMasters just to name a few. For more about proper feeding, please read this article: Fish Nutrition; Correct Ingredients

*Increase circulation and dissolved oxygen.

*Move your tank to a different location if near a window (being next to a window is often major contributing factor).
Improve lighting to 6400-6500K lights if low quality lights are an issue such as the T2 Aquarium Lights or the Compact Fluorescent Aquarium Lights, both are available in 6400 K.

*As noted in the previous section (hair algae), Magnets can be added to your filter or water lines (place away from the impeller in HOB or similar filter). Magnets work by removing iron from the water that free floating algae need for photosynthesis.
I do NOT recommend using magnets in tanks with live plants, although green water is often less of a problem in these tanks.

*Add aquatic plants to compete with the free floating algae for nutrients, light.

*Add copper or products such as Medicated Wonder Shells that contain Copper and Methylene Blue that kill free floating algae, however even if this corrects the problem, this more addresses the symptoms than the cause from my experience.

Marine Hair Algae (green filamentous algae)

Although not the problem or scourge that red slime (Cyanobacteria), this algae can over take an aquarium in short order and is often an indicator of high nitrates and phosphates. Although I consider algae growth generally an indicator of a healthy marine aquarium, normally I recommend less problematic algae such as the Macro-Algae. Macro-algae is the 'plant' and encrusting algae that you see in many experience saltwater aquarists marine tanks. Macro algae cut down on light available to the micro algae, and compete directly for the nutrients otherwise available to problem algae. Caulerpa spp, encrusting corallines (a group of Red algae resembling corals), Bubble Algae aka; Valonia macroalgae (although bubble algae can become problem algae on occasion as well) are examples here. Other beneficial algae that do not take over an aquarium include Green Gracillaria algae as these green algae are beneficial for nitrate reduction without the “overbearing problems of Green Filamentous algae which tends to take over an aquarium, often squeezing out your polyps, mushrooms, etc.

For Filamentous marine algae (hair algae), I would recommend changing water with marine salt mixed with RO water only.
I would also try and get a deep sand bed going in your aquarium or a separate tank for nitrate removal.
Finally I would suggest a clean up crew of creatures such as Trochus, Nerite, and Turbo Snails.

I have information/links for deep sand beds and other methods for nitrate removal in my Marine Aquarium article: “Saltwater Aquarium Basics; Fish, Nano Reef, Reef” as well as this Aquarium Answers article about Nitrates: “Aquarium Nitrates”

BBA/Black Brush Algae/Black Beard Algae/Red Algae

Technically this is a type of red algae, but that classification does not define its appearance. This unwanted algae grows in feathery black or red tufts 2-3 mm long, and often shows up on older parts of plants and on slower-growing plants like Anubias and some Echinodorus.
Black beard/brush algae is a form of "red algae" in the genus Audouinella that commonly attaches to edges of plant leaves or drift wood and is more common in low CO2 water conditions, that are low in most minerals (although often high in iron), carbonates, and pH (although these algae will also grow in alkaline, high pH waters as well).
(Click on the picture to the left for another view)

This is in my opinion is the most aggravating freshwater algae I know of and I have not found a magic bullet for this as of yet. I also have plant keeping friends in hobby and profession that also want to pull their hair out when it comes to this algae.

This furry, thread-like flora attaches to various aquarium surfaces including the edges of plant leaves, filter tubes and even gravel. It may have many colors (purple, gray-green, black) and resembles beard hair or fur. In the aquarium literature, this nuisance is often called beard or brush algae.
Most aquarists consider BBA to come in three forms; The long thread variety is called beard algae, the shorter thread type is called brush algae; and a third type is described as having very short threads and forms dark semi-round spots.

Physically removing rocks and wood that have these algae on it and then scrubbing it off will also give plants a better chance of utilizing nutrients and over coming these algae. The use of Sea Chem Flourish Excel has been shown to be effective for some in control of this algae. The reason behind this is that Flourish Excel is formula is Aldehydes based which are effected by oxidation which is another indicator of the importance of VERY regular but often small water changes (as much as 5-10% per day) to bring about a healthy Redox (among other methods of Redox control). This admittedly is only a theory at this point, however I have observed vastly better algae control (of all sorts of algae) in ponds where I achieved a healthy Redox via flow through water changes, mineralization and a PROPERLY installed UV Sterilizer.

A few ideas for removal of BBA
(Please see the summary of this article for more general algae control ideas that can apply to BBA as well)

• Do NOT use actinic lights or even 50/50 lights that contain actinic (blue) light as I have found BBA thrive on this light more than plants and will out compete with plants for essential nutrients, making it difficult to keep the leaves free of BBA. I strongly recommend 6000-7000 K lights ONLY!
See this article for more: “Aquarium Lighting, PAR”

• I have also found (as in Brown Diatoms) that pouring near boiling water over decorations such as rocks or filter returns, etc. that have BBA o them works well for killing this algae while allowing establishment of much less onerous green algae.

• Siamese Algae Eaters (SAE) are very good at keeping these algae in check (providing that there is not more tasty green algae or left over fish food). Some other fish such as Platties and Rosy Barbs will occasionally snack on BBA as well.
Shrimp such as Amano and Cherry Shrimp, as well as Nerite Snails can work for control of BBA.

The use of baths/dips for treatment of BBA:

Sea Chem Flourish Excel can be used as a quick dip solution (about 30 seconds) for plants to kill algae. I recommend diluting with about 5 parts water with 1 part Flourish Excel, however I have not established an exact dilution as of yet (so experimentation may be necessary).

Hydrogen Peroxide can also be used as a dip/bath (or even added directly to the aquarium), this can be especially effective for the control of Black Beard Algae.
When added directly to the tank, this is best at a rate of 2 oz. of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide per 10 gallons.
HOWEVER this is best done without shrimp (such as Cherry Shrimp) present, as this will generally kill them. As well many fish are sensitive to Hydrogen Peroxide, such as Cory and Oto Catfish, so my preferred use is as a dip/bath. Even then some plants are sensitive as well such as Corkscrew Vallisneria, so experiment with Hydrogen Peroxide in small amounts if unsure or simply use my preferred method baths/dips which is Flourish Excel as noted earlier.

For plant baths, I would recommend about 4 oz. of 3% Hydrogen Peroxide for approximately 30 minutes. For a 30 second dip, about a 5 to 1 solution of Hydrogen Peroxide applied by basting the plants with the solution (this solution can be increased if results are not satisfactory).

Please read this article for about the use and risks of Hydrogen Peroxide: Hydrogen Peroxide

Finally as I noted earlier about BBA, it can be a frustrating algae, however I have often found it much simpler to control this algae rather than pull my hair out in trying to totally eradicate it. This is often easily done with some of the suggestions in the summary of this article (please read further), such as trimming of leaves with the BBA, scraping of these leaves as well, correct lighting (meaning 6500 K high PAR lights and no actinic), good mineralization, added CO2 which includes methods such as Flourish Excel in its bio available liquid form, regular water changes, and more.

Cyanobacteria (Blue Green Algae/ Red Slime Algae)

Blue/Green Algae which is more appropriately called Cyanobacteria is more closely related to bacteria than algae, however it is worth noting here since it can be a difficult problem in both fresh and saltwater. Cyanobacteria is more common in a tank that is not healthy or that has a high load of dissolved organics. Cyanobacteria has many species and forms and causes great angst among planted tank beginners and experienced hobbyist alike. Some forms of BGA grow slow and are very difficult to kill, other species grow very quickly and can overwhelm and "smother" all the plants in short order.
For my full discussion of Cyanobacteria, please see my separate article about it:
“Cyanobacteria (Red/Orange Slime, Blue Green Algae) in Aquariums”

PLANTED AQUARIUM ALGAE PROBLEMS (SUMMARY)

Most true algae (not Cyanobacteria) compete with plants for the same nutrients and light, so battling algae is often very difficult, however from my experience with ponds in particular it is often a “battle” than cannot be totally won but certainly can be checked by keeping nutrients away from algae (such as substrate nutrients) while providing them to plants and understanding that algae are more simple life forms than plants and have less complicated needs, so addressing the more complex needs of higher plants will allow them to out compete (sometimes this is as simple as removal of as much algae as possible to give the plants a foot hold, although this can also be a much more difficult task).

When it comes to algae control in a planted tank this is also noteworthy as even though added carbon (CO2) will often help plants out compete algae, thus retarding unwanted algae growth, if algae grows out of control as soon as added carbon is removed, there are likely other problems contributing to this including;

*Unusable/ unavailable nutrients (micronutrients and macronutrients). Here is a list of important nutrients (listed in recommended added solution, not ppm as stated earlier in the article):
Potassium (often available as Soluble Potash)- .37%, Iron- .32%, Sulfur- .27%, Sodium- .13%, Calcium- .14%, Magnesium- .11%, Nitrogen- .07%, Nitrogen- .07%, Available Phosphate- .01%, Boron- .009%, Cobalt- 0004%, Copper- .0001%, Zinc- .0007% Molybdenum- .0009%,.
Here are a few sources: Sea Chem Flourish, PMDD , Regular Wonder Shells, Flourish Root Tablets . Not all these sources have all the required nutrients many can be mixed as you find your own success.
Much has been published lately about the addition of PO4 (phosphates) to control algae, however I believe this is only partially correct and based on some false assumptions; PO4 along with NO3 and Potassium are important Macronutrients that need to be in balance. I have found that simply changing water will (assuming proper mineralization of new water) will control algae by adding all these macronutrients.
What is happening is that algae are much better equipped than higher plants to compete in conditions of low nutrients, however the addition of these nutrients allows much better competition. Adding only PO4 does not bring these macronutrients into balance and even though many claim this solved their problem, they have not run a control group to see if this was only part of the equation.

*Poor substrate for healthy plant growth (only certain plants!). Make sure your substrate is rich in Iron (Fe). Iron is an important trace element; your tank substrate should contain a reasonable amount of Iron. Liquid iron will, if over dosed, favor Hair algae. It can be added through tablet Iron rich fertilizers and through substrates like SeaChem Fluorite, Laterite and EcoComplete

*Important! - Poor lighting that does not allow plants to compete with algae. Although when more useful light energy is added more nutrients including CO2 are needed. I do not agree with the method of darkening a tank for a few days as plants often have higher light requirements than algae (in part due to their complexity), this only gives the algae more time to out compete plants!

*High or too low Nitrates. Nitrates should be between 10 & 15 ppm for plants; with nitrates above 40 ppm, I have seen excessive algae growth in many aquariums (although high nitrates are rarely a problem in tanks with healthy plant growth). Too low and plants will starve for this important macronutrient. See: Freshwater Aquarium Plant Care

* Aquarium Cleaning Frequency. Often increasing the frequency (even twice or tree times per week) will improve conditions in the aquarium so as to allow plants to out compete algae. In part this improves the macronutrient balance as discussed above (as well as improvements in Redox and lowering DOC). I however do not recommend increasing the amount of water changed.

*Trim plants of dying, decaying, or algae covered leaves, even if this removes much of your plants. This is much like pruning in your garden. This forces plants to generate new and healthy leaves that will often do better at out competing algae.

*Dip your new plants or even established plants, although this will cause a temporary shock to established plants.
Here are a few methods;

• Bleach used in a 20 to 30 parts water to 1 part bleach for 2-3 minutes for delicate plants and 4-5 minutes for broad leaf plants; followed by a quick dip in sodium Thiosulfate or other de-chlorinator/ water mixture (Sodium Thiosulfate is found in many aquarium/pond de-chlorinators such as Start Right and I recommend that the dose used to neutralize the bleach be double to triple the normal suggested amount for tank use).
• Potassium Permanganate in a solution of water and enough Potassium Permanganate to turn you water pink for 20 minutes is also effective for many algae, diseases and usually snails, again followed by a sodium Thiosulfate or other de-chlorinator/ water mixture.
• Hydrogen Peroxide can be used as a 30 second dip in a solution of about a five to one, water to 3% Household Hydrogen Peroxide applied by basting the plants with the solution (this solution can be increased if results are not satisfactory).
• Sea Chem Flourish Excel , this product can be used as a quick dip solution (about 30 seconds) for plants to kill algae. I recommend diluting with about 5 parts water with 1 part Flourish Excel.
Also the dosing of Flourish Excel in your aquarium can be effective for algae control as well. Flourish Excel contains a polymerized isomer of glutaraldehyde trademarked as polycycloglutaracetal by SeaChem and is the active ingredient in this product, which is a fertilizer for aquatic plants. It is claimed that it provides a bioavailable source of carbon for higher plants that is not available to algae. Though not marketed as such due to federal regulations, the algaecidal effect of glutaraldehyde kills most algae at concentrations of 0.5 - 5.0 ppm.

*Improper GH and KH levels (or mineralization, especially GH). Here is a quote:
“The release of carbonate converted from bicarbonate by plant life can cause pH to climb dramatically (above 9) during periods of rapid photosynthesis by dense phytoplankton (algal) blooms. This rise in pH can occur in low alkalinity water (20 to 50 mg/L) or in water with moderate to high bicarbonate alkalinity (75 to 200 mg/L) that has less than 25 mg/L hardness.”
Source:
Interactions of pH, Carbon Dioxide, Alkalinity and Hardness

* UV Sterilization; Despite many claims that a UV Sterilizer can only kill free floating algae, I have found evidence in many tests that a UV Sterilizer can control (not eliminate) the spread of many algae.
I do not have a conclusive answer as to why I have found these positive results with algae control in aquariums (& ponds) with the use of UV Sterilizers/Clarifiers, however I suspect the reason is twofold:
(1) The UV Irradiation kills algae spores, thus slowing the spread (as noted earlier, algae that spread "vegetatively" such as hair algae may see little improvement with the addition of a UV Sterilizer).
(2) Improvement in water conditions such as Redox Balance

*A poor Redox Balance/Potential which is often improved by better and more frequent water changes and proper mineralization such as Calcium, Magnesium and sodium as stated above.

