Bringing fish home and not sure how to take care of them? Taking care of fish is not as easy as you may think. You need to make sure you take the proper measures so the fish can survive in your aquarium. We have 4 tips that will help you understand the process of bringing fish home and taking care of them so they stay healthy and happy.
1. Make sure your aquarium is acclimated for the fish
When you move, you don’t just get up and move in one day to an empty place. You get the new place set up before you make the move. Similarly, you want to make sure that the fish when you bring it home, you bring it to the environment it is used to so it can easily adapt to the shift. This means you ask the expert at the pet store the level of nitrate, pH, and ammonia the fish is used to and test your aquarium to ensure it matches. If it doesn’t chances are the fish will take much longer to acclimate.
2. Don’t overcrowd
We all need our personal space, so do fish. Overcrowding an aquarium is a sure way that will result in fish dying for one reason or another. When a fish tank is overcrowded there is a lower level of oxygen in it and excess waste which puts more load on the filtration system. Not only that, but it can even cause fatalities amongst fish especially when you have a mix of different types of fish in the same tank.
3. Condition the water
Water is to fish as air is to human. So you want to make sure that the water they are exposed to is clean just as clean air is important to us for a long and healthy life. Most people tend to put tap water into the fish tank, while you can do that, it is important you condition the water so it is clean and similar to the water they are used to. To do that all you have to do is de-chlorinate the water and add a biological aquarium supplement which you can purchase at your local pet store. Be sure to condition the water each time you change it.
4. Maintain the right temperature
The temperature in the tank should remain as constant as possible. You want to maintain a temperature that falls between 72 degrees and 82 degrees Fahrenheit, for tropical fish. Lower for those that are used to cooler temperatures. In order to make sure the water stays constant, make sure the tank is not placed in contact with the sun which means not next to a window or an area where there is direct sunlight. Also, keep it away from a/c and heater vents around the house.
