How to Make a Wabi Kusa Ball

Potassium permanganate (PP) has been used in the aquarium hobby for decades as an external treatment for parasites, bacteria and fungi. It is a valuable treatment when used correctly, but it is not something to use casually. Good preparation, accurate dosing, excellent water quality and constant observation are all essential for safe treatment

The method below is simply how we use PP at Fintastic Studio. It is not the only method available, nor is it intended to replace veterinary advice. Always research thoroughly before using PP and never leave fish unattended during treatment.

*Potassium permanganate can be purchased from King's plant barn under - Wallys Potassium Permanganate.

Vinegar eels are one of the easiest live foods to culture and are an excellent first food for small fish fry. They remain alive in freshwater for many hours, giving fry plenty of time to feed.

There are two different methods you can use to culture them. The traditional method is very reliable and requires minimal maintenance, while the High Density Vinegar Eel (HDVE) method produces much larger quantities but requires a little more care.

Daphnia are small freshwater crustaceans that make an excellent live food for aquarium fish. They are highly nutritious and are especially useful for conditioning breeding fish and feeding growing fry.

There are many different methods for culturing daphnia. The following is the method that has given us the most consistent results after plenty of trial and error.

Microworms are an excellent first food for newly hatched fish fry. They are easy to culture at home and, with a little care, will provide a continuous supply of live food.

White worms (Enchytraeus albidus) are one of the best live foods available for aquarium fish. Rich in protein and highly nutritious, they're excellent for conditioning breeding fish, promoting growth, and encouraging even fussy fish to feed.

Once established, a white worm culture is easy to maintain and can provide a continuous supply of live food for years.

One of the characteristics of fresh APT Feast Aquasoil is that it releases a significant amount of ammonia when first submerged. In our test setup, 15 litres of APT Feast in a 125-litre aquarium produced an ammonia reading of around 20 ppm.

The combination of high ammonia, acidic water and very low carbonate hardness (kH) can make establishing the nitrogen cycle more challenging than in a typical aquarium. Beneficial nitrifying bacteria generally perform best in water with a higher pH and adequate carbonate hardness, so we wanted to see how APT Balance would perform under these conditions.

Anyone who has raised fish fry knows the feeling—you need to do a water change, but the fry are so tiny you're worried they'll end up disappearing down the siphon.

Fortunately, there's a simple solution that uses inexpensive equipment you probably already have. By using an airline as your siphon, you can perform slow, controlled water changes without putting your fry at risk.

As a bonus, the same setup also works perfectly for drip acclimating sensitive fish and shrimp (if we ever get them in NZ).

If you use tap water for your aquarium, a good dechlorinator is one of the most important products you'll ever buy. Every water change introduces chlorine or chloramine, and failing to remove them can quickly harm the beneficial bacteria in your filter as well as your fish.

One of the questions we get asked most at Fintastic Studio is:

"Which dechlorinator is the best?"

The answer is... it depends on your aquarium and your needs.

Our homemade beef heart mix has been a staple food for growing discus and other carnivorous tropical fish. This recipe combines lean beef heart with quality fish foods and nutritional supplements to produce a highly palatable, protein-rich food that freezes well and is easy to portion.