AQUARIUM MAINTENANCE & FISH CARE - THE GOLDEN RULES
Although it may vary from species to species, an aquarium fish should be able to have a life of anywhere from 3 to 7 years or longer. Goldfish can live for as many as 20 years or even more.
Another surprising fact for most is that a fish can actually live healthier and longer lives and sometimes even be able to grow larger in an aquarium tank than they would do in the wild. In nature, food supplies for the fishes can be variable and quite limited with the unusual weather patterns and the changing of the seasons.
The wild predators, such as other fish, will make sure that almost all of the young ones of any species do not attain adulthood. Just a few fish get to reach their full lifespan. Fish that are too slow or are weak will sooner rather than later end up being someone’s dinner. Although an aquarium has its own limitations, it can provide an environment where fish thrive and are able to flourish.
Some very basic aquarium maintenance that you have to do to keep healthy fish is directly proportional to how closely you will be following the three essential rules of fish keeping.
Rule 1
Do not overcrowd your aquarium. Overcrowding can result in consistently feeding the fish too much food, and if you hardly ever do partial water changes, the filter system will not be able to keep the water quality clear of ammonia and debris. If you do find yourself having to deal with dying or diseased fish on a consistent basis, you are almost certainly doing at least one of these three basic things wrong.
Rule 2
Basic aquarium maintenance should not be very time consuming if the tank is set up properly at first and you go about doing things carefully and correctly. You should form a habit of looking at the fish very closely every other day or daily, as well as checking the temperature of the water. It's important to know how your fish act and look, it will make spotting issues easier and faster, which can result in fixing the problem before it is too late.
Rule 3
At least once each week, you should be cleaning the inside of the front glass of the tank and if possible even the side glass, change at least 10 to 15 per cent of the water inside the tank, and finally clean the outside of the glass. If the tank has not been congested and you are careful that you do not overfeed, this part of the basic maintenance of your aquarium can even be done every other week. A spacious aquarium also means more extensive maintenance, especially on the filter. If your aquarium houses some large fish who consume larger amounts of food and hence produce more waste, then you should ideally change as much as 30 to 50 per cent of the water every time. Note that the size of the tank also matters. Not only do the tanks of larger size provide a much more stable aquatic environment for the fish, but they also require much less work than the smaller aquariums.
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HOW TO SET UP A FISH AQUARIUM
This article will guide you through choosing your first pet fish and then taking care of them properly. Fish can thrive and provide you with years of friendship and companionship. For this article, we will be using the standard goldfish as our exampl