*The use of either all Reverse Osmosis water or blended (such as 1/2 or 1/4 mixed with tap or well water) can aid in many algae control as this allows the aquarium keeper to adjust water chemistry more from a "clean slate" approach especially where tap/well water contains high phosphates, nitrates, iron or similar elements/nutrients that favor algae.
Be aware that it is important to add essential minerals and carbonates back into RO water with products such as SeaChem Replenish or Wonder Shells.
See these article for more about Reverse Osmosis (RO) water use:
Aquarium Chemistry
Use of Reverse Osmosis Water In Aquariums

Further Reading/References:
*http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/red-algae.html
*http://www.thekrib.com/Plants/Algae/hair-algae.html
*http://www.ucmp.berkeley.edu/chromista/bacillariophyta.html
*Planted Aquarium Keeping Information
*A Discussion of Algae
*Algae; where they fit into the 5-Kingdom System

Salt use in Freshwater Aquariums

2008-03-29T12:36:00.000-07:00

Aquarium Salt (Sodium chloride) in Freshwater Aquariums
Updated 10/02/11

The use of Sodium Chloride more commonly known as just plain salt seems to be a constant source of controversy among aquarists, especially here on the internet. What is interesting to me and my colleagues in the professional aquarium maintenance, design and research business is that the way this controversy has “swung” from you MUST use salt to the now current fad propagated by many forums and articles including such about.com to RARELY or NEVER use salt.
Unfortunately both views are based on misunderstandings of the term of what salt is and what fish need “salts” for as well as a lack of understanding and reading of research about this subject.
What is “Salt”

I will start with some basic definitions of what “salts” are (further reading beyond this article is needed here, so please follow links/resources/references).
Basically a salt is a neutral compound composed of cations (positively charged ions) bound to anions (negatively charged ions).
A little more in depth description is that “salts” are ionic compounds held together by electrostatic attraction of positively charged metal cations and the negatively charged anions. These Ions can be simple molecules, as in sodium chloride, or more complex groups such as calcium carbonate.
What I am driving at is that salts consist of more than just Sodium Chloride and that “salts” in general are IMPORTANT electrolytes necessary for biochemistry and osmoregulation in fish without which fish and other biochemical processes would cease.
Please reference these two articles for further reader as to this subject:
*PROPER OSMOTIC FUNCTION- ELECTROLYTES; DO FISH DRINK
*CALCIUM, ELECTROLYTES, AND MAGNESIUM IN AQUARIUMS; How to maintain a Proper KH & PH, why calcium and electrolytes are important.

Sodium Chloride and other Salts in Aquariums

This where the controversy begins in my opinion is should aquarium salt (sodium chloride) be used and if not, what will takes its place for necessary electrolytes.
First I will start off by stating again that ALL living organisms need certain electrolytes for biochemistry (the before mentioned resources help explain this fact).
I have read many scientific studies as well as performed many experiments over the years in the use of different salts including sodium chloride.
I will start off by stating that a successful aquarium CAN be kept without sodium chloride HOWEVER other "salts" MUST be present such as Calcium carbonate, otherwise your fish will have lower disease resistance and other physiological problems.

Where this gets controversial is with freshwater Plants, Catfish, Elephant Nose, Tetras, Goldfish and Livebearers such as Mollies.
Starting with each of the above, let’s take a look them specifically:

*Freshwater Plants; As many articles state correctly, many freshwater plants (not all though) have a low tolerance for sodium chloride, so care must be exercised in the use of sodium chloride (NaCl) with many plants present. Most freshwater plants can tolerate up to 1000 mg. per liter of sodium chloride and since a teaspoon is roughly 5500 mg. that equals one teaspoon per 5.5 liters of water or 1.45 gallons (one gallon = 3.785 liters). This is approximately 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons. Please keep in mind that this is the upper reaches of many plants tolerance, so a lower amount would be better.
This said, I generally have used very little sodium chloride salts in my planted aquariums (Anubias one of the exceptions), however the plants still require other electrolytes (salts) so one must make sure that calcium carbonate, magnesium and other necessary minerals ("salts") are present.

*Catfish, Elephant Nose, etc; This is an area where my own research as well as university level research does not “mesh” with current popular opinions/fads. While it is true that Catfish, Tetras, and fish such as Elephant Nose do not tolerate salt well, they still MUST have some electrolytes and can tolerate some salt, at least in short term doses. While fish such as Elephant Nose & Knife Fish that navigate by electrical field do not do well in higher doses of salt (NaCl), these fish can tolerate short term doses of salt such as after introduction of new fish for aid in disease resistance, transport or aid in disease treatment. Generally long term sodium chloride use should be kept to levels under 500 mg. per liter or less, I recommend no more than 1 teaspoon per 5 gallons for these fish (this is one TEASPOON, not tablespoon!).

Since there is little money for really good studies for most aspects of aquarium keeping I (and others serious about really good research) must look to outside sources for information (this includes other areas such as Aquarium Lighting and many other poorly researched within the aquarium industry subjects).
Where I am going with this point is that outside of my own tests and side by side studies (admittedly not to university level standards) most good research as to salt (NaCl) comes from studies in food grade fish such as Channel Catfish.
These studies are not 100% to extrapolate results for since Channel catfish are not Corydoras Catfish, however based on my own studies as well they are still VERY useful for a scientific understand of the use of sodium chloride with fish such as Corydoras Catfish.

The most current studies I have read show that Channel Catfish CAN tolerate salt in surprisingly high amounts for at least short periods of time. In fact studies have shown that treatment of Channel Catfish for Columnaris when sodium chloride is used vastly INCREASED the survival rate! These studies showed increased survival in concentrations between 1000 and 3000 mg. per liter.
This comes out to .67 teaspoons per liter or 2.54 teaspoons per gallon!

Bringing this back to aquarium keeping and my own studies/results as per catfish, I found no problems in short term use up to 2 tablespoons per 5 gallons and long term use up to one teaspoon per 5 gallons.
Please see this article for a graph from a University Study of salt use for Channel Catfish:
Columnaris/Saprolegnia Treatment, Prevention, Identification

*Tetras; As with Catfish, most Tetras originally inhabit waters that have little or no Sodium Chloride, however as with ALL fish Tetras must have at least some minerals/electrolytes in their water for good health. When it comes to Sodium Chloride (salt), it is SAFE to use as high as 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons (or even more!) for short term use (new fish, disease control, stress, etc.).
For long term use I generally recommend/use 1 Teaspoon per gallons or no salt at all, HOWEVER I still keep minerals/electrolytes in Aquariums with Tetras at a level of 100 ppm GH or higher (Wonder Shells can be used as an aid for correct mineral levels). I generally keep carbonates/bicarbonates (as with catfish) at around 50 KH for stability of pH, but not so high as to maintain high pH of more than 7.5 (although pH stability is what is most important and actual pH is only a minor secondary concern.
The addition of Indian Almond Leaf power, extract, or similar products are helpful in keeping healthy Tetra Aquariums by adding beneficial natural tannins (& as well control Aeromonas Bacteria), as found in products such as the professionally recommended Bio Lif.

PLEASE see this article in the Amazon River section for more about keeping a tank that would be excellent for many Tetras: “Importance of GH, Calcium, Electrolytes; Including Amazon River Water”

*Goldfish; Gold fish are from a family of fish that include koi and carp. The common goldfish (Carassius auratus) and its fancy variations are fish based on my own experience that do better in water that contains moderate amounts of minerals and electrolytes. This includes a GH (for Calcium, magnesium and more as well as some sodium chloride salt. My clients goldfish have always had more longevity and less incidence of disease when the GH is 200 ppm plus (Wonder Shells are one way for maintaining correct mineral levels) and I have kept 1 tablespoon of salt per 5 gallons of water. In fact a government study shows INCREASED survival rates when chronic salinity levels were increased up to 6000 mg. per liter (6 ppm). Please reference this site bought to my attention by a knowledgeable colleague:
http://cars.er.usgs.gov/posters/Nonindigenous/Salinity_Tolerance_of_Goldfish.
I will also note as per goldfish that these are a fish that I have performed several tests/studies as per the use of salt, use of UV Sterilization and improved Aquarium Redox.
These facts fly in the face of the many anecdotal postings of what is best for healthy goldfish.

*Livebearers such as Mollies; This is another area where I find some miss-information. Most aquarists would agree that mollies will do fine with sodium chloride salt in their aquariums, however what many aquarists miss is that mollies do not all come from areas with NaCl in their water but ALL mollies and livebearers in general do and must have other electrolytes such as Calcium Carbonate and Magnesium in their water as well as buffers such as sodium bi-carbonate.
Personally I have had the best results with my livebearers with a GH well over 200 ppm (for calcium/magnesium), a KH over 150 ppm and finally 1 tablespoon of sodium chloride per 5 gallons.
Please see this article for more: “Keeping Molly Fish in Aquariums”

*Cichlids;; in particular African Cichlids are commonly kept with some salt in the water. My personal tests as well as research has shown that although African Cichlids need high amounts of minerals (high GH and KH), they do not necessarily need salt (sodium chloride). I have found better results keeping Mbuna, Haps and other Rift Lake Cichlids to maintain high levels of minerals in particular calcium and carbonates (via a GH of 200 plus and a KH of 150 plus), and then reserve the use of salt (sodium chloride) for times of stress , new fish, or disease such as Ich or Columnaris.
I have found better results with this use of salt and use of products such as Wonder Shells for minerals. The Cichlids then respond to treatment better when salt is used this way, and as well, the incidence of Malawi Bloat is reduced since over use of salt is a contributing factor in some causes of Malawi Bloat.

A Few Facts, Uses and Myths About Salt in Aquariums

*There are other salts/electrolytes such as Calcium Carbonate that are important for proper osmoregulation, disease prevention (and even treatment) in freshwater aquarium fish.

*Sodium Chloride is useful for Brown Blood disease (nitrite poisoning) in freshwater fish as well as for a stress reliever in fish transport. A minimum chloride concentration of 20 ppm is recommended to prevent nitrite toxicity. Please see this article for more: http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM007

*Sodium Chloride salt can help prevent and even treat many diseases from Ich to Columnaris, however this is an area where many go overboard too much the other direction as sodium chloride is NOT a cure all, especially when it comes to virulent Ich infestations.
However even though salt is not a cure all, salt can certainly improve results when used in combination with other treatments or in fish baths/dips. As well many Ich infestations and Columnaris infections have been treated successfully with only salt and Salt/Methylene Blue baths.

*Sodium Chloride Salt can be safely used in most all freshwater aquarium applications provided proper levels are observed and as noted earlier other “salts” are also employed either with or without sodium chloride.

*Sodium Chloride aids in slime coat generation (often better than over touted slime coat products, especially those that place a slime bandage on the fish). However it should be noted that there are other electrolytes that aid in slime coat generation as well potassium.
Please see this article for more about water conditioners:
“Aquarium Answers; Aquatic water conditioners”

*Sodium Chloride does not dissipate, meaning that generally only water changes will remove salt. For example if you are using salt (NaCl) in your 20 gallon aquarium and you change 5 gallons of water you need ONLY add salt for the 5 gallons changed, not the 20 gallons of aquarium water otherwise your salt levels will build up with time.
It is noteworthy that very small amounts of Sodium Chloride are used in biological processes within the aquarium/inhabitants, however this amount is not worth adding more salt for.
In the case of some other salts such as Calcium carbonate and potassium, these will get depleted a higher rater by biological processes and will often need to be replaced depending on water change amounts, bio load, tap water (or other replacement water chemistry), tests, etc.

*Table Salt is not a deadly poison to fish as some will say (I have read this on YA). Table salts have anti-caking agents (often with silicates) and sometimes iodine. Neither of which are deadly poisons. However use of table salts is best in temporary conditions such as baths, not the main aquarium due buildup of this added ingredients which can increase algae growth or increase iodine to levels (over time) that may be harmful.

*Water Softener salt is generally just sodium chloride (always check the bag for added ingredients), so its use when all you need is simply sodium chloride salts is perfectly fine (& economical). The myth that the use of water softener salt will make your tank water “soft” (low GH) is simply incorrect when used normally.
A water softener simply uses sodium chloride (salt) as part of a process whereby calcium and magnesium ions in the water are replaced with sodium ions. To do the ion replacement, the water in the water softener is run through a bed of small plastic beads or through zeolite. (which is why water from softener should never be used in an aquarium). Think of it this way; if you eat sugar you do not get sweeter, your body simply converts the sugar into energy or converts then stores the sugars (in other forms).

SALT CONVERSIONS

Often salt amounts are given as mg/L, however milligrams is a measure of weight while most of us use dry measurements such as teaspoons or tablespoons which are measurements of volume. So the average weight of salt must be found before converting.
To convert 1000 mg of salt into a given volume (in this case, teaspoons), you would need to find the average weight per this volume, which in this example is .22 teaspoons per 1000 mg (approximately).
This means that if your treatment required 2000 mg/L you would need .44 teaspoons of salt per liter of water. Since 1 gallon= 3.785 liters, you would need 1.66 teaspoons per gallon of water. Many salt treatments call for as much as 3000 mg/L which means you would need approximately 2-1/2 teaspoons per gallon.

A few more conversions:
*1000 grams = 1 gram
*1 gram = .0353 ounce
*1 ounce = 28.35 grams
*1 fluid ounce = 6 teaspoons
*3 teaspoons = 1 tablespoon

SUMMARY

I will some this up by saying that those who say you should not use sodium chloride salt in your freshwater aquarium (including with Catfish, Tetras, etc.) and those who say you should always use salt (NaCl) are only HALF RIGHT. I would certainly agree that there was (and still is) a segment of the aquarium keeping hobby that thinks sodium chloride is the cure all for everything all the while ignoring important other “salts” such as Calcium Chloride.

However the current “No Salt” fad propagated by many poorly researched articles that sadly come up in Google Searches also ignores certain facts not only about sodium chloride but about the other important electrolytes as well.
While many fish such as Tetras do well without any added salt but for occasional treatment levels or baths, other fish such as Goldfish have been proven to to be more disease resistant with small amounts salt present along with even more important positive mineral ions of elements such as calcium.
My own years of experience and tests along with research and many of my professional aquarium keeping colleagues bears this out.

When salt is used the use of iodized table salt that is often found in kitchen cupboard is not the best choice, however in a pinch it is not a terrible choice as is often described (another aquatic myth). If the small amount of salt that is needed in a freshwater aquarium is used the iodine (which is also a necessary nutrient for fish in small quantities as in humans) is not likely to cause any problems (due to the trace amount of iodine present after dilution in water).
Common table salt also has anti-caking agents such as sodium aluminosilicate which is main reason to avoid table salt as this ingredient may cause increases algae growth (other anti-caking ingredients include potassium ferrocyanide and calcium carbonate). Table salt is usually fine for short duration dips or baths, I would simply not recommend using table salt long term in an aquarium due to build up over time of anti-caking agents & iodine (assuming iodized salt).

I prefer to use either plain rock salt (water softener salt), marine salt (of which the additional major and trace elements are actually beneficial to many freshwater fish), or products such as SeaChem Cichlid Salt which (similar to marine salt in concept) contains added minerals/electrolytes of which when used in the small amount of salt one should use sodium chloride are actually beneficial for the vast majority of freshwater fish.

