| Click on the links above to learn about freshwater and saltwater aquarium fish, their needs, care and interesting facts. |
| Aquarium Fish |
| Basic Tips For Beginners Don't Skimp On Your Equipment When it comes to heaters, pumps, and filters, "pay premium prices to get better quality," says Greg Lewbart, VMD, a professor of aquatic, wildlife, and zoologic medicine at North Carolina State University. "You're talking about life support." Cover the Tank Many fish jump to their death in the first 72 hours home. They're coming from an enclosed tank at the store, Lewbart points out: "They don't understand that there's nowhere to go." Dechlorinate Your Water Tap water kills fish--add a few drops of dechlorinator (available at pet stores) per gallon before it goes into the tank. Pick Hearty Fish Bettas, goldfish, oscars, and red-bellied pacus are tough, while neon tetras--the fish most people start with--rarely survive. Quarantine New Arrivals To protect against contagious diseases, keep new fish in an isolation tank or a (covered) 5-gallon bucket for 4 weeks. The same goes for anything alive, including plants. Change the Water Regularly Scoop or siphon out 10% of the tank's water each week, or about a third every month, and replace it with new (dechlorinated) water. Don't Overfeed No matter how hungry your fish look (because fish do beg, jostling each other at the front of the tank), follow the instructions on the food package label. Or buy the automatic food dispenser. |
