If you too enjoy caring for creatures such as water plants and fish, you will find some interesting advice in the list below. And when we say art, we refer to the art of crating your aquarium a natural environment in which the fish and plants can grow and come to interact in a peaceful and natural way.
1. The Location
Find a place that supports the aquarium’s weight and remember that each gallon has about 8 lbs. so 10 gallon tank with gravel and decor will be almost 100 lbs. Also, choose the location wisely as it needs to be protected from direct sun rays. Avoid placing the aquarium in places where it might get bumped into.
2. Compatibility
Find out what fish are compatible with the ones that you already own. Make sure you don’t stress them by adding a subject that is not compatible to the environment. Some fish are more aggressive than others. Take this into consideration when acquiring new fish for your aquarium.
3. Introduction
Whether you buy new fish that you want to add to the aquarium, placing the bag inside the aquarium for about 15 minutes will help get the water in the bag at the same temperature with the water in the tank. You will want then to dip water from your tank into the bag before slowly letting the fish into your tank. This way you are making sure the fish are at a constant temperature during the transfer.
4. Cleaning
Before adding any new gravel, rocks or bogwood to create a more natural version of the environment inside the aquarium, you will need to make sure that all the elements that you place inside the water are clean. If they are not they will affect the dish and they might contract disease and die. Wash the gravel until the water is clear and also place the rocks in boiling water and let them rest for at least an hour. Bogwood needs to be soaked over night in fresh clean boiling water until the water is clear the morning after.
5. Utensils
You need to understand that when dealing with an aquarium, it is very easy to make a mistake. This is why you need to think beforehand if any of the materials you are using to create your own corner of nature have been in contact with any chemicals like bleach, soap etc. The safer way to prevent an accident is to buy a bucket and any necessary utensils and use them only when dealing with the fish tank. Let the other member in you family knew what they are for so they won’t use the objects.
6. Ornaments
Never put shells, corals or anything off the beach into your cold water or tropical aquarium. They are not usually encountered in the cold water or tropical natural environment. It might poison the environment therefore poison your fish. You might not see signs at first but in time they may affect the wellbeing of your fish.
7. Water
You should do a quarter water change every 4 – 6 weeks, this stops the potential build up of fish waste getting to high. Treat the alter that you want to add to your aquarium with conditioners like Aqua safe, Stress go, Fresh start or Haloex to clear off any bad metal ions and chlorine in the tap water. Follow the instructions mentioned on the products package. Also, bring the water you want to add to the tank to a temperature similar to that of the water inside the tank before adding it.
8. Temperature
The ideal tank temperature for tropical fish is 75 – 80 F (24 – 26 C). Make sure you always keep the water temperature between the rates adequate for the fish wellbeing. If the tank is placed near a heat source, cool it down every one in a while. Also, when changing the water from the tank make sure that the added water is at the same temperature as the one already in the tank. A thermometer is also an useful tool through which you can know at all times the temperature of the water in the tank. The small pieces of food can also cloud the water in the tank for a while.
9. Food
Don’t crush the fish food before putting it in the water. The fish can choose freely what pieces to eat and they can take bites from the flakes. It you crush it, the fish will feed on the bigger parts and the small ones will only fall on the bottom of the tank and become waste.
If the water gets cloudy, it means that you crushed the fish flakes too much. You can easily clear it by changing a quarter of the water or by using a product such as Accu clear, Filter aid, acurel. Overfeeding is the main issue when it comes to this hobby. Observe the food habits of your fish and feed them accordingly.
10. Algae
If the plants in your tank tend to grow wild and become overgrown, a simple solution can be trimming down the plants and algae. Also, monitor the number of hours that the tank is exposed to light. This should be of approximately 12 hours, depending on the type of fish and plants that you have in your tank. You can also use an algae control product (like Algazin, Green away, Clear water).
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