Random Newbie Questions

Can I dedicate this thread to random newbie questions that doesn't fit in any particular category of the forum? I've always wondered about these things, but didn't want to create a new thread asking about them. Feel free to post your own questions. So here are mine (for now) :

1. Anyone owned/worked at an LFS and/or big box pet store? When I go into LFSs (especially true for big box stores), I noticed most (if not all) their tanks are connected to a behind the scenes filtration system. I just assumed it's a massive sump somewhere behind the walls. I've always questioned how they control the temperature for the tanks. Is the temperature the same for all the tanks on display? If so, what temperature would that be? I've seen cichlid tanks not too far from fancy goldfish tanks. Are they sharing the same water?

For the smaller mom & pop LFSs, a lot of their smaller tanks (which normally house smaller community fish) have a sponge filter as its sole source of filtration. That's great because if a certain tank contains sick fish, it will not cross contaminate other tanks (provided staff members do not use the same net in multiple tanks without sterilizing it between uses). But I've never seen heaters in these individual tanks. How does the temperature get regulated?

2. Do fish change color over time? And I don't mean they brighten up. I have one particular small female guppy. When I got her a few months ago, she was silver and navy blue. analfin and forward was all silver/gray. analfin and back is navy blue.

As time went on, that navy blue turned into a dark rich purple color. And now, that purple turned pitch black! What's up with that? She still seems healthy and happy and acts the same as she did when she was younger.

3. When I do water changes, often times I can't match the water temperature of the fresh water perfectly. It'll be off 1 or 2 degrees from tank water. What causes more stress for fish when they're acclimating to new temps? Is it easier for them to adapt from cooler water into warmer water? Or from warmer water to cooler water? I guess what I'm asking is: if I can't match water temperature perfectly during water changes? Is it better for the new water to be 1 degree warmer or 1 degree cooler?

4. When doing my weekly water changes, I dose the tank with Prime when adding fresh water. In my 55 gallon tank, I normally change 10 gallon (about 20%). Should I dose the tank based on 55g? 10g? Right now, I'm dosing half a capful (which should be for 25g). Am I doing it right?

5. Is blue light bad for our eyes? Blue light as in moonlight mode of our LED lights. Although I don't sit in front of a tank in the dark with only blue lights on often...the few times I did, it made me trippy. I know red/orange light helps us preserve our night vision. But does blue light hurt our eyes if we expose ourselves to it often enough?

6. How do you QUICKLY synchronize two heaters to turn on and off at the same time in the same tank? I have a 200W and a 100W heater in my 55g. If they are a tad off (by half a degree), my logic is to have the larger heater run first, then the smaller one will kick in when more juice is needed. Is that sound logic? PS - I have 2 heaters because I allow my house to drop to 50 degrees from 6am until 7pm (when I'm not home).

7. Is it immoral and irresponsible to keep male and female live bearers together in the same tank if I have no intentions of breeding and raising fry? They usually just "disappear" aka become someone's snack.

8. How much of a bioload do snails (particularly mystery snails) produce? I had well over 100 baby mystery snails at one point. I gave 70 of them away to the LFS. I also gave the adults away as well. But with 30 pea sized snails left, should I be concerned with the waste they are contributing to the tank?

 

1. Idk sorry
2. Yes a lot of species can change color or tone as they age. Many goldfish will go from all black to completely orange.
3. Any difference in temps will cause stress. I woukd say it would be least stressful to be closer to the fishes desired temp. If your water temp is 78 and you have a betta that needs 80 it would be better to have warmer than cooler water obviously.
4. I would just does the 10 gallons in its bucket and add it in. If your tank is cycled there is no point in treating the whole thing.

7. I don't consider it immoral. That is the circle of life. Some will die.
8. Adult snails havs a decent bioload. I wouldnt be too worried rn but that number of snails is unsustainable and you will have a population-boom.

 

1.) A person that works at my local Petco said each 'tower' has its own sump. I assume each tower has a set temperature.


2.) Yes, they can change drastically.

3.) Doesn't matter too much if it's just a degree, IMO. I know cooler water induces spawning in many species, though.

4.) Nof that I know of.

6.) Not in my opinion. Some live, some die. Happens all the time in the wild.

