Fish Care - The Essentials

Many people keep fish as pets or as a hobby. A lot of fish have their own personalities, and sometimes will act in very interesting ways. They have different ways of interacting with each other and with the people who take care of them. Keeping fish is a fun and interesting pastime, and it usually does not take a lot of time or energy. This is especially true as fish keeping over the years has gotten easier. Today, there are newer and better filters, and a lot more information regarding fish keeping.

In this article, we will give you a list of the timeless classics to keep in mind when it comes to raising fish and maintaining your aquarium in good working order. The following is a list of guidelines that pertains to tropical freshwater fish. Most fish owners keep tropical freshwater fish, and there are nearly endless varieties to choose from (please check out the Pet World fact article on tropical freshwater fish to determine if your fish is a tropical freshwater fish).

1. To prevent cracks and fissures, as well as wobbling and instability, make sure your aquarium is set on a flat, strong surface, such as an aquarium stand.
   
   
2. After you set up your aquarium, you must wait for it to become established before adding any fish. Aquariums are considered established after 6 to 8 weeks. Established means that there are enough beneficial bacteria present to break down the toxins from the food and waste.
   
   
3. After your aquarium has had the 6 to 8 weeks to get established, start adding the fish a few at a time. When adding new fish, make sure that you acclimate them to your aquarium: first float the bag containing the fish in the tank for about 5 minutes, then add about 8 ounces of aquarium water into the bag. Do this about 5 times, adding water every 5 minutes or so. Then you may empty the bag with the fish into the aquarium.
   
   
4. Do not overcrowd the tank. Keep about one fish or less per gallon of aquarium water. Usually the rule is that a fish that is approximately 1 inch long should have one gallon of water, and a fish that grows up to approximately 2 inches long should have two gallons of water for itself, and so on.
   
   
5. The pH range of interest to the tropical fish keeper is between pH 5 and pH 9, with the vast majority of fish requiring a pH between 6 and 8. The pH range quoted for a given species may be based on its native waters. Although it might be desirable to mimic these conditions to some extent, the fish may be quite capable of thriving at a slightly different pH. All in all, providing a stable pH kept between about 6 and 8 is usually more important than having an exact value, as long as extremes and sudden changes are avoided. Aquarium pH testers and testing kits are carried at your local pet store.
   
   
6. A good temperature for tropical fish is around 78 degrees, although a range from 76 to 80 degrees is usually fine too. Just as with the pH, providing a stable temperature kept between about 76 and 80 is usually more important than having an exact value, as long as extremes and sudden changes are avoided. A few types of tropical fish, such as goldfish, are extremely hardy when it comes to temperatures and they usually do not need heaters in their aquariums. Thermometers are carried at your local pet store.
   
   
7. Feed your fish very sparingly, as fish can be easily overfed. You can feed your fish 1 or 2 times per day, but just a few flakes per fish, and make sure that all food can be finished in about 5 to 10 minutes. Never allow food to accumulate on the bottom of the tank or get sucked up into the filter. You can prevent this by not overfeeding. Remember that overfeeding is one of the biggest contributers to dirty aquariums and sick fish. There is also a more detailed article dedicated to the subject of fish foods and proper feeding techniques on the Pet World facts page, click here to get to it.
   
   
8. For the first 6 weeks after setting up an aquarium, change about 1/3 of the aquarium water about once a week for smaller aquariums (10 to 20 gallon tanks), and do this once every other week for larger aquariums (larger than 20 gallons).
   
   
9. After the first 6 weeks, you should continue to change aquarium water (1/3 only, never all) about once a month, to help keep your aquarium clean and your fish healthy. You may need to change your water more often if you keep a lot of fish in your aquarium as it will get dirty quicker. You should also change the water right away if the water looks very cloudy or if the fish look stressed. Always make sure to condition or dechlorinate the new water and get it to about the same temperature as the existing water before adding it to the tank. There is also a more detailed article dedicated to the subject of water changes on the Pet World facts page, click here to get to it.
   
   
10. Make sure that all filters and heaters are working well. Also make sure that you buy a large enough filter. Buy one that is larger than the manufacture recommends for your size aquarium. If you use a carbon filter, change the carbon filter on your tank about once a month. It is usually better to use an under-gravel filter with a power head and a power filter.
    

If you have any questions regarding fish and their care, just ask us and we will help you any way we can.

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