Questions and Answers

• Question.

What fish can one keep with barbs?

• Answer.

The best fish to keep with the barb family is all the gouramies, Angels, the shark’s and all the danios. one can also put in various catfish as bottom dwellers.

• Question

Can one use pieces of coral in a tropical tank?

• Answer.

Coral pieces should never be used in a tropical tank as it  tends to make the water very hard. In general you find that most tropical fish prefer slightly softer water, except fish from Lake Malawi.

• Question.

Is beach sand safe to use in a tropical tank?

• Answer.

In most cases it is not advisable, as beach sand generally has shells or pieces of coral in it. One also has to be careful of other substances such as tar or even pieces of metal. You also have to be careful of  beach sand as it makes the water too hard for most tropical fish.

• Question.

What fish can you keep with goldfish?

• Answer

Goldfish are generally best kept on there own. Comets and shubunkins can also be mixed with them., as this is another form of gold fish. Algae eaters and plecostomas can also be used in a goldfish tank to help control algae. Another reason for keeping goldfish on their own is that they are very slow swimmers and are troubled by the fish nibbling on there fins, which in turn creates a fungus or fin rot.

• Question

Do goldfish like a specific type of water?

• Answer

Goldfish like a slightly harder water than most tropical fish. With a pH of approximately 7.5 to 8 .2. You also find gold fish do better with salt in the water. one must use a coarse salt with no iodine in it. In a 50 l tank you can add approximately 5 tsp of or salt to your tank once a month when you do a water change.

Author: Sean Harrison