Category: Water Treatments

How To Lower Nitrite Levels In Goldfish Aquariums and Garden Ponds?

Post author By GoldfishCare
Post date March 7, 2011
2 Comments on How To Lower Nitrite Levels In Goldfish Aquariums and Garden Ponds?

You should really only notice nitrite levels being high in new aquariums or small garden ponds that have newly been set up. As I’ve mentioned before in other blog posts is that it takes time for the nitrogen cycle to start working. It can take up to 4 weeks to properly cycle a new fish tank.

If you are experiencing high levels of nitrite in your goldfish aquarium or pond what you will need to do is make sure your goldfish are not showing any signs of stress. You really need to carefully observe your goldfish or any other types of fish you have in your aquarium. High levels of nitrite is extremely deadly! Nitrite can and will poison your fish and kill them quick.

Large Oranda Goldfish in Aquarium

If you do notice your goldfish are showing signs of stress you will need to lower your nitrite levels in your aquarium or garden pond. What you can do is perform a 25 – 30% water change immediately. This will reduce and dilute the presence of nitrite in your fish tank. After you do this I would also add aquarium salt to your aquarium right away. Aquarium salt will neutralize the toxicity of nitrite making it not harmful for your goldfish. Simply add 1 teaspoon of aquarium salt per every gallon of water. Lots of aquarium owners fail to realize is that aquarium salt helps fish in many ways and helps heal fish. All aquarium and pond owners should have on hand some aquarium or pond salt as you never know when you might need it.

If however your goldfish are not showing signs of stress and this is a newly set up aquarium or pond, just leave it! It will take some time for it to cycle and develop all the beneficial bacteria. Once the tank is cycled and there is an abundance of beneficial bacteria it will break down the nitrite forming nitrate which is relatively harmless to fish. During this time that your aquarium is being cycled make sure you regularly test your water quality for nitrite and record the readings. Recording the readings will show you if the nitrite is lowering. Always observe your fish and be ready to do an immediate water change if your goldfish are showing any signs of stress. High nitrite levels need to be taken very serious as it can quickly kill all your fish if you fail to act promptly.

Sincerely,

Jamie Boyle
The Goldfish Guy
“Helping Goldfish Owners With Advice, Fish Care and Fish Medication Treatments for Goldfish Diseases, Illnesses and Parasites”

How To Raise or Lower pH Levels in Goldfish Tanks and Aquariums?

Post author By GoldfishCare
Post date February 27, 2011

Having an aquarium involves regular maintenance such as water quality tests and you should know how to raise or lower pH levels in fish tanks if need be. Overtime your pH in your aquarium will lower and you will need to raise it depending on the type of fish you have. Certain species of fish like the water more of a acidic pH while others like the pH to be more alkaline. Aquarium owners should test their water quality at least once a week not only for pH but for ammonia, nitrite and nitrate.

Sometimes your water will get cloudy in your fish tank and you will know right off the bat that something is wrong. There are also times where the water is crystal clear and the water chemistry is at seriously dangerous levels for fishkeeping. You can’t tell just by looking at the water. I know it would be nice if we could, but we can’t. If you notice your goldfish showing signs of stress, testing the water quality should be the first thing you do. The more goldfish you have in your aquarium, the more waste is produced which will lower the pH if you don’t keep up with regular water changes.

Goldfish Tank, Aquarium With Large Goldfish and Koi

How To Raise pH Levels In Fish Tanks or Aquariums?

If you notice that your pH is low or acidic after testing your water quality you will need to raise your pH. In order to do so you will need to have some sodium bicarbonate also known as baking soda on hand. This is the regular stuff you buy right from your grocery store. Simply add 1 teaspoon of baking soda per 10 gallons of water. It’s always best to not change the pH too drastically as it can stress out the fish even more. If your pH was off quite a bit do it on a gradual basis until your reach the recommended pH based on the species of fish you have in your aquarium. Neutral pH is what you should be looking to have for goldfish tanks.

How To Lower pH Levels In Fish Tanks or Aquariums?

In order to lower pH levels you will need to buy some sodium biphosphate which you can buy right from your local pet store or online as well. To lower the pH simply add 1 teaspoon of sodium biphosphate per 10 gallons of water. More is not better when your dealing with changing water quality for fish. My rule of thumb is put less then re-test to see what the reading is and then add more if need be to get it within the acceptable pH range.

If you keep up with performing regular water changes, aquarium maintenance such as cleaning of the aquarium gravel and filters you shouldn’t have an issue with pH. If you do however you will now know how to lower and raise pH levels in your aquarium so that your goldfish can live a long healthy life.

Sincerely,

Jamie Boyle
The Goldfish Guy

How To Lower Ammonia Levels In Goldfish Tanks, Aquariums or Fish Ponds?

Post author By GoldfishCare
Post date February 27, 2011
2 Comments on How To Lower Ammonia Levels In Goldfish Tanks, Aquariums or Fish Ponds?

Sooner or later new aquarium owners will face high levels of ammonia in their goldfish tank or fish pond and you will need to know how to lower or reduce ammonia levels. When new aquariums are set up many people will often see high levels of ammonia but this is because the fish tank is not properly cycled yet. It takes some time for all the beneficial bacteria to start working. A lot of the time even though the ammonia levels are high you can just leave it and it will slowly lower.

