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I have noticed that when some people start out with a new aquarium they really don't take into mind that a little research is necessary to maintain a clean tank and keep healthy fish. I was one of those people who thought it just involved setting up the tank and throwing the fish in and that was it. However, you will find from experience that keeping fish shouldn't be taken lightly and I believe it is important to have some good fish advice before starting out or even while maintaining your fish aquariums.
I'd have to say the thing that disgusts me the most is some people really don't look at keeping fish seriously. If you screw up, they can be replaced. If they suffer, they are just fish. But in my opinion, it is important to know how to maintain a healthy tank and how to care for the fish. They are a pet and shouldn't be mistreated as with any type of animal.
This is why I thought it might be nice to offer some of my own tips that I have gained through knowledge and experience with keeping tropical fish. Please keep in mind that these are of my own opinion. You may find the same advice through other fish resources and some of these tips are widely well known to a fish enthusiast.
I've grouped them into various categories to make it easier. You can click on the desired category to be taken to those tips.
Setting Up a New Tank
Tank Maintenance
Tank Equipment and Chemicals
Acquiring New Fish
Diseases and Disease Prevention
Upgrading an Aquarium and Moving Your Fish Successfully
Setting Up a New Tank:
1. When setting up a new fish aquarium, NEVER EVER setup the tank and purchase the fish in the same day. The tank needs time to cycle. By this, I mean it is important that the chemicals have time to balance and bacteria need to be present in order to maintain healthy fish. This takes some time. At least allow for a few days before adding fish. And never, add more then a few at a time. This can throw off the balance in the tank and kill the fish.
2. When purchasing the equipment for a tank, don't be afraid to ask questions. Everyone has their own preference as far as filters and equipment goes. Asking others how they have their tank set up and what filters they have can prevent you from trying different types of pumps and wasting your money. In the beginning I wasted money on some cheaper pumps and had to deal with a mess with they stopped working and leaked all over the floor.
Tank Maintenance:
1. It is important to clean your tank at least once a month. I try to maintain a 3-4 week cleaning schedule. Now, you might ask if you are new to fish keeping what does she mean by cleaning the tank? I have had people ask me, "So do you take the fish out individually and scrub them?" Of course not. "What do you mean by cleaning your fish aquarium?" By this I mean removing 25% of the water, adding fresh water back in, cleaning the tubing and filter, and adding salt and chemicals as necessary. NEVER, EVER use any type of chemicals in a fish tank that are not made for aquarium keeping and NEVER, EVER use any type of soap to clean your fish equipment. I also use a little scrubber brush (you can find these in fish stores) and just water and clean the filters and equipment. It will remove the algae and keep your tank looking clear and nice. As well, I rinse and scrub the fish gunk off of the lids and wipe off the top of the aquarium with a wet paper towel.
2. If you have never heard of a Python Gravel Vacuum for Aquariums then you don't know what you are missing. I am telling you until this thing was invented I don't know how fish keepers kept up with maintaining their tanks. This handy little vacuum is hooked to a hose and you can use it to drain your tank water along with vacuuming the gravel and sucking up dirt. They hook right to the bathroom or kitchen sink and will fill the tank up easily and without messing with buckets. I will never use another bucket again. Imagine how much work it would be for me to use a bucket to empty and fill all of my tanks. Lets put it this way, I wouldn't be able to keep my fish if it wasn't for the vacuum gravel. My back just couldn't take it.
3. When adding water back into the tank after a cleaning it is better to add colder water, not ice cold then it is to add to warm or hot water. The colder water can heat up where as it is harder for the warmer water to cool down.
4. I maintain about 78 degrees in all of my aquariums for my tropical fish. I have heard of some people maintaining between 72 and 80, but I have found this temperature has worked the best for me.
5. I have heard from others that is a good idea to add aquarium salt to your tanks. Salt helps maintain a healthy tank and can even be used to treat ich. You can find aquarium salt in fish stores. I usually put some salt in a plastic jug (that I only use for fish) and add water to it. Mix it and add the salt water in when I add water back to the tank after cleaning. You don't want to put the salt directly into the tank without diluting it in water first.
Tank Equipment and Chemicals:
1. As far as chemicals go, there are many out there that you will find. I have always used Stress Coat and Stress Zyme. These have worked well for me and have helped me maintain healthy fish.
