Search Results

Does the Easy Plant LED get hot? Will I get burned if I touch the light? While LED lights do emit heat, we worked hard to make sure that the heat sink on the Aquarium Co-Op Easy Plant LED dissipates more heat than other lights. This, coupled with the efficient LEDs and an energy-efficient ballast, means that our lights may become warm to the touch but will not get hot enough to burn anyone (e.g., you, children, cats or other pets).

Top 10 Midwater Schooling Fish for Your Next Aquarium When planning out what kind of fish to add to an aquarium, we like to pick species that live in different layers of the water column. Instead of having animals that cluster in the same area, the entire tank is filled with interesting activity. Since we’ve already talked about our favorite top-dwelling fish and bottom dwellers, let’s show off the most colorful and lively options that swim in the middle of the aquarium. 1. Green Neon Tetra Paracheirodon simulans The green neon tetra is the sm...

How long does aquarium filter media last? Reusable filter media – such as the coarse sponge pad, bio rings, and Purigen – can last for many years, as long as it can be cleaned sufficiently so that its functionality is not impaired. Fine poly pads should be disposed when they turn brown in color and water cannot move through them as easily. A general rule of thumb is to change chemical filtration (like activated carbon, ammonia media pads, and phosphate pads) once a month, but the only surefire way to tell if they are spent is to meas...

Why does my fish keep keep glass surfing? “Glass surfing” is when a fish – such as betta fish, gouramis, and cichlids – repeatedly swims up and down along the tank walls. It could be caused by stress, boredom, defense of territory, and other reasons. While there is no guaranteed cure for this behavior, many hobbyists have tried covering or painting the tank walls in black to reduce reflection, increasing flow with a powerhead, decreasing flow with a sponge filter, blocking their favorite corner with tall decorations or plants, adding...

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...

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...

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....

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.

When should I replace the catappa leaves? Most leaves last about one to two months until they break down completely. Once you start seeing holes develop in the first leaf, add a second leaf to give it time to start breaking down and releasing tannins. For more details on the benefits of catappa leaves, read our full article.

5 Easy Tips to Save Time in the Fishkeeping Hobby We all love the thought of relaxing in front of our aquariums, staring at our beautiful fish peacefully swimming back and forth amidst an underwater forest of aquatic plants. However, keeping a fish tank looking clean and pristine takes a lot of time, which can end up decreasing our enjoyment of the hobby. Learn about our top 5 time-saving hacks to simplify your aquarium care and maintenance. 1. Use an Automatic Timer Electrical outlet timers are often used for things like Christmas lights, i...

Care Guide for Black Ghost Knifefish — 18-Inch Electrical Oddball Fish We get a lot of requests for this care guide because knifefish are such unusual-looking curiosities with an undulating fin that allows them to swim both forward and backward. While there are many kinds of knifefish, the black ghost knife (BGK) is the most readily available in the pet trade and often attracts the attention of beginners. Unlike your average betta fish though, it is a considerably larger pet that requires a ton of room and may live for over a decade. Before you make the commitme...

Do I need a power head? A powerhead is simply a submersible water pump that sucks in water from the input and sprays out a powerful stream of water from the output. This device can be used to speed up water changes, create your own DIY filtration, and of course boost water circulation in your aquarium. Water circulation is commonly discussed in the saltwater aquarium hobby in order to imitate the movement of waves, but not having enough flow can also be a problem in freshwater setups. Fish tanks (especially large on...

Where should I place my powerheads? Locate the dead spots in your aquarium by observing where debris is collecting the most or if blue-green algae is growing in certain areas. Using a power head can help disperse the decaying organics in those stagnant regions so that they get sucked up by the filter, thus making your water clearer overall. If your heater has a “low flow” indicator that constantly goes off, consider putting the power head near it so that the heated water can spread throughout the rest of the fish tank and elimi...

When is the next sale at Aquarium Co-Op? Aquarium Co-Op no longer holds sales or special deals on holidays like Black Friday, Cyber Monday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, or New Year's Eve. Instead, we choose to always offer our best prices up front while still providing rapid USPS Priority shipping, quick customer service response time, and tons of free educational content in our YouTube videos, blog articles, and online forum.

How did hydra get in my fish tank? In our experience, we’ve noticed that hydra often lays dormant in fish tanks for many months, but then the population blooms when you start heavily feeding baby brine shrimp. It’s possible that the hydra hitchhiked from aquarium decorations, aquatic plants, rocks, or driftwood that came from an infected tank. Hydra can also be introduced if you collect live foods, plants, or hardscape from the wild. For more information, read our full article on How to Get Rid of Hydra in Your Aquarium.

How many catappa leaves should I use? Start with 1 leaf (approximately 4-7 inches or 10-18 cm long) for every 5-20 gallons of water. If you are making a blackwater tank, use more leaves and soft woods (like Malaysian driftwood and cholla wood) until you achieve the desired color. For more details on the benefits of catappa leaves, read our full article.