Freshwater Aquaria

[thebond]

Hi All

I've been hoping one day to turn my hobby into a business and with all the interest and fascination in aquaria, and the joys it brings to hobbyists and families alike I just thought as my first entry to this forum I mention a few of the basics in keeping and maintaining freshwater fish in aquariums.

I've been keeping, breeding and setting up freshwater aquariums? for the last ten years, and it pains me to see many fish deaths being caused by bad maintenance. There has been a rise in people purchasing aquariums? without really doing their research into how to look after their new pets. The biggest killer of fish is poor water quality, and you can only achieve a good environment for your pets if you invest some quality time like you would on any enjoyable hobby in the first months of your tank maturing.

Remember aquarium fish live in their own toilet and the bigger the tank the easier to maintain, so get the biggest tank you can afford within your budget, but you'll also need good filtration and for tropical fish a thermostat and heater is required.

Coldwater fish i.e. Goldfish and their fancy cousins need bigger tanks or stocked to a lesser degree as they create more waste.

When maintaining and cleaning its imperative you only do a partial water change i.e. 20%-30% per fortnight at the very least. You must ensure the new water is treated with a ready available declorinator to counter the additives, including Chlorine, Calcium hydroxide, Chloramine, Fluorosilicic acid to name a few put in for us to drink, which if left untreated are poisonous to fish. Another important factor to consider with the replacement water is to make sure it is the same temperature of that in the tank. Sudden water temperature changes can be a killer. Just use a cheap internal thermostat to gauge the new water. Tropical will need to be warmer, never use hot water from the tap. I use hot water from a boiled kettle to get the temperature up to the required amount. This should be mixed, treated and checked in a bucket before adding to the tank.

As you don't need a heater for coldwater fish just ensure the replacement water is at room temperature, You will find water from the tap will be colder than room temperature, so either store the bucket of treated new water overnight to get up to room temperature or for quickness had boiled hot water and test with a thermometer before adding to tank.

A good tip when cleaning the sponges from your filter is never clean/rinse under the tap, clean them in the old tank water you have taken out. It is important especially when the tank set up is new to allow the good bacteria to benefit the maturation of the aquarium, helping to prevent 'new tank syndrome'

Hope this has been of help, please feel free to contact me if I can help further.

REMEMBER

Good maintenance = responsible pet owner

Good filtration = good fish management

Quality water = healthy fish

Happy fish = enjoyable and happy owners

A happy hobbyist :)

James

[Sue]

Very interesting but will be moved to the lounge in a flip of a fish's tail :)

PS If you're ever in Oxford, visit The Goldfish Bowl, brilliant shop, Magdalen Road is between Cowley Road and Iffley Road.

[thebond]

I know the Goldfish Bowl very well as I use to live in Oxford, it's one of the best, though a little expensive, but you pay for what you get.

[Frankito]

Interesting reading and lots of things I didn't know. I keep thinking about getting one but it is so much work.

[thebond]

Frankito, After the initial set up and you have everything up and running all you have to do is feed them everyday, and you can get automatic feeders which mean you don't have to physically be there. So great for when you're away. Admittedly in the first few months you need to do more maintenance and checks, but no more than 1-3 hours every fortnight. You would spent more time walking and looking after a dog.

After a while when the tank has matured the good bacteria starts to create it's own biolife and then the tank starts to look after itself. Check out Practical Fishkeeping this is arguable the best site for information, with loads of extras.

[Frankito]

Fair point, I do have a dog who takes up a fair deal of my time. Hmmm, I sense a Christmas present...

I used to have fresh water fish years ago and I found cleaning the tank a bit of a mission. But I did love watching the fish, very calming. I also loved watching my cat at the time who was transfixed by them. She used to stalk the little ones round the tank. We do think she stared/ scared a few of them to death but hey ho, that's nature for you.

[Alan Medic]

It's a lot easier to keep a snake.

[Frankito]

I have never understood the fascination for snakes..

[Annette Curtain]

Really Frankito-poos

Oh but the snake provokes much fascination in the philosophical world.

http://pervegalit.files.wordpress.com/2010/01/snake-eats-itself.jpg

From death, it is from the fear of death that all cognition of the All begins. Philosophy has the audacity to cast off the fear of the earthly, to remove from death its poisonous sting, from Hades his pestilential breath.

* scratches head *

.....and that aside, the snake eating its self is pretty cool.

I mean, how do you eat your own teeth ?

( answers on a postcard please )

Nette:)

[Alan Medic]

10.0

[Frankito]

Curtain girl, I was thinking more frivolous than philosophy cos I is fik.. Snakes eating themselves... Are you serious? That wouldn't make for a very good family pet? Where does one begin the grieving process?