Questions & Answers

I'm scared that my fish will burn themselves on the heater. How can I resolve this?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:30:11 +0000

Some heaters come with a plastic protection shield which surrounds the heater like the iQuatics Aquarad. They are easy to fit and help to prevent the fish from burning themselves on the heater. If the heater doesn't come with a plastic shield then you can use a suitable plastic mesh but this may restrict the heating potential in your water.
The most effective way to totally prevent this from happening is to remove the heater and place it into the sump/filter area away from your livestock.

The gravel I am using for my tank is very dusty, is this right?

Tue, 21 Feb 2012 13:20:59 +0000

In general dust can build up from the gravel rubbing against each other. It's best to rinse all gravel and any other items like figures, wood etc you may wish to put into your tank to reduce the amount of dust. Never use any chemicals for doing this. Just normal tap water will be fine.

Are my T5 tubes triphosphor?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:44:10 +0000

Most of the new types of fluorescent tubes are triphoshor which means there are 3 phosphors used to coat the inside of the tubes. This will be better than older styled tubes for the following reasons: Increased light levels, extended lamp life, reduced maintenance/energy costs and Improved colour rendering.

Is my chemical water test kit reliable/accurate?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:42:10 +0000

In most cases of a tropical test kits they are accurate enough but the downfall is usually they have a restricted shelf like. More and more fish keepers are reverting to using an electronic tester which are easier, less time consuming and more accurate.

They can be higher priced than the standard chemical test kit.

Tropical: Im having problems feeding my new Tiger fish

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:41:07 +0000

When you keep wild caught fish it can sometime be difficult to get them into a feeding pattern as they are use to moving live foods. You should be able to entice the fish to eat live foods as they react to the movement. Over time the fish will get used to this and you should be able to revert to dry foods if you need to.

How often should I test the water in my tropical tank?

Wed, 18 Jan 2012 09:05:35 +0000

In general there is no set rule but once your tank is setup and well established, you should be able to monitor it once a fortnight. If you feel some change has occurred then it would be an ideal time to check the water parameters.

Are aquarium test kits always accurate?

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:17:49 +0000

No. Kits wrongly stored, used incorrectly or beyond their recommended expiry date cannot be expected to give reliable information. Faulty kits also exists and if this is suspected you must compare results with a identical kit.

Can aquarium water tests be taken at any time of the day?

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:09:38 +0000

It is best that water tests are taken at the same time of the day to give a more reliable base on which to compare unusual readings.

Is it ok to mix different coloured fluorescent tubes?

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 19:07:16 +0000

Yes, they can be mixed to cover the colour spectrum or to achieve a desired effect. This is the most popular way of lighting a marine aquarium as it is the most flexible lighting solution to allow spectrum adjustment.

Each fluorescent tube has its own unique qualities therfore depending on the stock in your tank you can get the best overall outcome whilst efficiently lighting your aquarium.

Can household spotlamps and halogen security lamps be used over your aquarium?

Tue, 17 Jan 2012 18:59:13 +0000

Domestic spotlamps can be very wasteful of electricity, provide the wrong colour spectrum and tend to run too hot to used above your aquarium. Halogen bulbs are commonly mistaken for halides as they look similar and halogen bulbs are sometimes used by aquarists as they are much cheaper than halides but we strongly advise against using them due to both the colour spectrum and quality of light being wrong for any marine/tropical aquarium.