Category: Hygger Aquarium Official Blog

Introducing fish may come in two circumstances – adding new fish to an old tank and adding new fish to a new tank. Next in this article, we will cover pointers about aquarium fish introducing and transferring.

Introducing fish to your aquarium

Freshwater, brackish water, or saltwater fish

Your aquarium can be a freshwater or saltwater aquarium. Maintaining a freshwater aquarium is easier than a saltwater one. Because you should be more sensitive to water chemistry requirements and changes if you want to keep a saltwater aquarium. Freshwater fish commonly are not kept with saltwater fish. Besides that, there are also fish preferring living in brackish water. Some can be kept with freshwater fish, while some can not.

As a result, in the face of introducing fish, it is vital to know the types of aquariums and fish – freshwater, brackish water, or saltwater.

The fish requirements of living condition

In general, there are cold-water fish, tropical, etc. Cold water fish fancy cool water, correspondingly, a relatively lower temperature. Like, goldfish. On the contrary, tropical fish need warm water, such as betta fish, tetras, and queen angelfish. Usually, it is better to add an aquarium heater in a tropical fish tank to maintain a stable warm water temp.

Cold-water fish will not be kept with tropical fish. Because they demand different water temperatures. As a result, you’d better search for specific needs for water conditions before introducing them.

The temperament of fish

Some fish are peaceful, while some are aggressive. Sometimes, two aggressive fish in the same tank may result in an aquarium disaster. Since the two aggressive fish may fight and compete for territory. Aside from that, some fish would nip other fish’s fins. Accordingly, before introducing fish to your aquarium, you should consider the compatibility from the aspect of fish temperament.

How to add new fish to the tank

1. Fish compatibility

You should know whether the new fish can get along well with those fish in the tank.

2. Tank size

Never overstock. Check the tank size the new fish need, and determine whether the established tank large enough for new fish and fish living in the tank.

3. Quarantine the new fish

It is recommended to quarantine the new fish in a quarantined tank for about two weeks. It allows you to check whether new fish suffer disease or not, and decrease the risk of disease infection.

4. Test the water parameters of the tank

You should check the water parameters of the tank before adding new fish. And make sure the water condition is ideal for new fish. If there is ammonia or chlorine in the tank, correspondingly, you should treat the water with the help of an ammonia binder or a de-chlorinator.

5. Change the water of the established tank

Before adding new fish, it is necessary to change the water of the established tank. Changing 25-30 percent of water is great. It provides better living conditions for new fish and is beneficial for new fish growth.

6. Acclimate fish to the established tank

You should allow new fish to adapt to the aquarium environment first. You can stock the new fish in a container with partial water from the established tank. After about half an hour, you can add the new fish to the tank with the help of a fish net.

7. Provide a suitable living environment

After that, it is best to turn off the aquarium light for a few hours. Then fish can adjust to the tank environment gradually. Furthermore, it is feasible to add some food to distract the fish and reduce the stress on new fish.

8. Available tank mates for tanks

By the way, the following bottom-feeder fish are excellent options for freshwater community tanks, like Kuhli Loach, Zebra Loach, Yoyo Loach, etc. Additionally, Clownfish, Royal Gramma, and Tang are feasible tank mates for saltwater community tanks.

How to add fish to a new tank

1. Tank set-up consideration

During the process of setting up a new tank, you should consider the safety of fish. Generally, aquarium decorations with sharp edges should be avoided. Otherwise, these sharp decorations would damage fish. Also, rocks, aquatic plants, and other decorations will provide hiding places, which can reduce the stress on fish.

2. Cycle a new tank

Besides that, cycling the new tank is necessary. Commonly, a new freshwater tank takes at least 4–8 weeks. While a new saltwater tank needs at least 6 weeks. After cycling the new tank, you should monitor the water quality. Plus, some fish are best for starting up a new tank. Take saltwater tanks as an example, Damselfish is a great addition to a new saltwater tank.

3. Acclimation process and fish introducing

Next, stock the new fish in a container with partial water from the new tank, and then wait for about 30–45 minutes. After 30–45 minutes, turn off the aquarium light and provide a stress-free aquarium environment. You can introduce over one fish once. Just add the fish to the new tank with a fish net.

Transferring fish from old tank to new tank

1. Transfer the fish to a temporary container

Siphon the water in the old tank into a clean container. And stock fish in the container temporarily.

2. Aquarium equipment preparation and installation

Rinse new aquarium equipment is helpful to remove debris. It keeps fish safe. Also, you can use the equipment in the old tank, like gravel and filter media. And the beneficial bacteria on the old equipment can be beneficial for the new tank cycle.

3. New tank set up

Rinse the new tank. Then, you can move the decorations from the old tank to the new tank. It is feasible to add the decorations to the new tank without rinsing them. Because there are beneficial bacteria on the surface of these objects.

