Keeping an aquarium at home is more than just a regular centerpiece of your living room. It is a tiny ecosystem where your favorite fishes would thrive for the rest of their lives; hence, it becomes your duty to keep them happy and healthy.
The health of the fish doesn’t only depend upon the water quality and food. If you already own an aquarium, you would know how numerous factors contribute to their good growth. As beginners, you might find it challenging as is there is just too much confusing and contradictory information available online. Even a single mistake can affect the health of the fish and cost you their lives sooner than expected.
When buying aquariums, you have to first understand that these are the home for your fishes and need desired maintenance from time to time. Though it will have you hooked for life, it can be a rewarding experience.
Here are few basic ideas to help the newbies learn the art of fish keeping and enjoy a great-looking aquarium –
Testing the Aquarium Water
If you’ve ever had an aquarium at home, you would realize how fragile the fishes are and how challenging it is to keep them alive for long. Fishes don’t adapt to changes in water type easily, so it is important to test your aquarium water to understand its chemistry. You have been aware of the water parameters for nitrate, nitrite, ammonia, and pH levels suitable for the healthy lives of fishes and monitor it throughout with the help of a water testing kit. You would also need to carry out the test once a week and keep a close check if any of the mentioned chemical compounds build up in unhealthy amounts.
Performing the Water Change
It is the most vital preventive measure undertaken by the fish keepers to maintain a healthy aquarium. Replacing a part of your fish tank with fresh water on a regular basis is better than adding more chemicals to it. Just removing one-third of the water from the tank and pouring in clean water as a replacement works great for diluting all the chemicals and making it liveable for your fish. In fact, this activity can help you in sustaining the appropriate water parameters without much hassle.
Feeding the Aquarium Fish
Never overfeed the fish as it can kill them. The uneaten food settles down in the water tank and quickly contaminates it. So, it is always best to feed the amount of food that is just sufficient for fish and that they can finish off in a few minutes. You can use high-quality flake foods on a routine basis and fresh-frozen or live food once in a while to ensure your fishes’ diet is complete. Buy a limited quantity of food that can be used within a few months as the nutritional value starts deteriorating from the day the packets are opened.
