Aquarium FAQs: Lighting and Plants
Planting a Cichlid Tank, Too Much Lighting, Introducing New Fish
Dec 1, 2007
Question: Can I have plants in a cichlid tank?
Answer: No, you shouldn’t unless you want to keep spending money on plants. Even as tiny fish, cichlids like to chew on plants. After a while they will tend to kill all the plants. Yes, some plants like Java fern or Java moss or water sprite may have a chance to survive. Cichlids uproot plants for fun, and if something is not where they like it, they will simply move it.
Trying to compete with their stubbornness is almost impossible and the fish always seem to win out in the end. Cichlids will move sand, plants and decorations to a location where it wants and not always where you want. Moving a 60 gallon aquarium full of sand twice a day is a good example of the determination of a cichlid. It becomes a game with the owner putting everything back and the fish moving it again.
Cichlids are known to be the landscapers of the water world. If you want plants in your tank, plastic is the only way to go but make sure they are anchored down.
Question: Is too much lighting bad for my tropical fish?
Answer: Yes, too much lighting is bad. Some people find it hard to remember to control the lights in their aquarium by shutting them on and off at specific times. The average tank should have 8 hours of light. If you have difficulty remembering to control the lights or if you’re out of the house at odd hours, your best bet is to get an automatic timer.
Fish are very adaptable and seem to learn when it’s feeding time, bedtime and morning. What happens to humans if they live in a world of constant light or constant dark? Fish can become stressed if they have long periods of light because they need some dark time for rest and will naturally tone down their activities.
If you can’t remember to control the lights or afford a timer, at least put some dark hiding places such as rocky caves for your fish to go when stressed.
Question: What is the proper way to introduce fish to my aquarium?
Some people do not use the proper way and then wonder why their fish get sick. When you bring your fish home from the store, float the bag in your aquarium for around twenty minutes. Just let it float and the temperature of your aquarium water will bring up the temperature of the water in the bag. This part is very important.
Fish get sick and stressed when they go through a rapid temperature change. After twenty minutes of floating, open the bag up and add a couple of cups of aquarium water to the bag and let it float for another five minutes and repeat this again. Then you are now ready to release the new fish into your aquarium.
By following this method, you have brought the bag’s water temperature up to the same as your aquarium and brought the water in the bag in tune with the chemical makeup of your aquarium water.
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Setting Up Your First Aquarium