However, I do want to clarify that I recommend the use of plain salt (such as regular aquarium salt, water softener salt, etc.) for use in salt and medicated baths over marine or Cichlid salt as the later two add other elements that although essential in the general environment, they could dramatically alter the difference in the bath water and display tank water so to cause osmotic stress/shock.
Another point as to the use SeaChem Cichlid Salt or Marine salt in freshwater aquariums is that these salts BOTH add carbonates/bicarbonates (for KH) and in general freshwater aquariums need not or even should not be used with buffers (such as Marine or Malawi Buffer) that also increase carbonates/bicarbonates. The use of these two salts is fine with products such as Wonder Shells as these mineral blocks tend to dissolve as minerals are depleted and combined use is highly unlikely to increase GH/mineral levels to anything remotely dangerous for ANY freshwater fish. In African Cichlid tanks I have often combined buffers AND Cichlid Salt, however I recommend monitoring KH and pH so as to find the “sweet spot” as to the correct amount of each to add so as to keep correct parameters (again the use of Aquarium Mineral blocks such as Wonders Shells is not a concern and I in fact strongly recommend this!)

Other Resources
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/VM007
http://www.int-res.com/articles/dao/21/d021p171.pdf
http://cars.er.usgs.gov/posters/Nonindigenous/Salinity_Tolerance_of_Goldfish
http://www.ca.uky.edu/wkrec/SaltStressCatfish.pdf

Betta Habitat; "Betta splendens" Wild Habitat

2008-03-08T12:59:00.001-08:00

The Siamese fighting fish; scientific name, Betta splendens.

I am writing this Aquarium Answers post/article to hopefully help with all the controversies around the internet and elsewhere about wild Betta habitat and requirements.
I would like to qualify this and state that as with many popular aquarium fish (such as Angels and Discus), the domestic versions are often adapted to the environment that they have been bred for, in other words, many angelfish although originally from low pH waters are now commonly bred in higher pH alkaline waters.
In the case of Bettas, these amazing fish come from a Tropical Habitat that is known fro drastic swings in water availability, clarity, parameters, and even temperature, this makes for a fish that is naturally uniquely adaptable to a variety of aquarium environments and is in part a reason for their popularity.

River Drainage Basins and natural environment

The Chao Phraya River drainage is seen in the central Thailand area of the map while the Mekong River Drainage habitat is seen in Cambodia and Eastern Thailand

The Betta is native freshwater fish from Thailand (formerly Siam) and Cambodia (formerly Kampuchea). Most native Bettas originate from the Mekong AND the Chao Phraya River drainage basins. These drainages are mountainous with agriculturally
productive valleys found in the upper regions. The lower region contains alluvial plains that are highly productive for agriculture. The Mekong and Chao Phraya Rivers drains from north to south. Monsoon weather dominates, with a rainy season lasting from May to October and supplementary rain from occasional westward storm depressions originating in the Pacific. Temperatures range from15°C (59 F) in December to 40°C (104 F) in April except in high altitude locations. The basins can be classified as a tropical rainforest with high biodiversity. The lower parts have extensive irrigation networks and hence intensive rice paddy cultivation.
These rivers have a pH of 6.9 ranging to 8.2 and the nutrient level is low. In the Lower Mekong and Chao Phraya areas the river is turbid, especially during the rainy season.

With the very wide temperature swings it is easy to extrapolate that a betta can and will do well in a reasonable warm aquarium bowl environment that does not exceed the temperature extremes found in the wild, although this is not to say that a heated stable environment is not even betta for a healthy Betta (remember this IS a tropical fish).
The pH, GH, and KH also have wide swings, to which the Betta has adapted to, however keep in mind that rapid changes in pH can still harm or even kill a Betta and should be avoided. It is also note worth that the pH scale is logarithmic, so a full point change in pH is ten tenfold increase of decrease in pH. Please see this article for more about this subject: “The Importance of Calcium, GH, KH, Electrolytes, and pH in Aquariums”

The low water nutrient levels of these rivers lend themselves to a reducing Redox and lower nitrate levels, which means frequent water changes are important with bettas and if breeding on a large scale, a system in which the breeding sections are all linked to a central system with a UV Sterilizer is also useful for both disease prevention and Redox (but not essential). See this article for more about UV Sterilization: “How UV Sterilization Works in Aquariums and Ponds”

Being an anabantids, Bettas have a labyrinth organ in their heads that allows them to take oxygen directly from the atmosphere in addition to the oxygen taken from water via their gills which allows them to cope with the dry season in their monsoonal climate home.

All of the above environmental adaptation as well as breeding adaptation is why the Betta survives well in a small tank or even a bowl, but also make no mistake about it the Betta merely survives the dry season and its harsh realities of water quality, so providing your domestic Betta a heated, stable, regularly maintained tank, with proper electrolyte levels (even if under 2 gallons) will go a long ways in long term Betta health.

Although these beautiful fish were not seen in Europe until the 1800's, they have been cultured and kept in Thai households since the 1200's.
Bettas common aquariums have undergone centuries of selective breeding and have become far more aesthetically pleasing than the original Wild Betta, these “Domestic” bettas have also been adapted to the small aquarium environments in which they are often bred.
In the wild Bettas generally grow to 6.0 cm (2.3 in.), however many are now bred up to 8.0 cm (3.5 in.) in length. A Bettas diet in the wild generally consists of insect larvae such as mosquito larvae. It is noteworthy that many of these insect larvae feed themselves on green organic matter, so a proper diet should consist of food that duplicates the digestive contents of these larvae as well.

References
http://www.unesco.org/water/wwap/case_studies/chao_phraya/chao_phraya.pdf
http://internationalrivers.org/en/china/lancang-mekong-river

Hole in the Head Disease in Fish

2008-02-19T08:27:00.000-08:00

HITH; Hole in the Head Disease in Fish

Updated 7-17-11

I have had a lot of questions directed either to me or through the forums that I am active in about Hole in the Head Syndrome, often simply identified as HITH.
I will start off with by saying that I do NOT know everything there is to know about this disorder only to say that I have had a lot of experience in treating and ridding fish afflicted with this problem in my maintenance business over the years. I will also note that I NEVER had an outbreak in the last 25 years of my business due to proper care of fish prone to this disorder. I state this because there is a lot of anecdotal information about HITH or even simply half truths.

What is Hole in the Head Disease?

HITH is an affliction that primarily affects Gouramis, Angelfish, Discus, Oscars and other South American cichlids.
A Cichlid has spots on their head which are called sensory pits. These are a series of fluid filled sacs with tiny hairs that sense vibrations and convert them to electrical impulses. Along the lateral lines, sensory pits are responsible for a fish's equilibrium in the water and look like little pin holes, generally arranged in a cluster.
In a HITH outbreak these sensory pits become eroded with ulcerated lesions which expand and coalesce together, forming larger crater-type lesions. They can extend deeper into the muscle and even down to the skull. These open lesions may become secondarily infected with bacteria or fungi and such secondary bacterial infections that may result in death.

A common theory is that HITH is caused by non-absorption of minerals (such as calcium) and vitamins (primarily Thiamine; Vitamin B1) from the intestine due to heavy concentrations of flagellate parasites, like Hexamita.
It is sometimes believed by aquarists that the protozoan parasite Hexamita caused the skin erosions and therefore treatment is based on attempting to eradicate Hexamita by treatment with Metronidazole.
This is where a half truth does come into play; Often there is a misunderstanding as stated above as to the root causes, however there is also a misunderstanding of what Metronidazole is effective against. In this article I will not go into detail about Metronidazole other to say that it IS effective against many bacterium and parasites, especially intestinally which can effect absorption of important minerals and vitamins, WHICH IS WHY Metronidazole has been effective even when the cause was misidentified. The bottom line is Metronidazole is both antibacterial AND antiprotozoal.
Please read more about Metronidazole in this article:
“How Aquarium Medications Work; antibiotics

Back to Hexamita flagellates, these protozoans main effect as to causing HITH appears to me more indirect as this flagellate protozoan absorbs many of the nutrients needed by the fish, in particular Thiamine and calcium, so removal of these parasites with Metronidazole is certainly worth while (assuming their presence), however this again is just half the problem as correcting nutrient problems is as important or possibly more important.

Thiaminase (an enzyme that metabolizes or breaks down thiamine) is also considered a problem that may be a problem in fish afflicted with HITH. Thiaminase is introduced via feeding fish such as Goldfish/Fathead Minnows, or via bacteria. Thaimase breaks down thiamine, and thiamine is an important vitamin necessary for carbohydrate metabolism and normal neural activity. If "feeders" (goldfish sold for the purpose of feeding other fish) are fed as a large portion of your fish’s diet, it likely will develop a thiamine deficiency.
Although many dry prepared foods contain fish flesh that also contains Thiaminase, however the process required to prepare a dry food/pellet likely destroys this enzyme.

There is not conclusive proof that this is a cause of Hole in the Head as Thiamine derivatives and Thiamine dependent enzymes are present in all cells of an animal organisms body, thus a thiamine deficiency would seem to adversely affect all of the organ systems. However, the nervous system and the heart are particularly sensitive to thiamine deficiency, due to their high oxidative metabolism; this adds questions to this theory in my opinion. However my own observations certainly leads credibility to this theory as does knowledge of how (admittedly anecdotal since I have not conducted a scientific study as to the lack of Thiamine and HITH).
What is also not clear is why this is more a problem with certain fish and as well is whether the lack of Thiamine is by itself a cause of HITH. Personally I have found that with gut loading of feeders, improved mineralization and Redox that HITH ceases to be a problem even when feeder goldfish are a major part of the diet.

For a related discussion about HLLE, please see this Aquarium Answers Article:
The Lateral Line in Fish as well as Lateral Line Disease or Head and Lateral Line Erosion (HLLE)

Treatment/Prevention

This is also an area where many half truths are present (and quite honestly much is to be learned as well).
Obviously diet plays a role here, as well as water quality such as Nitrate levels, however what is sometimes missed is the role Calcium (in particular calcium cations) plays in proper osmoregulation and the fish’ ability to absorb other nutrients.
Often poorly maintained aquariums will see high amounts of acids, poor Redox reduction, high DOC (dissolved organic compounds), and low GH and KH (low GH or positive mineral ions). I have also noted in my service calls that the aquarist (usually with South American fish) was told to keep a low GH; unfortunately this is a misunderstanding of GH, Redox, and the need for calcium!

I would recommend reading this article for further information about the importance of proper Calcium levels in ALL aquariums (even Discus!):
“The Importance of Calcium, GH, KH and Electrolytes in Aquariums”

The Redox Balance also plays a more crucial role in prevention and treatment of HITH, as an aquarium that has a poor Redox Balance will likely never allow for recovery from HITH die to the ability of the fish to utilize calcium as any anti-oxidant properties necessary for defeating this affliction will be greatly reduced. Redox is directly influenced by a constant supply of mineral cations (found in part in GH), water changes, and mulm buildup. As well as UV Sterilization has a positive affect on Redox, assuming regular changing of the UV Bulbs (every six months)
Please see this article for more about Redox: “Aquarium Redox Potential/Balance”

Here are some steps to take for cure and prevention of HITH:

• Make regular, frequent but small water changes such as 20-30% per week or even twice per week, The use of a gravel vacuum ensures better removal of decomposing wastes that add acids to the water and lower other water quality parameters such as Redox. It is also noteworthy that both Autotrophic and Heterotrophic bacteria also remove important nutrients from the water column in their life processes.

• Lower nitrates, this is important IMO as nitrate levels should be lower than 40 ppm or better, lower than 20 ppm.
Please read this article about the nitrogen cycle for more nitrate information:
"Aquarium (& Pond) Nitogen Cycle"

• Vary diet, avoid the use of shell fish, either avoid goldfish feeders OR feed goldfish feeders sparingly And gut load feeders with foods such as Spirulina 20 or similar high vitamin and mineral foods. Feed high quality pellets as well (or flakes if the fish will eat them).
However since Freshwater fish do NOT drink the water around them liquid vitamins are less effective, but I would still give them a try as well in severe cases especially (adding vitamin supplements to a food slurry then gut loading is the best way to ensure the fish absorbs them).
Please read this article about fish nutrition for more about “gut loading”:
"Fish Nutrition (Proper Aquatic Nutrition). What ingredients are needed for optimum fish nutrition, growth and health"

As to gut loading feeder fish (in particular goldfish and Rosy Reds); many have attributed the feeding of these fish as well as frozen clams or other shell fish to a major cause of HITH do to the high Thiaminase content of these fish. I will concur with this line of thought based on many clients of mine that refused to feed anything else, however when mineral content of the aquarium was improved (such as using Wonder Shells), Redox was improved, AND gut loading of feeders was performed, HITH problems did not occur, even when these clients CONTINUED to feed feeder fish.
Please note I am not advocating that feeder goldfish that are gut loaded be used as food, only the importance of other factors that affect HITH must be considered, as well it is noteworthy that I and many others generally note better growth of carnivores such as larger SA Cichlids (especially Piscivore Cichlids) when gut loaded feeder fish are a major part of their diet.

• Although GH tests do not give a complete or clear picture of positive calcium ions in an aquariums, it is still a start. Increase GH to at least 100 ppm (better is 200 ppm), Wonder Shells or any other method to constantly supply calcium cations along with water changes help here.
Also make sure your carbonate hardness (KH) is at least 50 ppm (over 100 is often necessary for many fish)

• In moderate to severe cases treatment with Metronidazole may also be necessary as well as other antibiotics such as Nitrofurazone (Furan Two)

Finally a clean WELL filtered aquarium is a MUST.

Aquarium Protein Skimmers, Ozone Generators; Review

2008-01-04T18:40:00.001-08:00

Marine (Saltwater) Aquarium Protein Skimmers
Sections include:

*Basics (Overview)
*Types of skimmers; Air driven, Venturi (such as TMC V2 Skim), Aspirating/ Needle Wheel (Such as ASM), Downdraft, Spray Injection (such as Remora), Basic Economy Skimmer
*Use of Ozone Generators
*Troubleshooting
*Summary

Updated 12/14/11

Information and opinions here are not only based on my experience in the Aquarium Maintenance business (over 30 years) but also of other colleagues in the “higher end” aquarium maintenance and design business whom I know and speak to generally on a monthly basis.
I will also add as pointed out to me by a respected member of Everything Aquatic Forum that Marine Protein Skimmers are a fast growing technology area of aquarium keeping, so as in aquarium lighting, UV Sterilization, Redox, etc., what may be true today may not be a year from now. I can vouch for this even as to my own opinions as to the use of Protein Skimmers, and that is 20 years ago I found the benefits of often finicky and unreliable protein skimmers often not worth the trouble as per the payoff in results when compared to other filtration methods (especially since I could only visit a client once per week). However, as of the last decade I have to admit a reversal of opinion, and this opinion is based on controlled tests as well and that is the much improved protein skimmers of today are much more reliable and effective and are worth the expense and any extra hassles.

