> Aquarium
Care
Aquarium
Care & Maintenance
Konrad
P. Schmidt
www.nativefish.org
Topics
Included:
-
Types of
Aquarium
-
Aquarium
Preperation
-
Care &
Maintenance
Introduction
The guidelines
for keeping aquariums vary with each individual's interest and
objectives. Nevertheless, everyone should be able to develop a
simple, customized routine, and still have a clean and healthy
aquarium, providing a few basic essentials are followed. The
information presented here is only a summary and directed toward
those who do not have a great deal of time to spend on aquarium
care and maintenance. Additional information and assistance should
be found at any pet store specializing in tropical fish.
Types of Aquarium
Aquariums can be
broadly grouped into three categories which consist of native,
tropical, and marine. Different sets of guidelines are required
for each category. Generally, Native fish are the hardiest and
easiest to keep, and no aquarium heater is required. Tropical fish
require a fairly constant temperature between 70 and 85 degrees,
which is usually controlled by a submersible heater. Most
tropicals also remain healthier when one teaspoon of non-iodized
salt is added per gallon of water (10 teaspoons for a 10 gallon
aquarium). With few exceptions, both natives and tropicals can be
kept in the same community aquarium providing all fishes are
selected on the basis of size and disposition. Finally, marine
aquariums, by far, offer the greatest diversity and the brightest
colors of all three categories. Unfortunately, at least in the
initial steps of aquarium preparation, they require the most
amount of time and effort. The guidlelines are not difficult to
follow, however, anyone considering a marine aquarium for the
first time should contact a pet store where instructions and
assistance are available on an as needed basis.
Aquarium Preparation
No soaps or
detergents should ever be used in cleaning the inside surfaces of
aquariums. If the glass is dirty or has an algae film, use only
cool or luke-warm water and a dish scrub pad (3M products are a
personal favorite). Place the under gravel filter in aquarium and
attach air hose to filter stems and air pump. Rinse the gravel
using a noodle strainer until water is clear. One pound per gallon
(10 pounds for a 10 gallon aquarium) is the minimum needed to
provide the proper depth. Place the gravel in aquarium, and though
landscaping is not required, a few rocks or drift wood provides
aesthetics and cover. Fill the aquarium with water. If fish are to
be added on the same day and the water supply is chlorinated, a
neutralizer must be used. Otherwise, chlorine will evaporate in
24-48 hours and fish can be added then. Aquatic plants are also
not required, but provide the same benefits as landscaping.
Normally, the water will remain cloudy for the first three or four
days before clearing. For tropical fish, add non-iodized salt and
adjust the temperature. Some tropicals such as tetras should also
have the pH adjusted to around neutral (7.0). This can be done
with a pH test kit and reagents available at most pet stores. Fish
shouldbe gradually acclimated to the new aquarium. Place fish with
the water they came with in a plastic bag and roll the top down
far enough to form an "inner tube." Float bag for twenty
to thirty minutes, then add water from the aquarium, and float for
another five minutes before releasing the fish. A full hood should
be used to prevent fish from jumping. Most hoods come equipped
with either a fluorescent or incadescent light. Both work well on
aquariums, but low wattage bulbs should be used with incadescent
fixtures to minimize the increase in water temperature.
Aquarium Care and Maintenance
Ideally, an
aquarium can safely support about one inch of fish per gallon (10
inches in a 10 gallon aquarium). This can easily be doubled, but
losses may occur in the event of a power failure. There are
several types of food available and most fish will eagerly accept
flake foods such as Tetra-Min, but others will require frozen such
as brine shrimp or live such as glass worms. The fish should only
be fed once per day. It is better to feed too little than too
much. Shortly after feeding, there should be no accumulation of
food remaining on the bottom of aquarium. Feeding fish on weekends
is not necessary and most can actually go without food for
extended holidays, however, when possible, a "maintenance
meal" once a week is recommended. There are many diseases
which afflict both native and tropical fishes, but probably the
two most common are fungus and Ich. Fungus occurs after an injury
or loss of the protective mucous coating and appears as white,
cotton-like patches. If treated early, Fungus Cure tablets are
very effective. Ich usually occurs after a period of stress such
as fluctuating water temperatures and looks like small grains of
salt. Natives are rarely seriously afflicted, but tropicals should
be treated with Nox-Ich or other medications containing malachite
green. Aquariums which are not over-crowded or over-fed should
only require a complete cleaning once every year, however, about
twenty-five percent (2.5 gallons in a 10 gallon aquarium) of the
water should be removed with a siphon tube and replaced with fresh
(chlorine-free) tap water. The non-iodized salt should also be
replaced in tropical fish aquariums. This is probably the most
time consuming part of aquarium maintenance, but if it is not
done, the water will gradually acidify killing the plants and
making the fish prone to pH shock. Species vary in their tolerance
to this condition, and losses may occur when adding new fish to an
acid aquarium or after cleaning, returning acid acclimated fish to
basic (pH > 7.0) water.
Additional Information Sources
There are several
books and magazines available for tropical fishes and an
impressive assortment on almost any topic can be found at many pet
stores. A major publisher is Tropical Fish Hobbyist (T.F.H) which
also has a monthly magazine.
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