Next, add water to the new tank. You can use partial water from the old tank. For instance, filling one-third of the new tank with water from the old tank. It helps to manage the ammonia and nitrate levels of the new tank.

4. Transfer the fish to the new tank

Test the water parameters, if they are in ideal ranges, it is time to transfer the fish to the new tank. Just move the fish from the temporary container to the new tank with a fish net. After transferring, you should pay attention to the fish and aquarium status. If anything is abnormal, you should find causes immediately and then take measures to tackle the issue.

The bottom line

After reading, you have learned how to add or transfer aquarium fish. Just keep in mind, no matter what you need to do, you should make sure the health and safety of the fish.

That’s it. If you have more information on fish introduction and transferring, welcome to leave messages in the comment. Finally, thanks for taking the time.

Most tropical fish need an aquarium heater to maintain a warm and optimal water temperature in fish tanks. Please read on for more insight on how to choose the water heater wattage for an aquarium and what temperature should a fish tank be. Without further ado, let’s dive in.

Aquarium heater wattage per gallon

Aquarium heaters made of impact-resistant glass and sealed with a waterproof seal should be your first choice. But how to determine the wattage of the aquarium heater? In general, you should know your fish tank size. The larger the tank, the more water needs to be heated, hence, the higher the heater wattage. Just follow “5 watts per gallon of aquarium water”. For example, if you have a 60 gallon fish tank, a 300 watts aquarium heater is better.

Besides that, test the room temperature in advance before determining the aquarium heater’s wattage. Because the heater wattage can be determined by the temperature differences between room temp and tank temp. Take a 5 gallon fish tank as an example, if the room temp is five degrees lower than the tank temp, then a 25W aquarium heater may be necessary.

The table below gives you a reference for the recommended water heater wattage for diverse tank sizes and the temperature differences.

The temperature difference between room temp and tank temp	5℃ /9℉	10℃ /18℉	15℃ /27℉
5 gallon /25 L	25 watts	50 watts	75 watts
10 gallon /50 L	50 watts	75 watts	75 watts
20 gallon /75 L	50 watts	75 watts	150 watts
25 gallon /100 L	75 watts	100 watts	200 watts
40 gallon /150 L	100 watts	150 watts	300 watts
50 gallon /200 L	150 watts	200 watts	400 watts
65 gallon /250 L	200 watts	250 watts	500 watts
75 gallon /300 L	250 watts	300 watts	600 watts

What wattage heater for 100 gallon tank

Commonly, what wattage heater for the 100-gallon tank? Just follow the rule – 5 watts per gallon of aquarium water. Accordingly, a 100-gallon tank should be matched with a 500W aquarium heater. Next, we will show you more examples.

Tank size	Recommended aquarium heater
120 gallon	500W or 800W fish tank heater
150 gallon	800W smart aquarium heater
180 gallon	800W or 1000W intelligent quartz heater
220 gallon	800W or 1200W double quartz heater
260 gallon	1000W submersible double quartz heater

What temperature should a fish tank be

What temperature should a fish tank depend on the aquatic pets in the tank? The following are references.

Tank types	Ideal water temperature
Tanks with tropical fish	75 – 80℉
Tanks with cold water fish	60 – 75℉
Freshwater aquariums	72 – 82℉
Saltwater aquariums	78 – 82℉
Tanks with aquatic plants	72 – 82℉

Usually, it is not a good option to keep aquatic pets or plants demanding different water temperatures. For instance, most tetras should be kept in a water temperature of 75-80℉, while goldfish prefer a temperature ranging from 68℉ to 74℉. Consequently, tetras and goldfish can not be kept in the same tank.

On the other side, if you want to keep different fish species that need similar water temp in one tank, how to set the water temperature? Take tetras and guppy fish as an example. Tetras like to live in water temp of 75-80℉. And the guppy fish fancy a water temp of 74-82℉. Then the water temp of tanks with tetras and guppy fish can be set between 75-80℉. In a word, just take the common values of the water temp.

Will the fish tank heater remove oxygen from the water

However, in summer, adding a fish tank heater may also be necessary. However, will the heater remove oxygen from the water? Exactly, excess heat will decrease the dissolved oxygen level in the tank. And it is damaging to fish. Generally, the hotter the water, the lower the oxygen level in the tank.

But if you can not remove the aquarium heater, what can you do to maintain the optimal oxygen level in the tank? The definitive answer is improving surface agitation. You can do water changes. Pour new water from a certain height. Aside from that, adding an aquarium air pump is an excellent alternative. As one piece of aquarium equipment, an air pump can create water movement, which enables aeration by mixing the water on the surface and the rest. It helps to improve oxygen levels in the tank and keep good water quality by circulating and filtering the water.

