Title: Aquarium Keeping — LearnCoachAssist

Q: What is an aquarium?
A: An enclosed tank containing aquatic life and plants.

Q: What is fishkeeping?
A: The hobby of maintaining aquariums.

Q: What is the difference between freshwater and saltwater tanks?
A: Freshwater has no salinity; saltwater requires sea salt and is more complex.

Q: What is brackish water?
A: Water with low salinity, between fresh and salt.

Q: What are the major aquarium categories?
A: Freshwater community, planted, biotope, species-only, saltwater fish-only, reef.

Q: What is a community tank?
A: A peaceful mix of compatible species.

Q: What is a planted tank?
A: Aquarium focused on live aquatic plants.

Q: What is a biotope?
A: A tank replicating a specific natural habitat.

Q: What is a species-only tank?
A: A tank with one species; often for breeding or specialized care.

Q: What is a reef tank?
A: A saltwater tank with corals and reef-associated life.

Q: What is the nitrogen cycle?
A: The biological process converting fish waste through bacteria.

Q: What are the stages of the nitrogen cycle?
A: Ammonia → Nitrite → Nitrate (and removed by water changes or plants).

Q: What produces ammonia?
A: Fish waste, uneaten food, decaying matter.

Q: Why is ammonia dangerous?
A: Highly toxic to fish even in tiny amounts.

Q: What converts ammonia to nitrite?
A: Nitrosomonas bacteria.

Q: Why is nitrite dangerous?
A: Also toxic; affects oxygen transport in fish.

Q: What converts nitrite to nitrate?
A: Nitrobacter bacteria.

Q: What is nitrate?
A: Relatively non-toxic; removed via water changes or plant uptake.

Q: What is cycling a tank?
A: Establishing nitrogen cycle bacteria before adding fish.

Q: What is the typical cycling time?
A: 2-6 weeks.

Q: What is fishless cycling?
A: Adding pure ammonia or fish food to feed bacteria without fish.

Q: What is fish-in cycling?
A: Cycling with hardy fish; stressful and outdated approach.

Q: What is the safer cycling method?
A: Fishless cycling.

Q: What is a quick-cycle method?
A: Using mature media or commercial bacteria products.

Q: What is the typical first reading goal?
A: Ammonia 0, nitrite 0, nitrate <40 ppm.

Q: What is pH?
A: Measure of acidity; 7 is neutral, lower acidic, higher basic.

Q: What is the typical pH for tropical fish?
A: 6.8-7.5 for many species.

Q: What is pH for African cichlids?
A: 7.8-8.5; high pH water.

Q: What is pH for South American fish?
A: 6.0-7.0; soft, slightly acidic.

Q: What is GH (general hardness)?
A: Total mineral content (calcium, magnesium).

Q: What is KH (carbonate hardness)?
A: Buffer against pH shifts.

Q: What is the rule "stable pH > perfect pH"?
A: Fish tolerate moderate pH better than fluctuations.

Q: What is the typical water temperature?
A: 72-82°F (22-28°C) for tropical fish.

Q: What is the role of a heater?
A: Maintains stable warm temperature.

Q: What is the typical heater wattage?
A: 5W per gallon roughly; varies by room temperature.

Q: What is the role of a thermometer?
A: Verify heater accuracy; check daily.

Q: What is the difference between cold water and tropical?
A: Cold water (goldfish, white clouds) prefer below 72°F.

Q: What is filtration?
A: Removing debris and harmful chemicals; supporting bacteria.

Q: What is the typical filter types?
A: Hang-on-back (HOB), canister, sponge, internal, sump.

Q: What is HOB filter?
A: Hangs on tank rim; common and easy.

Q: What is canister filter?
A: External; high capacity for larger tanks.

Q: What is sponge filter?
A: Simple, air-driven; gentle for breeding tanks.

Q: What is the typical filter media?
A: Mechanical (sponge), biological (bio rings), chemical (carbon).

Q: What is mechanical filtration?
A: Trapping particles physically.

Q: What is biological filtration?
A: Bacteria converting toxins; the heart of the cycle.

Q: What is chemical filtration?
A: Activated carbon and other media adsorbing chemicals.

Q: What is the role of activated carbon?
A: Removes some chemicals, medications, odors.

Q: What is when to use carbon?
A: Removing medication after treatment; not always needed.

Q: What is the typical flow rate?
A: 4-10x tank volume per hour.

Q: What is aeration?
A: Adding oxygen via surface agitation or air stone.

Q: What is the role of surface agitation?
A: Gas exchange; CO₂ out, O₂ in.

Q: What is an air pump?
A: Powers air stones, sponge filters.

