Aquarium Care

Fish tend to be the first pets parents allow their children to have. The fish themselves require a lot less work than a dog, but the aquarium still needs a good deal of attention. It is important to teach your children aquarium maintenance from an early age so it becomes part of their routine. It is the only way to have happy, healthy fish.

If you are going to invest in an aquarium at all, get a bigger one. They are certainly more expensive than the tiny little bowls and not as easy for a child to care for. However, the bigger the tank, the healthier the fish. And as long as the child can help out as you clean the tank, it will still build good habits. The bigger the tank, the more water is needed. The more water you need, the less of the percentage of contaminant. A drop of poison in a swimming pool is very different than a drop of poison in a glass of water.

You can also get more fish if you have a bigger tank. It is tempting to start out with one fish to see how your child fares, but the death of a single fish may be very upsetting to a child, while it may not be noticeable if there are many fish in the tank. It is also a better return for your money. Why buy all of the equipment for just a single fish?

Your goal is to keep the ecology in the tank as normal as possible. The fewer the fish, the less genetic diversity, and the more chance of an ecological disturbance if a fish is sick or dies. Think of how life really is in an live body or water.

Tank maintenance depends on many factors, like tank versus bowl and one fish versus many. It also depends on the type of fish. There are different ways to care for salt water and fresh water fish. Salt water may need a more in-depth system to measure brine levels, where fresh water is basically just from your tap (just make sure that you de-chlorinate your water before placing your fish in it though).

The specific components of the system should be discussed with a professional at the pet store. They can help you fit the tank to your budget and your fish. There are a few things to do regardless of what type of system you have. Clean up any large messes, but most importantly you need to change out a third of the water and put in new about every two weeks. If you use EcoBio-Block products, you can reduce this part of your maintenance to once a month or less. EcoBio-Block contains beneficial bacteria that create a healthy environment for your fish. These bacteria which are found in nature, break down toxic organic waste into safer by-products, clarify your water and eliminate odors. All you have to do is put the block in the water and wait for the bacteria to build up in the tank. Just be sure to monitor your ammonia and nitrite levels on a regular basis.

Vacuum your gravel occasionally because this is a trap for left-over food and fish excrement, which may be hard to see and can make fish sick. The filter should be checked every couple of weeks or so. Occasionally, check the pH to make sure it is at healthy levels.

Change the filter inserts at least once per month to ensure everything is going all right. Apart from that, just be observant. Count your fish, if you have a lot of them. Watch how they play with each other every day, if there is bullying, if some are not getting any food, or if others are getting too much. If you have an overly aggressive fish, you should remove it.

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Compared to other things, aquariums usually require very little care and daily attention. In fact, if you started maintenance on your aquarium by the time you begin reading this article, you will probably have been through before you even finish the article. So what is involved in aquarium care? We are going to look at four aspects of aquarium care that you will find very beneficial.

One has to do with the lighting. One thing you have to remember is that aquarium light does not need to be on at all times except when observing or feeding the fish or if the aquarium contains any live plants. The room light is generally considered sufficient and will keep the finish fairly active. In fact, leaving the light on for long periods can even cause algae growth explosions which of course you do not want. So how can you ensure consistent light and dark cycles are maintained, especially if you are a forgetful aquarium owner? You can install an inexpensive electrical timer that will turn the lights on and off and this will probably leave you with peace of mind knowing that your fish are getting the right doses of light.

Good aquarium care also means that you feed the fish two or three times per day and for only two or three minutes per feeding session. If you are a beginner, this may require some practice until you know the correct amounts of food to give. Do not overfeed the fish. The side effects are obvious; the water quality deteriorates, there is increased algae growth, the water gets cloudy and this often results in fish being prone to infections and diseases. This is as a result of uneaten food that accumulates in the aquarium.

Good aquarium care also means taking the time to simply observe the fish behavior especially during mealtimes. Look to see if every fish has got something to eat. Look out for fish that are picky about their food. Of course, each type of fish acts differently and it may take some time to determine ‘normal’ behavior for each fish type. If you take time each day to make this observation, your experience will grow.