2. I prefer to have an under gravel filter in all of my tanks. I have heard that some people don't use under gravel filters, however, I don't think I would ever do without one. They trap the bacteria in the bottom underneath the gravel to maintain a healthy and well balanced tank. As well, they trap the dirt underneath in the gravel keeping your tank clear and clean. For air pumps that you use to hook up to the tubing and that produces the bubbles and filtration. I use the Rena 400 for both of my aquariums. I have used a few different air pumps and the Rena is by far the quietest that I have come across. It has two connections for hooking the tubing to.
3. For an outside filter, I use the Aquaclear filter. I started with a Penguin Wheel and had nothing but trouble. As long as you keep the filter clean, I have never had a problem with one dying on me. Every time, I clean my aquariums I clean the motor as well. I only replace the carbon maybe once a year. I have read where some people never use carbons, but I have for years and haven't changed anything since everything was working well. The foams get nasty and I usually replace those at every cleaning
4. As far as gravel goes for a fish aquarium, I would never recommend using colored gravel. I had a bad experience once where the coloring was coming off of the gravel and I think killed a few of my fish if they ate it. I use a natural stone gravel now that doesn't show algae as much and maintains a natural appearance in the tank.
5. I have never used live plants, but have heard from many people who do. I just never got into it and dealing with fake plants is much easier, if they get to dirty or full of algae they can be replaced. I know with using live plants you have to maintain good lighting as well. But, I am afraid I can't offer much advice on this part.
6. I learned something about what types of rock and decorations to purchase. It all was because of a stubborn algae eater. I had this rock that had all kinds of small crevices and spots in it for this fish to hide. Well, I was replacing the rock because it was looking really bad and all the coloring had worn off after a year. So, my husband and I checked the rock and determined no algae eater was in it. We threw it in the garbage and proceeded with cleaning the tank. About 5 minutes later, I said that algae eater isn't in this tank, he has to be in that rock, which was sitting in the garbage can. My husband looked and didn't see him so threw it back in the garbage. Well, he was in that rock. I took it out and found him hiding in the smallest part of the rock. He must have been in the garbage for about 10 minutes, but he survived. We had a heck of a time getting him out of there, but eventually he came out after my husband broke apart of the rock some to get him out. He just refused to leave that rock! That is the most stubborn fish I have ever had. He is the candy striped pleco that resides in the 65 gallon. So I learned from them on, don't buy a decoration that has too many spots for a fish to hide!
7. As far as decorations go, I have always used the decorations that you will find at Petsmart in the fish isle. They have a wide range of different types of decorations now. Some I have had, have lasted longer then others as far as the coloring on the decoration goes. It seems no matter what decoration you buy, whether it be a rock, tree, or whichever and if it has coloring or designs on it, the coloring and designs will wear off eventually. They supposedly guarantee it won't fade, but if it sits in water for a period of time, I think anything could fade and loose color. Once my decorations begin to look bad and go from colorful to just white and worn, I usually toss them out and buy new ones. I found a really neat ship which the store owner claimed it would last forever. Even though, I loved the decoration, it was $70.00 and I couldn't see spending that amount of money on something that will eventually wear and become discolored and I would have to replace eventually.
Perhaps I am picky when it comes to my decorations, but I just can't stand looking at something that looks like I bleached it once the coloring fades away. The palm tree I purchased for my 90 gallon aquarium was discoloring not even 2 weeks after it was put in the tank. A lot of the green has worn off the top of it. The point is I don't recommend spending a fortune on the decorations, it will only discolor and fade eventually. Some more then others.
8.  Something that produces extra air bubbles is great to add to the tank as it creates extra air for the fish and is neat to watch.
9. There are many test kits out there for checking all the different types of levels in an Aquarium. I currently use the Jungle Quick Dip 5 N 1 test strips that contain all 5 aquarium tests in one. These are very easy to use, just dip it in the tank and compare it to the chart provided with the kit. There is also suggestions on there for lowering your PH, etc.
Acquiring Fish:
1. I purchase most of my fish from Petsmart as well as another small Pet Store in the area. Something, I have learned throughout the last few years is if you want to maintain healthy fish that already exist in your aquariums, it is a good idea to quarantine the new fish before adding them into the tanks. I have lost many fish due to not quarantining fish. I have a 20 gallon tank that I use only to quarantine fish and I have to say ever since I started doing that it has reduced fish loss considerably. I added new angel fish to an existing aquarium once and they must have had a disease because I then lost a few large and beautiful angel fish due to the fact, I didn't quarantine the fish first. I am not saying that it is absolutely necessary, but why have to keep buying fish all the time. If you quarantine new fish for at least 2 weeks you will be able to see if they develop any diseases and treat them accordingly.