An AC adjustable air pump is a great option. Featuring ultra-quiet with dual outlets, it can be applied to 5-600 gallon tanks, including freshwater and marine aquariums. The pump can be used in deep tanks up to 8 feet, and withstand long-time use to promote oxygen supplement constantly. It is powerful enough to power the long decorative air stones, multiple air stones in one or more tanks, and protein skimmers for saltwater aquariums, etc.

To be continue

In short, aquarium heaters are a piece of crucial aquarium equipment, which brings a handful of benefits. In the case of aquarium heater wattage selection, you should consider three aspects – tank size, the temperature differences between room temp and tank temp, and the temperature requirements of aquatic pets or plants in the tank.

Additionally, the Aquarium Heating Basics Part One gives you the use and types of aquarium heaters. And you can learn about condensation in the aquarium heater. If you want to learn more truth about aquarium heating, just stay tuned to the hygger blog. Also, if you have more additional ideas about aquarium heating, welcome to leave messages in the comment. We are happy to receive your sharing. Finally, thanks for taking the time, and we hope this article helps.

Related topics:

Belonging to the Callichthyidae family, corydoras are freshwater catfish and can be found in South America. They are small fish and can reach 1-4.7 inches and they can live up to 10–15 years in captivity or even longer under optimal aquarium conditions. Also, the body armour plus sharp and venomous spines prevent fish from attacking by predators. Here is this article, let’s explore further and understand more about types of corydoras, stocking density, and tank mates of corydoras.

Types of corydoras

Types of cory catfish

Actually, there are a surprising amount of corydoras types. And we will list some in the table below.

Panda corydoras	Corydoras metae	Salt and pepper catfish	Corydoras adolfoi
Bronze corydoras	Corydoras trilineatus	Leopard catfish	Corydoras arcuatus
Pygmy corydoras	Corydoras agassizii	Banded corydoras	Corydoras similis
Corydoras paleatus	Green gold catfish	Corydoras pantanalensis	Xingu corydoras
Sterbai corydoras	Corydoras amandajanea	Corydoras atropersonatus	Elegant corydoras
Corydoras julii	Corydoras melini	Corydoras acrensis	Albino corydoras

How to take care of Corydoras

1. Corydoras tank requirements
Corydoras are easy to keep in aquariums. They are originally from shallow and slow-moving water. Also, they prefer soft and acidic water. Commonly, corydoras can be kept in a minimum tank size of 10–20 gallons. Given below are the requirements of water parameters.

• Water temperature: 74-80℉
• pH level: 7.0-8.0
• Water hardness: 3-10 dKH /54-180 ppm
• Ammonia level: 0 ppm
• Nitrite level: 0 ppm
• Nitrate level: no more than 40 ppm

By the way, it is necessary to keep optimal nitrate levels. Because high nitrate levels would cause barbel infection. Accordingly, testing the water parameters regularly is critically crucial.

2. Corydoras tank set up

Plus, gravel or aquarium decor with sharp edges would bring bad effects on corydoras catfish. As for aquarium substrate, sand or gravel without sharp edges can be an excellent alternative. You can keep the substrate half an inch or less in-depth, which allows Corydoras to dig into the bottom of the tank.

Aside from that, corydoras like tanks with aquatic plants. While the aquatic plants provide shaded areas for corydoras, plants are also helpful to improve the oxygen level and ornamental value. The available plants can be Java moss, Java fern, or some other floating plants.

3. Necessary aquarium equipment

Most corydoras prefer low light. However, you should make sure of optimal lighting for aquatic plants in Corydoras tanks. So, whether should you add an aquarium light depends on the status of Corydoras tanks. If there are plants in the tank, it is better to add a planted aquarium light, which helps to photosynthesize and enhance plants’ colors.

Moreover, corydoras are sensitive to water quality. Poor water quality would trigger health issues. As a result, it is better to build a great filtration system. For instance, you can add a canister filter. Featuring a 3-stage filtration system with the wave, aeration, and adjustable flow, the canister filter is ideal for 5–30 gallons fish tanks.

What do corydoras eat

Most corydoras are bottom-dwellers. They often search for food in sand or gravel. Actually, corydoras are omnivorous, and the available foods include debris, algae, uneaten food, insect larvae, insects, worms, dead fish, pellets, flakes, and vegetables.

Furthermore, corydoras are diurnal and become active during the day. Thus, you can feed them during the daytime. Commonly, it is feasible to feed them once or twice each day. And you should make sure Corydoras can finish eating without about 2–3 minutes.

Additionally, corydoras make sense in tank cleaning. They will eat uneaten fish food on the substrate. While they also consume algae in aquariums. Consequently, adding corydoras is beneficial to keep great water quality.

How many corydoras can be put in a tank?

