Yuku free message boards

hi there.
1. Leave the gravel in the tank. If you wash the gravel you will kill any beneficial bacteria you have, making your goldfish sick. Do you have a gravel cleaner? If not, go to your local and buy one. Get them to show you how to use it. It makes tank cleaning way easier and quicker.

2. Don't bother resealing. If you are going to go to all that other, you may as well buy a new tank.

3. Always, always use dechlorinator. The blue salts are a conditioner that helps with acclimatising your fish to the new water. It is best to use conditioners, expecially if your pH is low. The conditioners help boost the pH.

4. Conditioners aren't 'needed' just like water filters and air filters aren't needed for us. They do make the fish happier and healthier though. There are many different conditioners on the market. Unless you are a chemist, buy them, don't make them yourself.

5. To permanently raise your pH you can add white rock, which you can buy at your local aquarium. This can become quite expensive as it's sold by the kilo. You can also add crushed shells. You do have to be careful with the shellgrit that you don't add too much and have to pick it out of he gravel. Your fish will do much better and be happier at a pH of 7.2-7.6. PH Up is only a temporary fix. The pH lowers when the fish eat, breathe or excrete. The levels drop off just with fish living.

I would change the amount you are cleaning by double that. 20% each week would be better. The water you take out of the tank can be put on your garden or potted plants. 7 fish, unless they are very small will be dirtying up the tank quite quickly. What size are they and how much do you feed them and how often? That will all tie in to how often you clean.