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...
Which pre-filter sponge should I get?Prefilter sponges are great for covering filters intake tubes to prevent small items (e.g., leaves, fish food, baby fry) from getting sucked up and to grow more beneficial bacteria. To figure out which pre filter sponge will fit your filter the best, measure the diameter of the filter's intake tube. Then match it up with the appropriately sized pre-filter sponge: Mini pre-filter sponge: 0.5 inch hole without much give Medium pre-filter sponge: 0.5 inch hole with some stretch to give Larg...
Care Guide for Celestial Pearl Danios – Miniature Trout for Planted TanksThe celestial pearl danio (CPD) is a delightful nano fish often sought by aquascapers because they look like miniature brook trout swimming amid a forest of plants and driftwood. Their beauty and elegance seem to automatically elevate any tank they live in. However, they sometimes get the reputation for being shy fish that are easy to stress. Find out how to care for these enchanting creatures and make them feel right at home. What are Celestial Pearl Danios? Danio margaritatus goes by many c...
When Should I Dose Potassium in My Planted Aquarium?Just as your fish need to have a healthy diet and clean water to grow big and beautiful, plants also require a special “diet” of lighting and nutrients to thrive. To have the proper building blocks needed to grow well, they need large amounts of macronutrients (like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus) and trace amounts of micronutrients (like magnesium and zinc). Our Easy Green all-in-one liquid fertilizer contains all the correct ratios of these macronutrients and micronutrients that can be...
What are the nutrient amounts in each pump of Easy Green fertilizer?The guaranteed analysis of Easy Green all-in-one liquid fertilizer is as follows: Nutrients and Minerals Percentage Total Nitrogen (N) 2.66% Available Phosphate (P2O5) 0.46% Soluble Potash (K2O) 9.21% Magnesium (Mg) 0.7% Boron (B) 0.015% Iron (Fe) 0.13% Manganese (Mn) 0.036% Molybdenum (Mo) 0.00098% Zinc (Zn) 0.0072% The amount of measurable nutrients and minerals in each pump of Easy Green fertilizer are as follows: Nutrients and Minerals Parts Per Million (ppm...
How do I stop bubbles from coming out the side of my sponge filter?There are several reasons why this could be happening, so try checking the following: Did you shorten or remove the lift tube? A shorter lift tube does not have as much suction pulling bubbles up the center column, so some air may escape. Is the air stone crooked inside the sponge filter? To make it hang straighter, you may need to shorten the tubing attaching the air stone to the bullseye. Is the air pressure from the air pump too strong? If a bunch of air is forced into the sponge filter, ...
What aquarium plants are safe to put with goldfish?Goldfish are notorious for munching on or digging up aquatic plants, which is a shame because live plants are both beautiful and beneficial. Thankfully, we’ve found several plant species that are not only easy to care for but also tough enough to stand up to your goldfish’s curious nibbling. Read this article on 5 easy plants for goldfish aquariums.
How many watts does a powerhead use?Each model is different, but the Aquarium Co-Op power head uses 10 W of power to produce 211 GPH or 800 liters per hour (LPH). For more information, read our full article on water circulation.
7 Reasons Why Your Aquarium Water Has Bubbles or FoamingHave you ever seen bubbles or foam in your aquarium water and wondered if it’s safe for your fish? Bubbles can happen for many reasons — some of them good and some of them bad — so let’s talk about what to watch out for and how to fix the problem if needed. 1. Normal Bubbles from an Air Pump Of course, the most obvious reason for bubbles is that you are using an air pump that sucks in air from outside of the aquarium, pushes it through airline tubing, and pumps it into the water. Typically, t...
Top 10 Rasboras for Your Next Community AquariumLooking for the perfect schooling fish? Most people tend to think of tetras and danios, but don’t forget about the breathtaking world of rasboras. They look similar with their torpedo-shaped bodies and peaceful personalities, but most species are found in Southeast Asia and come in a wide array of unique colors and patterns. The common name “rasbora” actually refers to several genera of fish, including Rasbora, Boraras, Trigonostigma, Microdevario, and many more. Let’s talk about 10 different...
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...
How to use a aquarium airline T splitter or tee splitterThe tee airline splitter gets its name from its T shape that splits one stream of air into two paths. This functionality is useful if you only have one air pump but wish to run a second air stone or aquarium decoration in the fish tank. Another use case would be diverting air off your main aquarium to a second tank or a quarantine tub. Each pack comes with five T airline connectors, so you could theoretically chain multiple splitters together to create additional air streams. The T splitter ...
How long does it take for dechlorinator to work?Since it takes about 2-5 minutes for chlorine and chloramine to be neutralized, many companies officially state that you should dose the dechlorinator to the tap water in a separate container before adding the water to the aquarium. That being said, we always add the water conditioner directly to the aquarium and then pour in fresh tap water, and there have never been any problems in our experience. For more information, read the full article on dechlorinators.
How do I set up a fish tank with live plants?If you've never set up a planted aquarium, we recommend that you start with beginner plants that only require low light. Then follow this detailed guide that covers all the materials you need, as well as the 9 steps you need to be successful. If you run into problems at any point, please post your question on our forum so that we and other hobbyists can best help you.
How do I get Easy Root Tabs to stop floating?There is air inside the root tab capsule that causes it to float. To make it sink, poke a hole in one end of the capsule using a pushpin and then squeeze the root tab once it's underwater. Air bubbles will escape through the hole, and your root tab will stay grounded. Read our full article on root tabs for more information.
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 Celestial Pearl Danios – Miniature Trout for Planted Tanks
The celestial pearl danio (CPD) is a delightful nano fish often sought by aquascapers because they look like miniature brook trout swimming amid a forest of plants and driftwood. Their beauty and elegance seem to automatically elevate any tank they live in. However, they sometimes get the reputation for being shy fish that are easy to stress. Find out how to care for these enchanting creatures and make them feel right at home. What are Celestial Pearl Danios? Danio margaritatus goes by many c...
When Should I Dose Potassium in My Planted Aquarium?
Just as your fish need to have a healthy diet and clean water to grow big and beautiful, plants also require a special “diet” of lighting and nutrients to thrive. To have the proper building blocks needed to grow well, they need large amounts of macronutrients (like nitrogen, potassium, and phosphorus) and trace amounts of micronutrients (like magnesium and zinc). Our Easy Green all-in-one liquid fertilizer contains all the correct ratios of these macronutrients and micronutrients that can be...
7 Reasons Why Your Aquarium Water Has Bubbles or Foaming
Have you ever seen bubbles or foam in your aquarium water and wondered if it’s safe for your fish? Bubbles can happen for many reasons — some of them good and some of them bad — so let’s talk about what to watch out for and how to fix the problem if needed. 1. Normal Bubbles from an Air Pump Of course, the most obvious reason for bubbles is that you are using an air pump that sucks in air from outside of the aquarium, pushes it through airline tubing, and pumps it into the water. Typically, t...
Top 10 Rasboras for Your Next Community Aquarium
Looking for the perfect schooling fish? Most people tend to think of tetras and danios, but don’t forget about the breathtaking world of rasboras. They look similar with their torpedo-shaped bodies and peaceful personalities, but most species are found in Southeast Asia and come in a wide array of unique colors and patterns. The common name “rasbora” actually refers to several genera of fish, including Rasbora, Boraras, Trigonostigma, Microdevario, and many more. Let’s talk about 10 different...
