CLEANING TANK-10 & 20 GAL

Question
QUESTION: how many fish are to many for a ten gal tank??how many plecos should u have for a 10 gal tank and how many catfish??what happens if u keep the light on all the time??i will be going to a 20 gal tank pretty soon-how many fish are to many and how many catfish and plecos should i have in the tank??is changing 70% of water every month in both tanks to much when cleaning and should u clean the plants and rocks by removing them and also how important is a bubbler in both tanks....

ANSWER: Ten inches of fish is the max for your tank.  One pleco per tank is sufficient as they are territorial and will fight with each other... I wouldn't put a cat fish in a ten gallon tank unless it was a pair of Cory cats.  Most cat fish grow too big too quickly for that size tank.  you should never take out more then 25% of the water at any one time.  Water changes should be done weekly and the gravel should be cleaned with a gravel vacuum at that time. A bubbler is important as water holds less oxygen then air.  So the more fish you have in your tank the more important a bubbler is otherwise they suffer from anoxia and can die.   hope this helps... dave

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QUESTION: WHY SHOULDNT U LEAVE THE LIGHT ON ALL DAY AND ALL NIGHT;WHEN CLEANING THE TANK HOW DO U CLEAN THE ARTIFICIAL PLANTS AND ROCKS{NOT GRAVEL)AND TREASURE CHEST BUBBLER???? WHEN CAN U TELL IF A FISH IS IN NEED OF MEDICINE&WHEN U DO MEDICATE SHOULD U ISOLATE THE FISH?WHAT BRAND OF MEDICINE SHOULD I BUY??IS THERE ONE FOR JUST ABOUT EVERYTHING....

Answer
Fish do not have eye lids... so they need the dark to rest.  If you leave the light on all night and all day your fish will not get any rest, your tank will become covered with algae, etc.  I take out my decorations and scrub them in a bucket with a sponge that has no soap or antibacterial agents on it. I use only water in the bucket... soap, etc will kill your fish.  Medication is required when your fish are too sick to recover on their own.  Medication is tricky and not every disease is going to be cured by one type of medication.  Like you and I when we are sick we need a medication that is for whatever we have.  If you have sick fish let me know and I will help you with choosing the proper medication for your fish.  Sick fish are best treated in a hospital tank but sometimes you have to treat all of the fish.  Hope this helps... dave