Getting a Pet Fish - Basics You Should Know

Are you thinking of getting a pet fish? Here’s what you need to know about fish before bringing one (or more) home as a pet.

Where to Keep Your Pet Fish?

You should keep your pet fish in an aquarium or a small fish tank – though an aquarium is better – and not a fish pond. When choosing an aquarium for your pet fish, choose a big one even if you’re kicking off with a small pet fish – the bigger the aquarium, the better. More so, bigger aquariums are easier to care for. 

We recommend that you choose an aquarium of 20-gallon capacity or larger. The more water in the aquarium, the easier it’ll be to maintain the “balance” in the aquarium.

How to Care for The Water in The Aquarium

Make the water you add to the aquarium liveable, breathable, and healthy. While well water is better because it is void of chlorine, you can also use tap water in the aquarium if that’s the only option available. Simply add a conditioner to the tap water to dechlorinate it.

You also need to grow healthy bacteria on a new filtration system to filter out toxins. This process is referred to as cycling. Lastly, you must replenish the minerals and essential elements in the water between water changes by adding a suitable water treatment. This practice will prevent the water in the aquarium from becoming stale.

How to Maintain the Aquarium?

• Add your fish’s feed daily in the aquarium. Add it once or twice daily and in small doses. 
• Make sure that the aquarium has a light for about eight to 12 hours daily – 10 hours is ideal. You will need a lighting system for this.
• Check the water temp every day and maintain an optimal temperature of about 26°C. You need a thermometer to take this reading and a heater to warm up the water.
• Change 25% of the water twice a week.
• Clean the aquarium or fish tank once a month using water only and change the filter cartridge.
• If the aquarium or fish tank is made of glass, clean it inside and out and siphon up waste.

Where to Keep the Aquarium?

The spot to keep the aquarium matters. Keep the aquarium or water tank away from high-traffic areas and place it in a place away from heating or air vents, windows, or direct sunlight. This will reduce fish stress. You can also add some hiding places or natural cover in the aquarium like rocks, plants, and other safe decorations. If you use real plants, you’ll need to do some maintenance like trimming and adding fertilizers.

Research Well Before Getting a Tank Mate

You may wish to get a tank mate for your pet fish. When you want to do so, don’t just get any kind of fish as a tank mate for your pet fish. This is because not all fish play well together. Just like humans, different fishes have different personalities. 

While community fish are good tank mates, aggressive fish don’t need tank mates – some need special mates. We recommend that you consult your local fish retailer to know the best mix of fish species.

Conclusion

Getting and keeping a pet fish is a lot easier than you might think and it’s fun but you must understand what your pet fish needs and constantly provide it to ensure that your pet fish enjoys a happy and healthy life. While looking for a hiding place or decoration to place in your aquarium, you may consider using artificial plants.

Though artificial plants look real and can be easily maintained, only real plants can balance certain nutrients and biochemicals in your aquarium.