Freshwater Fish Aquarium Basics

Freshwater fish tend to be hardier than their saltwater counterparts, which makes a freshwater aquarium easier to care for. Still, you have to follow some basic rules in setting up your aquarium. You need a tank, of course, as well as substrate or rocks to line the bottom. In addition, a filter and lighting is required.

The fish in your tank must be compatible in terms of temperature, P.H. and food requirements. You should also keep in mind a basic fact of nature --fish eat other fish. If this happens, don't be discouraged, but learn from it. You can keep this to a minimum by keeping fish of roughly the same size.

You should feed freshwater fish twice a day. Use only a small amount of food, that the fish can consume within five minutes. Excess food will quickly become debris and make the tank dirty. The water in the tank must be regulated and tested weekly. Correct and discrepancies in water temperature and P.H. immediately to reduce stress to the fish.

Stress is one of the most common causes of illness in fish. Signs of stress are fairly obvious if you consistently monitor the activity and overall well being of your fish. Are any of your fish slow-moving or lethargic? If so, they will require a stress coat, which you can buy at a pet shop.

Only change about one third of the aquarium's water at a time; this reduces any disturbance to the tank's inhabitants. Change this much water every two or three weeks, using either a bucket or siphon. When adding water, be sure to remove any loose or floating debris you spot. It is also crucial to make sure that the new water is close in temperature to the water already there, within two degrees or so.

Scrub the sides of the aquarium regularly to remove any build-up of algae. When doing this, be careful not to disturb the fish. Always thoroughly wash your hands both before and after contact with your aquarium. Remember to change the filters according to the manufacturer's recommendation. Filters remove left over food and fish waste; they only function properly when clean.

When your tank is new, start with hardy fish. These are fish that can tolerate the higher nitrite levels which are present in a new aquarium. Some such fish are live bearers, gouramis, barbs and danios. Do not add more than three or four small fish per week. Before adding fish, check with your retailer or do research, as acclimation times vary per species.

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