Keeping a tropical aquarium can be a rewarding experience. Freshwater fish tanks are inexpensive to set up and maintain, and there is an incredible variety of fish to store your new aquarium.
Building a tiny ecosystem of animals and plants is an amazing feeling. Many people are addicted to life after buying their first fish tank, and their hobby quickly expands to larger aquariums, more aquariums, or both!
It can be particularly frustrating for beginners. There is a lot of information on the internet, but much of it is confusing and contradictory. How should the beginner know where to start?
If you stick to this aquarium thing it will be easier and you will be a professional one day. But since you probably don't want to leave a trail of dead fish in your wake as you plop forward and learn the ropes, it's worth taking down a few basic ideas.
Poor tank maintenance is one of the main causes of tropical fish dying prematurely. Here are 6 things you can do to increase your chances of having happy, healthy fish and a great looking aquarium.
1. drive the tank before you add fish
If you have never heard the expression, "cycling a tank" means taking the necessary steps to bring the water conditions to where they are healthy for the fish. This is something that should be done before you ever add fish to your tank. In other words, you should not buy your fish tank and your fish on the same day!
What you should never do is try to cycle your tank with fish already in it. This is very unhealthy for the fish, and until the water parameters are safe, they can easily get sick and die. It is the equivalent of a person trying to live in an atmosphere of harmful gas, and not very friendly to your fish.
2. test and monitor water parameters
So how do you know when the water is safe for your fish? It is wise to buy a low-cost water test kit and monitor the level of ammonia, nitrates, nitrites and the pH of your water. I recommend the API Master Test Kit. This is the test kit I have used over the years. It is easy to manage and the results are very clear. If you test the water weekly, a kit should take quite a while.
You can also test the pH of your water source with the kit. Most fish can adapt to most pH levels, but if the water is very hard, it may unfortunately be necessary to lower the pH with chemicals.
3. carry out regular water changes
If you find your water parameters a-line, there are over-the-counter products that help to keep these chemical values in order. But in my opinion, clean water is usually a better answer than adding more foreign chemicals to the tank.
You should also learn to vacuum the gravel in your tank to remove the debris that has accumulated on the bottom. None of this has to be hard, and it doesn't take more than a few minutes of work per week. There are water changers and siphons available that allow you to vacuum and remove water at the same time.
4. fish research before purchase
When it is time to buy fish, take some time to research exactly what you are buying. Understand how big the fish will grow, its temperament, its space requirements and what fish it will have to handle.
It is a beginner's mistake to go to the pet store and buy fish by looking alone. The person in the pet shop should be able to straighten you out, but unfortunately they themselves are often not very knowledgeable. They might end up with aggressive fish species without realizing it, or fish that are simply not compatible.
5. avoid overfeeding your fish
Rest assured, it is very difficult to starve a fish. One feed per day is ample to ensure that you provide food for each type of fish in your tank.
Many fish keepers put their fish on a feed/quick feed schedule and use one or more days a week if the fish are not fed. This helps to keep the tank cleaner and the fish healthier. In simple terms, remember that what goes into a fish must come out, so the more you feed your fish, the dirtier the tank gets.
6. manage light in and around your aquarium
One of the most frustrating things for the new aquarium owner is managing algae in an aquarium. Algae are similar to plants, and like all plants, they need light to thrive. Of course you will have lights in your tank because you want to see your fish. How do you see your fish without growing a huge algae crop?
One way is to manage the amount of light your tank gets every day. When you decide where to place your tank, try to keep it away from any place that receives strong sunlight all day long. Like any plant, algae love sunlight and will thrive if given the chance.
You should keep the tank light for a maximum of 12 hours a day. In reality you can probably do with much less. Remember that the light in the fish tank is for you, not for the fish. The moderate lighting of daylight is a lot for them, and about what they would experience in the wild. If no one is home, there is no point in having the lights on. You can turn the light off while you are at work or school, and turn it on when you come home at night.
Yes, you will make mistakes and lose a few fish along the way, and everyone does. But as long as you do your best, you shouldn't feel bad. We've all been there.
Good luck with your tropical freshwater aquarium!
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