FAQ
These are some of the most common questions that we encounter on a day to day basis. No question is too short or silly so please get in touch.
Q. Can I keep a goldfish in a bowl without any filtration?
A. No! All fish need a filter in order to deal with their waste and urine. If not it builds up within the water and poisons them.
Q. Can I put my fancy goldfish in our garden pond?
A. The key is to understand the history of your fish i.e. if they have been bred and grown outside they should be used to low winter temperatures. At Amwell we offer pond Fantails however there is a limited stock so please check in store.
Q. Can I mix discus from different breeders?
A. You really need to ask lots of questions before choosing your stock, especially about their history. All of our Discus at Amwell Aquatics are European bred, so they will mix with any other European bred Discus. Sometimes Discus from other parts of the world may carry protozoa or bacteria that are naturally found on the fish and do not affect them. However when fish from different areas are mixed the parasites can be transferred. Therefore the non-indigenous fish are open to infestation.
Q. Do I need a protein skimmer on my tank?
A. All forms of marine life produce protein and when a protein layer forms on the surface of the water it will cause problems to your livestock by not allowing the toxins to escape. The corals and the fish then start to absorb these impurities which then generally lead to death. A skimmer removes this protein from the water. You can also connect your skimmer to additional equipment such as an ozinizer which will enhance the effects of your skimmer.
Q. Can I keep aquatic turtles or terrapins with my fish?
A. There are some dwarf aquatic turtle species that are suitable to keep with larger fish. However, the aquarium would need to contain at least 400L of water because they can potentially grow up to 12 inches long. Terrapins on the other hand cannot be kept with fish.
Q. How many fish can I have in my tank?
A. As a rough guide, in a coldwater aquarium you can have half the length of the tank in inches of fish. Therefore in a 24” aquarium you can keep 12” of fish. In a tropical aquarium you can have the length of the tank in inches of fish. Therefore in a 36” aquarium you can keep 36” of fish, and in a marine aquarium you can have one quarter of the length of the tank in inches of fish. Therefore in a 48” aquarium you can keep 12” of fish.
Q. Can I mix tropical fish with coldwater fish?
A. Some tropical fish do live in cooler temperatures the only danger is that most of these species are small fish and can be swallowed by the larger coldwater fancy goldfish.
Q. How do I calculate the gallonage of my aquarium or pond?
A. For aquariums you multiply the length by the width by the height by 6.25. For example, 4(ft) x 1(ft) x 2 (ft) x 6.25 = 50 gallons. For ponds it is the same equation but as ponds are generally not square you use average measurements.
