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  1. What fish can live in a 20-gallon tank? We often get asked "What can I put in a 20 gallon tank?," which is about as easy to answer as "What food can I get for under $20?" Fish stocking choices depend on your personal preference and what kind of animals appeal most to you. To help inspire you, here are several articles with our favorite ideas: 5 Best Fish Tank Ideas for a 20-Gallon Aquarium 7 Popular Fish You Should Try in a 20-Gallon Aquarium
  2. What aquarium plants can grow in brackish water? While the internet has many forum posts and articles about brackish plants, we have not had much success in our testing so far. Anubias and java moss died, and the hornwort shed all of its needles in the water and made a big mess. The only two plants we've had luck with so far are mangrove trees and java fern. The java fern had to be slowly acclimated from freshwater to brackish water over the course of 2-3 months, and while it has not died yet, it does not grow very quickly either. In t...
  3. Does Aquarium Co-Op sell to Canada? We do not ship directly to Canada from our website, but we have partnered with April's Aquarium so that they can sell our premium products online to Canadian customers. Go to their website at https://aprilsaquarium.ca to order some of our most popular items — such as Easy Green fertilizer, Magic Small Fish Feed, our brine shrimp eggs, and more!
  4. What is velvet (or gold dust disease)? Freshwater velvet is caused by external parasites from the Oodinium genus. Under a bright light, it looks like gold, dust-like particles covering the fish's head, body, and fins. It often starts in the gills, so the fish is very sick by the time you see external symptoms on the skin. Flashing, or sudden rubbing against surfaces, is another common symptom. Unfortunately, this disease is quite difficult to treat, spreads rapidly, and does not respond to most broad-spectrum medications. Som...
  5. How do I clean a CO2 diffuser if it becomes clogged? Diffusers must be cleaned or replaced at some point because of algae buildup. Because diffusers can be made of different materials, follow the manufacturer’s cleaning instructions to use diluted bleach, vinegar, or other methods. For the Aquario Neo CO2 Diffuser, we clean it with the following steps: Make a solution of 50% water and 50% bleach inside of a cup so that there's enough liquid to cover the diffuser's brown ceramic disk. While the CO2 is still running and connected to the ...
  6. When should I turn on and off the CO2 in my aquarium? Plants use CO2 when there is light to photosynthesize. However, the process reverses at night and becomes the respiration cycle, in which plants consume oxygen and sugars and release CO2. Therefore, we want to shut off the CO2 regulator when the aquarium light is off. For more optimized CO2 usage, program the regulator’s timer to turn on 1–2 hours before the light comes on and turn off 1 hour before the light shuts off. (If you only have one timer, you can use the same timer with a power stri...
  7. Should I use a DIY CO2 or pressurized CO2 system? We have tested many types of DIY systems using yeast, citric acid, and other mixtures, and while they may be cheaper, they are not as stable as a pressurized CO2 system using a regulator and cylinder. The DIY reactions often make lots of CO2 at the beginning and then decline over time, and the inconsistent amounts of CO2 can make it difficult to balance a planted tank. Furthermore, the pressure is not as high, temperature can affect the reaction, and the overall process is time-consuming to m...
  8. What size CO2 cylinder should I get for my planted aquarium? If you are running a high tech planted aquarium injected with high amounts of CO2, people recommend getting the largest size possible so you will not have to refill the cylinder as frequently. However, for the average customer, we often suggest: 2.5–5 lb. cylinder for 20-gallon aquariums or smaller 5 lb. cylinder for 25- to 40-gallon aquariums 10 lb. cylinder for 55-gallon aquariums or larger If you plan on using one regulator with five or six aquariums, then scale the CO2 cylinder size ac...
  9. Do I need a check valve for my CO2 system? Check valves are used to prevent water from flowing out of the aquarium and pouring all over the regulator when it is turned off. The bubble counter on some regulators already come with a built-in check valve, but you can install a second one as backup if desired. We have personally used the regular plastic check valves with CO2 systems at our fish store, warehouse, and homes, and they have not broken down. That being said, CO2 does degrade plastic after a very long time, so we also offer a s...
  10. Do I need to use special CO2 proof tubing or CO2 resistant tubing with my CO2 system? We use the Aquarium Co-Op airline tubing (i.e., a flexible, black tubing made from food-grade PVC) on all of our aquariums and have not detected any perceptible loss of CO2. In our experience, special CO2 tubing is more expensive, harder to bend, and not as readily available. For more information on CO2 systems in high tech planted tanks, read the full article.
  11. What is the difference between a single-stage vs. two-stage regulator? A single-stage regulator reduces the cylinder’s gas pressure in one step, whereas a two-stage regulator reduces the pressure in two steps, resulting in a more stable and reliable flow of CO2. A two-stage regulator also helps to prevent “end-of-tank dumps,” in which a nearly empty CO2 cylinder may dump out the rest of its gas in one go. For more information, see our full article on CO2 systems for high tech planted tanks.
  12. Is it bad if the CO2 bubbles from the diffuser are reaching the water surface? No, this is normal. The key is to place your CO2 diffuser as low as possible in the aquarium. When the bubbles are released from the diffuser, they imperceptibly get smaller and smaller as they rise and the CO2 gas is being absorbed into the water. For more information on CO2 systems in high tech planted tanks, read the full article.
  13. Where can I buy a CO2 cylinder for my planted aquarium? We like to get ours from local home brewing supply stores and welding supply stores. Usually, they also offer CO2 refill services if you bring back your cylinder when it’s empty. For more information on CO2 systems in high tech planted tanks, read the full article.
  14. Should I use dirt as my substrate in a planted aquarium? There are many pros and cons to dirted tanks using the Walstad method, so it might be worth trying at least once in your fishkeeping hobby to see if you like it. Based on our experiences with using dirt as substrate, here are some thoughts: Advantages Great plant growth Very cheap Takes years to run out nutrients in the ground Good option if you won't ever change the design (e.g., no moving around plants) Disadvantages Not as easy or beginner-friendly as planted substrate Makes a hug...
  15. What does water conditioner do? The main purpose of water conditioners is to break down chlorine and chloramine and make water safe for fish to inhabit. Almost all dechlorinators contain sodium thiosulfate, which reacts to chlorine and chloramine to form harmless byproducts. Sodium thiosulfate looks like rock salt or white powder, and it is often dissolved in water to create liquid dechlorinators. Some water conditioners contain pH buffers, aloe vera to help heal the fish’s slime coats, or extra additives. The Aquarium Co-...
  16. Does dechlorinator remove ammonia? Some of them do, as stated on their packaging. The main reason for this is because when dechlorinators are used to treat chloramine, they only react to the chlorine part of chloramine and not the ammonia part. The remaining ammonia ions left in the water are toxic to fish, so some dechlorinators — such as Aquarium Co-Op Easy Dechlorinator, Fritz Complete Water Conditioner, Seachem Prime, and Kordon AmQuel — contain extra chemicals that temporarily lock up the ammonia into an inert state (i.e....