Also do not forget to check the aquarium equipment and ensure that everything is working as it is supposed to. Consider the various pumps, heaters and filters as the life support system of the fish. This should be done daily. Excellent aquarium care takes some time and experience and is also a source of joy when you realize that your fish are safe and happy in their aquarium habitat.

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Water evaporates very quickly from your tank. Your tank may be big or small; still water evaporates and must be replenished. Everyone is busy, but taking care of your tank is still vital. The bigger your tank the less the water will effect the condition of the tank. If you have a smaller you might have to be careful how much and what kind of water you replenish your tank with.

Filing your tank about twice a week can keep the cycle of water in your tank for maxim health for your fish. When filling your tank, be careful not to fill the tank too soon. Fill the tank when the waterline reaches an inch below the lid. Filling the tank too high can affect the fish by letting the water of the tank not be circulated to get enough oxygen. Fill the tank only to the bottom of the lid line.

Before you regularly change your tank’s water they type of fish your own should be assessed. If you have a variety of fish that cannot live in hard water it is best if you fill your tank with just soft water. Having a little bit of soft water can be good for the fish. Fill the tank with a fifth of hard water and the rest soft.

Soft water and hard water come from different places. Soft water comes from most bottled water, and also from tap or filtered water. Hard water is most water from your faucet. Hard water is also from your hose or outside faucet. If you need hard water to be soft, there are solutions that you can buy to make it safe for all fish. I would suggest using the solution only for the first time you fill the tank.

Some fish can only live in soft water and some fish need a certain amount of hard water. If you have water that is too hard it can harm or even kill the fish. Some fish such as puffer fish can handle little to no hard water. Also some fish such as many cichlids need about a third of hard water. If both types of fish that have crashing water types are in the same tank, another tank may need to be used to separate these types of fish.

Being able to tell the type of water that you fill your rank with can highly impact owning a fish tank. Also finding the type of fish that can live in different types of water can help you avoid death. Filling your tank regularly can help your fish live a healthy and happy life.

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If you want to have healthy fish, you need to have the right type of water in your fish tank. Many people who are just beginning to set up a fish tank don’t understand how important it is to test your water and treat it for any imbalances. You need to have the right water for your fish.

Different fish have different requirements when it comes to the condition of the water that they will do best in. It is always a good idea to test your water for the pH, gH, and kH levels and try to get fish that thrive in water similar to the water that you already have. This will mean less work for you when it comes to fish tank water treatment.

Tap water tends to be the best type of water for your freshwater fish tanks, but it does need some treatment before it can be used. Chlorine is not good for fish, so you need to remove the chlorine from the water before adding it to your tank. You can use a conditioner as a way to try to correct any imbalances in your water and add beneficial substances. This type of fish tank water treatment is common. It will get rid of the chlorine. You can also leave tap water sitting out for 24 hours to get rid of chlorine, though this will not correct any other imbalances.

If the pH of your water is not at the right level, or is not remaining stable, you might need to do a fish tank water treatment in order to correct this. Sometimes this can be as simple as mixing a small amount of spring water in with the tank water. Other times you will need to treat whatever is causing the pH fluctuation.

You also need to make sure that the kH, or concentration of carbonates and bicarbonates, in your water is at the proper level. These help to buffer the water so that the pH stays more constant, otherwise as time goes on it will get acidic. There are a number of different options you can use for fish tank water treatment if you have high or low kH levels, including various chemicals you can purchase at the store.

You gH is the general hardness of your water. Some fish prefer harder water and some prefer softer water. You can use peat moss to soften the water, or add rocks to help harden the water. The simplest thing to do is get fish that suit the water that you already have so you don’t need to do too much treatment of your water.

Dustin Williams is a writer and hobbyist who has kept aquarium fish for several years. He has learned much about owning a home aquarium from reading books and personal experience. To learn more about proper fish tank water treatment please visit HomeAquariumSupplies.com.

