I hope most people do have the habit of pet keeping. People often rely on pets for comfort and companionship in their twilight years. Doctors have discovered that keeping a pet can do wonders for your health. The pets may vary from dogs to rabbits or from love birds to aquarium fish. In this row,the hobby of aquarium fish keeping is an exceptional one which give more satisfaction and peace of mind.
If you are a beginner there are a few things to keep in mind to keep your aquarium fine and beautiful. If you follow them, you will be able to avoid the mistakes that people often make when they first set up their aquarium.
The most important thing for an aquarium is its shape. It is best to buy a rectangular tank that is three inches higher than it is wide. Tall narrow tanks are not good because there is too little water surface open to the air. A wider tank has more open water surface, and the water can take in more oxygen. This is important for the health of your fish. If it does not the fish will die because of a lack of oxygen.
For protection, a glass cover should be kept over the tank. Do not worry about cutting off the oxygen supply to the tank, because no cover fits so tight that it will keep out the necessary amount of air. Finding the correct location for the tank is also very important. An aquarium should not stand in a cold spot or near a radiator. Sudden changes in temperature can be bad for your fish.
The most important element of an aquarium is the water, and unless it is kept in good condition, neither the fish nor the plants will survive. The best water for fish is water in which they have already lived. This is called “conditioned” water. Direct sunlight should be avoided except for short periods of time. Artificial lighting is just as good for the fish as daylight. Too much light will encourage the growth of algae, which will turn the water green. Too much direct sunlight can also overheat the water. So remember to control it to minimum.
It is important to keep all metal out of your fish tank. The slightest bit of metal in the water can be poisonous to your fish. Paints, soaps, and certain plastics and chemicals must also be kept from the tank. Limestone products such as marble chips, seashells, coral, and coral sand, should also be avoided. These can dissolve and make the water to hard for your fish. The best minerals for use in your aquarium are quartz, sandstone, and granite. The gravel, water, and plants put in your tank are all very important to the health of the fish and to the looks of your aquarium. Gravel or sand is not necessary, if you do use gravel, make sure that you give it a good washing before putting into your aquarium.
Fish are different from your other animals in this respect. The living quarters for your other pets must be cleaned on a regular basis. However, the water in a standing fish tank need not be changed. The waste products of the fish make the water better for them to live in. People who have aquariums will tell you about two kinds of dirt in a tank. There is clean dirt and dirty dirt. Clean dirt is the waste products of the fish. This does not need to be removed. Dirty dirt means the uneaten food and the bodies of fish that may have died. These kinds of things need to be removed.
More fish die from overfeeding than from any other cause. Your other pets may need to be fed everyday, but your fish do not. If you do feed them every day, uneaten food will accumulate in the tank. It will then blacken the sand a produce gases and other poisons that are harmful to you fish. Most fish can go a week without you feeding them because the will eat the microscopic plants and animals that naturally live in an aquarium. Fish should only be fed three times a week.
Before you set out to buy your fish, it will be important to understand that some of them can only live in water that is kept at a certain temperature. Many tropical fish must be kept at a temperature that ranges from 72 to 80 degrees. Some of these fish will require you to have and electric heater with a thermostat to help control the water temperature.
When buying fish for the fist time, it is best to get some that are less expensive. A guppy, which is a small tropical fish would most likely be a good start. It is a colorful and strong fish, that does not need any specially treated water. Other strong fish that are not quite as sturdy as the guppy are: platies, black mollies, and swordfish. Tetras, cory cats, siamese fighting fish, and angelfish are also good for the beginners.
When one of your fish starts to act like there is something wrong with it, it should be put into a small tank by itself. That way you can prevent your other fish from becoming sick. It is hard to cure a fish and you must be careful when buying to make sure that you do not bring home an infected fish.
If you follow these few simple instructions, you should be able to start your own successful aquarium at home which is fine and beautiful………
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