Aquarium Test Kits

Posted on September 3, 2010 by Chris C

Many years ago when I first got into aquariums and fishkeeping in general, I didn’t really see the need to test my water for various levels of ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, etc.  I remember thinking that aquarium test kits were only for geeks and obsessive hobbyists, and I saw no value in knowing the exact parameters of my tank water.  Boy, was I naive.

Today, I can think of numerous times when my aquarium test kit has saved me a huge amount of money.  In my early days, I would buy fish and put them in a new tank, only for them to die because the tank wasn’t fully cycled.  I’d then go out and buy fish again for the tank, and they would soon die for the same reason.  I was practically flushing money down the drain.

API Freshwater Master Test Kit

API Freshwater Master Test Kit

But now with my test kits handy, I know exactly when my tank is fully cycled and ready for fish (I do fishless cycles, which are more humane and inexpensive).  This is just one of the reasons why I see aquarium test kits as being must-haves.

Of all the freshwater aquarium test kits on the market, the one I use and highly recommend is the Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Aquarian Freshwater Master Test Kit.  This test kit gives you the ability to test ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, as well as pH high range pH.  Instructions, test tubes, and color charts are all included.

Testing for ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate is extremely simple.  All you do is fill up one of the test tubes with tank water up to the line.  Take the appropriate test solution dropper (the ammonia and nitrate tests consists of two) and add the specified number of drops to the test tube.  Cap off the test tube and shake the water/solution mixture until everything is mixed and dispersed.  After five minutes, compare the color of the test tube contents to the color cards provided in order to determine the concentration level.  That’s it!  Pretty simple, right?  :)  I probably test my water once every two weeks to a month.

One last note: there are other important water parameters that the master aquarium test kits don’t include tests for.  In most cases, a master test kit is all you need, but I highly recommend an additional copper test kit for anyone who keeps invertebrates, as invertebrates are particularly sensitive to copper.  I enjoy keeping red cherry shrimp, so I always have my Aquarium Pharmaceuticals Freshwater/Saltwater Copper Test Kit around.  It’s a small investment to make for the peace of mind in my opinion, especially since the mineral contents of municipal tapwater can change unexpectedly.

So with all the benefits of aquarium test kits and their incredible ease of use, I consider them must-haves.  Aquarium test kits not only help ensure that your fish and invertebrates are healthy, but they’re also indispensable tools for finding out the root of any algae problem.

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Brown Algae in the Aquarium

Posted on August 31, 2010 by Chris C

Brown algae is one of the most common forms of algae found in freshwater aquariums. Also referred to as diatoms, this algae tends to start appearing in new aquariums that are just beginning to stabilize. This stabilization process is called “cycling”, and I’ll go into more detail about that in a future post. For now, just know that cycling is the process of building up waste-consuming bacteria in a tank.

One reason brown algae appears in new tanks is because the cycling process of a fresh tank ends with a spike in nitrate levels. Diatoms thrive on nitrate, and algae blooms are very common during this time period.

The more significant reason that brown algae rears its ugly head is that new tanks tend to have a high concentration of silica, which brown algae in particular need to . Silica in the water column can come from the tapwater, the aquarium glass, or the substrate (especially if it is sand). This silica supply will eventually be used up but the initial dispersion of it will give diatoms a chance to take hold all over the tank.

To make matters worse, brown algae grows in wide range of light levels, though many believe they grow best in low light.  Regardless, this means that the ambient lighting in a room is enough to create ideal conditions for diatom growth.

So with the odds seemingly stacked against you, is there anything that can be done to minimize the appearance of brown algae, or even avoid it altogether? Well, I must admit that in all of the aquariums I’ve ever kept, I’ve always had some level of brown algae growth for a period of time, whether it was widespread and drawn-out or extremely minimal and short-lived.  But I’ve slowly amassed an arsenal of techniques over the years to control diatom growth, and here are just a few of my favorites:

  • Pack the aquarium full of fast-growing rooted plants early.  Since plants and algae have a lot of the same needs (light and similar nutrients), healthy plants do not bode well for algae in general.  The substrate in a planted tank provides nutrients for rooted plants that aren’t accessible to algae above the substrate, giving these plants a tremendous growth advantage.  Fast-growing plants also suck up nutrients in the water column quicker, leaving less for algae to use.  Many of the Rotala, Hygrophila, and Ludwigia species of aquatic plants are perfect for this.
  • Keep otos in the tank.  I talked briefly about Otocinclus affinis catfish being effective algae eaters in this post.  Aside from being peaceful community fish and being enjoyable to watch, otos love to eat brown algae and will gladly do the algae-cleaning dirty work for you.
  • If your tank is completely overrun by diatoms and you’re running out of ideas, it may be time for a three-day blackout.  Basically, this means isolating the tank from any light for three days straight.  The easiest way to to this in my opinion is to just cover the tank entirely with thick bath towels and disconnect the aquarium lighting.  After three days, a lot of the brown algae will have died and turned a darker color, and should be removed immediately (decaying algae can cause more algae outbreaks).

Brown algae in aquariums is extremely common, so there is a lot of info and stories out there about how to control it.  How have you dealt with brown algae in your aquarium?

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Algae Eaters for the Freshwater Aquarium – Part 1

Posted on August 29, 2010 by Chris C

Fish-keeping and aquatic plant forums are filled with questions about algae eaters by both new and experienced aquarium hobbyists.  Obviously there are a lot of organisms that eat algae, so I plan on addressing this question in a multi-part series of posts.

Hypostomus plecostomus

Hypostomus plecostomus

Most of the time when I see someone make a forum post inquiring about algae eaters, it’s in the context of freshwater aquariums.  The Hypostomus plecostomus, or pleco for short, is one of the most common algae eaters found today in freshwater tanks.  These fish are easy to find in fish and pet stores, relatively inexpensive, and effective at eating many types of algae.  They are nocturnal in nature but can be fairly active under aquarium lighting as well.

Unfortunately, plecos may become territorial with age and grow to a size unsuitable for most of the tanks they’re placed in.  Even though fish can adapt somewhat to the size of a tank and stay smaller than they would have grown to in their natural habitat, this has a negative impact on the health of a fish.  Fish that are forced to stay small due to the size of their living space are more prone to diseases and live shorter lives.   It is for this reason that I very rarely recommend plecos.

Otocinclus affinis

Otocinclus affinis

I prefer and often recommend another popular freshwater algae eater known as Otocinclus affinis.  Affectionately referred to as the oto, these fish will never grow to more than 2 inches in length, are inexpensive, and have a lot of character.  They do well in schools and are known to be very effective at eating brown algae.

Otos are my favorite algae eating fish because they are more suitable to small tanks and I like watching them dart around to new places to graze on.  You can see their bellies bulge when they are well-fed, and many people (including myself :) ) find this endearing.  I feed my otos algae discs and the occasional blanched zucchini when they have no algae to feed on.  I’ll talk more about the proper way to prepare fresh veggies for fish and invertebrates later on in another post.

red cherry shrimp

Neocaridina heteropoda

Freshwater shrimp are also great algae eaters, and they are really fun to watch in an aquarium.  The most common freshwater shrimp is the Neocaridina heteropoda, also known as the red cherry shrimp (or RCS for short).  RCS can be difficult to find in local fish stores but are readily available for sale online at great prices.  These shrimp can adapt to a wide range of water temperatures and conditions, so they tend to survive the shipping process if bought online.

RCS are easy to care for, don’t require much food (given the size of a colony), and will breed non-stop.  They are also far more interesting to watch than any fish in my opinion.  They tend to swim slowly around from place to place until they find a suitable feeding site, and they feed by grabbing food with their tiny pincers and placing it in their mouths.  Pregnant females carry their eggs around with them, and it’s very to cool to witness their maternal behavior first-hand.

RCS are very small and they don’t eat much, so their algae eating ability comes from strength in numbers.  A colony of RCS can be very effective at controlling soft green algae, which is why their ability to reproduce quickly and easily makes them ideal for algae control.

The pleco, oto, and RCS are just a few of the common freshwater algae eaters.  While they’re all very effective, some may not be appropriate for your tank.  As I mentioned, the pleco can grow to be very large and they also tend to produce a lot of waste, so they aren’t suitable for smaller tanks.  Both otos and RCS are great at clearing algae from aquatic plants without harming them, but these algae eaters are small and can get harassed or eaten by larger fish.

Just as with any fish or invertebrate, please consider an algae eater’s needs and well-being before adding one to your aquarium.  The question of what eats algae should really be, “What eats algae that’d also work well in my tank?”   ;)

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