Q: What is dissolved oxygen?
A: Critical for fish; affected by temperature and surface area.

Q: What is the rule "warmer water holds less oxygen"?
A: Higher temperatures = lower oxygen capacity.

Q: What is the typical substrate?
A: Gravel, sand, or specialized planted substrates.

Q: What is the role of substrate?
A: Aesthetic, biological surface, plant rooting.

Q: What is the typical substrate depth?
A: 1-3 inches.

Q: What is the role of decor?
A: Hiding places, territory, aesthetic.

Q: What is rockwork?
A: Stones arranged for structure and territories.

Q: What is driftwood?
A: Natural wood for aesthetics and lowered pH.

Q: What is the typical driftwood prep?
A: Soak or boil to release tannins.

Q: What are tannins?
A: Brown organic compounds; tea-colored water, slightly acidic.

Q: What is blackwater aquarium?
A: Tannin-stained water mimicking Amazon habitats.

Q: What is the role of plants?
A: Oxygen, nitrate uptake, aesthetics, hiding places.

Q: What are easy aquarium plants?
A: Java fern, Anubias, Cryptocoryne, Vallisneria, Amazon sword.

Q: What is a Java fern?
A: Hardy plant attached to wood or rocks.

Q: What is the rule "don't bury Java fern's rhizome"?
A: Will rot if buried; attach to hardscape.

Q: What is Anubias?
A: Slow-growing, hardy plant for low light.

Q: What is Cryptocoryne?
A: Adaptable plant; "Crypt melt" when adapting.

Q: What is Crypt melt?
A: Plants losing leaves before regrowing; normal.

Q: What is aquascaping?
A: The art of designing planted aquariums.

Q: What is Iwagumi style?
A: Japanese minimalist style with rocks and short grasses.

Q: What is Dutch style?
A: Densely planted, structured groups of contrasting plants.

Q: What is Nature style (Amano)?
A: Naturalistic, asymmetric, inspired by Takashi Amano.

Q: What is the role of CO₂?
A: Boost plant growth; required for demanding plants.

Q: What is the typical CO₂ system?
A: Pressurized CO₂ tank, regulator, diffuser, drop checker.

Q: What is a drop checker?
A: Indicator showing CO₂ levels via color.

Q: What is the role of light?
A: Drives photosynthesis in plants.

Q: What are types of aquarium lights?
A: LED, T5, fluorescent; LED dominates today.

Q: What is the typical PAR?
A: Photosynthetically Active Radiation; light usable by plants.

Q: What is low/medium/high light?
A: Categories based on PAR; matches plant needs.

Q: What is photoperiod?
A: Hours of light per day; typically 6-10 hours.

Q: What is the role of algae?
A: Natural part of aquarium ecosystem; can overgrow.

Q: What are common algae types?
A: Green dust, green spot, hair, black beard, brown (diatoms).

Q: What is brown algae?
A: Diatoms; common in new tanks; clears with maturation.

Q: What is black beard algae?
A: Tough, difficult to remove; treat with CO₂ or spot-treat hydrogen peroxide.

Q: What is the typical algae control?
A: Balance: light/nutrients/CO₂/plants; algae thrives in imbalance.

Q: What are algae eaters?
A: Otocinclus, Amano shrimp, nerite snails, Siamese algae eaters.

Q: What is the typical Otocinclus diet?
A: Soft algae and biofilm; need mature tanks.

Q: What are nerite snails?
A: Algae-eating snails that don't reproduce in freshwater.

Q: What are Amano shrimp?
A: Excellent algae eaters; named for Takashi Amano.

Q: What is the typical fish stocking rule?
A: "1 inch per gallon" is outdated; varies by fish bioload and behavior.

Q: What is bioload?
A: The biological waste produced; some fish are heavy producers.

Q: What is the role of researching each species?
A: Tank size, temperament, schooling needs, diet, water requirements.

Q: What is "schooling fish"?
A: Need to be kept in groups (6+) for well-being.

Q: What are popular schooling fish?
A: Neon tetras, cardinal tetras, rummynose tetras, harlequin rasboras.

Q: What are popular community fish?
A: Tetras, rasboras, danios, gouramis (some), corydoras, livebearers.

Q: What are livebearers?
A: Fish bearing live young: guppies, platies, mollies, swordtails.

Q: What is the rule for livebearer ratios?
A: 2-3 females per male to reduce harassment.

Q: What is a centerpiece fish?
A: A larger, more notable individual or species.

Q: What are popular centerpiece fish?
A: Angelfish, dwarf gourami, pearl gourami, rams.

Q: What are bottom dwellers?
A: Corydoras, plecos, kuhli loaches, otocinclus.