 

Is this a thread just for ur questions or others as well? I’m a bit cunfused about this. Also I have a bunch of odd questions, I was gonna make a thread but don’t want to if this is basically the same thinf

 

#4 I don't stress too much on matching temp from the hose I use my finger and yep close enough. After all adding 10 to a 55 is only 5.5%.

Is this a thread just for ur questions or others as well? I’m a bit cunfused about this. Also I have a bunch of odd questions, I was gonna make a thread but don’t want to if this is basically the same thinf

It would be easier and less confusing if you made your own thread. That way your questions will get answered and not all mixed in.

 

Ok I just wasn’t sure thanks for the heads up.
8 snails don’t have to bad of a bioload alone but a lot of them might tough on filtration

 

Can I dedicate this thread to random newbie questions that doesn't fit in any particular category of the forum? I've always wondered about these things, but didn't want to create a new thread asking about them. Feel free to post your own questions. So here are mine (for now) :

1. Anyone owned/worked at an LFS and/or big box pet store? When I go into LFSs (especially true for big box stores), I noticed most (if not all) their tanks are connected to a behind the scenes filtration system. I just assumed it's a massive sump somewhere behind the walls. I've always questioned how they control the temperature for the tanks. Is the temperature the same for all the tanks on display? If so, what temperature would that be? I've seen cichlid tanks not too far from fancy goldfish tanks. Are they sharing the same water?

For the smaller mom & pop LFSs, a lot of their smaller tanks (which normally house smaller community fish) have a sponge filter as its sole source of filtration. That's great because if a certain tank contains sick fish, it will not cross contaminate other tanks (provided staff members do not use the same net in multiple tanks without sterilizing it between uses). But I've never seen heaters in these individual tanks. How does the temperature get regulated?

2. Do fish change color over time? And I don't mean they brighten up. I have one particular small female guppy. When I got her a few months ago, she was silver and navy blue. analfin and forward was all silver/gray. analfin and back is navy blue.

As time went on, that navy blue turned into a dark rich purple color. And now, that purple turned pitch black! What's up with that? She still seems healthy and happy and acts the same as she did when she was younger.

3. When I do water changes, often times I can't match the water temperature of the fresh water perfectly. It'll be off 1 or 2 degrees from tank water. What causes more stress for fish when they're acclimating to new temps? Is it easier for them to adapt from cooler water into warmer water? Or from warmer water to cooler water? I guess what I'm asking is: if I can't match water temperature perfectly during water changes? Is it better for the new water to be 1 degree warmer or 1 degree cooler?

4. When doing my weekly water changes, I dose the tank with Prime when adding fresh water. In my 55 gallon tank, I normally change 10 gallon (about 20%). Should I dose the tank based on 55g? 10g? Right now, I'm dosing half a capful (which should be for 25g). Am I doing it right?

5. Is blue light bad for our eyes? Blue light as in moonlight mode of out LED lights. Although I don't sit in front of a tank in the dark with only blue lights on often...the few times I did, it made me trippy. I know red/orange light helps us preserve our night vision. But does blue light hurt our eyes if we expose ourselves to it often enough?

6. How do you QUICKLY synchronize two heaters to turn on and off at the same time in the same tank? I have a 200W and a 100W heater in my 55g. If they are a tad off (by half a degree), my logic is to have the larger heater run first, then the smaller one will kick in when more juice is needed. Is that sound logic? PS - I have 2 heaters because I allow my house to drop to 50 degrees from 6am until 7pm (when I'm not home).

7. Is it immoral and irresponsible to keep male and female live bearers together in the same tank if I have no intentions of breeding and raising fry? They usually just "disappear" aka become someone's snack.

8. How much of a bioload do snails (particularly mystery snails) produce? I have well over 100 baby mystery snails at one point. I gave 70 of them away to the LFS. I also gave the adults away as well. But with 30 pea sized snails left, should I be concerned with the waste they are contributing to the tank?

1) yes chain stores generally they have multiple tanks connected. Usually they have 3 systems: coldwater (goldfish, minnows, etc), tropical (cichlids, livebearers, tetras, barbs, etc), and saltwater (self explanatory). In the back, they have a giant filtration and heating system for each.
This is why when you see sick/dead fish in one tank, you don't want to get any fish from the store since their tanks are connected. I know some chain stores are starting to separate their systems so that there's only 2-4 tanks per filter (Petco for instance was having issues with one tank infecting their entire system, so they changed it... at least in my area).

