The Puffer Library

Aquarium Microbes

Part 1:  Nitrification

What do you keep in your tanks?  A big school of Tetras?  A pair of Cichlids?  A few billion bacteria?  Don’t gag.  The “bugs” are the most numerous things in our tanks and are ultimately responsible for our success if we are to keep our fish alive and healthy.  Every solid surface in our tanks has a biofilm on it, of bacteria, algae, etc., composed of whatever type(s) of microorganism that finds that surface and adjacent water conditions hospitable.  These bugs are not the enemy or in any way unwelcome.  They aid us in the upkeep and function of the micro-ecologies needed to make our tanks stable and safe for our wet pets.

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Filtration and water partials are two entirely separate things. That seems difficult to grasp for many hobbyists. So this brief note is aimed at clarifying the roles of filtration and water changes. 
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Aquarium Microbes

Part 2: Other small critters

In part 1, I talked about the bacteria that handle the nitrogenous wastes from the fish. Fine, ammonia is dangerous in tanks. But ammonia is just one waste product. What about all the other things?

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New Tank Syndrome, NTS

Robert T. Ricketts

There are all but constant questions on the boards relating the trials, tribulations, and assorted woes associated with a newly set aquarium. Very few novice tank-keepers have any realistic concept of the complexity of the system they are starting. This is no doubt a good thing – if most of us really knew up front how complex aquarium ecology is, we would probably never start – and think of all the fun we would have missed. The micro-ecology of out tanks is complex. The development of the micro-ecology is a tad demanding of attention, but the chores involved are not complex. After stability is reached, handling is not complex at all. As with many of the things we do, once you understand something about it, it is relatively easy. (» Click here to read the rest of this article…)

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What is it, and what do we do about it?

At the other end of the line from “New Tank Syndrome” (NTS) is its opposite, “Old Tank Syndrome” (OTS). OTS can take several forms, a couple of which we will briefly examine in this article. I would not expect OTS in any tank less than 12-24 months old, but I suppose it could happen if little or no routine upkeep were provided, or if the tank were grossly overstocked or overfed or inappropriately fed, or some combination of those things. That does happen.  OTS is most often seen after a tank has been operated 2-3 years or more - sometimes much, much longer.

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Every fish keeper needs to know how to siphon. This is one of the basic techniques in aquarium maintenance. It is second nature to everybody in the hobby, right? Maybe, maybe not. Do you get aquarium water in your mouth? Have you ever pulled the delivery end of the siphon out of the bucket and onto your shoes, the rug, or the hardwood floor? Maybe we should talk for a few minutes. I have done all the above, but eventually I learned how not to do so, and I’m more than willing to share what works for me. Think about it and see if anything here will work for you. (» Click here to read the rest of this article…)

a.k.a. the “Debauwi” Catfish – which it is not. 

Unlike the Asian Glass Catfish, this fish is not nearly all transparent, but is silvery with black stripes, with some transparency especially along the belly, back and side muscles of the fish.  Like the Asian fish called by a similar name, it is strongly diurnal (day-active) and very strongly
schooling with its own kind.  Also like the Asian fish, it has suffered
major name confusion and error.  The real name (at least at the moment)
is Pareutropius buffei .  It has been called for years in the trade either Pareutropius debauwi or Eutropiellus debauwi and is commonly labeled “Debauwi” catfish for sale.  Unfortunately, the true fish of that name is a near relative, larger than this fish, and rarely imported.

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Ghost Shrimp - See-Through Inverts for Your Tank

Commonly sold as feeders for predatory fish (puffers love them by the way), these US Gulf Coast natives are worth a closer look for peaceful tanks with small fish or those with non-predatory habits. They have been suggested on the boards as algae eaters. In my experience this is a bit of an exaggeration. (» Click here to read the rest of this article…)

No, we are not talking about a snake. This device is the best, or perhaps the worst, device available as an enabler of MTS (multi-tank syndrome). I confess to being a long-term sufferer of this syndrome. My first setup was two tanks, one above the other on one stand. So unlike most hobbyists, I started out with more than one tank. My addiction was limited however. I could never get past the ~12 tank barrier. Upkeep took too much time and physical effort (I have also always been lazy). Then one day I saw an ad in a hobby magazine… it was all downhill from there. (» Click here to read the rest of this article…)