2. It is important to research what kind of fish go well together. There are semi-agressive, aggressive, and community fish. Never, mix angel fish with tiger barbs. I once had someone at Petsmart tell me these fish went well together. I purchased some, went home and added them to my tank of angels and all they did was nip their fins. Not a good combination. So don't always listen to the people at Petsmart, they may not know what they are talking about.
3. I believe the rule for how many fish you should have in the aquarium is an inch of fish for every 1 gallon of water. Honestly, I don't go by that rule. In order to go by that you would have to know exactly how long the fish are and their full length once they are fully grown. When you have bottom dwellers, I really can't see where you would have to account for every inch of those fish, since they mainly reside in the bottom of the aquarium.
When I became more experienced I was able to determine using common sense if there were too many fish in the aquarium. It is very important that you account for their size as they grow. Knowing just how big the fish could become is important. If you don't allow for room for growth, then they can't grow to their full maturity.
Depending on the type of fish, some prosper better in longer aquariums and some (like angel fish) live better in taller aquariums.
Diseases and Disease Prevention:
1. Ich is a common disease of fish and can develop if the temperature drops too low or is very common with silver dollars. I have used Ich Guard in the past to treat Ich, however, the only thing that I dislike about it, is it colors the water blue and will turn the silicone in the aquarium a permanent blue. In my 75 gallon tank, the silicone is a permanent blue. Something I wish I could have avoided. Fortunately, for the last 2 years, I can't remember having one case of Ich since I started quarantining my fish and have kept a close eye on the temperatures in the tanks.
2. Although, I have ran into a fair share of diseases within my fish, I haven't found the perfect treatment for all the different types of diseases that are out there. The type of disease that your fish has can be hard to determine and hard to treat, in my opinion. I have used the Rid Ich and Ich Guard for treating Ich. However, that does turn the water blue and the silicone as well, but it has always taken care of the Ich. For treating sores on the fish I have used Melafix, but honestly, that has only worked a couple of times.
3. In 2007 I had the largest fish loss I have ever experienced. Due to poor filtration, I had this nasty fungus that developed in the tank and killed most of my fish, some that I had for several years. I didn’t realize it was that bad, until it was too late and I awoke to discover I suffered a large fish loss. I had been dealing with green water for a while and didn’t realize that this would be the result. I researched this type of fungus and determined it was due to poor filtration in the Aquarium. I determined it was due to my Aquaclear filter not being able to keep up with the aquarium and decided it was time to purchase a canister filter that is stored in the stand of the Aquarium. After looking on www.drfostersmith.com I found the Filstar XP series filters that were on sale at the time and highly recommended based on the reviews there. I wanted something that was easy to clean and setup. I was very happy with this purchase. I purchased the XP3 filter and now I have the XP4 filter for my 150 gallon. The filter is very easy to setup, keeps the aquarium crystal clear, and is no problem at all to unhook and hook up. I would recommend to anyone with a 55 or higher that they have one of these canister filters. The little filters that hang on the tank simply cannot keep up with the water and as a result cost me fish lost and a lot of extra work. Don’t get me wrong, these smaller filters are great, but if you want a large aquarium, I wouldn’t go without a canister filter anymore, why take the chance.
Upgrading an Aquarium and Moving Your Fish Successfully
1.  If you find yourself wanting to purchase and set up a bigger aquarium like I have in the past it is important to ensure that you move the fish safely and in a timely manner. Just like setting up a new aquarium and adding new fish, upgrading to a bigger tank and moving your current fish is not much different.
If you have read my introduction to how I got started, you will know I have upgraded to many larger tanks and moved many fish. First, you should setup the new aquarium and let it cycle for at least a few days before moving any of your fish over. I have never tried to take the gravel out of my existing tank and put it in the new unless I have no fish in it. Moving the fish too quickly can cause for immediate fish loss.
I always take at least a ¼ of the existing water from my current tank and put it in the new tank when setting it up. This will get some of the bacteria in there and help maintain a good environment for them to move in, as well provide for less shock to the fish. Ensure that the tank is the same temperature of your existing tank before moving any fish.
After a few days, I would move a few fish, depending on their size, you could move just a few or several. It isn't a bad idea to wait a few more days and move a few or several more fish. Just depending on your size of your tank, the size of your fish, and how many fish you have it may take a few different moves.
When I moved over my fish in my 90 gallon to my 150 gallon, I took it very slowly as I had dozens of fish to move. After the tank cycled for a little over a week, I moved a few fish and then eventually, several more after a few days. I continued this until all fish were moved with no problems. I also checked the levels in the tank before moving any fish over to ensure it closely matched the levels in the 90 gallon where the fish lived.
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