2) quite possibly she was stressed in the pet store's tank, and was not showing her true color. Then she blossomed in your tank sounds gorgeous though!!

3) quite frankly I never temperature match my tanks. I probably should, but oh well.
I'm my tanks over 50g, I just stick the hose in, turn off the filter, add my conditioner, and fill up. Of course, ambient temperature here is 70F+ in winter, so I suspect it would be different if you lived in Ohio or something.
I would make the water slightly cooler rather than slightly warmer. Simply because your heater can easily make up the degree or two difference but not the other way around. But honestly, your fish shouldn't be so picky. I keep discus and the temp. Difference is often 10F when I do WC, and I haven't had any problems yet.

4) dose for the size of the water. If you fill up buckets and dump the buckets into the tank, then dose each bucket before you dump it in. If you are weak and short like me and use a hose, then dose for the size of the tank.

5) great question. I'm not sure, but I've heard that the blue LEDs in screens ruin your eyes. Not sure in the LED in your fish light is the same wavelength and frequency though.

6) that's why most people keep 2 heaters of the same size, so you don't have that problem. I agree with your logic though. Another thought is I would put the 200w near the filter and the 100w on the opposite side of the tank. Just because the water from the filter will usually be slightly cooler than the tank water.

7) why not just keep one gender? Like an all male tank... then you won't have pregnant and stressed females, your males won't harass the girls, and you can have more colorful fish.
Personally I don't keep my males and females together. If I want to breed, then I put them in the same tank for a week, then remove the male. I just feel bad for the girls

8) I know your pain!! I have about 150 dime-nickle sized mystery babies!
But anyways, mystery snails have a heavier bioload than basically any other snail. Nerties or rabbits for instance can cover the glass of your tank with minimal change in bioload. Mysteries on the otherhand... hmm, their bioload is probably equal to a very small fish. Think of it this way: how much snails (or fish) eat is directly proportional to the amount of waste and since mysteries eat a lot, they poop more then other snails.

 

Is this a thread just for ur questions or others as well? I’m a bit cunfused about this. Also I have a bunch of odd questions, I was gonna make a thread but don’t want to if this is basically the same thinf

Please feel free!! Let's use this thread as a Q&A. To make things more transparent, how about we keep the numbers going? The next question would be #9.
You and anyone else should feel welcomed to post here =)

6) that's why most people keep 2 heaters of the same size, so you don't have that problem. I agree with your logic though. Another thought is I would put the 200w near the filter and the 100w on the opposite side of the tank. Just because the water from the filter will usually be slightly cooler than the tank water.

6. The reason I decided to have 2 different sized heater is because the 100w is just for backup. It'll get moved to the 10 gallon QT/hospital tank if it's needed there.

I have 2 filters (a HOB and a canister) in the tank with the intakes at opposite ends of the tank. So I have the heaters next to each of the intakes.

 

Ok these questions r kinda weird warning u
9. Do fish pee? Ik they poop but like, do they pee?
10. Okay ya know how we can’t see air (stuff we breath) but we can see water? Does that mean fish can’t see water but they can see air?
11. This one isn’t so weird. How risky is it to keep two bettas in a divided tank? Cuz if one gets sick the other does doesn’t it? I have been planning on getting a ten and kinda want to divide it but not sure

 

Awesome questions! Unfortunately I don't have an answer for any of them.

10. I know there are quite a few people here have tank separators for their bettas. I'm sure they'll chime in.

 

Ok these questions r kinda weird warning u
9. Do fish pee? Ik they poop but like, do they pee?
10. Okay ya know how we can’t see air (stuff we breath) but we can see water? Does that mean fish can’t see water but they can see air?
11. This one isn’t so weird. How risky is it to keep two bettas in a divided tank? Cuz if one gets sick the other does doesn’t it? I have been planning on getting a ten and kinda want to divide it but not sure

9) nope, it all comes out in one bunch, kinda like a bird.

10) we can't actually "see" water. What we see is the refraction of light when it changes from one substance to another with different n values. There are some good physics websites on that if you are interested. But to the point, fish can see through air, just how if you stick you're head underwater you can still look around.

