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Aquarium Care

Compared to other dogs and cats, fish and aquariums need very small amounts of daily care.

Aquarium Lighting

Lighting is not only important because it makes it more enjoyable to view the tank, but it is essential for fish health. Fish cannot close their eyes to sleep, so they need lighting to simulate day and night to help prevent stress. It is up to the aquarist to simulate the natural photo period in the tank, either manually, or by the use of timers to do it automatically.

Fish Feeding

Flake food:
The range and quality of flake fish foods on the market today is great for both our animals and their keepers. Flake isn't perfect, but it comes pretty close. For the average aquarist, it's at the heart of a balanced feeding regime.

Pellets, wafers and sticks:
Pellets, wafers and stick food are variations on flake, simply delivered in different formats. Each has its specific uses.

Frozen foods:
The most common frozen foods are among the best we can offer our fish - frozen bloodworms and frozen adult brine shrimp. Both are excellent, especially for young fish and potential breeders. As long as they have not been thawed and refrozen, they retain a lot of their original nutritional value.

Live food:
A lot of aquarists, especially those interested in breeding their fish, will either collect or culture live food animals.

Water Changes

The most talked about part of aquarium maintenance is the water change.

A water change should be performed about every 2 weeks. In most cases 10-15% of the tank volume is sufficient. A good habit is to replace the water extracted while “vacuuming” the gravel. This will eliminate uneaten foods and other residues that settle in the substrate.

And Remember

DON'T add too many fish to a new aquarium.
DON'T overfeed your fish.
DON'T tap on the glass or startle your fish.
DON'T tear down an aquarium to clean it. Keeping fish and gravel in place, use a siphon hose to change part of the water and clean gravel of debris.

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