Have you just purchased a a freshwater aquarium but are not completely sure how to maintain a clean aquarium that will enhance the health and lives of you fish? In this blog I aim to share a few tips that i have aquired over the years of looking after fish as well as breeding fish and generally keeping fish healthy and happy for many years.
Community or non community?
The most important thing that you need to decide when you purchase a freshwater tank is, whether you want it to be a community tank(lots of different species of fish) or a non community tank (one type of fish). If you decide to have a community tank you must be careful of the fish you buy to put in your tank. This is because although having lots of different types of fish makes you aquarium colourful and adverse, many fish have preferences and different aggressive potentials. Do not feel embarrassed to ask the fish shop whether the fish you want to purchase will be ok with the fish you allready have in there. I made this mistake once and I was not warned about two chichlids I bought and when I introduced them into my community tank they killed all my tetras within minutes.
Size
You must also think about the size of your aquarium as too many fsh in a small aquarium can spell disaster as overcrowding leads to diseases and stress that seriously shortens the life span of your fish.
Plants
Another important thing about healthy fish is to make the tank as natural as possible. Many shops sell different types of plants and gravel as well as drifwood pieces to enhance, not only the way your tank will look but also the lives of your fish. If you are a beginner you can ask your local aquarium shop for advice on which plants are easy to look after and need less care. When I first started I purchased plants such as Java fern and Java moss. These plants are very cheap and also very easy to look after. In fact I did not need any special lighting or special CO2 pumps to help with growth. There is a huge selection of plants that you can use to make your tanks beautiful and Java moss is especially usefull if you plan to breed fish as it allows eggs to hide well and remain safe. If you find that your aquarium shop does not have certain plants on offer, many aquarium shops allow you to order any plants that you have seen on the internet to your aquarium shop.
Lighting
Many shops offer different types of lighting to make your aquarium as natural as possible. There are also different fluorescent lights that enhance your aquarium as well as help to grow your plants. Having said that, you can buy one fluorescent light and have less demanding plants and still have a lovely looking aquarium and enhance the colours of your fish.
Cleaning
Cleaning is essential when keeping fish. It stops the spread of disease, build up of algae and keeps the water clean for healthy fish. In my four foot tank, i usually change twenty percent of the water every month. This keeps the ph levels in balance. It is advised that if you have an external filter then you carry out a clean every month. Whereas an internal filter requires you to clean your tank more frequently. Although there are many different implements to help you clean your tank, if you have an external filter you are more likely to find that you can use it as a vaccum to clean the gravel. If however you do not have an external filter or your external filter does not have this feature, you can simply use a small piece of your garden hose and a bucket to clean the dirt of the tank floor.
You may also find that over some period of time there is green algae growing on the aquarium. Most of the time this happens because you have placed your aquarium where sunlight reaches it or it is naturally growing. Algae can lead to many problems from taking all nutrients that your other plants need, as well as destroying them down to simply making the tank look messy. A rough surfaced sponge can easily remove algae without scratching the aquarium, so you wont need to spend money on different purpose tools.
You may also wish to purchase cheap chemical medicines (such as filter aid) that help to enlarge the dirt floating in your tank so that your filter wont pass them through.
Please remember to turn off your aquarium lights when carrying out your aquarium cleaning as this reduces the level of stress you fish is exposed to.
If you have any questions on anything i have posted or want more information on the fish you have purchased or any advise on what types to purchase then please dont hesitate to ask. I have been a keen fish keeper for only over six years but it has become a passionate subject that I learn more about daily.
