QuestionA reader asked about finding white residue on aquarium glass:"We have really hard water, and my aquarium developed a white deposit all around the top part of the glass. I tore the tank down to give it a good cleaning, but I can’t seem to get the white stuff off. AnswerIt sounds as if you have what is often referred to as lime buildup on the glass. This occurs when the water has a lot of minerals dissolved in it. As water evaporates, it leaves behind the minerals, which adhere to the glass, leaving the ugly white residue you see.It looks so terrible that there is a huge temptation to use home cleaning products to remove it. However, resist that urge, as even the smallest residue can be lethal to fish. There are products, such as Safe Aquarium Cleaner, that are made to remove lime buildup on aquarium glass.However, there is a readily available, inexpensive alternative – vinegar. Lay the tank down on a towel, and pour enough vinegar on the affected glass to cover it. Leave it to sit for 10-20 minutes, then scrub with a non-abrasive pad or cloth and rinse well.

You may have to repeat the process a couple of times for each side to get it all off.One of the main reasons people get rid of or never purchase a fish tank is because of the odor. Thank God my 58 gallon tank (220litre) has never once emitted an odor. fish tanks for sale in birminghamI keep my tank clean and avoid anything that could potentially make my water smell poorly.malawi fish tanks for sale No matter what the pet store salesman may tell you, don’t overpopulate your fish tank. aquarium fish shop lutonThe general rule is one inch of fish per gallon of water, but remember to keep in mind the size the fish will be when it’s full grown. best fish tank for guppies

If your fish tank is only 20 gallons, that means you can keep 5 fishes that is 4 gallons per fish. Though you can keep some more if they are very tiny such as small tetra species. Just remember that although fish like Oscars are purchased when they are about 2 inches long, they can get up to 6inches or more after living for just one year. fish tank games iosI have Angle and Discus fishes which grow up-to 7-8 inches, so I keep around 10 fishes in my tank.fish tank sizes hexagon Overpopulating your fish tank leads to more fish pooping, which leads to more waste on the bottom of the tank. Don’t rely on Plecos cause Plecos don’t eat fish waste – that’s what a gravel vacuum is for. If you overpopulate your tank, it is bound to smell. One of the most important aspects of aquarium care is cleaning the aquarium.

For the best success, I recommend doing a 10-20% water change every week, using a gravel vacuum very well once a month (draining about 30-40% of the water), and cleaning algae daily. If you never clean or maintain your aquarium, this is the reason it smells. Even with fish that help clean things up, you still need to take responsibility and clean your tank. Clean your tank glass with soft clean cotton cloth which will reduce Algea growth and use a good quality shiffon vaccum and clean the gravel in 15 days. Most carbon or sponge filters that you purchase at pet stores only come with one filter. Filters should be cleaned every once in a while and replaced after a few months. Canister filters should be taken apart and cleaned every six months. If your fish tank has no filtration at all, then there should be no question of what is making your water cloudy and smelly. When I purchased my first aquarium, I bought a 20 gallon tank, a sponge filter and a air motor with air stone, this is a good starter tank.

Though it is no longer with me, initially some of my fishes got killed, due to lack of knowledge. Now I am using a AQUA ONE 1000 canister filter and a small sponge filter for my tank. Clean the canister in 3 months approx and the sponge one in every 10 days. If you look at your water and notice that it has a green hue to it, this means that you have algae growing. Algae can be reversed by buying chemicals from your local pet store and buying algae-eating fish. Algae is caused by improper filtration and excess sunlight. If your tank is near a window and gets more than six hours of direct sunlight a day, then you are going to get algae. Brown algae is a common occurrence in a newly set up aquarium and I hate this personally. It is generally caused by too little light, an excess of silicates, an abundance of nutrients, and too little oxygen. Silicates can build up through tap water that is high in chlorine, and silicates that leech from some types of substrates. Cure: Wipe off surfaces & vacuum gravel well.

Use silicate adsorbing resin in the filter. Stock a small size Plecos or several Otocinclus. Prevention: Use anti-chlorinated water. This type of algae does not adhere strongly to the tank surfaces, and is easily wiped away. Vacuuming the gravel with a siphon will quickly remove coatings from the substrate. Increasing the lighting will inhibit re-growth of brown algae. As a new tank matures brown algae is often eliminated naturally by plants and green algae competing for nutrients. Some sucker-mouth catfish will readily eat brown algae, most notably Otocinclus. If the problem is due to high silicates in the water, and the brown algae persists, a special silicate absorbing resin can be used in the filter. If you have made it this far on the list and none of the above reasons apply to your tank, then you could have dead organisms in your tank. Dead fish (easily spotted), snails (not so much), and other critters give off a potent odor and make the water cloudy. I would suggest doing a good sweep with the gravel vacuum just to make sure you don’t have anything dead under the substrate.