Fish Tips

When you are setting up your fish tank – remember to treat the tanks water before putting the fish into the tank. Failure to treat the water will possibly result in your fish dying.

Before selecting your fish, you need to learn as much as you can about each kind, as well as their compatibility with other fish. For example you cannot put two different kinds of aggressive fish together as they will fight each other.

Know how big your fish tank is when you go to pick out your fish. The size of the tank will determine how many fish you are able to have living in it. The general rule of thumb is 1" of mature fish per gallon of water for small fish, 1" of fish per 3 gallons of water for large fish.

Have fun decorating your tank with castles, coral, and plants. Depending on how much work you want to give yourself you can either have a fake plastic plant or a live plant in your fish tank.

It is recommended that only someone with an advanced knowledge of fish tanks and fish care have a salt water fish tank. This is because keeping a salt water tank is very difficult.

You need to remember to check both the pH and the water temperature at least every other day; if not every day to make sure it is not fluctuating. Any change in either of these two conditions may mean that your fish will die.

While getting started with your aquarium, keep a budget in mind. Your expenses can really start to add up once you consider that you need the following - an aquarium, a hood and light, a heater and thermometer, filter, gravel, water treatment chemicals, cleaning supplies, and the fish.

While having a huge aquarium is a beautiful sight to behold, keep two things in mind before getting something huge. First once it is filled with water it is going to be quite heavy. Do you have a stand that will hold it, and is your floor strong enough to hold the weight? Second, you are going to have to maintain and clean the tank for a very long time. Are you up for that amount of work?

Provide many places for your fish to hide out. For some reason, fish love to have places to hide and providing them with plenty will actually cause them to hide less. Fish like to have places to hide because gives them a sanctuary that can help lower their stress levels.

As big of a responsibility as having an aquarium may be, having an outdoor pond for your fish is an even bigger undertaking. Make sure you are WELL-PREPARED with all the information and equipment you need before you decide to go this route!

Even for freshwater tanks, I've found that aquarium salt does a good job of conditioning the water. When you clean the water (vacuum the tank), be sure to leave 1/4 to 1/3 of the old water in the tank. It keeps the necessary bacteria in the water. Otherwise, it will get cloudy and the fish will die.

The best way to get a new fish used to their new home is to get them comfortable with the water temperature of the tank. If the new fish is still in the plastic bag you got him in, place the bag in the tank. The water in the bag with gradually adjust to match the temperature of the tank. That way the new fish does not have a chance to go into shock if the water of the tank is warmer or colder than the water in the bag.

Keep an eye out for your fish when it gets sick. The most common condition a fish can get is a bacterial infection. Some of the symptoms for this are eroded fins, red skin, sores, cloudy eyes, or sluggish movement. The best way to cure it would be to treat the entire tank with an antibiotic solution. This can be found in any pet store.