Seachem

Aquatic Pet Safety: Keep Your Home Aquarium Pets Healthy & Safe

Learn how to safely handle your aquatic life to avoid toxin & bacterial exposure. Find aquatic life care supplies at your neighborhood Petco pet care center.

Updated on October 23rd, 2025

To Go Bucket: Aquatic Life and Cricket Guide

Updated on March 4th, 2026

Master Aquatic Plant Care: Lush Aquarium Plants & Happy Fish

Tanks with live plants can be excellent additions to your home, bringing a touch of nature indoors. Learn how to take care of aquatic plants.

Updated on November 6th, 2025

Freshwater Semi-Aggressive Fish: Top Secrets for a Thriving Tank

Learn how to care for semi-aggressive fish, recommended diet & aquarium setup. Find the right food, supplies & equipment at your neighborhood Petco.

Updated on April 9th, 2026

Freshwater Aquarium Plant Maintenance Guide

Learn how to pick the right aquarium plants, substrate, lighting, and fertilizers to ensure that your aquarium plants thrive and stay healthy.

Updated on July 17th, 2026

How to treat dirty tap water with iron for a healthy aquarium?

Some iron is necessary for a healthy aquarium, but too much can promote algae growth or impart an unsightly yellow or orange tinge to the water. Reverse osmosis (RO) filters are deal for removing mineral and heavy metals from water but they can be prohibitively expensive. Buying RO water from a local market or pet store is also a possibility but not economically feasible if you have a large tank. The best option may be a Polyfilter, which can be purchased in the local pet store or online. These filters will remove iron or other metals/chemicals and must be changed monthly or quarterly. You can also buy a water conditioner that will precipitate out some of the iron which can then be removed by mechanical filtration. An example of just one is Rid Metals (by Kordon). Follow label directions carefully, perform regular water changes and monitor iron levels with a home test kit or by submitting a water sample for testing.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

What are the best medicines for fish parasites, bacteria, or fungus?

Pimafix is an acceptable "natural" antifungal treatment. Melafix is for bacterial infections. Kanamycin, erythromycin or metronidazole are good broad spectrum antibiotics. Fungus Cure (by API) is an excellent antifungal. You can find these medications in the aquarium section of most pet stores or even online. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated. The cornerstone of any treatment is to first maintain pristine water quality and stable chemistry.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

My aquarium has high ammonia and nitrates. How can I fix it?

The best and safest method is through daily partial water changes, about 30-40% of total tank volume. Use only aged or conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Recommended water conditioners are AmQuel, NovAqua and StressCoat. These can be purchased online or in most pet stores or fish stores. A home test kit should be used to monitor levels. If a tank is properly cycled, beneficial bacteria will break down these toxins. Overfeeding, excessive light or heat and dead plants can cause spikes in ammonia and nitrite levels.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

How to save my sick freshwater fish after an ammonia spike?

Monitor water chemistry using a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. The local Petco may do this for free or for a small fee. Aim for an absence (0 ppm) of ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20ppm or less. Perform partial water changes to stabilize chemistry and/or to improve water quality. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Pristine water quality is the foundation for healing and recovery from infection or injury in fish. You can use plain aquarium salt (NOT table or Epsom salt) as a general tonic to reduce stress, improve gill function and aid in recovery. Dissolve 1 teaspoon of salt per gallon of water in a cup or two of water and gently pour it into the tank. Treat for 14 days then reassess the condition. An "all in one" product, such as Lifeguard (by Tetra), can be used concurrently to treat infection or parasites. Find one in the aquarium section of the local Petco. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated.

Updated on September 24th, 2025

Why is my fish sick, not eating, gasping, and darting in its tank?

Check water chemistry first. Use a home test kit or submit a water sample for testing. The local Petco may do this for free or for a small fee. Aim for an absence ( 0 ppm) of ammonia and nitrites with nitrates at 20 ppm or less. Perform partial water changes, no more than 30% at a time, to stabilize chemistry and/or to improve water quality. Use only conditioned water that is temperature matched to prevent stress or shock. Check water temp as well. Any of these can drive a fish to the surface. The "flashing" (darting about) can be due to infection (bacterial, fungal or parasites). Consider a broad spectrum antibiotic or an "all in one" product to treat multiple infections. Look in the Aquarium section of the local Petco for options. Follow label directions carefully and remove the carbon filter insert during treatment if indicated.

Updated on September 24th, 2025