11) depends on the bettas temperments. I assume you were going to keep 2 males? Usually it works, just make sure the bettas can't see each other or jump over the divider. Sometimes it can stress the betta because they can "smell" the rival male betta, just make sure to keep an eye on it and have a plan B if it doesn't work out.
You might want to post this in the betta section because you'll get more knowledgeable responses and probably some walk through on the best way to set this up

 

Can I dedicate this thread to random newbie questions that doesn't fit in any particular category of the forum? I've always wondered about these things, but didn't want to create a new thread asking about them. Feel free to post your own questions. So here are mine (for now) :

1. Anyone owned/worked at an LFS and/or big box pet store? When I go into LFSs (especially true for big box stores), I noticed most (if not all) their tanks are connected to a behind the scenes filtration system. I just assumed it's a massive sump somewhere behind the walls. I've always questioned how they control the temperature for the tanks. Is the temperature the same for all the tanks on display? If so, what temperature would that be? I've seen cichlid tanks not too far from fancy goldfish tanks. Are they sharing the same water?

For the smaller mom & pop LFSs, a lot of their smaller tanks (which normally house smaller community fish) have a sponge filter as its sole source of filtration. That's great because if a certain tank contains sick fish, it will not cross contaminate other tanks (provided staff members do not use the same net in multiple tanks without sterilizing it between uses). But I've never seen heaters in these individual tanks. How does the temperature get regulated?

2. Do fish change color over time? And I don't mean they brighten up. I have one particular small female guppy. When I got her a few months ago, she was silver and navy blue. analfin and forward was all silver/gray. analfin and back is navy blue.

As time went on, that navy blue turned into a dark rich purple color. And now, that purple turned pitch black! What's up with that? She still seems healthy and happy and acts the same as she did when she was younger.

3. When I do water changes, often times I can't match the water temperature of the fresh water perfectly. It'll be off 1 or 2 degrees from tank water. What causes more stress for fish when they're acclimating to new temps? Is it easier for them to adapt from cooler water into warmer water? Or from warmer water to cooler water? I guess what I'm asking is: if I can't match water temperature perfectly during water changes? Is it better for the new water to be 1 degree warmer or 1 degree cooler?

4. When doing my weekly water changes, I dose the tank with Prime when adding fresh water. In my 55 gallon tank, I normally change 10 gallon (about 20%). Should I dose the tank based on 55g? 10g? Right now, I'm dosing half a capful (which should be for 25g). Am I doing it right?

5. Is blue light bad for our eyes? Blue light as in moonlight mode of our LED lights. Although I don't sit in front of a tank in the dark with only blue lights on often...the few times I did, it made me trippy. I know red/orange light helps us preserve our night vision. But does blue light hurt our eyes if we expose ourselves to it often enough?

6. How do you QUICKLY synchronize two heaters to turn on and off at the same time in the same tank? I have a 200W and a 100W heater in my 55g. If they are a tad off (by half a degree), my logic is to have the larger heater run first, then the smaller one will kick in when more juice is needed. Is that sound logic? PS - I have 2 heaters because I allow my house to drop to 50 degrees from 6am until 7pm (when I'm not home).

7. Is it immoral and irresponsible to keep male and female live bearers together in the same tank if I have no intentions of breeding and raising fry? They usually just "disappear" aka become someone's snack.

8. How much of a bioload do snails (particularly mystery snails) produce? I had well over 100 baby mystery snails at one point. I gave 70 of them away to the LFS. I also gave the adults away as well. But with 30 pea sized snails left, should I be concerned with the waste they are contributing to the tank?

Ok these questions r kinda weird warning u
9. Do fish pee? Ik they poop but like, do they pee?
10. Okay ya know how we can’t see air (stuff we breath) but we can see water? Does that mean fish can’t see water but they can see air?
11. This one isn’t so weird. How risky is it to keep two bettas in a divided tank? Cuz if one gets sick the other does doesn’t it? I have been planning on getting a ten and kinda want to divide it but not sure

1. The petco near me told me they use sections, with a tower of two columns per section. I’m sure it varies by store though. And I pretty much guarantee they don’t sterilize equipment between catchings. Not to mention they don’t have any issues with grabbing water from a different section to add to the bag when done.

2. Yes, fish can change color as they mature.

3. It’s better to have the temperature of new water the same or slightly cooler. When wild fish get “new water” it’s from rain, which is cooler. Like mentioned, it can also induce spawning.

