FISH
Healthy Fish
A healthy fish should show the following:
1. Clear eyes
2. No lumps, ulcers or holes on the fish.
3. Fins that are undamaged and held properly, not tight to the body.
4. Scales - none missing, and close to the bosy (none sticking away from
the body)
5. Will actively feed.
6. No small white dots on the fish, or cottony growths.
7. Breathes at a normal rate, not fast or irregular.
8. Species that have translucent bodies should not have inner appearing whitish
areas.
9. Active normal swimming patterns (some species are naturally shy).
10. Reddish gills. Don't get fish with faded or discoloured gills. (or that
are distended out from the body)
11. Avoid buying fish from tanks that have sick fish in them already.
Choosing healthy fish will usually help you avoid problems later on. A quarantine
tank should be used for specimens to be added to an existing tank. The new
fish should be kept in quarantine for at least 2 weeks, closer to 3 is better.
The quarantine tank can also be a hospital tank if some disease or compatibitility
issues come up.
Acclimating new fish (this is for fish from petstores,
not wild caught)
1. Get your newly acquired fish to its new home as soon as possible after
buying it. Try to avoid temperature swings on the way.
2. Once you arrive home, float the bag in the aquarium for 20-30 minutes.
This lets the water in the bag equalize its temperature with the tank water.
3. Open the bag. Do not pour the fish out yet! Pour in some tank water
into the bag. Let it sit for about 10 minutes and repeat this step a few
times.
4. Net the fish from the bad carefully and release them into the aquarium.
Do not just dump in the petstore water into the tank. Remove the bag and
dump the water.
Fish to avoid!
These are fish to avoid for reasons of size or temperament. They make bad
beginner fish. They may also be too delicate for beginners. These fish may
be kept but only by those with the appropriate tank and experience.
Freshwater - Oscars, discus, flowerhorns,
bloody parrot cichlids, pacu, piranha, redtailed catfish, channel catfish
and other long-whiskered catfish, arrowanas, snakeheads, knife fishes, hatchet
and pencil fishes, elephant noses and baby whales, Chinese algae eaters,
bala sharks, iridescent sharks, glass cats, spiny eels, painted glassfish,
dyed fish and brackish fish. You should avoid adding neon tetras for several
months as they don't do well in newly set up tanks.
Saltwater – Moorish idols, nurse sharks,
eels, rays, Pipefish, Seahorses, Long-nosed Filefish, Blue Ribbon Eels, Stonefish,
and Mandarin fish. Invertebrates and others to avoid if a beginner - Tridacna
clams, Flame scallops, octopi, Harlequin shrimps, nudibranchs, and sea squirts.
Feeding
A regular feeding schedule is important to provide fish with essential nutrition.
You should provide a varied diet for your fish. Fish can get bored of certain
foods. One fish food does not provide the best nutrition. That's why you
need to feed a varied diet. Feed an appropriate diet for the species you
are maintaining.
Feeding Tips
1. Identify feeding requirements of species kept (herbivores, omnivores,
etc.).
2. Avoid feeding large predatory species with live fish. Train your fish
to take appropriate dry or frozen foods. There is less chance of diseases
being passed on and this will make it easier to feed your fish if you are
away.
3. Allow a minimum of 30 minutes after the lights are turned on and 30 minutes
before the lights are turned off before feeding.
4. Keep dry food away from moisture and try not to handle food (especially
with wet hands).
5. Aquariums containing bottom feeders (Botias, Corydoras, etc.) should be
fed regularly with bottom feeding tablets. You should drop food in after
the lights go out for nocturnal species.
6. Use quality foods.
7. Provide a varied diet. This may include flake, frozen, live or freeze-dried
food.
8. Always try to incorporate some Spirulina or other vegetable matter in
a herbivorous fish’s diet.
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Maintenance
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