How to get rid of blue-green algae (BGA)Blue-green algae (BGA) is technically not a type of algae, but rather a cyanobacteria that grows like a slimy blanket coating the substrate, plants, and decor. It comes with a rather distinctive smell that many fish keepers learn to recognize before the bacterial colony is even visible. No one is 100% sure what causes BGA, but in general, improved aquarium upkeep and increased water circulation with an air stone or powerhead can help keep it away. Algae eaters typically will not eat the stuff...
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 is velvet (or gold dust disease)?Freshwater velvet is caused by external parasites from the Oodinium genus. Under a bright light, it looks like gold, dust-like particles covering the fish's head, body, and fins. It often starts in the gills, so the fish is very sick by the time you see external symptoms on the skin. Flashing, or sudden rubbing against surfaces, is another common symptom. Unfortunately, this disease is quite difficult to treat, spreads rapidly, and does not respond to most broad-spectrum medications. Som...
Do I have to quarantine my first fish?If you are setting up your first tank, you can theoretically add new fish directly into the aquarium without setting up a separate quarantine tank since there are no existing animals to protect. One situation where you might want to use a separate hospital fish tank is if your aquarium is very large and the fish are small enough to go in a scaled-down quarantine setup. It will cost less money to dose medication in a smaller volume of water rather than an entire display tank. Another instance ...
My fish is bloated. What should I do?If your fish has a swollen abdomen, it could be caused by several things. Run down this checklist to see which disease your fish may have: Obesity: If you are overfeeding your fish, it may be overweight. In this case, fast the fish for 3-7 days and then decrease its food portion size. Constipation: If the fish is unable to pass any waste, its digestive system becomes backed up with food. Stop feeding the fish for 3-7 days and then feed it high-quality fish food with lots of roughage, such ...
How to Properly Clean Your Fish TankWhen people find out you keep fish, they probably imagine a crusty, algae-coated tank where you can barely see anything swimming inside. But with just a few easy steps, you can keep your aquarium looking like a beautiful work of art. Follow along as we share our top tips for cleaning your fish tank like a pro. Before You Get Started… There are several frequently answered questions we often hear from beginners, so let’s address those first: How often do you need to clean a fish tank? Some peop...
How to Set up a Beautiful Betta Fish TankCongratulations on getting your new betta fish! Betta splendens is one of the most stunning, beginner-friendly fish out there, so of course he needs to have a beautiful aquarium to match. Check out our recommended shopping list and setup tips to give your new betta the warm welcome he deserves. Betta Checklist: Everything Your New Fish Needs Before setting up your betta fish’s new home, let’s go shopping for the necessary components. All of these items can be easily found at your local pet st...
5 Quick and Easy Steps for Treating Fin RotWhat do you do if your fish’s fins and tail are looking ragged or discolored? It may be a bacterial disease called fin rot. This illness is simple enough to treat but can lead to other serious complications if left unchecked, so follow our five easy steps for curing fin rot. How Do I Know If My Fish Has Fin Rot? Fin rot is commonly found in aquarium fish such as betta fish and goldfish. The symptoms can vary based on how long the fish has been affected: Stage 1: The fins and/or tail start s...
Does Aquarium Co-Op sell wholesale?At Aquarium Co-Op, we started with a small fish store in Edmonds, Washington, grew an online sales business through our social media platforms, and now offer wholesale aquarium products to local fish stores all around the United States. This wholesale sector of our business is called the Aquarium Co-Op Retail Partner Program (RPP). What kind of products does Aquarium Co-Op sell wholesale? We offer Aquarium Co-Op-branded fishkeeping and planted tank products that were personally developed and ...
New Deliveries at Aquarium Co-Op! 🆕This week at Aquarium Co-Op's retail store we got in some beautiful Small Assorted Discus, Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, Magenta/Purple Mystery Snails, and Pea Puffers! As far as plants this week, the Pogo. Octopus and Dwarf Sagittaria that we have in our Easy Planters are looking especially full and nice! Also, our Dwarf Aquarium Lilies are looking lush and happy as well with multiple shoots per bulb. For this week's Tank Tip I wanted to talk about the importance of quarantining fis...
Care Guide for Betta Fish – The Best Beginner Pet FishBetta fish (also known as Betta splendens or the Siamese fighting fish) are a long-time favorite pet for both beginner and veteran fish keepers because of their colorful finnage and spirited personalities. If you’re brand new to the aquarium hobby, this care guide is for you! Find out the key essentials you need to know to successfully keep your first betta fish. Is It OK to Keep Betta Fish in a Bowl? If you haven’t bought a small bowl yet, we highly recommend that you get a larger aquarium t...
How do you deworm a puffer?Pufferfish are especially prone to internal parasites like tapeworms, but the dewormers only get rid of adult worms and do not affect unhatched eggs. Therefore, you must apply multiple deworming treatments to ensure all the eggs have hatched and are eliminated. For our personal puffers, we treat them with the quarantine medication trio and then wait two weeks. Next we follow up with a 5-day treatment of Fritz ParaCleanse (using the instructions on the box) and then wait a month. Afterwards, w...
