Aquarium Q&A Expert answers to the most common aquarium questions. Fish diseases, plant problems, water chemistry, cycling issues and more. Can't find your answer? Ask AquaBot instantly.
All (41) Cycling (4) Fish Health (8) Fish Compatibility (1) Plants (6) Algae (3) Shrimp (4) Water Chemistry (5) Reef (2) Equipment (1) Maintenance (2) Beginner (5)
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Cycling ๐ฅ Popular
How long does it take to cycle a fish tank?
A fishless nitrogen cycle typically takes 4 to 8 weeks from start to finish. The process has two distinct stages: first ...
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Cycling ๐ฅ Popular
How do I cycle my fish tank faster?
The five most effective ways to speed up your nitrogen cycle: 1) Use bottled nitrifying bacteria on day one โ Fritz Turb...
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Cycling ๐ Trending
Why does my ammonia spike after a water change?
An ammonia spike after a water change is usually caused by one of three things. First, your tap water may contain chlora...
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Cycling ๐ Trending
My nitrite will not go down โ what is wrong?
Persistently high nitrite usually means your Nitrobacter bacterial colony has not established yet or has been disrupted....
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Fish Health ๐ฅ Popular
Why is my betta fish clamping his fins?
Clamped fins in bettas are almost always a stress or illness response. The most common causes in order of likelihood: 1)...
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Fish Health ๐ฅ Popular
Why is my betta fish not eating?
Bettas refusing food is very common and usually not immediately serious. The most frequent reasons: 1) Temperature โ the...
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Fish Health ๐ฅ Popular
Why is my betta fish turning white and losing colour?
A betta losing colour and turning white or pale has several possible causes: 1) Stress โ the most common cause. New envi...
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Fish Health ๐ฅ Popular
Why is my betta fish laying on the bottom of the tank?
A betta resting on the bottom occasionally is normal behaviour, especially near plants or decorations. However if it is ...
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Fish Compatibility ๐ฅ Popular
What fish can live with a betta?
Bettas can live with tank mates in a large enough planted tank but species selection is critical. Safe companions includ...
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Plants ๐ฅ Popular
Why are my aquarium plants turning yellow?
Yellow leaves in aquarium plants almost always indicate a nutrient deficiency. The specific pattern of yellowing tells y...
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Plants ๐ฅ Popular
How do I grow a Monte Carlo carpet in my aquarium?
Growing a Monte Carlo carpet successfully requires four things working together: CO2, light, substrate and patience. For...
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Plants ๐ฅ Popular
Why is my Java fern turning brown?
Brown patches or spots on Java fern leaves are most commonly plantlets developing โ small new plants growing directly fr...
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Plants ๐ฅ Popular
What are the best plants for an aquarium without CO2?
Many beautiful plants thrive without CO2 injection. The most reliable: Java fern (Microsorum pteropus) โ nearly indestru...
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Algae ๐ฅ Popular
How do I get rid of black beard algae?
Black beard algae (BBA or Audouinella) is caused almost exclusively by CO2 fluctuation. The cure addresses the cause, no...
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Plants ๐ Trending
How do I plant dwarf hairgrass to get a carpet?
Planting dwarf hairgrass correctly from the start is crucial for carpeting success. Separate the tissue culture or potte...
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Shrimp ๐ฅ Popular
Why are my cherry shrimp dying?
Cherry shrimp deaths usually fall into one of several categories: 1) Copper poisoning โ the most common cause of sudden ...
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Shrimp ๐ Trending
What water parameters do Crystal Red Shrimp need?
Crystal Red Shrimp are significantly more demanding than Neocaridina species and require precise water chemistry. The pa...
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Shrimp ๐ Trending
How do I get my cherry shrimp to breed?
Cherry shrimp breed readily when conditions are correct and they will breed prolifically โ a small colony of 10 shrimp c...
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Shrimp ๐ Trending
Can you keep Neocaridina and Caridina shrimp together?
Keeping Neocaridina and Caridina shrimp together is strongly not recommended for two reasons. First, they require comple...
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Water Chemistry ๐ฅ Popular
How do I lower the pH in my aquarium safely?
