How to Set up and Maintain a Tropical Fish Tank Aquarium
Posted on 09. Jul, 2009 by admin in Aquariums, Fishtanks
A tropical aquarium can be a fascinating accessory for your home which is both good-looking and beneficial. It will be enjoyable for guests and householders and both children and adults will be fascinated and entertained. For a novice setting up a tropical fish tank aquarium for the first time we’ve put together some guidelines to help you to to set up and enjoy your new aquarium and to keep it healthy and looking beautiful.
Study the different types of fish you will be placing into your aquarium before you go to buy your fish. Make certain you know how large the fish are going to grow and the number that can be safely accommodated in the tank once they are fully grown. A too crowded tank will not be a healthy tank! Then check the species of fish that can be housed together. A tank that houses several species of fish that can live peacefully together is called a community tank. A number of fish, for example rosy barbs and tiger barbs, may well be okay when they are very young but mature into aggressive bullies. There are many fish that can be placed in a community tank including Lyretail, Leopard Catfish, Horseface Loach, Hatchetfish, Guppy, Molly, Neon Tetra, Opaline Gourami. Head Tail Light Tetra and many more.
Now that your tank is filled here are a few tips to help to look after it:
* Never overfeed - Decaying food left in the aquarium will emit toxic chemicals and hurt your fish. Only put in as much food as the fish are able to finish off in approximately 3 minutes, twice a day. Fish are meant to be hungry nearly all of the time and if they don’t approach to the top of the aquarium when you open the lid to feed them you are giving them too much!
* Twice a month partially exchange the water. Clean the glass more often using an algae scraper and every month or so take out synthetic plants, rocks and decorations to remove algae. Do not change all the water or clean the filter, ornaments, rocks, plants etc at the same time. This will remove all the useful bacteria that you spent so long to encourage in the first place and stress the fish as the ammonia levels increase.
* Top up the tank when necessary with chlorine free water. If you prefer not to use chemicals to de chlorinate the water, leave a covered bucket of tap water for two days to allow the chlorine to evaporate
* For newly purchased fish or fish with signs of illness you should set up a small quarantine fish tank. Put any newly purchased fish into the quarantine tank for about 7 days to avoid introducing any diseases into your main aquarium.
* Carry on testing the water for ammonia, nitrite and pH levels a few times a week to catch anything going wrong before distress is caused to the fish. If problems start to occur a partial water change often corrects things without resorting to any harsh chemicals.
Finally have fun and consider joining a local tropical fish association. Chatting with other fish keeping enthusiasts is an excellent way to discover more about your new hobby.
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