3 Steps to a New Healthy Fish Tank
Lots of people enjoy having a pet and enjoying the benefits of pet ownership. However not everyone has the time or the desire to own a cat or dog or even more exotic pets like snakes or lizards. Some people want pets that are easy to take care of, provide them with enjoyment but don’t need lots of hands on maintenance. These people are generally the fish owners. Owning a tropical fish tank can be a rewarding and fun experience. There are some initial do’s and don’ts before you get started. Lets talk about a few of those steps right now.
First tip: when your aquarium is first purchased do not expect to buy any fish that day. There are many things you need to do to prepare the tank for fish first. This entire process could take from a couple days to a week. Getting the tank completely ready is one of the most important parts of having healthy pet fish! Without getting into a lot of specifics remember that you must get the ph level of your fish tank just right.
PH level is the amount of the acidity. This can be accomplished by purchasing a very inexpensive kit that will do tests and correct any problems. By not doing this first you run great risk in having healthy fish. In my experience this is a very important facet of having an aquarium. Check the PH once a week and make sure you have no problems with ph levels.
Second: another factor of having a healthy fish environment is bacteria. Your tank usually takes 2-6 weeks to build up bacteria that are needed for aquarium fish. You can either borrow some water from someone who has a tank or you can buy bacteria from a pet store. When you purchase accessories for your tank such as stones decorations and filtration systems be sure to clean them all very good before placing them into your tank. You can imagine merchandise laying in stores and being handled by many people. Make sure they are clean and you will have a successful tank.
Thirdly: the next step we’ll briefly discuss is temperature. It must be in the 24C - 28C range. Buy an aquarium heater for your fish tank. Place it in the water and wait 30 minutes before plugging it in. If you don’t, you run the risk of it shattering in the water. When you are ready to purchase your first pet fish make sure the size of your fish also match the size of your tank. Add one or two fish per 20 liters to begin with. Float them in your tank for 15 minutes before letting them loose in the tank. After they are in your tank for a couple hours feed them a small portion to get them used to the tank.
After about a month your new tank should be ready to populate. Aquariums can be a self satisfying hobby. They can be soothing, fun to watch and addictive to shop for. They can also be a beautiful addition to your home. Learn all that you can about tropical fish to have the healthiest fish tank possible.
Health benefits of owning fish are well known. Enjoy the power of tropical fish! Shop our cheap aquarium supplies now