Fish Tanks and Their Care
2008-08-25

Fish Tanks and Their Care Keeping a fish tank or aquarium is a very popular hobby and has been for centuries. In fact, it is thought that the keeping of fish started hundreds of years ago with the Chinese breeding of the popular goldfish. Of cause, keeping fish as pet in a beautiful tank is a nice thing, which will take enjoyableness. On the other hand, have a fish tank also ask for lots of knowledge, not just a playgame.

Get the right equipment You must be sure to get the right equipment for the type of aquarium that you plan to keep and adopt a strict maintenance schedule to keep the tank clean and your fish healthy. The first thing you need to do is decide what you want for a fish tank. The rule of thumb for size when choosing a tank is that the bigger the aquarium tank, the less maintenance you'll need to do and the more fish you can house. If you are just starting out you should consider a 20 to 30 gallon aquarium. When buying the tank, make sure you also get a hood and stand that match the footprint of the tank. Most hoods come with the lighting built in, but if yours did not you will also have to find a light for the tank. And of course, don't forget the heater! Finally, you need to decide on the filtration system. There are three basic kinds of aquarium filters, biological, mechanical and chemical. You should definitely have a combination of biological and mechanical in your tank. The verdict is out on chemical filtration, some say you need it, and others feel it is unnecessary or only necessary for sort term if you are trying to correct a certain problem with your water. When setting up your tank, don't forget to let it cycle through before adding any fish and, of course, you should take care to choose fish that are compatible with each other.

Look after your tank As a responsible pet owner of course you want to provide your fish with the best environment you possibly can, and that includes how you keep and maintain fish tanks and their accessories. After all this is the home for the fish and where they'll live out the rest of their days, but they need to rely on you to maintain it, clean it, keep it warm, and everything else that's needed for that home to be safe and sanitary. It's not that hard to keep fish tanks clean and healthy for your fish if you follow few simple steps and guidelines.

(1)Tips to clean the tank Some simple steps you can follow to cast off your trouble in cleaning the tank: •First of all, empty 20-30% of the water in your fish tank. •Now you can carefully take out your tropical fishes. You can either use a dip net or a small bucket, depending on the size of your aquarium; just make sure you won't hurt the fish along the process. Now put the fish in a smaller container where it can stay for the next time. •If you have a serious problem with algae or your remaining water is just generally dirty, use this opportunity to filtrate the water remaining in the fish tank using a filtration system, a water strainer or a precise dip net. •Take out the rocks and artificial plants. Scrub them with a brush or something similar before putting it back. •Clean the filtration system itself. If you decide to disassembly the machine, be sure you know how to put it together again! If your filtration system contains more then one filter, clean only one at a time - otherwise you will lose important biological bacteria cultures which are useful for your fish tank. Clean one filter now and the second one a few weeks later. •Put everything together again. Check every piece of equipment - are heater, filtration system and light working perfectly? If not, use this chance to fix them. Even a short time without proper temperature, filtration or light can harm your fish to the point of no return! •After putting back rocks and artificial plants fill up the fish tank with fresh water - and don't forget to put back your fish, too!

(2)Tips to keep accessories of fish tanks clean 1) Keep the water clean. Doing a water change is important when cleaning fish tanks. For large tanks you simply pull out about 10%-15% of the water and replace it with warm tap water; for smaller tanks you'll need to do this with about 25% of the water. Always add a water condition afterward; this is readily available wherever you buy tropical fish tanks. This water condition helps get tap water to the necessary chemical levels to sustain fish. Meanwhile, you should make sure you treat it with a dechlorinator or other water treatment substance before adding it to the tank. Your pet store can make recommendations for how best to treat your home's tap water. Also check the temperature of the new water and keep it close to the original water so as not to shock the fish. 2) Make the filter clean. The filter keeps the water clean and free of dangerous toxins that can be harmful to your fish. Filters also provide aeration, which adds oxygen to the water. If your filter is not clean, it will become clogged and perform its responsibilities badly. This is not good for your fish, so it is recommended that you clean the filter every two or three weeks. You can tell when the filter needs to be cleaned because it looks dirty and will start to smell. A dirty filter may also cause the water to become cloudy, which is another sign that it's cleaning time. Although every tropical fish species and aquarium needs special care and the requirements may differ, one thing that dies harder is that you mustn’t ignore these tips which are on a regular basis will guarantee a healthy living condition, and you will have happy fish.