Lowering pH must be done gradually as a sudden drop kills fish. The safest methods in order of reliability: 1) Peat filt...
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Water Chemistry ๐ฅ Popular
How do I raise the pH in my fish tank?
Raising aquarium pH requires understanding why it is low first. If your KH (carbonate hardness) is very low, pH will nat...
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Water Chemistry ๐ Trending
What is KH in aquariums and why does it matter?
KH stands for Carbonate Hardness (also called Alkalinity). It measures the buffering capacity of your water โ essentiall...
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Water Chemistry ๐ Trending
What is GH hardness and why do fish need minerals?
GH stands for General Hardness and measures the total concentration of magnesium and calcium ions in your water. These m...
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Maintenance ๐ฅ Popular
How often should I do water changes in my aquarium?
For most planted and community tanks, a 25 to 30 percent water change every 7 days is the gold standard and most effecti...
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Fish Health ๐ฅ Popular
How do I treat ich (white spots) in my fish tank?
Ich (Ichthyophthirius multifiliis) appears as small white spots like grains of salt sprinkled over the fish. It is highl...
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Fish Health ๐ฅ Popular
How do I treat fin rot in fish?
Fin rot is a bacterial infection that causes fins to look ragged, frayed, dark at the edges, or to appear to be dissolvi...
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Fish Health ๐ Trending
My fish has a gold dusty appearance โ is it velvet disease?
Velvet (Oodinium pilularis in freshwater, Amyloodinium ocellatum in saltwater) is a parasite that causes a fine gold, ru...
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Fish Health ๐ Trending
What is dropsy and how do I treat it?
Dropsy is not a single disease but a symptom of organ failure, most commonly kidney failure. The hallmarks are severe bl...
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Algae ๐ฅ Popular
How do I get rid of green water in my aquarium?
Green water is caused by a bloom of single-celled algae (phytoplankton) suspended in the water, making it pea soup green...
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Algae ๐ Trending
How do I remove green spot algae from aquarium glass?
Green spot algae (GSA) forms hard round green dots on the glass and slow-growing plant leaves and is one of the most com...
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Reef ๐ Trending
Why does my reef tank alkalinity keep dropping?
Alkalinity consumption in reef tanks comes from two sources: coral calcification and natural buffering of CO2. The faste...
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Reef ๐ Trending
Why is my coral losing colour and turning brown?
Coral browning is caused by increased zooxanthellae (the symbiotic algae living inside coral tissue) which multiply when...
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Equipment ๐ฅ Popular
How do I choose the right filter for my aquarium?
Filter selection depends on tank size, fish load and budget. Target 5 to 10 times the tank volume per hour of flow. For ...
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Plants ๐ Trending
What do the colours on a CO2 drop checker mean?
A CO2 drop checker uses a 4dKH reference solution with bromothymol blue pH indicator to give a visual reading of dissolv...
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Maintenance ๐ฅ Popular
How do I clean my aquarium filter without losing good bacteria?
Cleaning your filter correctly is crucial โ done wrong it destroys your beneficial bacteria colony and restarts your nit...
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Beginner ๐ฅ Popular
How many fish can I put in my aquarium?
The old "1 inch of fish per gallon" rule is outdated and oversimplified. A much better approach: consider bioload (how m...
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Beginner ๐ฅ Popular
Why is my fish tank water cloudy?
Cloudy aquarium water has different causes depending on the colour of the cloudiness. White or grey cloudiness in a new ...
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Beginner ๐ Trending
Why does my fish tank smell bad?
A healthy aquarium should have a mild, earthy, pleasant smell similar to a forest after rain. A bad smell indicates a pr...
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Beginner ๐ฅ Popular
Can I use tap water in my aquarium?
Yes, tap water can be used for most freshwater aquariums but it must be treated first. Tap water contains chlorine or ch...
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Beginner ๐ฅ Popular
What are the most common mistakes when setting up a first fish tank?
The ten most common first tank mistakes and how to avoid them: 1) Not cycling first โ fish added to an uncycled tank fac...
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Water Chemistry ๐ Trending
Is Dubai or Sharjah tap water good for aquariums?
UAE tap water from Dubai and Sharjah is desalinated seawater processed through reverse osmosis. This means it is very so...
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