Freshwater Aquarium Fish: The Vital Factors

A freshwater aquarium fish, just like any other, needs to be well taken care of. But in order for you to do it properly, you must first know some of the major points that you have to tackle while keeping your aquarium’s marine community intact. Fish tank sizeFor a start, keeping a large tank for a variable number of fish is highly recommended. This is because you can generally accommodate more fish without worrying about your aquarium’s “space-cifications”, and fish can move about more freely in large tanks. There is one good thing to note, though: there are some fish that like to cluster around a specific depth in the water, so some hobbyists actually prefer aquariums with sufficiently large surface areas rather than aquariums having a relatively high depth, although a combination of the two would probably be the best to consider. Feeding RoutinesFeeding your fish the right kind of food is important. Obviously because they risk starvation if you feed them something that they don’t want to eat, but also because unwanted side effects may arise if you feed them with the wrong kind of food. You can try to sprinkle a small amount of food to see which fish is the fastest to get to the food, and then you can add some more to see of there are still some willing to eat. You might also want to consider observing the competition routines of your fish. Remember, not all fish are surface eaters, and some are on the bottom-feeding category. If you see some of your top-dwelling fish racing around to get food at the surface, then chances are none of the food will reach the bottom, risking your bottom feeders of starvation, as well as leaving out some of the slower surface eaters in the process. You may want to separate these aggressive eaters in favor of the slower ones, if you ever want those bottom dwellers to be able to eat properly. Overfeeding is an entirely different issue, and often times beginner hobbyists are victims to this misapplication of fish care. For a good start, try feeding them something that they can consume completely within 5 minutes. During the startup cycle, feed them no more than once a day, and if the toxicity levels are getting high, it is recommended not to feed them for about a day or two.   Water ChemistryKeep the water chemistry at a good balance, because you can’t actually get rid of all the toxic substances that are created in an artificial aquatic ecosystem. Constantly check the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels of the water, and make sure to maintain your biological filtration system in check to keep the water safe. For the water pH levels, use substrates and materials that can maintain the pH level at a constant value that is suitable for your freshwater aquarium fish. Check these levels regularly for any significant changes, and be prepared to implement any counter measures to react to any imbalances in the water chemistry.  

Possibly related posts