Basics
A protein skimmer is a filtration device used in primarily in marine tanks which employ a chamber with a column of fine bubbles (they do not work as readily in freshwater, although there are now pond models).
Protein skimming works by a process called adsorption (not to be confused with absorption) which is the attraction of DOC onto a suitable surface. The process takes advantage of the physical nature of DOC (protein based) molecules. Surface tension attracts organic waste to the bubbles & carries it through the column (called foam fractionation); then it is "skimmed" into a collection cup. This process Protein skimmers use to remove nitrogenous wastes (protein based organic waste) is also called foam refraction. The protein skimmer collects this waste in a cup, where it is then emptied (either by hand or a drain as in larger “Pro” models).
Protein Skimmers come in pump driven and air driven models. Within the pump driven there are different types: Venturi, Aspirating, Downdraft, and Spray Injection; the first two being most common.
Protein skimmers generally only work in marine aquariums where they are very popular in reef aquaria, as they are often needed to keep nitrates below .20 ppm for the delicate marine invertebrates.

The advantages are that they remove nitrogenous waste before they can go thru the nitrogen cycle and become nitrates. The disadvantages are some are messy, take frequent adjustments (at least on many commercial models), and in my experience, over rated especially for marine fish aquariums. I also have kept many reef aquariums successfully with and without protein skimmers although I do recommend protein skimmers for reef aquariums (especially as of late with the much better skimmers now available).
However what I personally find interesting is that many of the aquarists that swear by protein skimmers totally trash UV Sterilizers, yet I have found from experience (I had to service what I sell, and if I sold trash, I had to service trash!) that often UV sterilizers had a more positive attributes than the older protein skimmers (I would not apply this analogy to the high end modern skimmers). That said, a good Protein skimmer is a useful tool in marine aquariums especially when used in conjunction with the Berlin Filter Method for reef aquaria and should be considered, more so if you are planning on keeping delicate corals!

Air Driven
The co-current air driven models (also called columnar skimmers) are the most basic although not always the simplest to use as these cheap Skimmers are often temperamental to water levels in the tank and the limewood air stones used by these skimmers clog frequently. However these can be an inexpensive entry level Skimmer for 10 -60 gallon marine aquariums.
Personally these skimmers can often be more trouble than they are worth, so I would strongly recommend one of higher end skimmers recommended further in this article.
This type of Skimmer is ozone compatible, but this can be difficult to control with these air driven Skimmers (Ozone works best with Venturi Skimmers)

Venturi
Of the pump driven Skimmers, the co-current Venturi models are the most common and popular. This style uses a water venturi pump (sometimes referred to as an aspirator) which is used to introduce the bubbles into the water stream. The tank water is pumped through the venturi, in which fine bubbles of the correct size and number are introduced then enters the skimmer body.
This Venturi can be used on the air suction side to attach an Ozone Generator for improved Skimmer efficiency

The Venturi Skimmer design lends itself to basic low end protein skimmers that although certainly are not the best, these will still allow for reasonable protein skimming for a lower price for marine keepers not keeping high end marine life and on a budget. However the higher end Venturi Skimmers such as the V2 will far surpass the lower end venture skimmers (such as a Rio Nano Skimmer), due to much better time, bubble exposure time in the current, and its bubble stop that allows for bubble recycling.

As well, not all higher end venturi skimmers are equal, some of the more basic designs such as the Bak Pak work well, but the newer designs such as the V2 Skim by Tropic Marine also has a patented Bubble Stop in which the skimmer is fed 'dirty' water from the aquarium as a means to re-circulate water within the skimmer multiple times before it is returned to the sump or the aquarium.
As previously noted the Tropic Marine V2 Skim is one of the better ones with the latest in venture skimmer technology. This skimmer has a venturi injection system which optimizes the perfect mixture of fine air bubbles and water and ensures intensive, efficient skimming and the removal of proteins and other harmful toxins (waste) from the aquarium. This Skimmer also has a Bubble stop feature that essentially re-skims the water as well as prevents bubbles/foam from re-entering the aquarium.
Each time water is re-circulated within the skimmer any air bubbles in that water sample are destroyed and new bubbles are generated by the re-circulating pump venturi apparatus so the air-water contact time begins again for these newly created bubbles.
For the money, the V2 Skim the best Protein Skimmer you can buy unless you are willing to spend more money for the even more advanced mesh wheel skimmers such as the Warner Marine, ASM skimmer, or similar for what is often amore temperamental skimmer.
As well since the TMC is ozone compatible (via the air vacuum created by the venture), the addition of an Ozone Generator can make this a Protein Skimmer that is “second to none” (at any price).

Aspirating; Needle Wheel/ Mesh Wheel
An aspirating or mesh wheel Protein Skimmer generally uses an impeller which consists of a mesh material that is attached to a plate or central axis on the rotor. The purpose of these modified impellers is to chop the air that is introduced via a venturi apparatus or external air pump into large amounts very fine bubbles. Another advantage of this style when done correctly is that these skimmers generally have a larger neck size that allows for less clogging of bubbles/foam, this is due to generally higher bubble production that allows for a wider neck (although my personal opinion and that of many others in the business is that one should be cleaning the neck each time one empties the foam cup as the cup generally fills in most skimmers long before this becomes a real issue).

This style (such as used in a model by Coralife which I do not recommend) is gaining popularity; however this style still has some bugs in that not all of the impellers used by these always chop the air bubbles properly due to anomalies in the flow and impeller design that can result in pump burn up. Part of the problem with this style skimmer is that it does NOT lend itself to cheap low cost designs and is temperamental.
However as of this latest re-write (update) of this article, many premium mesh wheel skimmers are being made at a lower cost (although still at a higher price than high end venture skimmers such as the V2 Skim). I will also admit that at this point in time I am mostly relying on feedback of colleagues in the higher end aquarium maintenance and design business in LA since I am not currently able to run controlled tests on these skimmers.

The ASM Protein Skimmer is one of skimmers in this category that I can recommend based on the high end marine aquarists that use it. What differentiates this aspirating skimmer from the rest is that has a unique "custom" impeller housed in the specifically modified Power Head that chops the bubbles very finely. Another aspect of this aspirating skimmer is that it combines a venturi with its custom meshing needle wheel pump. The negative to the ASM Protein Skimmers is the price, as these units will retail for many $100s of dollars. I will also add as of this latest update, that I have been told via a respected member of Everything Aquatic that this skimmer has some issues with the mesh wheel pump, although this has not been confirmed by others in the aquarium maintenance and design business as of this latest update.

Other high end skimmers in this category include the Warner Marine Skimmer and the brand new Via Aqua Needle Wheel Protein Skimmer.
I currently do not have much feedback from reliable resources on either of these skimmers (although the Warner Marine does come from one trusted source).
The Via Aqua Needle Wheel appears to have a good design and my experience with 80% of their products is usually exceptional, especially for the price/value (but then there is there is the 20% of products that have not performed as expected).
(Pictures can be clicked to enlarge)

Downdraft
A downdraft protein skimmer injects water under high pressure into tubes that have a foam or bubble generating mechanism then carry the air/water mixture down into the skimmer and into a separate chamber. This design is generally used in large aquarium systems uses tubes with plastic media (often bio balls) inside to mix water under high pressure and air in the body of the skimmer resulting in foam that collects protein waste in a large collection cup.

Spray Injection
The Spray injection skimmer (such as the Remora, are a take off from the Downdraft Skimmers) uses a pump to power a spray nozzle, set a few inches above the water level. The spray action entraps and shreds the air into very fine bubbles in the base of the unit, which then rises to the collection chamber.

The Spray Injection Skimmer is a fancy new name for the Downdraft style Skimmers which work well in the large industrial size environment in which they were originally designed for, however this design does not lend itself to small sizes well.
This style skimmer also can clog with time; also one of the more popular models of this style is sensitive to water levels, tends to produce a watery muck (instead of foam), and can be temperamental when used in a sump environment.

These skimmers are really being hyped and over promoted (at anecdotal "cut & paste" websites such as the notoriously anecdotal "Fish Lore"), however I and MOST aquarium professionals I speak with would recommend steering clear of these units. Although the Remora can work results are poor for most and the design is flawed. For the same price a V2 Skim will far out perform the Remora (especially with an added Ozone generator) and for far less money you could probably do just about as well with a Rio Nano Skimmer with added SeaChem Matrix

Basic Skimmers, (Skimmer filter combinations)

A couple of basic skimmers for beginners; Via Aqua Multi Skimmer with small to medium aquariums is relatively simple, with a mechanical filter cartridge, bio filtration ability, and most of all the Multi Filter has a built in UV Sterilizer combination.

For a really simple protein skimmer for a Nano tank I recommend the Rio Nano Skimmer.

Use of Ozone Generators

As noted earlier in this article, an Ozone Generator can greatly improve efficiency as it enhances flocculation and absorption onto the bubble wall of an air driven or venture style Protein Skimmer.
As well the Ozone Generator can also lower many pathogen (such as bacteria and viruses) in the water column, similar and as a compliment to a UV Sterilizer.

The exact increase of efficiency by adding an Ozonizer has not been established by any controlled test that either I have performed or read, however what is clear (based mostly on observations) is that the amount of waste collected can increase dramatically, especially in skimmers with less than perfect exposure time of fine bubbles in the water column of the skimmer. As observations have also shown that the addition of an Ozone Generator to a Skimmer will clear a cloudy aquarium at a faster rate than a skimmer without an Ozonizer.

Finally, the use of an Ozone Generator allows for less than perfect bubble sizes to still perform reasonable adsorption (the attraction of DOC onto a suitable surface), thus allowing for less efficient skimmers or the use of many skimmers in freshwater ponds or aquariums where these skimmer would otherwise likely produce little waste foam.

Protein Skimmer Troubleshooting

*Collection Cup filling with water:
• Water level too high in skimmer, adjust skimmer upward in sump, tank, or in HOB applications
• Check water outlet (or water outlet valve if your Skimmer is so equipped); make sure there is proper flow.
• Check bubbles; make sure you have adequate fine mist bubbles.
*For air driven Protein Skimmers make sure you can blow through the wooden air stone relatively easily, otherwise replace. Check the air pump as well.
*For Venturi Skimmers, make sure your venture is adjusted properly, with the air intake facing outward in some protein skimmers when inserted into the pump exhaust nozzle. Make sure that the pump itself is properly drawing and expelling water.
*For Needle Wheel, check pump flow as with the venture, as well check the impeller that “chops” the air bubbles for damage or impediments.

*No foam in the Collection Cup
• This is normal for a new skimmer set up. The proper dry foam that is needed to collect the protein in the salt water, will take approximately 12 to 34 hours to start skimming. In new tanks, with little or no bio load, this may even take a few weeks.
• If there is adequate bio load and salinity, you may have to make very minor adjustments in skimmer height, relative to water level and make adjustments to venturi inlet.
These adjustments need to be very minute, often Protein Skimmers require patience and constant adjustments, especially the more basic models.
• If powerhead driving a Venturi protein skimmer is too deep in the water, an insufficient amount of fine bubbles will be generated. The powerhead should be as close to the surface as possible, as increased depth will affect the ability of the Venturi to draw in air, reducing the skimming efficiency.
• A good counter current is important as well as this is in part how Protein skimmers work is a fine mist of bubbles against a counter current of water.
The larger the reaction chamber for bubbles to interact with the counter current, the better your dry foam production, which is why I do NOT recommend the unfortunately popular Spray Inject Skimmers that are quite over priced for what you really get.

*Bubbles are escaping the Skimmer into the tank
• Often this is caused by chemicals that have been added which result in increased surface tension of the water. Stress coats, de-chlorinators, medications, and water conditioners (which are present in most synthetic salt mixes) are just some of the additives that will cause this to happen. Carbon will help to remove the compounds that cause this problem, as well many of the better high end Protein Skimmers have “Bubble Stops” to prevent this and recycle these bubbles such as the Tropic Marin V2 Skimmers

Conclusion

Here are some important aspects to consider so as to a purchase a skimmer that performs correctly:
• Contact time of bubbles and water inside the chamber (the longer the reaction chamber, the better in most cases)
• The size and consistency of the bubbles produced (very fine bubbles are best)
• The relative volume of bubbles produced
• The ratio of air to water
• And the turbulence or friction inside the reaction chamber which may cause poor efficiency in some poorly designed units.
• The neck size is important as well, a smaller neck (which is to allow for lower bubble production), can clog easier and may need to be cleaned more frequently.
• The addition of Ozone can greatly increase efficiency of an ozone compatible protein skimmer such as venture or air driven model

Please beware of claims of some high priced skimmers such as Spray Injection models as these units do not have the contact time (due to short/small reaction chamber) to maximize protein refraction. Although units such as these due have excellent size and volume of bubbles, the small size of the reaction chamber minimizes effectiveness so that one of these units may perform better than similar size entry level skimmers such as the air driven Lee’s or the Rio Nano/Via Aqua Multi Skimmers venture skimmers; the price at nearly $200 is nowhere near the increase in effectiveness over a Rio Nano Skimmer (or similar) that costs under $30 as a price vs. increase in effectiveness comparison.

Finally, consider how much you can afford and your time as well. Obviously if you plan to keep SPS corals, I would consider a premium Protein skimmer a must, however even here, your time needs to be considered. For example, the mesh/needle wheel skimmers tend to be on the cutting edge of marine protein skimming, HOWEVER the issues of pump burn out and the temperamental nature of these skimmers may make these a lesser choice for many. I personally still find the advanced venturi V2 Skim an excellent choice when these potential issues are considered, especially with the addition of an Ozone Generator

Power Head, Aquarium & Pond Water Pump Review

2007-12-15T14:28:00.000-08:00

REVIEW OF AQUARIUM (& POND) POWER HEAD, PROPELLER, & WATER PUMPS BASED ON REAL WORLD EXPERIENCE (including comments on about.com and thereeftank.com reviews):

By Carl Strohmeyer
Updated 9/16/11

Index;

Overview
Basic Pump Types
Head Pressure
Via Aqua Power Head Submersible Pumps
ReSun King Water Pumps
Rio (Taam) PowerHead Water Pumps
Rio HF Water Pumps
Maxi Jet Power Heads
SunSun Power Heads
Marineland Power Heads
Hagen Power Heads
ZooMed Power Sweep
Hydor Koralia Propeller Pumps
Seio Propeller Pumps

Overview;

First I would like to recommend readers to look at the following webpage to better understand what aquarium, pond, fountain water pumps would fit their needs best and why:
Water Pump Specifications, Recommendations, Limitations

As to the review (which unlike most articles here at Aquarium/Pond Answers is admittedly more subjective rather than objective since these were not controlled studies in the strictest scientific since) and not to pick on about.com (I mentioned them in an earlier post in Fish as Pets), however after an email form a hobbyist about aquarium power heads/pumps I thought I would investigate what is being said in reviews and stumbled across an article with the reviews of five different power heads at about.com.

