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- Important Information for those new to the Aquarium Hobby
Important Information for those new to the Aquarium Hobby
- By Melinda Dyson
- Published 06/29/2010
- Saltwater , Articles , Freshwater , Articles
-
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Melinda Dyson
Registered veterinary technician with a background in saltwater aquariums, small animal care, and general pet health :)
View all articles by Melinda DysonBasic Tips
Most important rule of anything ( especially pet ownership) : Research!!
Research what will work best for you and your budget. Bigger is better to a certain degree because theres less fluctuation in water parameters. a 55 gallon will be better tha na 8 gallon biocube to start out with because of salinity flucuations and the fact that a small amt. of something can throw it out of wack. A bigger tank 75 gallon + is also good of course! Of course you can start with a small tank, but be prepared in knowing it will be a bit harder .
Quarantine tanks are something every tank owner needs to have! Even if it is a simple 10 gallon set up. Please please QT any new fish! From my experience personally, I can show the value of a QT. My very first two fish ( two clowns) I put directly into my 55 gallon when I started the tank - two days later they both developed Ich. One died, the other survived.. but I had to go through the agony of catching the remaining fish, putting it in the QT after the fact, treating it and leaving my main tank fishless for 8 weeks.. a big pain! On the subject, please dont ever use any medicatons in your main tank, especially copper ( you can never have inverts) and be careful with antibioics.. they can destroy your good bacteria, cause an ammonia spike and kill fish ( unfortunatly, I did this, too..) please research any treatments and follow directions!!!
Use Ro/DI water if you can. It will save a lot of frustration with nucience algae! The 'stuff' in your tap water will accumulate after a while and cause ph swings, algae outbreaks and general stress on your fish.
Researching fish can save lives, money and frustration. a beautiful little tang does not belong in a biocube or 10 gallon. A lion fish will eat clownfish, certain inverts will eat your coral. Knowing what lives well with what and how big of a tank they need will really save a lot in the long run. Dont do impulse buys - go home and research first. Please be aware you can only fit so many fish in a tank as well. Too many fsh = fish deaths through fighting or too big of a bioload with ammonia spikes etc.
For freshwater - dont be fooled by what is common. An example: betas do horrible in little bowls, as do goldfish - please dont do it because its cute, look into the proper care of any creature before you purchase - no impulses!
Know how to run a tank before you even set it up. Know there are water changes involved, weekly testing, topping off ( with fresh water!!) suppliments etc. There are many things that you can choose to add / not add. Find out what type of filtration works better for you.
Cycle your tank without any fish. You need to get a nitrogren cycle up and running properly before adding any. Cycling with fish is considered cruel and ca cost you a lot of fishie lives. It may take a few weeks, but your tank and fish will be a lot happier in the long run. Theres many good links on the subject.
Check your equipment often. A small leak can cause a lot of major problems very quickly as well as a electric 'leak' by equipment in the tank.
Do some research on a good LFS. Be wary of LFS - they can and often do provide good advice, but be sure to do your own research before buying anything. After all they're there to sell things. It could save you a lot of money. Also, see if a LFS can hold a fish for you. I've seen some very pretty expensive fish look wondeful one day, and be deathly sick the next. A lot of stress comes from shipping, acclimating etc.
If you're unsure about anything.. ask!! Its better to get some advice before ( pardon the pun) 'diving' into anything head first. There are many times I wish I would have asked about something before I did it.
Lastly - dont do anything if you're unprepared to follow through with itand do it as you're intended to. If you're unwilling to do water changes 2 x weekly for 10+ years ( as long as some fish live.. even longer) dont bother with a tank. But, same goes for things with a tank as well.. I've seen good reviews about vodka dosing, dosing suppliments, using certain equipment etc. These things will only work well if you follow directions and keep up with it. A lapse can cause death in your lifestock.. weither it be over dosing something, or neglecting to clean a filter etc.
I hope my experiences will help save you some frustration.. good luck!
Research what will work best for you and your budget. Bigger is better to a certain degree because theres less fluctuation in water parameters. a 55 gallon will be better tha na 8 gallon biocube to start out with because of salinity flucuations and the fact that a small amt. of something can throw it out of wack. A bigger tank 75 gallon + is also good of course! Of course you can start with a small tank, but be prepared in knowing it will be a bit harder .
Quarantine tanks are something every tank owner needs to have! Even if it is a simple 10 gallon set up. Please please QT any new fish! From my experience personally, I can show the value of a QT. My very first two fish ( two clowns) I put directly into my 55 gallon when I started the tank - two days later they both developed Ich. One died, the other survived.. but I had to go through the agony of catching the remaining fish, putting it in the QT after the fact, treating it and leaving my main tank fishless for 8 weeks.. a big pain! On the subject, please dont ever use any medicatons in your main tank, especially copper ( you can never have inverts) and be careful with antibioics.. they can destroy your good bacteria, cause an ammonia spike and kill fish ( unfortunatly, I did this, too..) please research any treatments and follow directions!!!
Use Ro/DI water if you can. It will save a lot of frustration with nucience algae! The 'stuff' in your tap water will accumulate after a while and cause ph swings, algae outbreaks and general stress on your fish.
Researching fish can save lives, money and frustration. a beautiful little tang does not belong in a biocube or 10 gallon. A lion fish will eat clownfish, certain inverts will eat your coral. Knowing what lives well with what and how big of a tank they need will really save a lot in the long run. Dont do impulse buys - go home and research first. Please be aware you can only fit so many fish in a tank as well. Too many fsh = fish deaths through fighting or too big of a bioload with ammonia spikes etc.
For freshwater - dont be fooled by what is common. An example: betas do horrible in little bowls, as do goldfish - please dont do it because its cute, look into the proper care of any creature before you purchase - no impulses!
Know how to run a tank before you even set it up. Know there are water changes involved, weekly testing, topping off ( with fresh water!!) suppliments etc. There are many things that you can choose to add / not add. Find out what type of filtration works better for you.
Cycle your tank without any fish. You need to get a nitrogren cycle up and running properly before adding any. Cycling with fish is considered cruel and ca cost you a lot of fishie lives. It may take a few weeks, but your tank and fish will be a lot happier in the long run. Theres many good links on the subject.
Check your equipment often. A small leak can cause a lot of major problems very quickly as well as a electric 'leak' by equipment in the tank.
Do some research on a good LFS. Be wary of LFS - they can and often do provide good advice, but be sure to do your own research before buying anything. After all they're there to sell things. It could save you a lot of money. Also, see if a LFS can hold a fish for you. I've seen some very pretty expensive fish look wondeful one day, and be deathly sick the next. A lot of stress comes from shipping, acclimating etc.
If you're unsure about anything.. ask!! Its better to get some advice before ( pardon the pun) 'diving' into anything head first. There are many times I wish I would have asked about something before I did it.
Lastly - dont do anything if you're unprepared to follow through with itand do it as you're intended to. If you're unwilling to do water changes 2 x weekly for 10+ years ( as long as some fish live.. even longer) dont bother with a tank. But, same goes for things with a tank as well.. I've seen good reviews about vodka dosing, dosing suppliments, using certain equipment etc. These things will only work well if you follow directions and keep up with it. A lapse can cause death in your lifestock.. weither it be over dosing something, or neglecting to clean a filter etc.
I hope my experiences will help save you some frustration.. good luck!
Spread The Word
3 Responses to "Important Information for those new to the Aquarium Hobby "
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said this on 13 Sep 2010 8:19:45 PM CDT
I am a beginner have kept for several years Kois in a pond have survives cold winters producing an ice layer one inch thick, my question: have two of them left wayng one pound, ¿is it a risk to add new kois smaller in sice?
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said this on 27 Jul 2011 12:13:04 AM CDT
I have hear that water from the faucet is not a good source to use. I have heard distilled water or if you have no choice boil tape water then wait until it cools before adding any fish of any kind. I agree that research always pays off in the end since it allows to to make better sound decisions.
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said this on 01 Mar 2012 4:41:06 PM CDT
Tap water is fine depending on location. If you are curious take a sample to your LFS and they will test it for u as well as give advice.
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