Corydoras are peaceful. Most corydoras like to live in groups, and they should be kept in a school of four or six. As we have mentioned above, the minimum tank size of corydoras is 10–20 gallons. In 20 gallons corydoras tank, you can keep 8-10 corydoras. The fish density is determined by the corydoras types. Specifically, if you plan to keep small corydoras in a 20 gallons tank, like pygmy corydoras, then you can keep up to 14 pygmy corydoras in the tank. Given below are more examples.

Tank size	Recommended fish quantity
10 gallons Corydoras tank	1-6 Corydoras
20 gallons tank with corydoras and tetras	4 pygmy corydoras and 3 neon tetras
30 gallons tank with panda corydoras	12-18 panda corydoras
30 gallons tank with pygmy corydoras	8-15 pygmy corydoras
50 gallons tank with albino corydoras	More than 20 Albino corydoras

Corydoras catfish tank mates

Peaceful corydoras can be a great addition to most community tanks. For example, tropical freshwater community aquariums. Cardinal tetras, bettas, and guppy fish are excellent tank mates for corydoras catfish. In addition, shrimp or snails are other options, like Amano shrimp, ghost shrimp, Red cherry shrimp, Mystery snail, Nerite snail, and Malaysian trumpet snail.

Take pygmy corydoras as an example, peaceful and small fish can be good tank mates for corydoras catfish. Alternatively, aquatic pets of similar sizes are great. For instance, you can keep them with Neon tetra, Zebra danio, Guppy fish, Molly fish, etc.

Odd corydoras behavior

Corydoras can breathe in the air and water. Consequently, they can survive in the face of low oxygen levels in fish tanks. However, if they breathe in the water surface frequently, it may be a signal of poor water conditions. Besides that, corydoras sometimes may swim crazily around the tank and breathe fast. It may be the result of stress, poor water parameters, or fish disease. If you notice any abnormal catfish behavior, you should find the causes immediately. Otherwise, your corydoras may face severe threats.

Aquarium aquascaping can be a creative process, which can also relieve stress. You can build artificial caves, bridges, slopes, hills, or other landscapes in the tank. So, if you’re ready to dive deeper into the aquatic world of aquascaping and learn more about aquarium stones, then let’s begin.

Hardscape aquarium stones

In this segment, we will share some hardscape aquarium stones and adjunctive aquascaping material.

1. Hardscape aquarium stones

Aquarium stones with diverse textures, colors, and sizes can be used to build various appealing aquarium landscapes. There are so many available aquarium stones, such as pine bark stone, seiryu stone, and unzan stone.

Actually, it is feasible to put a pile of stones together and shape the stone into a hill in the tank. Also, you can build a bridge by bonding the aquarium stones. Besides, stone caves are another options, which provide hiding places for fish. By the way, you can also decorate the bridge or cave with aquatic plants, like moss.

2. Substrate

Substrate plays a crucial role in aquariums, some are beneficial for plants’ growth. You can choose from sand, gravel, aquarium soil, etc. For example, some fish prefer digging into the substrate, like corydoras. In this case, sand can be an excellent alternative. On the other side, for tanks with aquatic plants, aquarium soil is better. Because soil can provide nutrients for plants’ growth.

3. Aquarium Decor

Aside from aquarium stones, there are other aquarium decors, like wood. Decorate the wood with aquatic plants. By doing so, you can build trees in aquariums. In addition, you can add aquarium stickers to improve the ornamental value of aquariums.

4. Aquatic plants

Adding aquatic plants makes the aquarium full of vigor and vitality. There are a lot of aquatic plants for you to choose from, including low-light, medium-light, and high-light plants. For example, you can build a planted tank with aquarium soil, wood, and plants. Or it is feasible to use them to build an underwater world in your tank.

Top seven aquarium stones

1. Seiryu stone

Seiryu stones come in cyan with white veins, and it shapes like peaks. The textures on the stones are uniform in the same directions. Exactly, seiryu stones can be a great choice to build seiryu stone aquascape, including the Chinese aquascaping style and Japanese aquascaping styles. However, seiryu stones would improve the levels of pH and water hardness in the aquarium. But you can deal with it by changing water regularly.

2. Pine bark stone

Featuring gray, yellow, or brown colors, pine bark stones looks like a pine cone or the bark of pine trees. The stones are uneven, convex, and concave, which makes them beneficial for planting aquatic plants. Then how to use pine bark stones for aquascaping? You can use them to build an aquarium of the terraqueous plants’ aquascaping style or the hardscape aquascaping style. Alternatively, a Paludarium tank. Tap to the full Pine bark stone aquascape video for the appealing aquascape.

3. Unzan stone

Unzan stones are commonly used to build fish and planted tanks. They possess the structure of lava. And the pockets on unzan stones are beneficial for the growth of aquatic plants. Actually, unzan stones are applicable to aquariums of the marsh and plants aquascaping style.

4. Lava stone

Some lava stones are lightweight and porous, like black lava. Usually, lava stones are black or red. Furthermore, lava stones can be used to set up planted tanks or tanks with fish and plants. For instance, put the lava stones on both sides of a tank, then decorate the lava stone with small plants, like Water Banyan or Saxifraga stolonifera. After that, plant some tall aquatic plants on the back of the tank, such as Amazon sword, Water wisteria, and Hornwort.

5. Fossil wood

Fossil wood is formed by the trees buried hundreds of millions of years ago. It retains the texture of trees. And it can be used to build an aquarium of the African aquascaping style.

6. Stream stone

Stream stones are always rounded in diverse sizes. You can apply stream stones to build a riverbed effect in aquariums. And stream stones are excellent choices to set up aquariums of the nature aquascaping style or the stream aquascaping style.

7. Riverstone

Riverstone features attractive colors and patterns. Commonly, riverstone comes in yellow, red, green, or white colors and irregular oval shapes. Plus, they can be applied to build aquariums of the reptilian pet’s aquascaping style.

How aquascape stone affects the water

Aquascape stone	Effects on the water	Available fish species
Seiryu stone	1. Increase the pH level 2. Increase the water hardness level	Rift Lake cichlids /Guppy fish /Molly fish /Platy fish /Congo tetra /Odessa barbs
Pine bark stone	1. The pH level remains unchanged 2. Slightly increase the water hardness level	Cardinal tetra /Pearl gourami /Harlequin rasboras /Ember tetra /Angel fish
Unzan stone	1. Increase the pH level 2. Increase the water hardness level	Guppy fish /Swordtail fish /Red rainbowfish /Dwarf puffer fish /Molly fish
Lava stone	1. Increase the pH level 2. Increase the water hardness level	Glass catfish /Bumblebee goby /Peacock cichlid /Orange chromide /Platy fish
Fossil wood	1. Slightly increase the pH level 2. Slightly increase the water hardness level	Zebra danio /Sparkling gourami /Pictus catfish /Otocinclus /Killifish /Bristlenose pleco
Stream stone	1. Slightly increase the pH level 2. Slightly increase the water hardness level	Harlequin rasbora /Goldfish /Clown loach /Cory catfish /Oscar /Rainbow shark
Riverstone	1. Slightly increase the pH level 2. The water hardness level remains unchanged	Arowana fish /Betta fish /Zebra fish /Costae tetras /Half-black angelfish

The bottom line

In short, you can choose the aquarium stones according to the aquarium aquascape styles or the fish species kept in the tank. In general, seiryu stones and pine bark stones are commonly used in aquarium aquascaping.

That’s all for today. For additional information about aquarium stones for aquascaping, welcome to share with us in the comment. We’re happy to receive your sharing. Finally, thanks for reading and we hope this article helps.

Related topics about aquarium aquascaping:

To keep marine aquariums healthy, great water circulation is critically crucial. Without sufficient and proper water circulation, your tank may face stinky water and poor water quality. And it is damaging to your fish. In today’s article, we will discuss marine water pump for aquariums further. For instance, how to choose a water pump for marine aquariums.

Do saltwater tanks need a pump

Is a water pump necessary for saltwater tanks?

Saltwater tanks require great water circulation, equally, a high water flow rate. The marine water pump is one piece of aquarium equipment that creates water movement, which enables aeration by mixing the water on the surface and the rest. Also, effective water flow can bring a handful of benefits:

• Promote the gas exchange
• Beneficial for waste removal
• Helpful to deliver food to every corner of the tank
• Insufficient water movement is damaging to corals
• Stagnant water would cause accumulation of harmful organism

The roles of the water pump and wave maker pump in saltwater tanks

Types of aquarium pumps	Roles
Water pumps	1. Keep good water quality by circulating and filtering the water 2. Improve oxygen level in the tank 3. Prevent the disease of fish through regular and frequent water circulation
Wave maker pumps	1. Rotate aquarium water and make waves 2. Blow away fish feces in the tank 3. Reduce the fight between fish in the tank 4. Strengthen fish/coral’s body

How to determine whether your reef tank needs a water pump?

Generally, you can determine whether your reef tank needs a water pump according to the creatures in your tank. For example, if the creature needs a high water flow rate, like SPS corals, then adding a water pump is vital. Aside from that, in the face of hard-breathing creatures, poor water quality, etc., you can add a water pump or change the water.

What kind of water pump do you need for marine aquariums

Water flow rate

As for the water pump for freshwater aquariums, a flow rate of 3–5 times of water volume is feasible. However, the water flow rate for marine aquariums should be maintained at least 20 times the water volume.

The material of the shaft

Also, the shaft should be anti-rust and anti-corrosion. Consequently, a ceramic one is better. Iron or steel ones are not suitable for marine aquariums. Because they are susceptible to rust.

DC or AC water pump

Additionally, a DC variable frequency water pump is an excellent alternative. Since it is safer to use in aquariums. People would not suffer risks and threats in the face of electricity leakage. On the other side, the marine AC water pump is easy to use. It can run after plug-in. But, it would pose a risk to fish and human health once it leaks electricity.

How to choose a water pump for marine aquariums

After learning some basic information about water pump size for marine aquariums. Next, let’s learn how to choose a water pump for different marine aquariums.

Ideal water pumps for SPS coral tanks

SPS corals prefer a high water flow rate, which is helpful to remove waste in polyps. Commonly, the water turnover rate should be kept at about 30 to 50 times.

Water flow rate	Coral types
Low flow rate: 20 times the total water volume	Only for specific coral types, like Leptoseris corals
Medium flow rate: 20–30 times the total water volume	Low flow corals /Xenia corals /Leather corals /Zoanthids /Cyphastrea /Pavona
High flow rate: 40–50 times /80-100 times the total water volume	Medium flow corals /Acropora /Anacropora /Hydnophora

For a 40-gallon marine tank with leather corals, the tank requires a medium water flow rate. In this case, a 30W or 40W inverter water pump can help you a lot, respectively with 800GPH and 1200GPH flow rates. Alternatively, a 40W DC water pump can also be a great option. On the other side, if you have a marine aquarium with Acropora, you should make sure high water flow rate. Take 40 gallons as an example, you should provide water circulation of at least 1600 or 2000 gallons per hour. Accordingly, a 55W or 65W DC water pump can meet the needs.

Ideal water pumps for LPS or soft coral tanks

Unlike SPS corals, LPS corals or soft corals are fond of slower flow rates. They can grow well under low to medium water flow rates, with 20–30 times the total water volume. For instance, Bubble corals, Zoanthids, Mushroom corals, and Green star polyps.

Take a 30-gallon LPS coral tank as an example. 30 gallons is approximately equal to 114L. Then the water flow rate of the tank should be 600-900 GPH or 2280-3420 LPH. Accordingly, the electric water pump 60W or 90W is applicable to the 30 gallons LPS coral tank.

Concluding

Pointers on water pumps for marine aquariums

To avoid dead spots in aquariums, it is necessary to properly place the saltwater submersible pump in the tank. Actually, You can place the water pump on the corners of your tank. Nevertheless, never place the pump near rocks, plants, or corals, which may impede the flow.

That’s all for guidelines on water pumps for marine aquariums. For additional ideas or advice on marine water pumps, welcome to share with us in the comment. Finally, thanks for taking the time, and we hope this article helps. Wish you the best for your aquaristic effort.

You definitely know freshwater, marine, and brackish water aquariums, have you ever heard of blackwater aquariums? They are different from traditional aquariums. They are tanks with acidic water, featuring light tea or dark brown watercolors. If you know little about blackwater aquariums, do not hurry, just read on. Today’s article will discuss more about blackwater aquariums, like what is a blackwater aquarium, and how to set up one.

What is a blackwater aquarium

Blackwater aquariums, which look dirty and dark, always come in soft and acidic water. Correspondingly, it features lower levels of pH, sodium, magnesium, potassium, and calcium. And on the opposite side of general aquariums with bright water, the colors of blackwater aquariums are commonly light tea or dark brown. Besides, leaf litter and decaying debris can be a great addition to blackwater aquariums. Both tannins in plant matter and humic substances in decaying organisms play a role in aquarium watercolors. Actually, blackwater aquariums simulate fish’s natural habitat, which is beneficial to fish growth, health, and thriving.

Given below shows the benefits of blackwater aquariums for fish health. Essentially, composed of humis, humic acid, and fulvic acid, the humic substances in decaying organisms can directly affect fish health. Keep in mind – it is the humic substances that are helpful to fish health, not the tannins. Tannins are only great for water quality improvement and pH level reduction. Next, let’s take a quick look at the benefits of humic substances:

• Improve absorption of food
• Higher yields of healthier eggs and fry
• Better natural resistance to parasitic or fungal infections
• Heal faster after injury or infections
• Extend lifespan

Great choices for blackwater tanks

Aside from tannin sources to increase tannins in aquariums, you can also add some aquarium decors to improve the natural aesthetics, like leaf litter, rocks, etc. In this segment, let’s learn something about that.

1. Driftwood

Tannins would release from the bark of driftwood. And the aquarium water would turn into light tea or dark brown. Driftwood with dark colors is a great choice, like Malaysian driftwood and Mopani. However, driftwood that tends to rot quickly is not a good tannin source.

2. Leaf litter

Indian almond leaves, Malaysian mangroves, and Malaysian mulberry leaves are great options. The tannins from Indian almond leaves are helpful to decrease pH levels, inhibiting bacteria and fungus, eliminate parasites, as well as cure wounds and fin damage.

3. Other great material

Aside from all mentioned above, other available material includes:

• Cones: like Alder and Birch
• Seed pods
• Twigs or bark from safe-to-use wood
• Peat
• Commercial conditioners containing humic material

How to make a blackwater aquarium

Blackwater aquarium set up

• Step one: Basic material preparation

In addition to the tannin sources mention in the last segment, there are other materials necessary, such as a fish tank, substrate, aquatic plants, aquarium light, aquarium heater, water test strips, etc.

• Step two: Add aquarium substrate, tannin sources, and decors

Add a layer of aquarium substrate, like sand or fine gravel. You should make sure the substrate is thick enough to plant aquatic plants. After that, it is feasible to place tannin sources and aquarium decors according to your needs. But, do not forget to leave sufficient room for plants and fish.

• Step three: Plant aquatic plants

Blackwater tanks are relatively darker and aquatic plants are not necessary for blackwater aquariums. But you can add some epiphyte plants, low light plants, or floating plants, which can survive in a low-light environment. For instance, Anubias, Bucephalandra, Java fern, Java moss, Water Lettuce, and Frogbit. You can finish planting with the help of an aquarium aquascaping tools kit.

• Step four: Introduce fish

As long as the water parameters remain stable, you can introduce fish gradually. Commonly, it takes about 48–72 hours to cycle before adding fish to the tank.

Blackwater aquarium maintenance

(1)The frequency to replace leaf litter

Exactly, how often should you replace leaf litter depends on the water flow rate and fish density. The higher the water flow rate and fish density, the shorter the time keeping leaf litter in the tank. In general, you can keep leaf litter in your tank for about 30–60 days. During the time frame, you can change the leaves according to the real-time tank status. If you need to change the leaf litter, it is better to remove half of the leaves at a time. Replacing all leaves at a time is not recommended.

(2)Build a great filtration system

• Mechanical filtration: It helps to filter debris, then your blackwater tank would not get clogged. Also, it can remove uneaten fish food, fish feces, aquatic plants’ leaf litter, etc. Decaying plant leaves are damaging to fish because it would increase the nitrate level in the tank.
• Biological filtration: It is helpful to grow beneficial bacteria, which can convert harmful substances into harmless ones. Like ammonia and nitrite.
• Chemical filtration: It makes sense in keeping clean water. For example, it can remove excess medication after treatment.

(3)Other tips

• Observe your fish: You should observe your fish in daily life. Once you find abnormal symptoms, like loss of appetite and lethargy, you should find causes and treat the fish immediately.
• Test the water: Monitor the water parameters. You can test the water once a week. For example, test the water after water changes.
• Change water regularly: You can change water partially once each week. For instance, 20-50 percent of water.

Lighting for blackwater aquarium

Blackwater aquariums require dim light. In fact, as long as your aquarium light meets the needs of fish viewing and plants’ photosynthesis, then the light is suitable for blackwater aquariums. An aquarium light available for color spectrum adjustment is perfect, which enables you to optimize colors for fish and plants. Accordingly, a bluetooth clip on light is quite suitable, which allows you to freely set the RGB value and lumen of the light.

Best fish for blackwater tank

Fish preferring acidic water can be excellent alternatives for blackwater tanks. However, fish demand alkaline water should be avoided, like African cichlids. Next, we will list some best fish for blackwater tanks.

Cardinal tetras	Plecos	Betta fish	Discus fish
Neon tetras	Angelfish	Gourami	Corydoras

Take discus fish as an example, they prefer a pH level of 6.0 to 7.0, while the ideal pH level of cardinal tetras is 5.9-7.0. And both of them are tropical fish. Consequently, you can set up a 100-gallon blackwater tank with discus fish and cardinal tetras.

The bottom line

Until now, you definitely know more about blackwater aquariums. But attention here, blackwater aquariums are different from brackish water aquariums. The latter features salty water in the aquarium. Also, the ideal pH level should be 7.8-8.4, while the alkalinity should be at 180-360 ppm (10-20 dKH). Furthermore, brackish water aquariums are ideal to keep new aquatic species, such as Bumblebee goby, Mudskipper, and Green spotted puffer.

Oscar fish are popular tropical freshwater aquarium fish among aquarists, featuring red or orange spots on the body. Plus, They are greedy and large, hence look clumsy. But they are sharp and active swimmers. So, if you’re ready to dive deeper into the aquatic world of Oscar fish and learn more about them, then let’s begin.

Oscar fish distribution

Oscar fish are native to South America, and you can find the fish in the Amazon River basin. Besides, Oscar fish are middle dwellers. They prefer slow-moving waters. Before getting into deeper learning about them, let’s take a quick look at basic information about Oscar fish.