Q: What is a pleco?
A: Plecostomus; algae eaters; many species, some get huge.

Q: What is the common pleco's mature size?
A: 18-24 inches; needs large tank.

Q: What is a bristlenose pleco?
A: Smaller pleco staying ~5 inches.

Q: What is the typical betta?
A: Siamese fighting fish; usually kept alone.

Q: What is the rule for male bettas?
A: One per tank; will fight others.

Q: What is the rule for sorority?
A: Female bettas can sometimes be kept in groups (5+) in larger tanks.

Q: What is a goldfish?
A: A coldwater fish needing space and good filtration.

Q: What is the typical goldfish tank size?
A: 20-30+ gallons for fancy varieties; much larger for commons.

Q: What is a fancy goldfish?
A: Selectively bred varieties (oranda, ranchu, etc.).

Q: What is the common goldfish lifespan?
A: 10-20+ years with proper care.

Q: What is a koi pond?
A: Outdoor pond for koi, a Japanese variety of carp.

Q: What is the typical koi pond size?
A: 1,000+ gallons; large open space.

Q: What are African cichlids?
A: Diverse, colorful fish from African lakes; hard water.

Q: What are the major African cichlid lakes?
A: Tanganyika, Malawi, Victoria.

Q: What is the typical Malawi cichlid setup?
A: Rockwork, hard alkaline water, mixed species.

Q: What are South American cichlids?
A: Angels, discus, rams, Severums, Oscars.

Q: What is a discus?
A: Round, colorful, demanding fish; requires warm, clean water.

Q: What is the typical discus temperature?
A: 82-86°F (28-30°C).

Q: What is the role of regular water changes?
A: Removes nitrates and replenishes minerals.

Q: What is the typical water change?
A: 20-30% weekly for most tanks.

Q: What is the rule "match temperature"?
A: New water should match tank temperature.

Q: What is dechlorinator?
A: A product neutralizing chlorine and chloramine.

Q: What is chloramine?
A: A more stable chlorine compound; requires specific dechlorinators.

Q: What is the role of water testing?
A: Regular testing catches problems early.

Q: What are typical test kits?
A: API Master Test Kit, drop tests, strip tests.

Q: What is the rule "test rather than guess"?
A: Visual estimation is unreliable.

Q: What is a hydrometer?
A: Measures specific gravity in saltwater.

Q: What is the typical saltwater specific gravity?
A: 1.023-1.025.

Q: What is the typical saltwater pH?
A: 8.1-8.4.

Q: What is the typical reef tank temperature?
A: 75-78°F (24-26°C).

Q: What is the role of protein skimmer?
A: Removes organic waste from saltwater before it breaks down.

Q: What is the typical reef equipment?
A: Skimmer, return pump, powerheads, lights, heater, controllers.

Q: What are powerheads?
A: Pumps creating water flow within tank.

Q: What is the role of flow in reef tanks?
A: Coral health and waste suspension.

Q: What are corals?
A: Animals (not plants) in reef tanks requiring proper light and water.

Q: What are types of corals?
A: Soft, LPS (large polyp stony), SPS (small polyp stony).

Q: What is the typical coral lighting?
A: High-output LEDs spectrum-tuned for corals.

Q: What is the typical PAR for corals?
A: 100-300 PAR for soft; 250-450 for SPS.

Q: What is "the reef hobby is challenging"?
A: More expensive and complex than freshwater.

Q: What is dosing in reef?
A: Adding calcium, magnesium, alkalinity for coral growth.

Q: What is a sump?
A: A secondary tank below the display for equipment.

Q: What is a refugium?
A: A sump section with macroalgae for nutrient export.

Q: What is the role of macroalgae?
A: Consumes nutrients reducing algae in main tank.

Q: What is the typical chaeto?
A: A common refugium macroalgae.

Q: What is the role of live rock?
A: Porous rock with beneficial bacteria; the base of reef bio-filter.

Q: What is the typical fish quarantine?
A: 30 days in separate tank before adding to display.

Q: What is the rule "quarantine prevents disease"?
A: Greatly reduces outbreak risk.

Q: What is ich (white spot disease)?
A: A common parasitic infection.

Q: What is the typical ich treatment?
A: Heat + salt or copper-based medication.

Q: What is the rule "treat early"?
A: Diseases spread quickly; act on first signs.

Q: What is fin rot?
A: Bacterial disease often from poor water quality.

Q: What is the typical fin rot treatment?
A: Improve water quality; antibacterial medication if severe.

Q: What is dropsy?
A: Severe internal infection causing pinecone scales; often fatal.

Q: What is velvet?
A: A serious parasitic disease.