Either they are from another planet or I must live in a parallel universe!
First they left off the list some of the best aquarium and pond power head/ water pumps then their reviews were quite contrary to my extensive experience with these pumps in literally 100s if not thousands of aquariums over the years in my aquarium maintenance business.

12/22/09
As well I recently read a review on a Reef forum (thereeftank.com) as to Via Aqua pumps and while I will admit my reviews are based on observations (making them more subjective), these reviews are based on real world applications where I often switched between different pumps to find the best pump for the application. What was sad about these reviews on this forum was these were not based any knowledge of what a pumps is designed for.
Although I will agree as to their positive reviews of a Maxi Jet for wave makers, even here based on my tests a Propeller pump such as the Hydor Koralia Propeller Pumps or better the Seio Propeller Aquarium Pumps are still a better choice than the Maxi Jet for wave makers.
In their review they compared the Via Aqua 1300 to the Maxi Jet for wave makers, which the design of the Via Aqua 1300 is not even intended for, as with any pump that is designed to not only to move water, but to “lift” water (head pressure), the VA 1300 is a poor choice for wave makers (kind of like comparing Toyota Camary to a Ford F350 for hauling loads and then bashing the Camary for failing in this task). However as a power head/water pump this pump (VA 1300) is one the most reliable pumps with better head pressure than the Maxi Jet; years of use in my aquarium & pond maintenance company prove this as well as a friends that own a fountain building company that use this and another Via Aqua Pump (Via Aqua 305) for their fountains since they rarely have problems and their customers are quite happy.

Also in this review they bashed the Via Aqua 4900 and used this pump as one more example not to trust Via Aqua pumps, sadly if they read this review or talked to many others in the industry they would know that the VA 4900 is a lemon and you cannot rate Via Aqua pumps based on this bad pump or ridiculously unfair comparisons of a VA 1300 in tasks it was not designed for.

Basic Pump Types:

I would like to start out that aquarium water pumps come in three basic designs:
(1) The Power Head Pump such as the Maxi-Jet and AquaTop PH; these are best for use with sponge filters or under gravel filter lift tube. This type generally does not have as much head pressure as the submersible pump style and for this reason these do not work well for applications such as running Ultra Violet (UV) Sterilizers, Fluidized Sand Bed Filters, or similar.
However this style is often better for running wave makers than the submersible pump style as these tend to work better in the constant re-start environment of wave make use (I should note that not all power heads work well here either such as the Marineland).

(2) The Submersible Water Pump such as the Via Aqua and Rio PowerHead/Pump series can function both as an inline submersible pump for sumps, fountains and even ponds as well as for power head applications.
Some (such as the Via Aqua 1300) can even be used inline (assuming the there is a direct flow via a bulk head or similar, NOT a siphon loop).
Another similar type (or sub-type) is the Submersible only water pump such as the Via Aqua 305. These are more economical and more basic but cannot be used as a power head either. These are great for water fountains, running certain devices or even sumps. Currently this article does not review any of this sub type.
As noted earlier, this style pump does not function as well in the environment of being connected to electronic wave makers (the best are the propeller pumps I will note next)

(3) The finale pump "type" I we review is the newer propeller style. the Hydor Koralia, Rio Seio, and AquaTop are popular types of this style pump.
These have almost no head pressure (and as such are utterly useless for powering any device).
However these pumps shine for wave maker use and us the least amount of energy for the water they do move (at 0 head pressure). Another advantage is these are a very "clean" (aesthetically speaking) water pump application and these plusses make them popular with Reef Enthusiasts.

Finally I will also note that most of these pump types (including the basic submersibles such as the Via Aqua 305) and with the exception of the propeller pumps have an aeration attachment feature for drawing/injecting air into the water column re-entering the aquarium from the water pump.

See the picture to the left that demonstrates this using a SunSun JP series Power Head.

Head Pressure:

An aspect of any water pump that is often forgotten, yet can be a significant factor in choosing the correct pump is head pressure.
The most simple description of head pressure is that this is the force placed on the "head" (outlet) of the pump by gravity, weight of the water column past this point, and devices in-line past this point that often constrict or impede flow (such as UV Sterilizer or Fluidized Filter).
Most aquarium water pumps are open impeller designs that are greatly affected by head pressure. Propeller pumps, just by their design can handle almost no head pressure and thus are only intended for under water applications with no lifting of water out or into an aquarium.
A few pumps such as the Rio HF Pump series have partially closed designs that can handle much more head pressure and are thus better suited for lifting water through multiple devices or deep sumps (as well as water features in ponds).

The bottom line is regardless of the pump design you choose, know its maximum head pressure so as to calculate what the actual flow will be with the devices you might add in-line.
For instance, do NOT expect a 500 gph pump with a maximum head pressure of 5 feet to pump any more than 300 gallons per hours lifting water 2 feet from a sump to the aquarium.

For a much more in depth and objective article dealing with calculating aquarium/pond pump head pressure, please see this article:
Head Pressure in Aquarium and Pond Water Pumps

Here are several pump & power head lines I will review (including refutations of others comments if necessary):

Via Aqua Power Head/Submersible Pump

*Via Aqua; this is a real workhorse line of pumps that is VERY widely used in the professional aquarium maintenance community yet did not even get mentioned by about.com (go figure!). These pumps in the power head line (not the basic line) also have ceramic shafts and very durable construction. Via Aqua pumps (along with ReSun) can be used in sumps or as a power head and have excellent head pressure. The Via Aqua power head line (such as the VA 1300) can be submersed or used in line which adds to versatility that not all pumps can match. For Aquarium sumps (usually in marine applications) the Via Aqua 2600, 3300, and 8000are unsurpassed in usefulness, especially when costs vs. performance is compared.

Again the only con is these pumps can be a little noisy, but only when used in line (they are a little quieter than the ReSun line when submersed). Via Aqua power heads (as with ReSun and Rio) are also not as adjustable in flows as some other power heads, but this a minor inconvenience IMO. This inconvenience is more than made up for in versatility!

I will also admit to a couple of models by Via Aqua that I not recommend due to less than desirable durability and these are the 2300 and 4900 (the 4900 has failed miserably every test I have performed on them).

Via Aqua also has new Pond Pump that is without equal in its performance and versatility vs. price; this is the DP 18000 Multi-Duty Pond Pump. This water pump uses only 250 watts yet can pump 3828 gph with a maximum head pressure of 21 feet.

ReSun King

*ReSun; this pump (power head) was totally left off their list, although not as well known in the USA/Canada they are very popular in Asia and Australia. ReSun has some sizes such as the #6 that are quite capable for very “mucky” pond environments and yet operate very well. The stainless steel coated impellers along with the ceramic shafts found on the larger models) are extremely durable and almost never fail.
These pumps are very reliable and start up without a problem; they also have very excellent head pressure (in fact among the best)! ReSun pumps can be submersed or place in line.
The models 3A, 5, and 6 are awesome in heavy duty applications such as ponds or very large aquariums where high flow and head pressure are necessary (as well as ability to deal with large amounts of particulates in the water).
About the only con is that with their heavy duty construction, these pumps can be somewhat noisier than some others (although still not bad here either). ReSun power heads are also not as adjustable in flow as some other power heads, but this a minor inconvenience IMO.

Rio PowerHead Water Pumps

*Rio (by Taam); Originally the "Standard" for submersible aquarium, fountain and pond pumps, there were later surpassed by many Via Aqua models based on my professional use (Via Aqua/Commodity Axis is the sister company of Rio/Taam).
However of late Rio has improved their design of the Rio "Plus" Water pump line with a much better impeller design and it has leaped back over their sister company Via Aqua to once again be the "King" of aquarium, small pond, & fountain water pumps/power heads.

I would also add that IMO about.com goes overboard with their comments as to high maintenance, as even in earlier models and especially with newer models this is simply not true (maybe they too should try updating their articles!).

Rio power heads are very powerful with excellent head pressure (depending on the model).
The cons with the impellers as of the most recent update are no longer a "con" as the impeller design has been vastly improved to now surpass their sister Via Aqua Pumps in durability.
These Rio Plus Aquarium & Fountain Water Pumps are among the best aquarium sump, pumps for powering equipment such as needle wheel skimmers, small pond or fountain pumps. The Rio pumps are also reasonably good at starting up when used as wave makers and are properly maintained.

Rio HF (High Flow) Aquarium/Pond Water Pumps

*Rio, Taam HF Series Water Pumps; the newer HF (High Flow) series is without equal when power, performance and especially head pressure (the ability to lift water vertically) are compared with price.
These pumps hold a patent for their design which includes the unique vortex rotor blade, rare earth magnet and more.
The Rio HF Water pumps are what I would recommend for large aquariums with sumps well below the aquarium with many applications to run or for ponds with water features such as water falls or spitters that exceed 5 feet above the pond level as these pumps often have head pressures of double similar gallon per hour pumps. For example the Rio 26 HF has a maximum head pressure of 13 feet and it still maintains 75% of its water volume at 6 feet.

Maxi-Jet Power Heads

*Maxi Jet Power heads; I will have to agree the most with about.com on their assessment of these pumps. They are reliable and economical and start back up easily even when used as wave makers (which is an application these pumps are popular for use in). In fact these are one of the best earlier/1st generation Power Head (only) aquarium pumps.
However they do have their cons and that is they have poor head pressure and are not very versatile (unlike the Via Aqua, ReSun, Rio, & other combination power head/submersible water pumps) as they are only power heads and nothing more.

SunSun Power Heads

The newest generation SunSun JP Series Aquarium Power Head Pumps are at least 20 years newer than most other power head only pumps such the before mentioned Maxi-Jet.
Bluntly the Maxi Jet is a design that requires little improvement (I am of the opinion if you design something correctly the first time, little needs to be changed).
What this SunSun Power head has over the Maxi Jet is a more economical pump that has the same reliability and performance (as with the Maxi-Jet, it is also ONLY for power head use, not applications where head pressure is necessary; these application types fit the Via Aqua or Rio Powerhead/Submersible Pumps better).
It is also noteworthy that based on our aquarium maintenance experience, the SunSun is superior to the earlier generation Marineland and Hagen Aqua Clear Power Head Pumps.

Marineland Penguin Power Heads

*Penguin Power Heads; I do not generally agree with assessment by about.com on these power heads. Although they do have a neat feature with the reverse flow power head for UG filters (which are not very common anymore though), the other nice feature is the adjustable flow feature.
However nice these features are these power heads have a poor track record for reliability, they have very poor head pressure, and do not re-start well after the pumps have been in service for a while (in applications such as wave makers).

Hagen Aqua Clear Power Head

*Hagen Aqua Clear Power Heads; this pump is also over rated by about.com in my extensive experience with them. I have used more Aqua Clear power heads than ANY other (including the Via Aqua pumps I now generally recommend). When these power heads first came out they were industry leaders in design, however they are of 1980s technology IMO and although they are better than Penguins in reliability and head pressure, they still would stop and not re-start in many of my applications when power was even briefly interrupted, making them a poor choice for wave maker applications. Aqua Clear power heads also do not handle high organic/debris loads well and need more maintenance than the Rios that about.com claimed needed!
Bottom line with Aqua Clear power heads is that they are reasonable “retro” pumps, but certainly NOT the latest in technology!

ZooMed Power Sweep

*ZooMed Power Sweep; even though I sold these in my business, I rarely recommended them. They are basically a gimmicky power head with poor head pressure and low output. They are not real durable and the “sweeping” directional output feature is run by cheap plastic gears that often fail. These pumps do not handle high bio loads well and are best used in small aquariums or better vivariums where not much is asked of them.

Hydor Koralia Propeller Pump

*Hydor Koralia Propeller Pumps; The Hydor Koralia is the first besides the over priced Tunze Pumps to market a propeller type design to the aquarium hobby, and Hydor does this at a much better price than Tunze.
The propeller design is an excellent idea for low power consumption, yet high water movement in a surprisingly gentle flow of which it owes its gentle flow pattern to its design. The Hydor Koralia Propeller Pump attaches to an aquarium in a unique way; it has a magnet that attaches to the glass from the outside holding the motor unit on the inside to the glass.

This is an excellent pump for Reef Aquariums due to this unique design and flow pattern and a pump many of my friends in the professional aquarium maintenance and design business like for certain applications. These applications are generally tanks under 80 gallons where this flow design is advantageous for crowded reef aquariums and a strong current is desired without the strong smaller diameter column of water generated by most other pumps is not desired.
These propeller pumps (or better the Seio) are also excellent and reliable for use as wave makers (unlike most power head pumps, that are not designed for this type of application as they have too “heavy” a designed for “on/off” applications

HOWEVER, this pump is not without its faults and unfortunately there are several.
Here are a few problems as noted by these professionals:
(1) Low quality design that easily breaks including the impeller if debris (which is easily brought into it) comes in contact with the impeller. Also if the unit falls from the glass, it cane break easily.
(2) High price per actual performance; the Hydor Koralia 1 generally sells for twice what a Via Aqua 1300 sells for of the same performance and quite bluntly has a much less durable design than the VA 1300. The newer Seio 320 Propeller Pump is a vastly better choice when value is considered
(3) The magnets can let go and often do in aquariums with 3/8 inch or thicker glass (although this is a rare problem in tanks with ¼ inch glass which is why they are a reasonably good pump choice in tanks under 80 gallons
(4) In Larger tanks standard power heads such as the Via Aqua 2600 are simply a more durable and better choice.
(5) When used as a wave maker many report a lot of noise (although many pumps can have this problem).
(6) They are purely water movement pumps and CANNOT be used to run UV Sterilizers, Sumps, or any other application where a pump with a standard outlet that can be hard plumbed or added vinyl tubing is necessary.

Seio Propeller Pump

*Seio (Rio) Propeller Pumps; The Seio Propeller Aquarium Pumps are finally past the testing phase in aquarium maintenance use (at least the model 320).
Unlike my recently hoped for but disappointed tests with the internal UV Sterilizers (marketed by Jebo, JBJ, Killing Machine) where I was really hopeful for a new cutting edge product, but let down after use; The Seio Propeller Pumps have passed with the quality I hoped for.
The Seio Propeller Pump is vastly more economical than the Hydor Koralia with a better ceramic design as well as a more compact size. As with most other propeller pumps, the Seio is the best design for use with wave makers.

