Keeping an aquarium in your home is a fun as well as rewarding activity. It provides years of satisfaction and even stress relief. But when it comes to the aquarium, the problems are foreseeable. Whether old or new, small or big, it not at all matters; problems will appear. Finding the cause and fixing it on time is a key to enduring success. Also, they present an excellent opportunity to learn more about how you can keep it healthier by learning what common mistakes to avoid when considering adding it to your home. To learn more about fishes and aquarium, you can refer to this site and become more knowledgeable.
Here are few common fish tank problems that start aquarist experience-
– Beginning with too small fish tank- Small fish tank can be too difficult to maintain compared to the big ones and aren’t the right pick up the starters. The condition tends to be stable in bigger ones. If things start going wrong, you have time to correct those. Fish tank 20-55 gallons are suitable for the new aquarist. Always begin with the giant-sized fish tank.
– Not cycling it- It requires time in establishing the biological balance in the fish tank. There are the products available in the market which helps speeding up the process. The safest way of cycling the newly set up fish tank is to – Add few fishes initially, feed carefully, check the ammonia level and nitrate level until they stabilize at zero before adding more fishes. Repeat the process unless it is stocked completely.
– Purchasing the fishes on the same day as the fish tank- A freshly setup aquarium isn’t ready for the fist on the initial day. A new fish tank setup should run for at least 2-3 days before introducing the fishes to the tank.
– Adding plenty of fishes- A new one is a clean biological slate. The microbes that filter water and develop balance in the tank aren’t established. A sudden overload of fishes can increase toxic ammonia and nitrite level dangerously.
– Not testing water in a new fish tank- It is impossible to determine if nitrate or ammonia problems are developing of it is safe to add fishes to your new fish tank without testing the water. Existing fishes can adjust steadily to the rising nitrate levels and ammonia levels and may not show any sign of distress unless late. New purchases can be stressed if added to with high level because they don’t have time to adjust. There isn’t a magic safe time interval for bringing in new fishes, and you cannot see nitrate and ammonia in water. Testing is the way of knowing whether the water there in it is safe or not.
– Overstocking- When you are new to bring in the fish to your home, you may want to purchase each beautiful fish you see. There isn’t a limit about how many fishes you can introduce to the fish tank, despite how big or small it is or how efficient the filter is. Many fishes grow bigger after being bought, and some are territorial and becomes destructive when crowded with the other fishes. Always choose the fishes in a tiny amount in your fish tank instead of too many.
– Overfeeding- It is normal to become concerned about the fishes going starving. But you can cause more and more harm to them by feeding food excessively. A new fish tank must be fed one time a day, and overall food must be consumed within little seconds. Remember that left food which the fishes don’t eat can pollute the water and cause nitrate and ammonia level to increase.
– Buying filter that is small in size- You can over-filter the fish tank, but it is accessible under the filter. Mostly the aquarium filters are rates based upon the gallon the tank holds. This rating system works well for most of the part; vastly populated aquariums or those with substantial predatory fishes or fishes producing waste in huge amount need to be fitted with multiple or oversized filters. It is good to buy a filter rated for a fish tank with a little significant than one which you woes for a better outcome.
– Taking suggestions from multiple sources- It is vital to research equipment and livestock purchases before you make them but asking the same question to many can often result in a big dilemma as each one has a matchless viewpoint or way for success. When you are new here, it is not so easier to know about the techniques that will work favorably for you. Stick with a reliable source of information and follow the opinion unless you feel confident enough for trying things on your own.
– Compromising with the quality just for the price- None wants to overpay for anything but the saying- you get what you pay for applies in the world of the aquarium as well. A reliable and quality one may cost you a bit more but will work for a very long time and after all, the lives of fishes rely on it, and that’s the more important thing.
– Impulse buying- Always research for the new fishes before you buy them to ensure that they are compatible with the existing populace and won’t outgrow the aquarium. Some fishes have special water chemistry needs like low pH or alkalinity that your tap water mightn’t provide. Also, if the fish you are looking for buying are specialized feeders, ensure that you can provide proper food.
– Over cleaning- When the fish tank is set up, the biological balance is unbalanced and easily broken. Avoid scrubbing or vacuuming when you don’t need to destroy the bacteria that are beneficial and will upset the balance. If your fish tank seems to need cleaning after the setup of several days, the filter may be small for doing it. You may be having many fishes, or you may be overfeeding.
Summing up
Finally, we end our discussion on fish aquarium common issues. You can get more such interesting post on this site. Refer to it once, and you will get more valuable things to learn.
