Here are my easy care aquarium instructions that follow a holistic model that involves prevention and alternatives to chemical treatments. If you have any questions after reading this information, use the contact link at the bottom of the page to write to me. - Nori (steamboats.com/aquarium.html)
PLEASE PRINT THIS PAGE OUT AND KEEP IT ON FILE FOR FUTURE REFERENCE.
Feeding The leading cause of fish loss is overfeeding. If your water is cloudy or your filter gets clogged, you are overfeeding. Fish are like little fairies who don't need to eat much. Two or three flakes per day per fish should be enough. If they grow larger, you can increase it a little. If you put food in and the food touches the bottom, you are over feeding. A hungry fish would never let food touch the bottom.
Fish are terrible gluttons and will eat whatever you give them. They will act hungry all the time, but they really just want attention.
The best way to feed them is first get their attention so they come to the top. Then drop one flake at a time until each fish has and a few bites. That's it for the day. You can feed them every day, but a box of fish flakes should last forever.
Plants Another problem that might contaminate the water are rotting aquarium plants. My experience with live plants was that certain kinds of fish try to eat them, they die, rot, and pollute the water. I prefer silk or plastic plants. Also, replace artificial plants when they become difficult to keep clean.
Hiding places All fish like to hide. Be sure to provide rocks, drift wood, or plants so they can have a safe place to hide when they want to. Soak new rocks and drift wood in clean water before adding them to your tank. Sometimes they bleed out dirt that can tint the water or make it appear cloudy. Soak new drift wood until it sinks, then add it to the tank.
Cleaning the tank One mistake people make is to remove too much water at the time of cleaning. Fish don't do well in fresh water. They need an ecosystem of natural bacteria to protect their coat, help them breathe, and help break down fish waste in the tank. There is a tank conditioner available in aquarium stores called "Cycle" that provides organic biology to make fresh water more like the natural habitat that fish need. Keep the bottle in the refrigerator and follow the directions on the label whenever you add water to the tank. (You can purchase "Cycle" at your local aquarium shop or through PetsMart.com. Here's another source for organic biology / friendly bacteria: BobsAquacareProducts.com
Clean the tank two to three times a month. First scrub down the inside glass with a small sponge used only for the aquarium. Let the water settle.
Buy a syphon vacuum cleaner at your fish store (or PetsMart.com) and run it around the gravel at the bottom of the tank to remove waste material. You should be able to accomplish this by only removing 10-20% of the water. It doesn't have to be perfect, just get out as much as you can. When you fill the tank, use only bottled water (unless you live in a community with unusually pure water). If you use a heater, make sure the water you add is the exact same temperature as the existing water in the tank. If you don't use a heater and the tank is room temperature, use bottled water that is room temperature. Add the proper amount of Cycle.
Buy "Cycle" at your local aquarium supply shop or order online, click here: PetsMart.com. This is the only "medicine" you need to keep your tank healthy. It's organic biology that breaks down decomposing food and fish waste. It provides the ideal ecosystem for freshwater fish. Add it to your tank every time you change the water. It's also good for emergency care. Store in the refrigerator between use.
You can get a gravel vacuum cleaner at an aquarium shop, or order through PetsMart.com, click here. The large end goes in the gravel. The small end is where you start the syphon. The large tube will pick up debris, but not fish or rocks.
Lighting Set the tank in a light room, but not in direct sunlight. Direct sun is not good for fish and will make the tank grow algae. If there is no natural lighting, use the lamp in the tank cover. Leave it on four or five hours, or less if the room gets light part of the day. If your aquarium gets too much light it is more likely to grow algae.
Unwanted visitors Sometimes when you bring home a new fish, the water that comes with the fish may contain snails, parasites, or other entities. Just remove them from the tank and continue with a sparse diet and Cycle in the tank.
Snails don't hurt anything, but they multiply rapidly. If your tank is large (30 or more gallons), get a large plecto and he will eat the snails. Otherwise, just remove them from the tank and get rid of them. You might want to keep a few snails. The fact that snails can thrive in your tank means the tank is healthy.
Fish fights If you put incompatible fish in the same tank, they will attack each other. Be careful that you don't overstock your tank. Check with your local aquarium store for how many fish to keep for your tank size, also what fish will live peacefully together. If you have a long time fish, don't expect it to get along with a new comer. They can get territorial. If one of your fish gets a torn fin, there is a good chance it will regenerate. Put it in a safe tank where the other fish cannot attack it.
Illness If your fish get sick, DO NOT attempt to doctor them by using medicine from the fish store. Usually fish get sick because of over feeding. Adding all sorts of dangerous chemicals to the water will not help. Try adding extra Cycle. If they have ICK, the best remedy is plain old "Stress Coat," which is an aloe vera solution that helps protect the fish's silky coating. Only use Stress Coat if you have illness in the tank, otherwise it will just make the water cloudy. The best way to apply the Stress Coat is to call the sick fish up to the top of the tank and drip the Stress Coat directly onto the sick fish. Several treatments like this, plus reduction of food, plus Cycle in the water, should cure ICK.
Stress coat is available through PetsMart.com or any aquarium shop. You can use it when you set up a new tank, but do not use a lot and do not use it every time you change the water. It is good for treating acute ICK if you apply it directly to the fish. Do not pick up fish, just pour a little bit on the fish if it can rise to the top of the tank. Use Cycle for tank changes, not Stress Coat (see above).
Tips to prevent illness
* Never touch fish or pick them up. Your hand will wear away their silky coating.
* Change only 10 - 20% of the water at a time and make sure the temperature of new water matches water already in the tank.
* Use Cycle in the water, but no other chemicals.
Symptoms of Overfeeding (tank)
When you over feed, food hits the bottom * filter clogs easily * algae blooms * water turns cloudy or viscous * water smells * nitrates, amonia levels rise * pH fluctuates
Symptoms of Overfeeding (fish)
Fish hover at the bottom or top * swim sideways * bloated * spotted * discolored * ICK * trouble breathing * listless * alternate motionless / darting
If you have an emergency in the tank
Stop all chemical treatments in the tank. Stop all feeding for 24 hours, then resume with a strict diet. Change 10 - 20% of the water a day, adding Cycle each time. Change the water until it is clear. This should happen within the first day or two, then stop changing the water.
Once the water is clear, give the fish time to heal. Feed sparingly and gradually increase diet. If fish are hungry, they will catch the food. If a flake hits the bottom, then you are over feeding. Cut back as much as possible to keep the water healthy.
Caution: With each water change, make sure you keep the water temperature constant.
ICK treatment: If a fish has ICK, do a Stress Coat treatment described above.
Contact If you would like to discuss your aquarium problems, please write to me. - Nori contact Info. - steamboats.com/contact.html