I would strongly recommend this propeller pump over the Hydor Koralia, although at this time the model 320 is all that I can back (others are still being tested). This model is best for ¼ inch thick glass.
The Seio 320 (320 gph) is slightly less flow than the Hydor Koralia, but is also almost half the price with a more compact reliable design. If you in need of a propeller aquarium pump, this is definitely the pump you need.

SUMMARY:
I have had persons also ask me why many brands such as Via Aqua are not as commonly available as Hagen and does that make them of lower quality as no one really wants them?
The answer is quite simple; Hagen is sold through a larger network of mainline Pet Store distributors (although they are now transitioning to their own in house distribution system). This system promotes an all or nothing approach to marketing their products basically meaning you carry the whole line (good and bad) or not get discounts or even sell anything at all. This marketing system has been very successful (not to mention slick packaging), however this does not mean a better product.
Via Aqua (among many other high end brands) does not sell through traditional marketing distribution methods and systems, rather it sells many high end Marine fish importers and similar without all the expensive marketing gimmicks. This in particular places their products in the hands of Aquarium Maintenance Professionals who do not care about slick marketing or whether it is the fad, rather whether it works or not which is why Via Aqua and many other similar high end companies choose to sell this way.
Here are a few more manufactures that sell only (or partly) through high end distributors as well: Sanders, Tropic Marine, Liquid Life, ReSun, SeaChem, SPS, Marc Weiss, and many more.

If no stores in your area sell Via Aqua, Rio (Taam), Seio, ReSun, Tropic Marine or similar it is that they choose to buy from the one size fits all mainline distributors that also are the primary stockers of stores such as PetCo as well.

Recommended Information:

Aquarium Lighting
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Mollies in Aquariums; Molly Disease, Shimmies

2007-10-21T13:34:00.000-07:00

KEEPING MOLLY FISH IN AQUARIUMS & MOLLY DISEASE (Shimmies/ Livebearer Disease)

Updated 120/24/11

Sections include:
*Basics, Overview
*Molly Disease (aka Livebearer Disease, Shimmies)
*Summary

The Molly is from the same Genus as the guppy and Endlers livebearer; Poecilia and the family: Poeciliidae, the same as other livebearers.
One of the earliest described (& kept) Mollies was the sailfin molly, in 1821 as Mollienesia latipinna by the naturalist Charles Alexandre Lesueur.
The other is the common "short finned" Molly; Poecilia sphenops, which is one of the ancestors of the popular black mollies.

Mollies wild habitat consists of fresh, brackish, and coastal waters from the Carolinas to Texas, peninsular Florida, and the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. Mollies prefer marshes, lowland streams, swamps, and estuaries.

Mollies do not have any one exact habitat in common, including salinity (despite some misconceptions here). What they do have in common is water high in alkalinity, Calcium and General Hardness.

Mollies only thrive in water that is very high in GH and Calcium (a GH over 250 GH), pH over 7.8, KH over 100+, and some salt, about 1 teaspoon per 1 gallon or 3-4 liters (or 1.002 to as high as 1.006 specific gravity). Mollies can easily survive in a specific gravity (salinity) of 1.012 which will not support parasites such as “ich” that may infest them at lower salinities.

What many hobbyists do not understand about mollies and their natural habitat is that although salt is very useful for disease prevention, it is the other ingredients in Marine Salt that really make a difference in molly health, and that is Calcium, Magnesium and the many other trace elements available here.
What all Molly habitats have in common is hardness/high mineral water, NOT salt!
Understanding this will go a long ways in keeping healthy, happy mollies. Without proper calcium, Magnesium and other essential elements in the water as well as a healthy Redox, you will most likely have trouble maintaining a healthy Molly population in your aquarium. With the right parameters, Mollies can be one of the easier fish to breed and keep and be very enjoyable fishy pets.

Maintaining correct Calcium and other necessary element levels will aid in healthy osmoregulation which will in turn result in healthier more disease resistant fish.

You can maintain Mollies in a community tank with many but only the most sensitive South American Fish. Other livebearers that do not have as high of mineral requirements will also do well in an aquarium that is at least kept to minimum Molly requirements.
If you intend to keep Mollies in a community aquarium with other fish such as Platties, Gouramis, etc; here are the minimum requirements I would suggest:

*pH – 7.5 - 8.0
*KH -100 – 150+ ppm
*GH – 200 -300+ ppm (important!)
*Salt (marine salt is best here) – 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons to 1 teaspoon per gallon

Here are a few products I would suggest for maintaining these levels:

*Wonder Shells; these are great for maintenance of GH, Calcium, Magnesium, Positive mineral ions (cations essential for Redox Balance & long term fish health) and other essential elements and are also safe and in fact quite useful for general community tank essential element maintenance.

*Sea Chem Buffer (Marine OR Malawi);this is useful for increasing KH and maintaining a safe AND BALANCED alkalinity/KH level (unlike Baking Soda!). Please see this article for more about this subject: “Calcium, GH, KH, pH, & Electrolytes in Aquariums”

*Aragonite, oyster shell or crushed coral in a filter bag; of these aragonite is the best, however all are poor at to reacting to rapid changes in water chemistry that can affect GH and KH which is why I recommend the first two more (although in a well maintained, non over crowded aquarium, rapid changes should be uncommon).

Feeding:
Mollies are omnivores and will eat most foods offered, however a Molly must have quality vegetable matter in their diet for optimum health such as Spirulina.
This should be supplemented with live, frozen or Freeze Dried worms, Brine Shrimp or similar foods

MOLLY DISEASE (Livebearer Disease/ Shimmies)

With this "disease", The Molly Fish stay in one place and wiggle, rock, wag and/or "shimmy" (hence the term "Shimmies").

Molly Disease is not technically a disease at all, rather a condition brought on by poor water conditions; electrolytes in particular.
However secondary infections may accompany this condition or parasitic protozoan infections may also mimic or even be present along with Shimmies/Molly Disease.

Treatment is generally easy assuming the condition is not too progressed.
Improving water chemistry as noted earlier in this article is the first step (following the in depth Aquarium Chemistry Article is a MUST for more complete information on this important subject!).
Although salt is not essential to most Mollies despite anecdotal claims to the contrary, the addition of 1 tablespoon per 5 gallons to 1 teaspoon per gallon of Aquarium Salt generally aids in Molly Disease initially (sometimes 2 teaspoons per gallon is needed, assuming other tank mates can tolerate this, of which Guppies should do fine with this level of salt).

Addressing positive mineral ions and buffering is the next step, especially for long term and prevention.
Wonder Shells are probably the simpleist solution to the positive mineral ion issue (cations/electrolytes), but there are other methods as well. The use of Buffers such as Although buffering is not as essential as the mineral cation issue for Molly Disease correcting this is step three; SeaChem's Malawi Buffer can correct KH problems and even help with GH and short term positive mineral ion problems as well.

Finally, sometimes treatment is helpful or even necessary.
A simple start would be Copper Sulfate as found in Aquarisol.
Medicated Wonder Shells also contain some copper as well as other ingredients helpful for Velvet and other related diseases to Shimmies/Molly Disease. These are probably the best over all treatment for Molly disease (as well as the addition of salt and buffers), as the Medicated Wonder Shell corrects most mineral electrolyte issues PLUS treats many related disease issues to this condition.

Triple Sulfa may also be helpful in tank for healing of the fish epidermis that sometimes is damaged during certain cases of Molly disease.

One more treatment that may help is a Medicated Fish Bath.
This 30 minute procedure utilizing salt (I suggest 2 teaspoons per gallon or even slightly more for Molly Disease), along with Methylene blue, and possibly an antibiotic (I would suggest Triple Sulfa at double tank dose).
This bath should be done twice per day for 30 minutes, tank water should be used for the bath then disposed of after each bath. Generally 4-7 days is sufficient.

SUMMARY:

Mollies can be interesting and colorful fish for your freshwater aquariums. Usually these are hardy fish except when the water conditions they require are not present, especially mineralization and to a lesser degree salt. Mollies can do well in a community tank with other fish provided the right water parameters are present. I do however caution adding Sailfin mollies to aquariums less than 20 gallons (75 liters). Smaller molly types such as black, balloon, goldust, etc., will do OK in 10 gallon aquariums. Keep in mind that a poorly maintained aquarium of ANY size cannot hold as large or as many fish.
Also note that mollies (as with all livebearers) can be prolific breeders and unless you are prepared for their offspring, it is best to have only male mollies (single females can still to store unused sperm from the male fish in her body for several months through a process called "superfetation").

For further reading I recommend these articles:

* “How do Fish Drink; Proper Osmotic Function”
* “Calcium, GH, KH, pH, & Electrolytes in Aquariums”
* “Aquarium (& Pond) Redox Potential”
*A Healthy Aquarium, Disease Prevention This article includes water chemistry as discussed here, but this article also includes Feeding, UV Sterilization (of which you UV Bulb must be changed every six months for proper effectiveness), and MANY other steps necessary for healthy fish, including Mollies
*http://www.flmnh.ufl.edu/fish/Gallery/Descript/SailfinMolly/SailfinMolly.html
* “Wet Web Media; The truth about mollies"

Fish Anatomy, Fin Identification

2007-09-25T12:34:00.000-07:00

This Aquarium Answers Post is simply for fish fin and fish anatomy identification.
The pictures can apply to most fish kept in freshwater and saltwater with the exception of Sharks, Rays, and Skate.

Updated 7/17/11

The first picture is of the anatomy of a bony fish (an Oscar).
Please Click on the picture to enlarge for a better view

Details include:
*Brain: Center of mental faculties of a fish.
*Esophagus: Part of the digestive tract connecting the mouth to the stomach.
*Dorsal aorta: Vessel in the back that carries blood from the heart to the organs.
*Stomach: part of the digestive tract between the esophagus and the intestine.
*Air bladder: Organ that regulates buoyancy in the water.
*Spinal cord: Nervous system part that connects the brain to the rest of the fish’ body
*Kidney: Blood-purifying organ. Common site for infections including dropsy
*Urinary orifice: Opening for urine elimination
*Genital Orifice: opening related to the genital organs.
*Anus: end of the digestive tract.
*Gonad: hormone-secreting sexual gland of a fish.
*Intestine: final stage of the digestive tract.
*Gall bladder: Small sac containing the bile for digestion
*Liver: Bile-producing digestive gland.
*Heart: Blood circulatory organ.
*Gills: Respiratory organ of a fish.
*Eye: Fish sight organ
*Olfactory bulb: Prominent part of the smell organ of smell of a fish.
*Pyloric cecum: Dead end related to the intestine.

The second Picture is of the names of fish fins and lateral line also using an Oscar (Cichlid).
Please Click on the picture to enlarge for a better view

This includes:
*Pectoral fin
*Anal Fin
*Pelvic Fin
*Caudal Fin (tail)
*Dorsal Fin
*Lateral Line
*Nasal Opening
*Vent (anus)

Here is a picture of a Catfish for an example of adipose fins and barbels:
Please Click on the picture to enlarge for a better view

For Related Information:

A Healthy Aquarium

Aquarium Medications Facts & Information

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Aquarium Moving, Power Failure

2007-08-30T14:44:00.000-07:00

Aquarium Moving (Part 1) & Dealing with Power Failures (Part 2)

Updated 1/11/12

Aquarium Moving

There are many different methods for moving that work well, I will give you information on the moving method that has worked best for me when I moved aquariums (small and large) for my aquarium maintenance clients (some short distance, a couple as far as 800 miles)
*Purchase some sterile Rubbermaid containers or Coleman or similar style ice chests (not cheep "styro" ice chests) as well as buckets for ornaments, gravel, etc.
If Rubbermaid containers are used, I prefer as large as possible such as 32 gallons for tanks over 40 gallons.

*Drain water from the display tank into one of these containers. Do not fill more than you can move or will spill. Then add your fish to this water.

*Add Methylene Blue , this will aid in the oxygen capacity of the blood, ease stress, ease ammonia/nitrite poisoning and help prevent disease. I also added Wonder Shells as these would increase the bio load capacity of the water and add very important electrolytes and aid in water parameter stability.
Keep this container as dark as possible.

Another alternative (not what I generally do, but many prefer) is to bag all your fish adding oxygen or the newer breathing bags. You can also add Bag Buddies by Jungle to these bags. These will add oxygen and Methylene blue for stress and disease prevention. This is a perfectly good method, I just prefer to be able to monitor and even aerate my fish, I also have arrived with less stressed fish this way (including with the breathable bags), as in my opinion the fish feel more comfortable in a larger container with less ammonia buildup and more cover.

*For trips over 4 hours, a battery air pump or AC air pump plugged into an inverter that runs off the vehicles cigarette lighter.
My recommendation here is to use the LifeTech Non Stop Air pump (pictured) or similar as this VERY powerful pump (more powerful than many standard AC pumps) can run up to 20 hours and can also be used as an automatic emergency air pump during power failures or simply as your aquariums main air supply pump.
The other alternative are the very simple batter pumps that run on ‘D’ cell batteries. These pumps are not all that powerful, however these pumps such as the Via Aqua Million Air Pump (pictured to the left) often provide ample air down to at least 18 inches of water and can last up to 8 hours when using fresh alkaline batteries.

*Do not over rinse any gravel or bio filter media such as sponges; place these in an open container/bucket

*Place safe (not heavy) decorations in with fish to provide cover. For live plants keep them separately as you will deplete oxygen in the darker moving environment. The same for rocks and heavy decoration as these can injure the fish

*Discard any unused water. For marine tanks I try and save as much water as possible.

*For small tanks (usually under 40 gallons), I will generally leave some gravel and other equipment in the tank for quick moving. For larger tanks I remove everything.

*Once at the destination, I begin to re set up the aquarium. For marine tanks I immediately start up a container with an air stone, water (preferably RO) and salt mix so as to have mixed saltwater ready for use. I will also note that I prefer 24 hours of agitation of newly mixed saltwater before using, however this time is usually not an option when moving.

*Once the tank is set up and running, I start SLOWLY mixing water back and forth between the tank and fish container to prevent osmotic shock, and adjust temperature.
I will usually add Stress Coat or similar to the container holding the fish and Prime to the display tank just before addition of the fish (and other aquatic creatures)

Moving Summary;

This is not the one and only method to move aquariums (and the inhabitants), but this way and variation of this method have worked very well for me with almost no losses over dozens of moves for my clients. I also still use the Methylene Blue Wonder Shell method in transporting fish from LA to Oregon a few times a year (counting stopping time this is a 36 hour plus journey for the fish without a loss yet!)

