What size CO2 cylinder should I get for my planted aquarium? If you are running a high tech planted aquarium injected with high amounts of CO2, people recommend getting the largest size possible so you will not have to refill the cylinder as frequently. However, for the average customer, we often suggest: 2.5–5 lb. cylinder for 20-gallon aquariums or smaller 5 lb. cylinder for 25- to 40-gallon aquariums 10 lb. cylinder for 55-gallon aquariums or larger If you plan on using one regulator with five or six aquariums, then scale the CO2 cylinder size ac...

Do I need a check valve for my CO2 system? Check valves are used to prevent water from flowing out of the aquarium and pouring all over the regulator when it is turned off. The bubble counter on some regulators already come with a built-in check valve, but you can install a second one as backup if desired. We have personally used the regular plastic check valves with CO2 systems at our fish store, warehouse, and homes, and they have not broken down. That being said, CO2 does degrade plastic after a very long time, so we also offer a s...

Do I need to use special CO2 proof tubing or CO2 resistant tubing with my CO2 system? We use the Aquarium Co-Op airline tubing (i.e., a flexible, black tubing made from food-grade PVC) on all of our aquariums and have not detected any perceptible loss of CO2. In our experience, special CO2 tubing is more expensive, harder to bend, and not as readily available. For more information on CO2 systems in high tech planted tanks, read the full article.

What is the difference between a single-stage vs. two-stage regulator? A single-stage regulator reduces the cylinder’s gas pressure in one step, whereas a two-stage regulator reduces the pressure in two steps, resulting in a more stable and reliable flow of CO2. A two-stage regulator also helps to prevent “end-of-tank dumps,” in which a nearly empty CO2 cylinder may dump out the rest of its gas in one go. For more information, see our full article on CO2 systems for high tech planted tanks.

Where can I buy a CO2 cylinder for my planted aquarium? We like to get ours from local home brewing supply stores and welding supply stores. Usually, they also offer CO2 refill services if you bring back your cylinder when it’s empty. For more information on CO2 systems in high tech planted tanks, read the full article.

Why is Easy Green raising my nitrate level? Besides light and water, plants require an exact mix of nutrients to give them the fundamental building blocks needed to grow new leaves and roots. Macronutrients are nutrients that plants consume in large quantities (such as nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium), whereas micronutrients are nutrients that plants need in trace amounts (such as iron, boron, and manganese). Traditionally, it was thought that fish poop and uneaten fish food were sufficient sources of nutrients for plant growth, b...

How to acclimate new aquarium fish If you are buying new fish or shrimp, they may be accustomed to water parameters that are very different from yours, and therefore you may want to slowly acclimate or get them used to your aquarium water. If the animals are small enough, you can acclimate them in a specimen container or bucket. Cut open the fish bag and pour the animals and some of the water from the bag into the catch cup so the fish are completely covered in water. Add aquarium water from their new home into the catch cup ...

Does CO2 get rid of algae? It’s a common belief that CO2 automatically fixes algae problems, but this is not true. A healthy planted tank must have three components in balance — lighting, fertilizer, and carbon dioxide. CO2 is just one of the primary nutrients that plants need to grow. Many beginners use too much light and fertilizer, so adding CO2 can help balance the aquarium. However, if a tank has high lighting and CO2 injection but, for example, too little fertilizer, then algae will appear because of the imbalanc...

Can mangroves grow in freshwater or brackish aquariums? Mangrove trees are very hardy and can grow in freshwater, brackish, and saltwater tanks. We buy live mangrove seedlings from online websites and then hang them on the side of our aquariums using heavy duty plant wire so that the end of the seedling with leaves is out of water. Once it starts growing more leaves, we have a dedicated light source shining on the mangrove to make sure it gets enough light. If you have a brackish or saltwater tank, you may need to wipe off the salt spray on the le...

How much salt is too much for aquarium plants? Aquarium plants generally do not well with salt (or sodium chloride), but a concentration of 1 tablespoon of aquarium salt per 5 gallons of water is generally considered to be safe. Also, in our personal testing, 1 teaspoon of marine salt per 20 gallons of RODI (reverse osmosis deionized water) water was beneficial to aquarium plants because of the added minerals. For more information on how to treat sick fish with aquarium salt, see our full article.

What fish can live in a 20-gallon tank? We often get asked "What can I put in a 20 gallon tank?," which is about as easy to answer as "What food can I get for under $20?" Fish stocking choices depend on your personal preference and what kind of animals appeal most to you. To help inspire you, here are several articles with our favorite ideas: 5 Best Fish Tank Ideas for a 20-Gallon Aquarium 7 Popular Fish You Should Try in a 20-Gallon Aquarium

What aquarium plants can grow in brackish water? While the internet has many forum posts and articles about brackish plants, we have not had much success in our testing so far. Anubias and java moss died, and the hornwort shed all of its needles in the water and made a big mess. The only two plants we've had luck with so far are mangrove trees and java fern. The java fern had to be slowly acclimated from freshwater to brackish water over the course of 2-3 months, and while it has not died yet, it does not grow very quickly either. In t...

Should I use dirt as my substrate in a planted aquarium? There are many pros and cons to dirted tanks using the Walstad method, so it might be worth trying at least once in your fishkeeping hobby to see if you like it. Based on our experiences with using dirt as substrate, here are some thoughts: Advantages Great plant growth Very cheap Takes years to run out nutrients in the ground Good option if you won't ever change the design (e.g., no moving around plants) Disadvantages Not as easy or beginner-friendly as planted substrate Makes a hug...

Does dechlorinator remove ammonia? Some of them do, as stated on their packaging. The main reason for this is because when dechlorinators are used to treat chloramine, they only react to the chlorine part of chloramine and not the ammonia part. The remaining ammonia ions left in the water are toxic to fish, so some dechlorinators — such as Aquarium Co-Op Easy Dechlorinator, Fritz Complete Water Conditioner, Seachem Prime, and Kordon AmQuel — contain extra chemicals that temporarily lock up the ammonia into an inert state (i.e....

How can I get hired at a fish store? Every store is different, but when we hire retail staff, we are not necessarily looking for the person that knows the most about fishkeeping because a) there are a lot of passionate hobbyists who know a lot and b) much knowledge is gained after you start working with the other fish store employees and customers. Instead, we are interested in other qualities like how well you work with other people, how punctual you are, and if you're willing to promote the products and values that the sto...

Can you put too much dechlorinator in your fish tank? With Easy Dechlorinator, you can treat extremely high levels of chloramine, nitrite, or other toxic chemicals by dosing up to 5 times the recommended amount within the span of 24 hours. This is a very large range that allows much room for error. Just keep in mind that potent concentrations of dechlorinator will quickly reduce the amount of dissolved oxygen, so it may be best to add an air stone for the next 3-4 hours to increase oxygenation in the water. For more information, read the full ar...