Aquarium fish lovers are special people.Not everyone is given the opportunity to be imbued with love for these representatives of the underwater world alien to humans. But perhaps everyone likes to observe their life with their own eyes. In any case, a person who turns his gaze to an aquarium will not remain indifferent to the fish hovering behind the glass, as if in zero gravity. They say that such contemplation is useful for mental and physical health, and the aquarium with fish itself acts as a Feng Shui talisman, and as a fashionable and stylish interior item. So if for some reason you decide to put an aquarium at home and breed fish, then you will need instructions according to which you will have to care for the fish. And this is a troublesome business, we note, but it is worth it. Unfortunately, instructions for caring for fish are not included with the aquarium and the fish themselves. Therefore, you have to learn to care for fish, relying on the experience of experienced aquarists and special manuals. We offer you a set of rules that will make it easier for you to care for the aquarium and fish.
Choosing an aquarium and fish
You will have to look after not only the fish, butand the aquarium itself. Therefore, think carefully whether you need to immediately buy a very large aquarium or to start with a small one. In general, the size and structure of the aquarium directly depends on how many and what kind of fish you are going to keep in it. And, on the contrary, if you already have an aquarium of a certain size, then you need to buy fish corresponding to this size. In addition, you need to remember that to keep some types of fish, you need an aquarium equipped with grottoes and all kinds of shelters. This is especially important for fish that lead a bottom lifestyle. And if you already have an aquarium, then you need to choose fish, first of all, based on its size. If the aquarium is small, then the fish in it should be small. But in a large and spacious aquarium you can settle far from small aquarium fish or a large number of small fish. When buying aquarium fish, consult about the necessary conditions for their maintenance: water temperature, its hardness and acidity, the need for aeration, filtration and frequency of changing the water in the aquarium, as well as what and how often to feed the fish. Information about how peacefully the fish you like can coexist in your aquarium will also be important. Find out if there is a risk of predatory attacks by one type of fish on another, and whether some fish require special care. Along with the aquarium and fish, you will need to purchase algae and additional equipment that will help maintain the microclimate necessary for the fish in the aquarium and make it easier for you to care for them and the aquarium.
What is the care of fish?
By and large, any instruction manual for caring for aquarium fish would contain a list of necessary measures and actions on your part, namely:
- creation of comfortable living conditions;
- support of microclimate parameters in the aquarium;
- feeding;
- inspection;
- cleaning the aquarium.
Additional measures may include fish treatment.Such care is, of course, a forced measure, but quite possible: aquarium fish (like all living creatures) are susceptible to various diseases. Therefore, your fish may have such ailments as all sorts of infections, invasions (parasite infection), ulcers, tuberculosis, as well as specific diseases of aquarium fish. Treatment, as a rule, comes down to isolating the sick individual and adding medications to the water. However, with good care and proper maintenance, most aquarium fish remain healthy throughout their lives. And what kind of care should be, we will consider in a little more detail.
Habitat
Your aquarium is a closed ecological system,fish habitat. If you maintain the necessary parameters of this environment for fish, they will feel comfortable, will be able to avoid many diseases and will not cause you additional trouble. How to care for fish from this point of view? What should be done to maintain comfortable living conditions for your aquarium fish?
- Every day you need to check the temperature of the water and maintain exactly the temperature that is required for a particular type of fish.
- The water must be aerated and filtered. For this, there is a special equipment.
- The state of water is affected not only by its purity, butand the composition, which largely depends on the living aquarium plants. For full-fledged growth and photosynthesis, aquatic plants need light, which, however, is necessary for fish. Therefore, from time to time and depending on the duration of daylight, you need to turn on the illumination of the aquarium.
- "Bad" can make water substandardaccessories for the aquarium, made of plastic and tobacco smoke. So do not skimp on cheap embellishments and do not smoke (do not let it others) near the aquarium.
- Periodically pour fresh water into the aquarium and periodically clean the aquarium itself.
As experienced aquarists advise, completelyYou should not change the water in the aquarium. If you need to change the water, you only need to remove dirt and debris from the bottom of the aquarium, drain two-thirds of the old water and add fresh water, which should be the same temperature, hardness and acidity as the previous one.
Feeding
This is the second important point from the general rules,determining the daily care of fish. Usually, adult aquarium fish are fed once or twice a day, and fry - four to six times. What kind of food - dry, live or frozen - is suitable for your fish depends on their species. But, as a rule, fish are fed with different foods and choose the one that they eat most willingly. It is important to determine the volume of food, since fish should not be overfed, but they should not be kept half-starved either. The exact volume of food for fish depends on the size and number of inhabitants of your aquarium, so you will have to determine it yourself. To calculate the optimal amount of food, you need to observe the fish at first. A suitable "portion" will be the amount of food that the fish can eat in five to ten minutes. If after this time the fish have stopped eating, and there is still food left, then you have added too much. This excess should be removed from the aquarium. If the fish have eaten all the food in five minutes and are still looking for something else to eat, then the portion you poured was too small.
Preventative inspection
Oddly enough, but caring for fish inaquarium and by the method of ordinary observation. In addition to observing the state of the water, you need to inspect the fish and plants daily. Decaying aquarium plants must be removed immediately, and fish with signs of disease must be isolated. Here is what should alert you in the appearance and behavior of the fish:
- wounds, ulcers and outgrowths on the body;
- standing on end of scales;
- plaque and noticeable spots on fins and tail;
- excessively bulging eyes;
- cysts (white translucent grains) on the scales;
- Depressed state and depleted species of fish.
Such fish must be moved to another tank.aquarium, arranging a quarantine for them. It is necessary to consult a specialist about how to treat fish, since it is quite difficult for a novice aquarist to diagnose the disease on their own. And isolation is necessary so that the disease is not transmitted to other fish. General cleaning of the aquarium (if the care of the fish and the aquarium itself is correct) is carried out quite rarely. However, if such a need has arisen, then the fish are transplanted to another aquarium, the water is drained, the walls, bottom and water filter are cleaned. Then clean water is poured into the aquarium and the fish are released there. Of course, different types of aquarium fish require different conditions of maintenance. However, our brief instructions with a set of general rules for caring for fish will be useful for novice aquarists. Remember that fish are living creatures and need your attention and care, and let this care be easy for you. Good luck! We recommend reading:
