We drink 9.5 ph alkaline water. I asked my daughter to fill the fish’s new 10 gallon aquarium with water to almost 3 inches to the top and she used our drinking water instead of the tap water. Now I’m wondering if I have to dump all that good drinking water or can the fish use it? I know the drops I use for his water when I use tap takes out the chlorine and the 9.5 ph drinking water has no chlorine, but are there other factors I need to consider for the fish’s water? He’s hanging out in a 1.5 gallon tank right now waiting for his new home. Can I use that water he’s in now and dump it in the 10 gallon to regulate? He’s also been floating around on his back and side with a bloated tummy for a few weeks and I just didn’t feed him for two days (I read to fast him) and he seemed better, so I fed him just a little pinch yesterday morning and now he’s floating again. I’m also wondering if I should change his food? He’s eating the goldfish flakes from the pet area at Wal-Mart. I’m reading to feed him peas, but when I try to do that, they sink to the bottom and he can’t get at them because he’s so buoyant. I guess I have two questions in one here, so any help here would be appreciated. Thanks!

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I know what reverse osmosis is, the benefits, and how you can achieve reverse osmosis water. I plan on using it in my fish tank but I am not completely sure how to get it. I am thinking that the machines in grocery stores where you can refill a gallon container for about 33 cents (at my local store anyways) is reverse osmosis but if it isn’t how else can I get it for my 24 gallon tank?

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Hey all. I have a constant problem. My 10 gallon fish tank i have for the kids is constantly cloudy. i have tablets an "potion" for everything.I have used water clear, ammonia clear,ph balance, i have test strips for ammonia an a 5 test strip. The 5 tests are all in normal range for the usual, nitrates ammonia,ph etc. I empty 25% of the water,50% of the water,70% of the water,changed filters etc.This has been an ongoing problem for 3 months.I have 4 goldfish an 1 algae fish. I chaeck every few days an it never gets any better. I have a filter system i guess that uses a bio filter an a carbon filter but im at wits end.Tired of a cloudy tank an i have to believe its not over populated.About 15 years ago i had a 10 gallon tank with 3-4 fish an it was never ever cloudy,.not sure whats wrong or what im doing wrong.I dont wanna have to start flushing fish .By the way i use tap water an i have used 2 different start up liquids over 3 months tryin to see if maybe the brand i used was causing it.But my drinking water isnt naturally couldy is my point.Please help me out.Thanks
at first i did feed them twice a day but i have feed them once a day and thats it for a month at least. One goldfish is kinda big, 4 inces long id say,the rest arent big. i use the power filter that came with it,aqua filter i think.walmart brand. I use a vacuum pump to drain an clean gravel every few weeks.maybe fish are moving gravel around stirring up dirt constantly..

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I have a 20 gallon tank that I used TC tetracycline in. The treatment has been over for about 4 days. The day after I finished treatment I did a 25% water change and added carbon back to my filter. This lightened the color for a day or so but now its back to a dark red color. The medicine packaging said it could turn the water red but carbon would remove that. Am I just being inpatient and need to let the carbon do its magic? Or is there something else I need to do?
It was brand new carbon that I put in. It is starting to look alittle better. Especially after doing about 1/3 water change. Will have to wait a day or two and see if the color comes back.

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I have 2 male guppies in a ten gallon tank. I try to keep the tank as clean as I can, and I change the water weekly. For a while now, they have had tail-rot. I’ve tried everything I can find, but nothing seems to work. Some of the medicine says it works better with out carbon filters, but I’m worried that if I unplug the filter for a week at a time that my fish will run out of oxygen or have too much waste in the tank and it will harm them. Does anyone know any medicine for tail/fin-rot that can work with a carbon filter? Or am I just being too paranoid about unplugging the filter?

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I have a 125 gallon tank with three 3" oscars, three 3" blood parrots, and two 3" plecos .. I have an Eheim caninster filter which says could handle 160 gallon tank and also a hanging dual side carbon filter .. I have had the tank running now for about a month and so far so good but have read that it is good to do water changes/ clean gravel and what not .. What is the best way to do this and how often should I do it? Also should I treat the new water before putting it in the tank or can I add the water and then put in the conditioner after?

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The water in my 5 gallon tank is not cloudy, but it has turned brown like weak tea. I haven’t introduced any new plants or anything that might leach tannins. I was dosing my betta with triple sulfa and switched from a carbon filter to a sponge, and when I switched back to carbon last week some brown flaky-looking stuff squished out of the sponge and into the water, but I sucked it all up with my gravel vac and have done two water changes/gravel cleanings since then. The water turns brown within two days of cleaning, but like I said it’s not cloudy. Any idea what might be wrong and what I can do to fix it?
Yes, it is just the one betta in the tank. I feed him 4-5 pellets each day (flakes are too messy!) and I would scoop out any uneaten pellets if he ever left any! The filter media is brand new too, so I don’t think that can be the problem. :-/

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10 gallon water changes?
How often would you do water changes and gravel cleaning in a ten gallon tank with 4 platies and a small peacock eel?
I now do 20% changes weekly and change the carbon inthe filter about every three weeks. is this good? should i do more or should i do less?
I also have a small 5 gallon hex with one betta, oto catfish, and 2 ghost shrimp, i have been doing 20% changes weekly and the cartridge about every month for the last 3 or so months and they have been fine.

Thanks a lot!

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Hello! I am just starting out in keeping salt water fish. I have a 60 gallon tank and I bought a Canister filter that works for up to 100 gallons and I also bought a power filter that’s good for up to 75 gallons. Will having these two filters lessen my maintenance? The box my filters came in said that I would have to change filter pads, carbon bags, foam etc. like once a month. If I have these two filters working together can I change them every 2 months instead?

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My 28 gallon tank is still in the early cycle stages with 4 zebra danios, 3 mickeys, 3 catfish and 1 fish that the clerk at Petsmart (Yeah, I know!) told me would eat the black ramshorn snails that infested my tank. I removed the plants that had snail egg sacks today and bought new plants.

I was told that plants would help speed up the tank’s cycle and cut down the ammonia and nitrite levels. I did a 25% water change yesterday too. Do I do a daily 1-2 gallon water change for the next 3 weeks? Also my carbon filter gets gross about every 3-4 days. Do I change that often too? Here is what the Petsmart clerk told me to do: add 3 capfuls of Cycle every day for 3 weeks and do a weekly water change of only 10%. I dosed the tank with Prime instead. I have to be patient I know while the tank finishes cycling for what, the next 3-4 weeks? My ammonia detector is at "alert" and the NH3 detector is light green "stress." Daily 1-2 gallon water changes? Prime once a week? What should I do?

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