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Platy Fish

The part I enjoy most about our hobby is taking care of the babies. I await the arrival of the tiny new ones like an anxious grandmother. I can just about tell, to a day, when the blessed event will take place, much to the amazement of young fish fanciers. Most of our fish are livebearers and my experience concerning the raising of babies is based on this type of fish.

There is not much to the trick of knowing when the mother is to give birth if one will take the trouble of taking note of the date of the month the fish previously gave birth. If the fish is in good condition, she gives birth every certain number of days with leeway from a day to ten days or so. About that time of month, I begin to look for other signs such as the shape of her gravid spot and the shape and fullness of her middle.

Some fish get very puffy and as her day approaches, even her chest fills out full almost up to the head and her middle gets quite distended. Others do not get so heavy and it is a little more difficult to tell when they will give birth. With a reflector overhead, I try to look through the fish at the gravid spot. If the cavity at the middle of the fish is filled and is sometimes like a crescent or a triangle in shape, I know that her time is near. In some of the more translucent fish, the embryos or babies can be seen thru the skin at this point. As the embryos develop, the gravid spot becomes larger and clearer and the side of the fish will bulge, particularly when viewed from the top, or looking down on the back.

So that the newly born babies won’t be devoured by the rest of the fish in the tank, I take out the ripe female and place her in a small maternity tank which is thickly planted with micro or dwarf Sagittaria. I also place some floating plants such as Water Lettuce, Myriophyllum, Anacharis, Water Sprite or Water Fern. Other plants that are excellent for this purpose are Nitella, Riccia, Crystalwart, etc. The purpose of the plants, of course, is to protect the babies from the Mother. I find I can save almost all the young when there is a small type of Sagittaria planted in the tank because it affords a hiding place at the bottom of the aquarium where the newly born babies rest before they float to the top. I have found that it is a good idea to give the hungry mother some food – preferably some live food – so that she tends to ignore her young. Sometimes, all my maternity tanks are occupied and that’s when the gallon jars come in handy. The water in the maternity tank can be from four to seven inches deep.

As soon as the mother has finished giving birth, it is best to remove her and place her in an aquarium with other females, which have just been thru the same experience. This will give her a chance to rest and enjoy some live food.

The new babies may stay in the maternity aquarium for a few days, depending on the size of the tank and the number of babies. They are on their own in a short time and can take micro worms, micrograin, or baby manna.

I drop a tiny pinch of baby manna on the water and give the water surface a light tap to teach them to take dry food. In a few days they can eat newly hatched brine shrimp.

The number of babies which can be raised to good healthy, lively fry in three or four months, depends on cleanliness, size of the aquarium and intelligent feeding. Siphoning a few inches of water from the bottom of the aquarium about once a week is not too often. If the aquarium is well planted it is not necessary to do that except when needed. Even better, if you use EcoBio-Block, the water will stay clear, clean, and healthy without changing it for a considerably longer time. It also helps reduce the fatality rate of the new baby fish.

The size of the aquarium that the babies are to occupy during the first few weeks is important. If placed too soon in a large one where they have plenty of swimming space a number of them somehow, get lost, and wander about while the rest are feeding, and therefore, do not get enough to eat. After awhile, they get thin and deformed and eventually die. From a batch of thirty five, there would probably be less than half of that number alive after two months. On the other hand, if the babies are left too long in a small container, they do not get to be vigorous and healthy, nor do they grow. If I do not want to move the babies from one tank to another as they grow in size and need more swimming space, I place them in a ten or fifteen gallon aquarium with about five inches depth of water. As they grow in size, the depth of the water can be increased. The babies grow like weeds, if they are fed properly and intelligently. Adult fish can be fed once or twice a day only, but babies, in order to attain good and fast growth are fed from four to six times a day. If they do not get a good growth in the first three or four months, they will not get to be good-size adult fish. Platies can attain about an inch or over in four months, while swordtails will be an inch and a half in that time.

Before I learned to put the babies on a regular feeding schedule, I sometimes forgot to feed them and at other times, I fed them too often, neither of which is good. Now, they get their light feeding on schedule every three hours, and are thriving on it.

If all goes well, they will be having a lot of babies of their own in six months.

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