For a much more in depth Aquarium Answers article that deals specifically with shipping of fish (as compared to this article that is aimed more at transport of fish and aquariums, please see this article: “Fish Shipping”

Power Failures;

Dealing with power failures is very similar to tank moving in that many of the same methods can be employed, so I will not repeat the same material, other than I will list methods of maintaining your fish while power is out.
It is also noteworthy that most healthy aquariums (with normal bio loads) can last up to 4 hours with absolutely no action taken!

Here are several suggestions:
• Stirring the aquarium with a small clean paddle. This can be done gently enough to not cause too much stress to fish while providing water moving and oxygen/CO2 exchange (depending on paddle size and aquarium size; obviously a smaller paddle for a smaller tank).
• Keeping a Battery automatic air pump connected at all times to the aquarium. The best way is via a small Sponge Filter as pictured to the left, although for better yet effectiveness in removing ammonia/nitrites, I suggest that a separate sponge filter be connected to a continuous running pump then this Sponge filter be reconnected to the battery pump during the power failure.
• This same idea as above can be used except a Non-Stop Battery pump is employed so that the Sponge filter is always biologically seasoned or does not require reconnection to the battery air pump during power failures.
• The use of a generator or DC to AC inverter (which is then connected to an Deep cycle RV Battery. I have found that a deep cycle battery can run the average aquarium for days without re-charging.
• The use of Prime or Amquel Plus is also suggested if ammonia or nitrite levels rise during power failures.
• Water changes (if you are on city water, not a well that needs AC power) can also be used to provide fresh water, electrolytes, & oxygen. As well products such as Wonder Shells also add essential electrolytes and even some oxygen.

Octopus as Aquarium Pets

2007-07-31T12:21:00.000-07:00

Keeping an Octopus in a Home Saltwater Aquarium.

Updated 12/29/10

I have kept o. rubescens (pictured), brown, and even poisonous blue ring octopi (I do not recommend Blue ring).
In fact a brown A. aculeatus was one of my first saltwater “creatures” back in the mid 1970s. They make great pets and are highly intelligent, in fact mine would recognize me and come to the top and stick its tentacles out to take food directly from me.

Here are a few points to keep in mind though:

*An Octopus will squirt ink they squirt when frightened, but that is rare. Try and keep a peaceful environment and this will not become a problem.

*The Blue Ring Octopus (Hapalochlaena lunulata & Hapalochlaena maculosa which is more common and smaller; 5 inches- 1 oz.) from the Great Barrier Reef of Australia is one of the most toxic animals on earth with its neurotoxin (Tetrodotoxin).
A bite can kill in under an hour (although they very rarely bite). Their bites are very small and often painless and the Tetrodotoxin poison found in the Blue Ring Octopus can result in the victim being fully aware of their surroundings but unable to breathe. Because of the paralysis that occurs the victim has no way of signaling for help or any way of indicating distress. Respiratory support until medical assistance arrives may mean the difference between death and recovery.
Being bitten while alone is often a death sentence (See Blue Ring Octopus Bite).

To prevent a rare, but potentially lethal bite, wearing thick rubbers gloves should be adequate protection for the small beak on the Blue ring Octopus.

This said, as I already noted bites are rare. In fact these are very inquisitive animals and with simple cautions such as rubber gloves and a child proof aquarium, these can make an interesting pet that will thrive more easily in the common warm water marine aquarium than most brown octopii.
I would compare a Blue Ring Octopus personality to that of a friendly, neutered male cat I have; he is very playful and curious, but every once in while he gets carried away and over aggressive in his play. With this in mind I find Blue Ring Octopii this way, so protect yourself accordingly.

*These Octopus prefer the warmer waters that most home aquariums provide and generally the Blue Ring Octopus thrives much better than the Brown Octopus; however the poison problem in my opinion often over rides this “plus” (even though I have kept them).

Here are some important points for success in keeping a Brown & Blue Ring Octopus vulgaris and bimaculoides (or even a Blue Ring Octopus):

*Most Brown Octopus that are commonly available are cold water preferring so an aquarium under 75 F is best (under 70 F is better).
However the Blue ring prefers warm tropical waters above 75F.

*They need crab or other crustaceans in their diet. Keep in mind that they will consume cleaner shrimp, coral banded shrimp and similar aquarium tank mates.

*They are sensitive to nitrates above 20 ppm. So good filtration (such as the Berlin Method which may include live rock, deep sand bed, refugium, etc.).
A Protein skimmer is recommended, but I have successfully kept Octopi without a Protein skimmer.
Whether you use a Protein Skimmer or not, the key is low nitrates and a healthy environment (which includes Redox Potential, which a UV Sterilizer can help maintain).
Back to Nitrates, besides the many methods for nitrate removal, the keeper of any Octopus should consider the use of a Reverse Osmosis Filter to provide nitrate free water for both “topping off” for evaporation or mixing new saltwater for water changes. Most tap or well water has at least some nitrates, so with nitrate sensitive Octopus, this is highly recommended piece of equipment to own.
Other methods for nitrate removal include the use of anaerobic filter media in filters such as SeaChem Matrix or chemical adsorbents such as SeaChem Purigen

*They have short life spans, often less than two years, and a warm aquarium will shorten this further (except for tropical Blue Ring Octopii). Also they shorten it further by easily escaping from loose fitting tops.

*They do NOT mix with eels (mortal enemies)

For further reading about Octopus intelligence, please read this article from the Washington Post:
Brilliant Houdinis of the Deep

Aquarium Nitrates; Lowering Nitrate Levels, Control

2007-07-25T10:27:00.000-07:00

Updated 1/06/12

Including:

Overview
What are Nitrates?
High Nitrate Dangers
Relief of Nitrate Poisoning
Removal/Prevention

OVERVIEW

Although less toxic than ammonia and nitrite; nitrate (NO3) as a nitrogen compound also causes stress at all levels making a fish’s organs work harder to adjust to it’s new environment, especially at levels higher than 100 ppm). The increasing stress results in the loss of ability to fight diseases, the ability to heal itself, and the ability to reproduce.
It is essential for you, the aquarium hobbyist, to maintain a proper environment for your aquatic companions. High nitrate levels are a sign of poorly maintained aquariums and will cause problems in the long term (I recommend levels under 40 ppm for FW, 20 ppm for Saltwater fish, & under 1 ppm for reef).

Nitrates are potentially dangerous due to the effects on the water chemistry and on a healthy environment for your fish while nitrates are accumulating. The higher the nitrate levels the higher and severe the consequences due to the stress on your fish and the favorable conditions for a serious algae outbreak.
Nitrate levels around 5 ppm or less are found in nature which provides an almost nitrate free environment (although a Nitrate level of around 15 ppm is usually best for planted freshwater aquariums). The higher the nitrate concentration the more stress for the fish. Extremely severe stress is reached at levels exceeding 100 ppm. Many plants will fail before reaching this level, this due to an accumulation of life forms such as detritus worms feeding on decomposing waste, and the consequently higher biomass (organisms living in the aquarium) leads to an increasing demand of oxygen.

I will also add that although nitrates are not dangerous in the short term unlike ammonia or nitrites; in established tanks I usually test this parameter more often as this is a good indicator of how well I am doing in my tank cleanings (if enough water is being changed and often enough). Tests of KH & GH are also useful in indicating an established tanks health.

One more point about nitrate; I have tested the water on under sized aquariums /bowls containing otherwise healthy goldfish. The nitrates would often exceed 200 ppm! These goldfish (although they appeared healthy), rarely lived more than 3-5 years as compared to the 12 + years of the goldfish I have kept for clients in pond and larger aquariums.
University studies in Cattle show nitrate levels in water over 221 ppm to be harmful or even fatal, so I sure would NOT want my fish kept at nitrate levels approaching this number.

*WHAT ARE NITRATES?

Nitrates (NO3) are compounds composed of a nitrogen and three oxygen atoms and are often the final stage in the nitrogen cycle of fresh and saltwater aquariums if there are not nitrate removing plants, algae, or nitrate reducing anaerobic bacteria present. Nitrates are the conjugate base (chemical substance that releases a proton in the backward chemical reaction) of nitric acid (HNO3), consisting of one central nitrogen atom surrounded by three identical oxygen atoms. The presence or production of large amounts nitrates can result in the presence of Nitric acid according to the Brønsted-Lowry theory of acids and bases which will in turn affect an aquariums pH and KH (which can result in dangerous pH swings).

Large amounts of organic mulm and decomposition in an aquariums (or pond) gravel or in filters is often a common cause of persistent nitrate problems. Another clue to this is a pH that tends to drop quickly, often even with buffers added (assuming a higher new water pH); the breakdown of organic mulm or similar will lower pH while increasing nitrates. Pockets of decomposing organics are often found in areas of deep fine sand, under rocks or other décor, or in large filters (especially canister filters).

*HIGH NITRATE DANGERS:

High nitrate levels which many sources based in human studies place as low as 30- 45 ppm of nitrate as harmful. The EPA recommend levels under 10 ppm in drinking water, although often this can higher especially in well water.
High nitrate levels can cause respiration problems in fish, lower or eliminate the ability to breed, resist disease, and lower activity of aquarium inhabitants. In human studies high nitrate levels have been shown to dangerously lower blood pressure by causing the muscles that control the size of blood vessels to relax, this can be dangerous to fish too causing circulatory problems which can again result in poor disease resistance.
High Nitrate levels in aquariums will also result in high algae growths and in marine aquariums is toxic at even low levels to Cephalopods such as Octopus and to corals.

Another danger is in the bloodstream, nitrates can be converted biologically to nitrites, leading to "Brown Blood Disease".

For more on the dangers of Nitrates:
http://www.ext.vt.edu/pubs/forage/404-163/404-163.html

Temporary Relief of Nitrate Poisoning:
First, please note that high nitrates are not even close to the danger of high ammonia or nitrites for fish, so if these are the problem, high ammonia and nitrites should be addressed first.
Some have stated that moving from high nitrates to low nitrates or vice versa can also cause nitrate shock similar to pH shock, however this is anecdotal and my tests as well as research have yet to verify such claims (for one nitrates are NOT algorithmic like pH is)

*Medicated Baths using Methylene Blue can increase oxygen in the blood and quickly remedy ammonia, nitrite, and especially nitrate poisoning (in this order of effectiveness too with ammonia poisoning the least effective and nitrates the most effective)
See: Fish Baths; Aquarium Answers

*Spirulina Algae or Chlorophyll Remedy; these build the immune system and increase blood oxygen levels in fish that have suffered from nitrite or nitrate poisoning or oxygen deprivation. Spirulina is the better choice of the two, being much better at increasing immune function.
The most simple and effective way to administer Spirulina is via a high Spirulina based food such as Spirulina 20 or HBH Veggie/Spirulina Flake. Feeding Spirulina based foods although not a replacement for lowering your aquarium or ponds nitrate levels can be a reasonable albeit partial solution to chronic nitrate problems for many fish (not reef inhabitants such as Corals, Cephalopods, etc.).

If you have access to food grade Spirulina or Chlorophyll, these can also be used as a bath:
Pre-mix 1 ounce of spirulina or chlorophyll per gallon of aquarium water (I suggest first liquifying the powder with sterile water to a make a liquid ounce); allow fish to soak for 15-30 minutes; perform this once or twice a daily. Use a fresh bath for each bath using your display tank water. This can be performed in 1/2 ounces with 1/2 gallon too for smaller fish.

Please read this article for more about Spirulina Algae:
Spirulina Algae

*Most importantly, follow the steps below to lower your aquarium or pond nitrates in the first place and often any possible nitrate poisoning issues will go away too

*REMOVAL / PREVENTION:

Here are a few basics for removal/ prevention of nitrates (I will add to this list over time too)
• Water changes; for high nitrate levels changing as much as 60% then filling the aquarium only 80% (this cuts the nitrates in half), followed by a 50% change again which will then have an over all reduction of 75%.
Also keep in mind to test your tap water as this can affect your nitrate levels as tap (& well) water often have some nitrates in the water already, I have tested as high as 25 ppm (although this is rare). So as an example you change 50% water that has 100 ppm with tap water that is 20 ppm you will not reduce nitrates by half to 50 ppm.

• Plants in Freshwater Aquariums; plants will keep lower nitrate levels. A well maintained planted aquarium maintains lower nitrates by more than one attribute:
*Direct removal of ammonia by some plants such as Hornwort (Foxtail), as well as removal of nitrates from the water column.
*The roots also remove nitrates and other nitrogenous wastes.
*Often a well maintained sand, laterite, Plant Grower Bed, etc. around the roots maintain a healthy anaerobic filter bed without reverting to sulfide reduction (Hydrogen Sulfide production), which can often happen in freshwater aquariums where sand is used if no oxygen is allowed to permeate.

• Vacuuming of eventual nitrate producing mulm is essential in both freshwater and saltwater as long as this performed correctly so as to not disturb anaerobic bacteria in saltwater or plant roots in freshwater, please see this article: “Aquarium Cleaning”

• Lower you bio load/ DOC, as noted in the previous point about vacuuming high amounts of organic mulm/sludge that in turn leads to high DOC (dissolved organic compounds) in the water column is a major contributor of high nitrates. A strong indicator of this problem is a low pH and a KH under 50 ppm along with high nitrates (often over 80 ppm).
Check your filters (especially large capacity filers such as canister or large sump filters) for buildup of mulm/sludge. Under gravel filters can be a major contributors due to trapped decomposing waste under the plates and gravel, especially not cared for well
Ornaments, decorative rocks and gravel can also trap copious amounts of decomposing organic waste.

• Reduce Fish, this includes "Cleaner Fish" or similar; this is similar to the above recommendation as less fish or other inhabitants (crabs, shrimp, snails, etc.) means less organic waste.
As well I should address the often implied Urban Myth about "Cleaner Crews"; adding fish such as Plecostomus to clean your aquarium only cleans cosmetically. The facts are this fish or similar dumps far more organic waste than they take in and in fact while algae might be unsightly, removing it via a plecostomus not only removes a life form that removes nitrates, but adds a life form that adds much more to the nitrates. Snails are even worse in this respect.
I am not suggesting that fish such as Plecostomus should not be kept, but if you are keeping these (along with snails, both freshwater or marine) thinking these are keeping your tank bio load lower and thus nitrates lower, you have them for the wrong reason.

As an analogy; if you had a small child that is constantly spilling and making messes, would you "baby sit" this small child with your dog that is never let out? I think you would find the "Messes" eventually left from the dog to be just as bad and likely much worse.

• Reduce feeding and use foods that are more easily digested (made with amino acids that will be used by the fish/aquatic organism and not be expelled) such as Spirulina Algae based foods.
Your choice of food and over feeding can be a major contributor to DOC and in turn high nitrates, unstable pH, and low KH.

