Aquarium Co-Op

How does beneficial bacteria stay alive in a bottle? Bacteria starter products like Fritz Zyme 7 contain live, nitrifying bacteria to help kick off your aquarium cycle and grow your biological filtration. This beneficial bacteria helps to consume toxic ammonia waste (produce by your fish) and convert it into nitrate, which is much safer for fish. According to the Fritz Aquatics website, "Unlike some heterotrophic bacteria, which can survive in a long-term spore state, only true nitrifying bacteria can cycle an aquarium. True nitrifying bac...

What are the dimensions of the Aquarium Co-Op low iron rimless tanks? Aquarium Co-Op currently sells low iron rimless fish tanks at our retail store in Washington state, and they are not available for sale online. The aquariums come with a rim on the bottom, no rim at the top, a clear lid, and rounded corners on the front two corners. The dimensions are as follows: Aquarium Size Dimensions (length x width x height, rounded to the nearest half inch) 2.5-Gallon Tank 12 x 7 x 8.5 inches 4-Gallon Tank 14 x 9 x 9.5 inches 6.5-Gallon Tank 16 x 10.5 x 11 inc...

Do water test strips expire? In general, the industry standard is that water test strips expire in 2 years. In reality, it is exposure to moisture that causes them to "go bad." If you open up the test strips in a humid area with wet fingers every single day, they will expire faster, whereas if you open them in a dry area with dry fingers, they will last longer. For more information, see our ammonia test strips and multi-test strips.

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...

Is CO2 gas dangerous for aquarium fish? It can be harmful for animals in large enough quantities if (1) CO2 causes the water pH to drop too quickly or (2) people try to be so efficient with the CO2 that they end up cutting off the oxygen that fish need to breathe. In the latter case, some hobbyists try to minimize surface agitation so that less gas exchange occurs and less CO2 escapes the water. However, less gas exchange also means less oxygen will enter the water, which can cause your fish to struggle and gasp for air. Our recomm...

What should I feed wood-eating catfish? Only certain genera of loricariid catfish are known to munch on wood: Panaque spp. such as Panaque maccus (clown pleco) and P. nigrolineatus (royal pleco) Hypostomus cochliodon group Because of the lack of wood-digesting microbes in their gut and fast digestion time of less than 4 hours, scientists believe that these catfish are not actually digesting the wood. Instead, they are digesting the microorganisms, microbal byproducts, algae, fungus, and other organic matter found on the rotting...

When should I turn on and off the CO2 in my aquarium? Plants use CO2 when there is light to photosynthesize. However, the process reverses at night and becomes the respiration cycle, in which plants consume oxygen and sugars and release CO2. Therefore, we want to shut off the CO2 regulator when the aquarium light is off. For more optimized CO2 usage, program the regulator’s timer to turn on 1–2 hours before the light comes on and turn off 1 hour before the light shuts off. (If you only have one timer, you can use the same timer with a power stri...

What do the red and yellow lights on the Aquarium Co-Op heater mean? When you first plug in the heater, a yellow indicator light will briefly turn on and then turn off again. The yellow light will only turn on again once the unit has run for 17,520 hours, which is 2 years of being plugged in full time. At this point, the heater will still continue to work, but the yellow light reminds you that it has reached the end of its expected life and it may be time to start thinking about replacing the unit to ensure the highest performance. The red indicator light tur...

Why don't the suction cups on my heater (or other device) stay attached? If the suction cups are new and do not stay attached, please make sure to clean the aquarium wall before attaching the heater. We recommend using an algae scrubber, razor blade, gift card, or other appropriate tool for wiping off any algae or debris to ensure that the surface is completely clear and flat. If the suction cups are old and worn out, the Aquarium Co-Op heater comes with 4 replacement suction cups.

Why does the hardness (or GH) look fuchsia on the Multi-Test Strips? On the Aquarium Co-Op Multi-Test Strips, the hardness (or GH) reading ranges from 0 ppm (blue) to 300 ppm (purple). If you get a hardness color of fuchsia, magenta, or reddish-purple, then it means that your GH reading is above 300 ppm (or 17 degrees). The multi-test strip is still working properly, but your water is very hard and the GH level is outside the bounds of the test.

How to adjust the Aquarium Co-Op heater To adjust the heater to the desired temperature, press the SET button once on the temperature controller. While the temperature display is still blinking, press the SET button again to change the desired temperature by 1°F increments. (The desired temperature cycles from 64°F to 91°F, meaning that you need to increase the heater up to the highest temperature setting of 91°F before it goes back down to 64°F.) When the desired temperature is reached, do not touch the SET button for 3 seconds. O...

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...

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...

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 ...

Do all aquarium plants need CO2 injection? All aquatic plants need CO2 as one of their basic building blocks to survive and grow. However, some types like cryptocoryne plants are fine with the normal amounts of dissolved CO2 found in aquarium water and do not need extra CO2, while other plants like scarlet temple could benefit from CO2 injection but don’t require it. A third category of plants — which includes Blyxa japonica, dwarf hairgrass, and dwarf baby tears and other similar carpeting plants — has higher demands and necessitates...

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...