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 to Treat Hole-in-the-Head Disease in Aquarium FishHole-in-the-head (HITH) disease is known by many names — such as hole-in-head, lateral line disease, and head and lateral line erosion (HLLE). None of these are official disease names, but rather, they are descriptors of a visual symptom. In general, they describe any ailment that causes holes, pits, or lesions around a fish’s head, face, and/or lateral line (i.e., the horizontal line of pores running down the side of a fish’s body that is used to sense pressure and movement in the water). In...
How to use the Quarantine Medication TrioIf you just purchased some new fish, we recommend using a trio of quarantine medications – Fritz Maracyn, Aquarium Solutions Ich-X, and Fritz ParaCleanse – to treat any bacterial, fungal or parasitic diseases they may have. This is the same three broad-spectrum medicines that we use on all fish that enter the Aquarium Co-Op retail store. These medicines can all be used at the same time and are completely safe for all freshwater fish, shrimp, snails, and other invertebrates. Follow these dosin...
Care Guide for Hatchetfish – Oddball Schooling Fish with WingsMost freshwater fish like to hang out in the lower two-thirds of the aquarium, so it can be hard to fill in the upper third with some activity. Enter the hatchetfish. This top-dwelling nano fish has a very unique appearance that looks even cooler when you have a large school darting around just beneath the water surface. However, they have some special care requirements to be aware of, so let’s take a closer look at this interesting oddball. What are Hatchetfish? Freshwater hatchetfish come f...
How to Properly Clean Your Fish Tank
When people find out you keep fish, they probably imagine a crusty, algae-coated tank where you can barely see anything swimming inside. But with just a few easy steps, you can keep your aquarium looking like a beautiful work of art. Follow along as we share our top tips for cleaning your fish tank like a pro. Before You Get Started… There are several frequently answered questions we often hear from beginners, so let’s address those first: How often do you need to clean a fish tank? Some peop...
How to Set up a Beautiful Betta Fish Tank
Congratulations on getting your new betta fish! Betta splendens is one of the most stunning, beginner-friendly fish out there, so of course he needs to have a beautiful aquarium to match. Check out our recommended shopping list and setup tips to give your new betta the warm welcome he deserves. Betta Checklist: Everything Your New Fish Needs Before setting up your betta fish’s new home, let’s go shopping for the necessary components. All of these items can be easily found at your local pet st...
5 Quick and Easy Steps for Treating Fin Rot
What do you do if your fish’s fins and tail are looking ragged or discolored? It may be a bacterial disease called fin rot. This illness is simple enough to treat but can lead to other serious complications if left unchecked, so follow our five easy steps for curing fin rot. How Do I Know If My Fish Has Fin Rot? Fin rot is commonly found in aquarium fish such as betta fish and goldfish. The symptoms can vary based on how long the fish has been affected: Stage 1: The fins and/or tail start s...
New Deliveries at Aquarium Co-Op! 🆕
This week at Aquarium Co-Op's retail store we got in some beautiful Small Assorted Discus, Dwarf Neon Rainbowfish, Magenta/Purple Mystery Snails, and Pea Puffers! As far as plants this week, the Pogo. Octopus and Dwarf Sagittaria that we have in our Easy Planters are looking especially full and nice! Also, our Dwarf Aquarium Lilies are looking lush and happy as well with multiple shoots per bulb. For this week's Tank Tip I wanted to talk about the importance of quarantining fis...
Care Guide for Betta Fish – The Best Beginner Pet Fish
Betta fish (also known as Betta splendens or the Siamese fighting fish) are a long-time favorite pet for both beginner and veteran fish keepers because of their colorful finnage and spirited personalities. If you’re brand new to the aquarium hobby, this care guide is for you! Find out the key essentials you need to know to successfully keep your first betta fish. Is It OK to Keep Betta Fish in a Bowl? If you haven’t bought a small bowl yet, we highly recommend that you get a larger aquarium t...
How to Treat Hole-in-the-Head Disease in Aquarium Fish
Hole-in-the-head (HITH) disease is known by many names — such as hole-in-head, lateral line disease, and head and lateral line erosion (HLLE). None of these are official disease names, but rather, they are descriptors of a visual symptom. In general, they describe any ailment that causes holes, pits, or lesions around a fish’s head, face, and/or lateral line (i.e., the horizontal line of pores running down the side of a fish’s body that is used to sense pressure and movement in the water). In...
Care Guide for Hatchetfish – Oddball Schooling Fish with Wings
Most freshwater fish like to hang out in the lower two-thirds of the aquarium, so it can be hard to fill in the upper third with some activity. Enter the hatchetfish. This top-dwelling nano fish has a very unique appearance that looks even cooler when you have a large school darting around just beneath the water surface. However, they have some special care requirements to be aware of, so let’s take a closer look at this interesting oddball. What are Hatchetfish? Freshwater hatchetfish come f...