• In marine aquariums the use of live rock, mud filters/Refugiums and/or protein skimmers can help reduce nitrates. Mud filters and Refugiums remove nitrates while Protein Skimmers remove nitrogenous wastes (proteins) before they enter the nitrogen cycle. I personally feel some older style protein skimmers can be over rated due to the often erratic upkeep they require (although the newer models are often worth the expense in both effectiveness and lack of hassles).

I prefer the more natural use of live rock (as well as live rock crumbles in filters) and mud filters/Refugiums as well as Mangrove Plants and Caulerpa algae in my marine aquariums. Good deep sand (#00) beds of over 3” (with a ½” layer of #3 crushed coral on top for ease of cleaning) also are helpful as these allow anaerobic bacteria to form and remove nitrates.

• The use of a Protein Skimmer in marine aquariums is an effective way (depending on the skimmer) of removing ‘protein’ based organics BEFORE they can enter the nitrogen cycle and thus become nitrates. These devices do NOT work in freshwater as they work via foam refraction which is a process that will not work in freshwater (there is also evidence that foam refraction will be limited by the use of carbon since carbon removes MBAS Foaming Agents, see this article: Aquarium Answers; Activated Carbon)
For Reef tanks, these devices are almost a must, and generally the low end skimmers are not adequate, high end skimmers such as Warner Marine mesh wheel skimmer or the Tropic Marine V2 Skimmer are among two of many good choices.

Please see this article for more information about Protein Skimmers: Marine Aquarium Protein Skimmers

• Use a re-circulating micron cleaning filter to super clean your aquarium without over cleaning (meaning excessive water changes over 50%). The Aquarium Cleaning Machine is an awesome device for this purpose as it removes many of the organics before they are converted via the nitrogen cycle to nitrates (similar in theory to a protein skimmer, albeit a very different process).
The key is this machine (& similar devices such as the Vortex Diatom filter, but this device is the best by far I have used) VERY efficiently removes fine organic particulates BEFORE they would otherwise go through the nitrogen cycle. Rinsing in of cartridges in CHLORINATED water after use prevents the formation of nitrifying bacteria that would break down organics resulting in higher nitrates. Despite some naysayers in some anecdotal forums, this machine is very efficient for this purpose when use correctly and it does not simply re-circulate DOC (dissolved organic compounds) through the water, it removes much of the small organic particulates before they enter the nitrogen cycle thus becoming nitrates. The theory is similar to how a protein skimmer works in marine aquariums, however this machine and similar can be used in salt OR freshwater!

Another albeit less effect device for removing organic mulm/sludge that will eventually lead to high nitrates is the Eheim Sludge Extractor Battery Gravel Vacuum. Although not as efficient as the Aquarium Cleaing Machine nor is the micron filter as effective, it still may be the answer for aquarium keepers on a more tight budget or with small aquariums where the Cleaning machine is simply not practical.

• Rinse filters often with de-chlorinated water to prevent mulm build up. This is especially important in “nitrate factory” filters such as Wet-Dry and canister filters. The rinsing of sponge filters is also important. In heavily planted freshwater aquariums this is often not necessary as the plants will often consume most extra nitrates and over cleaning can actually reduce nitrates too low for heavily planted tanks with CO2. However in marine aquariums this IS essential.
This is especially important with canister filters and Wet/Dry filters which have the reputation within the saltwater side of the aquarium keeping hobby as “nitrate factories” due to the fact that these filters both trap a lot of organic debris and also are very efficient aerobic nitrifying filters yet do little for de-nitrification. Rinsing bio media is helpful for these filters as well as increasing frequency of this procedure; this also applies to freshwater as well.

• High Porosity Bio Media: I have had success in preventing this problem with the use of live rock crumbles in place of much of the standard bio filter media in saltwater aquariums so as to allow for de-nitrification deep inside these crumbles. Volcanic rock is a substitute that works well too for this and can be used in FW as well.
As to volcanic rock and live rock crumbles, the higher the flow rate, the larger the volcanic rock/crumble size so as to allow for correct anaerobic de-nitrification (generally about a ¾ to 1 inch diameter rock size for flow rates less than 350 gph)

Another product I have used with good results (although also currently hard to obtain) is SeaChem’s Matrix. Eheim (Substrat Pro) and JBL (MicroMec) are similar products (in both cases, sintered glass) and are claiming larger specific surface areas than for Matrix, however there is a second consideration, and that is the size of the pores in the medium. Generally, with very large pore diameters, we have smaller specific surface area, so that is not good. This generally rules out pores above 10 microns in diameter. But we can go too far in the other direction as many products such as Eheim (Substrat Pro) and JBL (MicroMec) have done. If we have a very large number of very, very small pores, then our specific surface area number will be phenomenal, but the medium will not work very well as a biological medium. This is due to physical limitations, specifically too small a volume to support bacterial growth, and the decreasing efficiency of fluid transport (necessary to carry nutrients to the bacteria and waste away from the bacteria) with very small pore sizes.

*Please note that many otherwise excellent bio media such as bio balls, bio stars, ceramic bio rings, etc., only perform nitrification, that is the conversion of ammonia and nitrites, but this only adds to nitrates as these products do NOT have the pore size and too much oxygen is available to the pores that are found on these products which oxygen in any quantity inhibits de-nitrification (the removal of nitrates)

• Macro-Porous Synthetic polymers, Ion Exchange Resins, Absorbents, etc.; there are several nitrate “sponge” or resins available, although these can be costly. Zeolite can be used in freshwater aquariums to remove ammonia before it ever goes thru the nitrogen cycle, eventually becoming nitrates.
API Bio-Chem Zorb Chemical Filter Media is an good example of a blended carbon and resins that can aid in nitrate control. This is an excellent product for those who need more than just carbon, but do not have a serious nitrate problem.

Another excellent product is SeaChem’s Purigen which more effective for more serious nitrate problems than BioChem Zorb (althoug it does not contain carbon).
Purigen be used in both freshwater and saltwater and is specifically designed to be an organic scavenging resin. Purigen generally ignores simple elemental compounds, having an extreme affinity for nitrogenous organics
Purigen can also be regenerated with bleach, however do not use in combination with Stress Coat (for more about this please read this article: Aquarium Answers: Aquarium Water Conditioners ). Purigen can also raise your Redox, so maintain a Redox balance with the use of additional minerals such as Wonder Shells.

• Organic Nitrate Reducing Products; such as Algone for freshwater or saltwater can aid in nitrate prevention/removal.
In fact in our aquarium maintenance companies controlled tests we found marked differences in aquariums (both freshwater and saltwater) in Nitrate levels between tanks with and without Algone Nitrate Controller.
Algone works by utilizing Nitrate fixating microorganisms which incorporate excess nitrogen into the cellular mass, while bio active enzymes assimilate nitrogen from the water column.

• The use of fine micron poly filter pads inside easy to access filters such as aquarium power filters (HOB) or wet/dry filters. I would place these in easy to reach spots and NOT use them to replace the regular filters or sponges, rather place a piece in front of the existing filter. This pad needs to be rinsed every 1-3 days. How this works is this filter material will trap fine organic particles BEFORE going through the nitrogen cycle which would otherwise result in nitrates. The key is regular rinsing in CHLORINATED water so as to prevent the formation of nitrifying bacteria that would break down organics resulting in higher nitrates. This is similar to how the micron cartridges work (except on a much smaller and less efficient scale) in cleaning filters such as the Aquarium Cleaning Machines. I recommend generic versions rather than the more pricy name brands which can be cut to fit, here is one example of these generic pads: Aquarium Filter Media
The use of or micron socks, often employed in marine reef systems can achieve similar results and should be rinsed often as well for best results.

• Check your clean water source as I have tested Tap Water in excess of 20 ppm and some wells may also be high. The use of “clean water” that already has moderate amounts of nitrates lessens the effectiveness of water changes. For SW the solution is simple, I recommend the use of Reverse Osmosis, DI (Distilled) or similar water for mixing all new saltwater and for topping off for evaporation. For FW, this is a bit more difficult as RO/DI water is missing VERY essential elements for fish osmoregulation so its use is not generally acceptable (the use of marine salt mix replenishes ALL necessary elements back to the water). At best the FW aquarist can uses partial RO, DI or similar and then reconstitute the water with minerals with products such as Wonder Shells, Alkaline Buffers, and Cichlid Salts.

• Carbon does not remove nitrates; although the use of carbon has its supporters and detractors, one aspect of activated carbon that is clear is that it cannot remove nitrates. Activated carbon filtration does not remove microbes, sodium, nitrates, fluoride, and hardness. HOWEVER Carbon can remove DOC, which eventually can lead to high nitrates, so the use of carbon in aquariums with nitrate problems is certainly a worthwhile endeavor.
Please reference the more in depth Aquarium Answers article about the use of carbon: Aquarium Answers; Activated Carbon

Please reference this other Aquarium answers article for more other filter media types as well:
Aquarium Filter Media; types, capacities and more

Please reference this article for more about the production of Hydrogen Sulfides during the process of De-Nitrification:
"Hydrogen Sulfide production in anaerobic De-Nitrification for Aquarium/Pond Nitrate Removal"

For a map of Nitrates in World Rivers, please click below
Nitrate Levels in Major World Rivers

For more freshwater and marine basics, please visit this Aquarium Information Resource

Ichthyophonus in fish

2007-05-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

Updated 11/16/11

Ichthyophonus (Ichthyphonus) are protists placed between fungi and animals in Biological classification. They are considered members of the kingdom Protozoa in the recent Biological classifications, but are still discussed with fungi in some scientific texts.

Ichthyophonusis one of the more devastating aquarium diseases. It is nearly impossible to treat, however it is easier to prevent.
This disease may be more common than many aquarists realize as identification is often very difficult with the proper scientific instruments and a Necropsy of infected tissue such as the heart or brain.

The picture to the left displays two combined slides of Ichthyophonus;
The left slide is of infected heart tissue while the right slide is of the mouth area of a different specimen (at 200 time magnification)

A few possible outer symptoms include:
Please note that with Ichthyophonus protists, a fish can have just one of these symptoms, not all symptoms are required as Ichthyophonus can metastasize in many areas of fish anatomy, often the heart or other internal tissues, but sometimes less lethal external nodules may be caused by Ichthyophonus protists.

• Ulcerated small nodules in the skin
• Bulging eyes (from pressure exerted from the infection in the brain)
• Loss of color (similar to Neon Tetra Disease)
• Loss of energy (due to the infection in the heart)
• Whirling; this is a very common symptom that unfortunately usually is one of the final symptoms due to infection in the brain (although this symptom can appear early and be the first symptom)
• Often Fish suffering from a systemic aquarium infection of Ichthyophonus will die off at irregular intervals, which often makes disease identification difficult.
• Sudden cooling of the water can be allow this disease to go systemic as Ichthyphonus protists/fungi are generally more virulent in colder waters, so this can also be a "symptom" since actual tests are impossible to conduct in live fish (see lower in the article).

The picture to the left is of a Salmon Heart, cut open to show the Ichthyophonus nodules.
These same nodules can also be present in less fatal external infections (such as on finnage).

Please click the picture for a better view.

Ichthyophonus generally affects fish as an internal fungus , often attacking vital organs such as the liver, kidneys, brain and also the muscles on occasionally. The result is often a deteriorating fish that often stops eating (making medicated foods useless), swimming in circles (loss of equilibrium caused by the infection invading the brain), and loss of color and scales.

The above picture shows the infected heart of an Alaskan Salmon.

Potential treatments are Methylene Blue Baths or better, Potassium Permanganate Baths, increased salt levels (for fish that will tolerate this) of from 1 -2 tablespoons per 5 net gallons.

If the infection is external (such as nodules), a "Swab" with Potassium Permanganate or even Tincture of Iodine may work well, (so not use either of these treatments in the gills!!). Generally external nodes/nodules type Ichthyophonus infections are the most treatable.

Some Organic Treatments such as Pimafix , Kanamycin combined with good electrolyte and calcium levels measured by a GH over 100 ppm can help as a cocktail.
A Medicated Wonder Shell would aid this cocktail by adding more anti fungal/protozoal treatment along with adding important electrolytes and calcium.
Other measures for possible treatment (or more to check the spread) are heat as Ichthyphonus protists are generally more virulent in colder waters, so raising temperatures above 82 F (28 Celsius) can at least aid in checking the spread.

One very potent treatment “cocktail” (combination) is the combination of ParaGuard with Kanaplex and Nitrofuarzone (Furan 2). Please note that this combination is a potent treatment and water parameters should be monitored carefully during this treatment (usually about 7-10 days). This should be used in addition to the before mentioned baths (with Methylene Blue or Potassium Permanganate) and water parameter corrections (if necessary).

However all the above is often in vain, with the one bright spot that these procedures along with UV Sterilization will often check the spread of this disease. Other important preventatives is too remove suspected fish to a quarantine tank, in fact I strongly recommend this (or simply euthanizing them) as this is commonly spread through the eating of infected fish’ waste by otherwise healthy fish.

Prevention of Ichthyophonus is definitely the best cure.

Here are a few preventative steps:

• Quarantine or at least give 30 minute medicated baths in Methylene Blue or Potassium Permanganate.
• Keep optimum water parameters for the fish you are keeping whether FW or saltwater.
For freshwater this includes ammonia/nitrites at 0, nitrates below 50 ppm, a stable pH, and positive ion mineralization for the fish kept (a GH of at least 100 ppm, often higher for many fish).
• Regular cleaning procedures
• UV Sterilization
• Treatment with Malachite Green/Acriflavin/methylene blue based products (such as Medicated Wonder Shells) or Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Fungus Treatment after suspected Ichthyophonus carrying fish die or are removed.
• Increase salt in aquarium, at least temporarily to the highest levels the fish will tolerate.
See this article for more about salt use: Salt in Freshwater Aquariums
• Change your source for new fish, this is not to say that your trusted aquarium/fish store is always a poor source for new fish, however this needs to be ruled out since this disease is generally introduced and often I have had clients with unknown die offs that fit the description of Ichthyophonus, keep having problems with this disease after bleaching the aquarium and re-starting, only to buy new fish from the same source to repeat the problem; often when the source of new fish was changed after a bleaching/sterilization of the aquarium did the disease problems end.

Please read this article for more about aquarium disease prevention:
“Aquarium Disease Prevention”

Please read this article for more about studies of Ichthyophonus in Salmon:
“Ichthyophonus Disease”

Other References:
http://staff.stir.ac.uk/charles.mcgurk/eafp2/PROT09.HTM
http://staff.stir.ac.uk/charles.mcgurk/eafp4/ICH.HTM