We know that as a fish owner, or soon-to-be fish owner, you have a lot of questions. We do not blame you at all because owning fish really is not as easy as it seems. All species require a lot of research, time, effort and knowledge to own responsibly
Today we’re going to be giving you the answers of the three most common questions that we get asked.
Firstly, Should I quarantine my fish?
Let’s start with what is meant by “quarantining my fish”. Quarantining your fish means isolating it for a specific purpose. The first reason could be because you have a new fish. You should isolate the fish before you can introduce it to the main aquarium. The second reason is if one of your fish is sick then you would take it out, house it separately in another tank and make sure that the rest of the school is not infected.
An important note when quarantining fish is to make sure that the separate tank has the same conditions as the main one. This will allow the new fish to acclimate and the sick fish to not get a shock in different conditions. Quarantined fish are generally left in the tank for a period of 2 to 4 weeks, and the water must be changed when nitrates start getting too high
Secondly, How much and how often do I need to change the water?
Your water change schedule will depend greatly on your tank size and stocking level. The best way to ensure you are doing it correctly is to measure nitrate levels with test strips or liquid test kits. When the nitrate level goes above 40 ppm, you should do a 30% water change
It is important to know that changing the water too often will cause unnecessary stress for your fish. By changing the water too much, they cannot adjust to the parameters because it is constantly changing and fluctuating. You should never change more than 50% of the water at once because doing so can kill the bacteria that is needed in the aquarium.
Lastly, What is the maximum stocking limit for a tank?
We know what you’re probably thinking – “the bigger the tank, the more fish I can have”, but that is not always the case. The general rule is to have 1 fish for every 4 litres that are in your tank. This is however an estimate and there is room to add more or less fish. You need to judge it accordingly and ensure that your aquarium is not overcrowded – this will cause stress for your fish because they will have no space to swim. You also need to judge it according to how big or small your fish are. If you have a large tank with smaller fish, you can have more in there and vice versa if you have a large tank with bigger fish, you will have less in there.
When adding fish to your tank, take the estimate of 1 fish for every 4 litres and have a look at the surface area of the tank, how big or small your fish are, if they will have enough space to swim freely and if they will get enough oxygen.
There’s a lot of thinking and planning that goes into owning fish – it is not as easy or as simple as getting a goldfish and putting it into a fish bowl. Before getting fish, consider the time and effort that it takes to own one and do the necessary research. Owning fish can be extremely rewarding because they are also our little buddies, and once you know the ins and outs – it is not too tough. We hope we’ve provided you with a few tips and tricks and some valuable information.