4. Either dose the new water in buckets for the amount being added, or if you use a hose or python, dose the tank for the full tank volume before filling.

5. Probably not good but idk.

6. Idk

7. I don’t think so. This is an opinion question. If you don’t have issues with getting overpopulated, I don’t see a problem with it. Or if you have somewhere to take the fry that do survive. Some people keep fish which need live food, and this is probably the best way to make sure it’s healthy. Some people think it’s terrible. But the girl guppies need homes too...

8. Not really, at least until they get more grown. 30 is still quite a few.

9. Yes they pee. I have gone fishing with my husband and a bass peed on me. I actually started a thread about it some time back. Don’t know if it was just stress or why, but that fish squirted “water” at me. It was quite funny actually!

10. ???

11. It would carry the same risks as any community tank.

 

For the guppy question
I have juvenile females they are still coloring up
My males though change within minutes they fire up and get dark like a purple black and then sometime that lightens and their orange comes out

 

1. Petco has sump systems, my local one has only two towers of tanks hooked to one large sump while each of the rest of the towers have a sump system to themselves (six tanks per sump, each sump is roughly 15-25 gallons), the feeders are on their own sump as are the goldfish and koi (that are in roughly 100 gallons at the end). The plant tank has its own sump as well. They have a bucket under the sink with net cleaner and have to return the net to that bucket after use, even doing dead run each tower gets its own bucket dip before going into the next tower.
Petsmart has one sump system as far as I have seen and discussed with employees, many of those employees have pushed for separate sump systems without much luck.

Most mom and pop stores have heaters in the tanks, so if you don't see one it is a good sign of the water not being heated, but they also have separate filtration most of the time too. Only problem is some do not have a way to clean the nets from tank to tank.

2. I had an almost white male betta that several months later looked like he belonged in slytherein house with black, green and blue with just a boop of white on his chin.

3. Cooler is better, cause sometimes you can't tell how hot it is compared to the tank and cooler is just safer as well as the possibility of producing young.

4. Dose for the amount you are putting in when using buckets, dose for whole tank when using a host to be safe.

5. Led and other lights on one end of the spectrum can make it hard on our eyes, blue light will also keep your brain up which is why most social media use blue in their layout.

6. Set them on opposite sides and they should regulate the temperature better.

7. It is nature those that survive deserve the place in the tank, it isn't wrong but provide your females placed to get away from males.

8. Mystery snails poop as much as they eat, which is a lot, compared to smaller, neater snails.

9. Yes, can't really control it though.

10. Yes they would be able to see both.

11. The bettas are the decider here, if they don't get along they will find a way to get at each other. If they don't care you have the best setup for them.

 

12. Shrimp related: I've read that some people starting off with a dozen or so shrimp that turned into a colony of a hundred plus! My question is, is that safe? They are breeding with their parents/sibling the entire time. Does inbreeding/incest cause any known issues?

13. Why does my platy act like cats?

 

12. You need to introduce new blood or your colony will start to die off from a locked genetic pool, so breeding for one trait (such as rich blue), you need to keep several lines yourself or become friends with other people that are doing the same to trade out blood and liven your stock up.

 

14. I recently found out Seachem garlic guard isn't a medication. People use it to soak fish food and apparently, fish go crazy for it.

Do you use garlic guard?

How about natural garlic? Can I mince garlic and soak veggies and pellets in it for my fish?

 

14. To answer my own question about garlic guard. Holy !!! My fish aren't crazy about broccoli. They'll pick at it or munch on it at best. They'll eat it if I haven't fed them for 2 or more days. But I purchased some Garlic Guard and soaked some blanched broccolI in it for a few hours. Stuck it on a fork in the broccolI and put in the tank. Holy moly! The fish acted like it I just gave them crack!!!

I think I'll soak all their veggies in garlic guard from now on. Can one overdose on garlic guard?

 

15. What is the proper way to introduce a school of fish to an already existing school?

I currently have 14. Would like to add 20 more.

 

15. Just add them to the tank.

 

15. Just add them to the tank.

I did that...but got some heat for it, so I thought I ask what the normal operating procedures were =)

 

Yours are still in qt right? When you are ready to add them to your main tank, only do a few at a time to allow the bb a chance to catch up. But I don’t see any issue with what you did. I actually prefer to get more at once so they can be more comfortable in qt. When I got my school of rummynose I got all 12 at once. I wanted to make sure I got them while available, and I had to drive over an hour to get them so the drive had to be worth it. I eventually got more as well.