The biggest thing that you need to do when you notice high levels of ammonia in your aquarium or fish pond is to observe your fish. Are they acting normal, normal behaviour, are they sluggish. not eating etc.. High levels of ammonia will kill your goldfish and if you notice any signs of stress or any goldfish that has died you need to take action right away.

Don't Be Fooled! Clear Water Can Still Have High Levels of Ammonia

Here are several things you can do to lower or reduce the ammonia level:
1. Perform an immediate water change. Changing some of the water in your fish tank or pond will reduce or dilute the ammonia. After changing the water, test it to see the new results and keep a record of the reading.

2. You can always add some Ammo-Lock by Aquarium Pharmaceuticals. This works great as it locks up ammonia in a non-toxic form. Whenever you happen to see a lot of fish die this is a great emergency fish product. This will reduce fish stress and help save your fish.

3. Add beneficial bacteria to your aquarium or pond. The beneficial bacteria is what breaks fish waste, ammonia and keeps your nitrogen cycle working properly. After every water change always add some beneficial bacteria.

If your looking to know how to adjust, lower, or reduce ammonia levels in fish tanks, aquariums or ponds you should first know what causes ammonia levels to increase. Knowing what causes it, is the first step in preventing ammonia levels from increasing in fish tanks or ponds.

The #1 rule in fishkeeping is to never overcrowd your fish tank or pond or it’s inevitable that you will soon face high levels of ammonia and possibly lose all your fish. Take proper care of your fish and you will have great success with your hobby.

If you have any questions concerning ammonia levels and how to deal with lowering or reducing it please feel free to comment.

Sincerely,

Jamie Boyle
The Goldfish Guy
“Helping Goldfish Owners With Advice, Fish Care and Fish Medication Treatments for Goldfish Diseases, Illnesses and Parasites”

What Aquarium Products Clear Up Cloudy Water In Fish Tanks?

Post author By GoldfishCare
Post date August 22, 2010

There are several aquarium products on the market today that will show you how to clear up cloudy water in fish tanks. You are able to buy these at your local pet store or available online like PetSmart, Petco and other great online stores. The product that I like best that clear up cloudy water in aquariums is Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Accu-Clear Water Clarifier. This product is fast acting and clears up your water in your aquarium in no time.

There are so many different products that you can choose and here is a list of several that you are able to buy:

1. EcoBio-Block ( New product that I would like to try, great reviews!)

2. Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Accu-Clear Water Clarifier

3. Tetra WaterClarifier

4. Koi’s Choice Pond Water Clarifier

Here are 4 great aquarium products for you to choose that will help clear up cloudy water in your aquarium.

Sincerely,

Jamie Boyle
The Goldfish Guy
“Helping Goldfish Owners With Advice, Fish Care and Fish Medication Treatments for Goldfish Diseases, Illnesses and Parasites”

Tags aquarium products, clear up cloudy water, cloudy water aquarium, fish tanks, Goldfish, goldfish care, goldfish tank maintenance

Aquarium Care Goldfish Goldfish Care How To Water Treatments

How To Clear Up Cloudy Water In Aquarium Fish Tank?

Post author By GoldfishCare
Post date August 22, 2010
3 Comments on How To Clear Up Cloudy Water In Aquarium Fish Tank?

Cloudy water in aquariums is quite common and there are several things you can do to clear up your fish tank and help prevent this from occurring. How to clear up cloudy water is quite simple and the answer is proper aquarium maintenance.

What causes cloudy water to occur in fish tanks is the nitrogen cycle not being properly in balance. This means that there is more bad bacteria instead of the good beneficial bacteria that helps break down fish waste and helps keep your water safe and healthy for fish to live. If your nitrogen cycle is out of whack then cloudy water will occur in your fish tank.

Cloudy Water in Aquarium - Get Rid Of Cloudy Water Today!

What can you do to stop cloudy water from happening is easy! Frequent water changes and maintenance will help. You should also never overfeed your fish in your aquarium. Overfeeding goldfish or other types of fish helps contribute to cloudy water in fish tanks. Another thing people should do is reduce the amount of time that your have your aquarium lights on for. Leaving your lights on for extended periods of time causes algae blooms and growth over aquarium glass and contributes to cloudy water as well. People should have timers on their aquariums and never leave it on for more then 6 – 8 hours a day.

If you want to know how to clear up cloudy water fast in your aquarium then you will need to purchase aquarium products on the market that specialize in this. When buying aquarium products that clears cloudy water in fish tanks just make sure on the label that it does not disturb beneficial bacteria and make sure it’s not harmful to fish and plants. These products will help clear your water usually in a few hours. Remember more is not better, follow proper dosage on the bottle.

Cloudy water in aquariums usually occur in newly set up fish tanks.

Have you ever had cloudy water in your aquarium?

Sincerely,

Jamie Boyle
The Goldfish Guy
“Helping Goldfish Owners With Advice, Fish Care and Fish Medication Treatments for Goldfish Diseases, Illnesses and Parasites”

Tags aquarium, clear cloudy water in aquarium, cloudy water, fish tanks, Goldfish, goldfish care, goldfish tank maintenance, how to