So you went to PetBig and decided your aquarium needed new fish. Now what? You need to put them into the tank. Easy enough. Float them in the bag for 20 minutes, then dump them into the tank. Right? Wrong. In order to properly introduce fish into an established system one of the easiest things to do is to put them directly into the fish tank. Although, the safest thing to do is to observe them in a quarantine tank for a week or two and then introduce them into your established system.

A quarantine tank does not need to be fancy. A 15-20 gallon bare bottom tank, meaning no gravel or decorations, with a heater, and a simple hang on back power filter or an air powered sponge filter will do. Now when introducing the fish to the quarantine tank place the bag in the tank for 20 minutes. Open the bag and fold the top of the bag over, like if you were cuffing your pants. Now add about a cup of water from the tank into the bag and let it sit for about 5 minutes. Repeat this process 4-5 times. At this point the water chemistry in the bag and the tank should be about the same. It is now safe to net the fish from the bag and introduce them into the tank.

When the fish are in the quarantine tank observe them closely. If you see any signs of fungus and/or white spots treat them accordingly. From my experience, any medication with a formalin/malachite green combination works well in freshwater applications. Depending on the species and/or ailment for saltwater fish, different medications are recommended. After the quarantine period is over you now have the peace of mind that the fish you are introducing to the main system is free from disease. When transferring the fish from the quarantine tank to the main tank, repeat the acclimation process using a clean plastic bag.

Watch and enjoy.

Love your fish.

aqf.

Consider your fish tank as a septic tank.  In it's most basic form, an aquarium is a container of water filled with rocks, fish, and perhaps a few plants.  Add to that a filter to minimize the amount of free flowing fish waste and these are the basic components to a system.  Unlike rivers, streams, lakes, and the ocean this small enclosed system cannot process fish waste as efficiently as these other natural large bodies of water, thus regular maintenance is necessary to keep your fish happy and healthy.  Partial water changes are of the utmost importance.  Changing your water on a regular basis helps to dilute any impurities in the water, replaces trace elements, and tends to promote healthy fish and invertebrate growth.  

When I tried adding two puffers that looked the same into a 260 gal fish only tank, things did not go as planned. Puffer fish are really smart fish and they recognize when another fish looks like them (e.g. has the same shape). This certainly was the case this time because as soon as I placed the bag in the water with a New Guinea Fowl Puffer the Gold Puffer was really interested in the contents of the bag. The Gold Puffer even tried to chew through the rubber bands keeping the bag sealed! Keep in mind that these fish are pretty large with the Gold Puffer being somewhere in the range of 10-12 inches and the New Guinea about 6-7 inches. As soon as I released the New Guinea into the water the standoff began. The Gold Puffer was staring it down. It had an expression on its face that said, "get the f@#$ out of my tank". Now since the New Guinea had nowhere to go, the Gold Puffer just let loose. It was chasing the New Guinea all over the tank, biting it's back and fins and the New Guinea could not find a hiding spot in the rocks. Ugly was an understatement. Totally uncalled for, but is this something that is hardwired into the fish? Could it be instinctual?
Why was it that these two puffers whose body shapes are identical except for their color want to kill each other?
Before placing the New Guinea into the tank with the Gold Puffer I had it with a Stars and Stripes Puffer which was only about 2 inches long, but no fighting occurred. The body shape of the Stars and Stripes Puffer is noticeably different than that of the New Guinea Puffer. Could it be that the puffers hate on each other due to the shape of their body? Or the color of their scales? Regardless it is a shame that these fish cannot live together in the same space.

Love your fish.

I think that biOrbs are such a cool addition to the room. They come with their own filters, lights, and even rocks! The only downfall is that the lights go out kinda quickly (3-4 months or so), but other than that the biOrbs are the coolest fish tank on the market. They make the fish look bigger, and they require the least amount of maintenance.
I'll be showing you what you can do with these tanks in the near future. Add the tropical heater option and you'll be able to keep a larger variety of fish. The goldfish that you see in the picture are not the best fish option because they pee and poop a lot! Most people don't know this, but goldfish need the best filtration of all the fish out there. They can tolerate a wide spectrum of water parameters, so if the filter is not the best suited for the tank they'll be able to live for a while.

So the awe inspiring reef is what you want in your home…
Is this possible? Can we take centuries of creation and replicate it in a glass box in our living rooms? Is it as simple as taking water, salt, a filter, and some sand and making everything come to life? Well, let me see, on any given website there are at least ten different types of filtration, not to mention the abundance of protein skimmers and lighting options, but which ones really work?
As I break it down to it’s elemental form, the ocean is a stable yet dynamic entity. Nothing is still, and yet corals have been growing in the same place for decades. The oceans are a huge water treatment facility processing everything from fish waste to sewage spills. Nothing goes to waste in the oceans, there are organisms that live off of the wastes of other specimens and dead organisms are food to others. So how can we break down this complex ecosystem and bring it into our homes? Let me first examine water movement.
Water movement is essential for the survival of each and every specimen found in the coral reefs. Live rock algae, fish, and corals all need ample water movement in order to thrive. Less than adequate water movement will keep the specimens alive, but they will not be living to their fullest potential. It’s like working a 9 to 5 that you hate. You are surviving and making ends meet, but are you really living to your fullest potential? In order to maintain proper water movement strategic placement of powerheads, pumps, and/or outlets needs to happen. Most importantly water needs to be pumped through the live rock. In the ocean, are there any places where water is not circulated through rocks and crevices? If you’ve ever surfed, scuba’d, or snorkled you’ll notice that the waves push you in all different directions. Thus water is being moved all throughout the rockwork and reefs. It may not be practical to have powerheads on all sides of the aquarium, but water needs to be moving through the rockwork as much as possible.