Family	Cichlidae	Ideal water temperature	75-80℉ /23-27℃
Common names	Oscar /Tiger Oscar/Velvet cichlid /Marble cichlid	pH level	6-8
Diet	Omnivore	Ammonia level	0 ppm
Care Level	Moderate	Nitrite level	0 ppm
Minimum tank size	55 gallons	Nitrate level	Less than 20 ppm

Are oscar fish aggressive

Oscar fish are aggressive and territorial. They will attack fish that pose threats and stress to them, while they will also defend their territory. Essentially, providing adequate room and hiding places is vital. Aside from that, you can decrease aggression by maintaining the living environment in great conditions.

How big do Oscar fish get

Oscar fish grow fast and large. What’s the Oscar fish size? Commonly, they can reach 12–18 inches with a weight of up to 3.5 lb (1.6 kg). You can help Oscar fish grow fast by providing a comfortable environment, plenty of space, and a diet rich in nutrition.

How long do Oscar fish live

Actually, the Oscar fish lifespan depends on owners’ maintenance. Generally, Oscar fish in captivity can live 8–12 years. However, they can live up to 20 years in the case of proper maintenance. By the way, keeping a great living environment and feeding balanced nutritious food is beneficial to extend the lifespan of Oscar fish.

What size tank for Oscar fish

The minimum tank size for Oscar fish

Oscar fish are hardy and can tolerate a wide range of water temperatures. Commonly, the minimum tank size for Oscar fish should be 55 gallons. Next, we will list the minimum tank size for some specific Oscar fish.

Oscar fish	The minimum tank size
Tiger oscar fish	55 gallons
Blue oscar fish	65–75 gallons
Lemon oscar fish	100 gallons
Albino oscar fish	55–75 gallons
Black oscar fish	65–75 gallons

Oscar fish tank setup

(1)Add substrate? Yes or No?

Oscar fish consume a lot of food and produce a large amount of fish feces. Consequently, it is not recommended to add aquarium substrate in Oscar fish tanks. Because the fish feces will accumulate in the substrate, which poses risks of poor water quality. As a result, a fish tank without substrate is suitable for keeping Oscar fish.

(2)Oscar fish tank setup and decorations

As we have mentioned above, it is better to provide adequate hiding places. Hence, you can add rocks, stones, caves, wood, or other aquarium ornaments. Then, Oscar fish can hide in the face of stress or threats.

(3)How many Oscar fish are in a tank?

Besides that, Oscar fish are fond of living in pairs or small groups. Accordingly, it is feasible to keep 2 or 5 Oscar fish in the same tank as long as there is enough space.

What do Oscar fish eat

Oscar fish are guttler. They are omnivorous, but strictly demand vitamin C. Facing vitamin C deficiency, Oscar fish would suffer health problems. Then what to feed Oscar fish? The available food includes small live fish, shrimp, insects, worms, pellets, fresh and frozen foods, fruits, nuts, vegetables, etc.

Furthermore, you can feed small Oscar fish 2–3 times per day. Adult Oscar fish can be provided once each day or once every two days. Just determine the feeding frequency according to the status of your Oscar fish. But, no matter how often you feed, you should make sure the fish finish eating within 2–3 minutes.

Aside from that, take the albino Oscar fish as an example. They are omnivores. You can feed plant-based or meaty foods. Earthworms, bloodworms, brine shrimp, feeder fish, or other live, freeze-dried, and frozen foods are great options. Foods rich in protein can be fed regularly. Sometimes, you can also feed some vegetables, like cucumbers.

Determining the sex of Oscar fish

How to differentiate male and female Oscar fish? Generally, you can recognize them from size, body color, dorsal fin, anal fin, plus spots and strips.

As for male Oscar fish, their dorsal fins and anal fins are more extended and sharper than that of females, while males possess more brilliant spots and strips. Female Oscar fish, are larger and stouter than males. Featuring smaller anal fins, female Oscar fish have less bright body color, compared with male ones. Commonly, you can determine the sex of Oscar fish easily after the fish gets sexual maturity, usually 12–18 months after birth.

The final truth of oscar fish

Until now, do you have a deeper understanding of Oscar fish? This segment will cover more facts about Oscar fish.

Actually, Oscar fish need a sunbath. Otherwise, their body color will lessen. In general, keeping 2-3 hours sun bath each day helps to enhance fish’s body color.

Moreover, Oscar fish are aggressive. They would kill other Oscar fish sometimes or even eat small oscars. However, they would protect other fish in the case of a long time accompanied. Plus, Oscar fish are the most affectionate tropical fish. They can recognize their owners.

Additionally, Oscar fish can change their color rapidly. The colors of juvenile oscars are different from that of adult oscars. Featuring white and orange wavy bands on the body, juvenile oscars also have spots on the head.