Iowa City Tropicals

05/25/2026

Open Monday-Saturday 10:00am-6:00pm
Closed on Sunday

05/01/2026

I never get tired of this. ❤️

04/30/2026

Daphnia magna

04/29/2026

It's been difficult watching the TV series "The Strain" with a worm farm in the next room...

04/17/2026

Quick tip. Algae control. I like to use 3% hydrogen peroxide to eradicate black beard and hair algae. Any algae, really. Hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) breaks down into water (H2O) and oxygen (O2). Since it breaks down into oxygen and water, it's hard to overdo it. Still, best practice is to use in moderation. A little bit every day. The reaction will kill algae over time. I spot treat plants in the aquarium with a syringe. If the item you're treating can be removed, I prefer to do that. I take it out of the tank and spray it. Or I soak it for a few minutes in a bucket. When I soak, I use 1 part H2O2 and 3 parts H2O. You'll notice oxygen forming underwater because it will bubble like crazy.
Also, adding a couple drops to a fish bag at an auction or swap is a quick way to oxygenate water for a struggling fish. Old timer tip ;)

04/17/2026

Quick tip. Really fast spawning mop. Wrap a book with acrylic yarn 75-100 times. Tie the top. Cut the bottom. Soak, boil, or microwave in water if you want to sterilize and make it sink faster. It's not really necessary. If you want it to float, tie a ping pong ball or cork to the top. If you want it to sink, just leave it as is or tie to a rock. Lots of variations you can play with when deciding what species of fish to spawn. Just experiment.

04/15/2026

Quick tip. When the original handle disintegrates, I use a small piece of pex tubing to replace it. Easy fix, that is why more durable than the original.

04/14/2026

03/28/2026

Handful of aquarium/pond plants $5 each.
Water lettuce, Salvinia, Frogbit, Duckweed, Giant Duckweed, Hornwort, Anacharis elodea, Guppygrass, Red root floater.

02/25/2026

Are they Iowa black worms if they are born here?