 

16. Does my logic make sense for my choice of heaters? I do NOT purchase heaters based on tank size. Instead, I purchase heaters based on how much I want to increase water temp above room temp. Hypothetical situation: If I had a 100 gal tank and my room temp never drops below 73-74 degrees year round and I want to maintain the tank at 75 degrees, I would personally only purchase a 100W heater for that 100 gal tank. However, if I follow normal guidelines, they will all say a 100 gallon tank will require 250 - 300W heater. But really...do I really need 250 - 300 watts to heat the water 1-2 degrees?

My current situation and my logistical response:

NJ winters can see temps hit the teens and twenties (like right now). My thermostat is set to 55 degrees when I leave for work in the morning (5:45am) and I do not return home until 7pm. My house drops to 55 degrees during the day when it is 20 degrees outside. I have two 200W heaters in my 55 gallon tank. They need to heat and maintain my tank at 75 - 76 degrees (that's 20 degrees above room temp).

During the fall and spring when the house only drops to 65-70 degrees, I unplug one heater. A single 200W heater alone is able to heat up and maintain a 5-10 degree difference. And during the warmer months of summer where my room temp never drop below 75, I stick in my 100W heater "just in case" we get a cold spell and room temp drops a degree or two.

Does my logic make sense? If so, why do heater manufacturers recommend heater sizes based on tank sizes....and not based on how much we need to increase water temperature above room temperature?

 

Yours are still in qt right? When you are ready to add them to your main tank, only do a few at a time to allow the bb a chance to catch up. But I don’t see any issue with what you did. I actually prefer to get more at once so they can be more comfortable in qt. When I got my school of rummynose I got all 12 at once. I wanted to make sure I got them while available, and I had to drive over an hour to get them so the drive had to be worth it. I eventually got more as well.

Would you think it is possible for me to add all 20 fish from QT into the main tank if I also move the HOB filter from the QT back to the main tank? My thinking is: If the HOB in the QT tank has enough BB to support all 20 fish in QT, that HOB should be able to support them in the main tank as well. Additionally, the main tank already have a canister and sponge filter in it as well.

 

16. Does my logic make sense for my choice of heaters? I do NOT purchase heaters based on tank size. Instead, I purchase heaters based on how much I want to increase water temp above room temp. Hypothetical situation: If I had a 100 gal tank and my room temp never drops below 73-74 degrees year round and I want to maintain the tank at 75 degrees, I would personally only purchase a 100W heater for that 100 gal tank. However, if I follow normal guidelines, they will all say a 100 gallon tank will require 250 - 300W heater. But really...do I really need 250 - 300 watts to heat the water 1-2 degrees?

I'm no electrician but I'm pretty sure you should buy the correct heater for the tank, not based on the temperature you want to heat to. I'm pretty sure using a 100w heater on a 100 gallon tank would burn the heater out in no time and or risk the thermostat breaking.

Its more about the volume of water that the heater has to heat and not the temperature, I think.

Would you think it is possible for me to add all 20 fish from QT into the main tank if I also move the HOB filter from the QT back to the main tank? My thinking is: If the HOB in the QT tank has enough BB to support all 20 fish in QT, that HOB should be able to support them in the main tank as well. Additionally, the main tank already have a canister and sponge filter in it as well.

I would leave the HOB filter on the QT tank and just transfer all 20 fish over.

The bio load of 20 tetras in your sized tank with the filtration is not enough to cause problems, the filtration should be able to easily handle that without the additional HOB.

Imo people over think stocking. If you're filling your tank with 10" plus fish then yes, you have to do it slowly. 10 Neons and 10 Cardinals? not really.

 

I'm no electrician but I'm pretty sure you should buy the correct heater for the tank, not based on the temperature you want to heat to. I'm pretty sure using a 100w heater on a 100 gallon tank would burn the heater out in no time and or risk the thermostat breaking.

Its more about the volume of water that the heater has to heat and not the temperature, I think.

Logically, both the volume of the water and the outside temperature play a large determining factor. A heater won't overheat if the outer temperature is only 1-2 degrees Fahrenheit less, even in a larger tank- it'll rarely even need to be active, so overheating definitely isn't an issue.