Q: What is the role of stress?
A: Many diseases result from stress; reduce environmental stressors.

Q: What are signs of healthy fish?
A: Active, eating, normal coloration, no clamped fins, swimming naturally.

Q: What are signs of sick fish?
A: Lethargy, no appetite, gasping at surface, clamped fins, spots, scratching.

Q: What is "flashing"?
A: Fish rubbing against decor; sign of irritation.

Q: What is the typical feeding rate?
A: 2-3 times daily, small amounts consumed in minutes.

Q: What is the rule "underfeed rather than overfeed"?
A: Overfeeding causes water quality issues.

Q: What are food types?
A: Flakes, pellets, frozen, freeze-dried, live, vegetables.

Q: What is the role of varied diet?
A: Different nutritional profiles; mimics natural variety.

Q: What is gut-loading?
A: Feeding live food nutritious diet before feeding to fish.

Q: What is the typical bristlenose diet?
A: Algae plus vegetables (zucchini, cucumber).

Q: What is the typical betta food?
A: High-protein pellets; small portions.

Q: What is the typical livebearer diet?
A: Flakes, vegetable matter; they appreciate algae.

Q: What is the cycle when adding new fish?
A: Acclimate slowly to temperature and water chemistry.

Q: What is the drip acclimation?
A: Slowly dripping tank water into transport bag.

Q: What is the typical acclimation time?
A: 30-60 minutes minimum.

Q: What is "the right tank for the fish"?
A: Adequate size, water parameters, tankmates.

Q: What is the rule "research before buying"?
A: Many fish die from impulse purchases of unsuitable species.

Q: What is the typical beginner tank size?
A: 20+ gallons; smaller tanks are HARDER to maintain due to instability.

Q: What is the rule "bigger is more stable"?
A: Larger volumes resist parameter swings.

Q: What is the typical first fish?
A: Hardy species like guppies, platies, danios.

Q: What is the typical first tank setup?
A: Tank, filter, heater, light, substrate, decor, dechlorinator.

Q: What is the typical aquarium cost?
A: $100-$500 starter setup; ongoing $50-100/month for established.

Q: What is the rule "the second tank is inevitable"?
A: Multi-tank syndrome (MTS) is the hobby's running joke.

Q: What is the role of patience?
A: Aquariums reward slow, steady additions and observation.

Q: What is the rule "old tank syndrome"?
A: Long-running tanks need monitoring for nitrate buildup.

Q: What is the typical aquascape evolution?
A: Tanks change over time as plants grow and fish develop.

Q: What is the role of a journal?
A: Tracks parameters, additions, problems.

Q: What is the typical major water parameter to monitor?
A: Ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, pH, temperature.

Q: What is the role of community (hobby)?
A: Local clubs, online forums; shared knowledge.

Q: What is the typical photo documentation?
A: Recording tank evolution; community sharing.

Q: What is the joy of fishkeeping?
A: Living art, observation, patience, life-long learning.

Q: What is the role of fishroom?
A: Dedicated space for serious keepers; many tanks together.

Q: What is breeding fish?
A: Producing offspring; many species can be bred in home tanks.

Q: What is the typical livebearer reproduction?
A: Easy; females give birth to live young regularly.

Q: What is the typical egg-layer breeding?
A: Requires conditioning, triggers, separation from parents.

Q: What is the difference between breeding livebearers and egg-layers?
A: Livebearers self-reproduce; egg-layers need specific conditions.

Q: What is the role of conditioning?
A: Improving fish health for breeding via diet.

Q: What is fry?
A: Young fish.

Q: What is the typical fry food?
A: Infusoria, baby brine shrimp, microworms, then crushed flakes.

Q: What is the role of baby brine shrimp?
A: Live food for fry; hatched from cysts.

Q: What is the takeaway of aquarium keeping?
A: Healthy fish come from stable water and patient care; the cycle is everything.

Q: What is the joy of observation?
A: The slow rhythm of an aquarium is meditative and educational.

Q: What is the role of designing the tank as ecosystem?
A: Live plants, balanced fish, stable parameters create resilience.

Q: What is the difference between a tank and an ecosystem?
A: A tank can be sterile; an ecosystem thrives biologically.

Q: What is the rule "a planted tank with light, fertilizer, and CO₂ creates demand"?
A: The Estimative Index approach requires all three plus water changes.

Q: What is "low tech" planted?
A: Few demanding plants, no CO₂, low light, fewer water changes.

Q: What is "high tech" planted?
A: Pressurized CO₂, strong light, full ferts; faster growth but more maintenance.

Q: What is the takeaway?
A: Match the tank to the time you'll commit; stability beats complexity.