Care of Tropical Fish for Beginners

If you are a beginner, a tropical freshwater tank is usually ideal. It is very eay to set up. it is relatively cheap the first a somewhat hardy. For the most part, saltwater fish are fairly expensive and the maintenance requires more knowledge. You, first, want to wash the gravel thoroughly. Place it under running water and keep stirring the gravel until the water is clean after it flows through the gravel. Also wash any decorations that will be going in the tank. Next, clean the tank and check for leaks. Always empty after the cleaning before refilling. Before you fill the tank check to see that everything is right such as the light, heater, filter and thermostat. Information is also essential before getting started.

I recommend looking around and perhaps studying some material that discusses the care of tropical fish before getting started. After you are ready to start, gravel obviously will be the first to be added to the tank. If you use an underground filter, be sure to place it far enough under the gravel - about one and one half to two inched in front and three to four inched in the back. When adding the water, you only want to fill the tank half way to begin as this will allow you to finish adding the plants and decorations that you desire to please your pet fish. Make sure that the plants have enough gravel for the roots. When you are installing the filter, attach it so no plants or rocks are in the way. Attach heater and thermostat firmly also. If you use large rocks, make sure that they are firmly bedded in and can never topple other. This is very important.

Next, condition the water. This needs to be done before adding the fish. Get rid of all of the chlorine in the water. That can harm the fish. There are lot of water conditioners on the market and they must be used. Before adding any fish, let the filter run for 5-7 days, so any last chlorine will be able to escape. Its not a bad idea to add a couple of flakes of food without the fish to start off the nitrogen cycle before your fish arrive. You can also take some water from an aquarium that is already in use and pour it in. Make sure that the temperature is correct, at about 24 degrees Celsius. Add only a couple of fish to start off with. You will need to "equalize" the waters by floating the fish using their bag. Leave them there for 15 - 20 minutes. Then release them.

The absolute balance of an aquarium world is not usually possible to start with. Usually the fish give off more waste matter than the plants will absorb.And plants almost never provide sufficient food for fish life in an aquarium tank. You will need to work to start the "ecobalance" in the tank and then maintain the environment afterward.

Choosing a Fish Tank Filter

A filter, along with a heater, is probably the most important part of any fish tank set up. Without it the water in your fish tank will become much like a stagnant pond and little will be able to live in it except for a nice film of green algae scum.

There are two main types of fish tank filters; external and internal. Both of these types of filters can be used in either fresh water or salt water aquariums.

When it comes to internal filters there are two basic types. The first is the under gravel filter seen primarily in fresh water tanks. This consists of a raised plastic grate that sits on the bottom of the tank. The gravel or base material is placed over the top and clear vertical tubes attach to holes in the filter. These tubes have either a power head sitting on top or a bubbler inserted into them. The water is forced to flow through the gravel and back up the tube into the tank. The gravel itself is the filter, collecting the extra food and fish waste that is pulled down into it.

The second internal type filter is more along the lines of a sump tank just below the main tank and is used mainly for salt water tanks. There is an internal tube that that allows water to flow down into the sump where it is pumped through a series of filters that catch all the waste and bad bacteria. The filtered water is then pumped back to the top of the main tank keeping a continuous flow going. This is a good filter choice but it is on the pricey side and does create quite a bit of background noise.

An external filter is the best choice for any fish tank, if you can afford to use it. All the filtering is done outside the tank, keeping the filtered water separate from the unfiltered water until it is returned to the tank. A couple of long hoses connect the filter to the tank, one that supplies the filter and the other that returns the filtered water to the tank. This type of filter is the most effective but also the most expensive.

You can purchase any of these types of filters at your local fish shop, but may have a harder time finding the more expensive external type at a general pet store. The sump type filter will require a tank that is either altered or custom made. If you are going to spend the extra money on this type of set up it makes better sense to spend the money on a good quality external filter instead. An external fish tank filter will cost more up front but in the long run you will save on maintenance costs and fish costs because you will be providing the best habitat they need to live long and healthy lives.

How To Select Your Aquarium

Far too many people start off on the wrong foot by acquiring an aquarium first and deciding what to do with it afterwards. Sometimes this turns out well enough, but it is equally likely to cause a good deal of difficulty and expense.

In selecting your aquarium there are three things you must consider. Where you are going to locate it; what size will be right; and what style you should choose. As there are certain conditions that must be observed in order to have a successful aquarium, we will discuss location, size and style separately.

Location

Naturally you want to look at your fish, so choose a spot that will allow you to view them while you are seated comfortably. You will be watching them for hours.

Keep in mind that the beautiful colors of the fish are due to reflected light from their scales, so place your aquarium in a corner or along an inside wall where you have top or front light exclusively.

Although most tropical fish will withstand moderate variations of temperature it is best to avoid sudden or extreme changes. Remember that air circulation is a principal reason for varying temperature. This means that your aquarium should be located in a quiet place away from heaters or draughts or open windows.

Excessive light should be avoided also. Placing an aquarium in front of a window, or having a bright light shining in your aquarium, will cause the growth of disagreeable algae. Many kinds may form - some adhere to the glass, others form in filaments or strings throughout the aquarium, still others float and color the water green. You will then have the trouble of cleaning out your aquarium.

Size

There will be a natural inclination to begin by buying a small tank to see how it goes, with the possibility of getting a bigger one later if successful. This may appear wise on the face of it, but experience has shown that the smaller sizes of aquaria are much more liable to have things go wrong than the larger ones, and the chances of the initial cost- being wasted or additional cost being continually incurred are greater with small tanks.

So we strongly advise you to get the largest tank you can accommodate or afford. This is simply because a large body of water is not so liable to sudden changes of temperature, and is less likely to be affected by small amounts of harmful matter that may get into the tank; while the added space gives the fish better exercise and a chance to get away from the occasional bully among them.

Style

Today you can purchase an aquarium and style it to fit any decor - from traditional to modern, from handsome hardwood to wrought-iron, from knotty pine to polished chrome or plastic. You will find tanks finished so nicely that no other decoration is necessary - rectangular tanks with smooth or stippled stainless steel frames, modernistic flared styles where the top is wider than the bottom and is supported from the top of the tank, even large glass balls some two feet in diameter. Make your choice. Your own taste will dictate the tank you want to fit your location and size.

Keeping goldfish in small glass bowls is a form of cruelty which should be beneath the dignity of all people who call themselves civilized. Goldfish can be kept very successfully indoors in a properly filtered aquarium. They are ideal pets, being among the most colorful and easily cared-for fish, and do not require special heating. They must not be crowded, however.

Once you have considered the location, size and style of your aquarium, you are ready to buy one, and begin the wonderful hobby of fish-keeping.