@OP, I think you're fine. If it's been working with positive results, then don't stop. The logic behind it makes sense.

 

Logically, both the volume of the water and the outside temperature play a large determining factor. A heater won't overheat if the outer temperature is only 1-2 degrees Fahrenheit less, even in a larger tank- it'll rarely even need to be active, so overheating definitely isn't an issue.

@OP, I think you're fine. If it's been working with positive results, then don't stop. The logic behind it makes sense.

Oops ParrotCichlid is wrong for once!

Id definitely trust Voracious David advice over my own in regards to heaters though! lol.

 

I would leave the HOB filter on the QT tank and just transfer all 20 fish over. The bio load of 20 tetras in your sized tank with the filtration is not enough to cause problems, the filtration should be able to easily handle that without the additional HOB. Imo people over think stocking. If you're filling your tank with 10" plus fish then yes, you have to do it slowly. 10 Neons and 10 Cardinals? not really.

The only reason I want to transfer the HOB back to the main tank is because that HOB came from the main tank. In the main tank, I had a canister, the HOB & 2 sponge filters. Overkill? Maybe. LOL. The reason I did this was because I wanted to be ready in case any fish got sick and I needed to transfer it out to a hospital tank. This way, I have options of filters to move into the hospital tank that would instant cycle the hospital tank.

In this case, when I purchased 20 tetras and put them in the QT tank, the established sponge filter + the HOB was moved over to instant cycle the QT tank.

When the 20 tetras get moved into the main tank, I would have no use for the HOB in the QT tank anymore. Is there a reason why I shouldn't move the HOB back to the main tank (besides fear of disease)?

 

When the 20 tetras get moved into the main tank, I would have no use for the HOB in the QT tank anymore. Is there a reason why I shouldn't move the HOB back to the main tank (besides fear of disease)?

Besides that you probably already have plenty of filtration and adding back a filter would be largely needless and a small hassle? Unless your tank is overstocked...

No

 

I think it’s better to use bigger heaters than too small.
If you move the HOB you could definitely move them all. At that point you shouldn’t be worried about transferring disease, since you have gone through qt. If you don’t move the HOB, I personally would move half one week and half the next. I agree neons and glolights have small bioload, but going off the assumption that your current stock is 14 neons (I can’t remember if you have anything else in there) you don’t want to more than double your bioload.

 

The only reason I'm hesitant to use a large heater (especially during late spring or early fall) when I only need to heat the water up 1 or 2 degrees is because I'm afraid of it malfunctioning. What if it gets stuck on the on position and doesn't shut off on its own? I wonder if that ever happened to anyone on the fishlore before...cooked fish alive =(

 

The only reason I'm hesitant to use a large heater (especially during late spring or early fall) when I only need to heat the water up 1 or 2 degrees is because I'm afraid of it malfunctioning. What if it remains on and will not shut off on it's own? I wonder if that ever happened to anyone on the fishlore before...cooked fish alive =(

My two poor clownfish cooked alive

 

My two poor clownfish cooked alive

=(

Mind me asking what make/model heater that was and how old the heater was when it malfunctioned?

 

=(

Mind me asking what make/model heater that was and how old the heater was when it malfunctioned?

It was a Interpet Deltatherm 100w heater. Only 6 months old.

Gone out for a meal on my mums birthday, came back and they was toasted.

 

For under 30 bucks you can buy a thermometer with an audible alarm that will tell you if your tank gets either too warm or cold. For 40 you can get one that sends you a text.

 

Unfortunately those thermometers do absolutely nothing for me. I'm out of the house for 13hrs =(

But they sound like awesome little gadgets! Do you have a link? I want to read up more about it.

 

Never heard of these either I'm interested.

 

Unfortunately those thermometers do absolutely nothing for me. I'm out of the house for 13hrs =(

But they sound like awesome little gadgets! Do you have a link? I want to read up more about it.

 

16. Do bettas poop? I've never seen my betta poop ever. I mean, I know he does because I see poop on the substrate, but have you ever witnessed it?

 

16. Do bettas poop? I've never seen my betta poop ever. I mean, I know he does because I see poop on the substrate, but have you ever witnessed it?

Ye, they poop. I used to see mine poop quiet often in his smaller tanks but since he was upgraded I've maybe seen it once or twice.