Tropical Fish World would like to take a moment here to dispel a popular myth circulating in the aquarium hobby. This myth is one we are all familiar with as it has been around for a very long time. The myth is that "a fish will stop growing if you keep it in a small tank". This is simply NOT true! Fish can SLOW their growth for a while, but will soon become deformed if they are not allowed enough room to grow. They may also simply die due to poor health and stress. For example, many people try to keep large, fast growing South American Cichlids in 20 or 30 gallon aquariums, not realizing that these tiny fish will be to big for that tank in 2 or 3 months! So please, do your homework and find out how large that cute baby Oscar will get (16"!).
Setting up your freshwater aquarium
Prior to adding water
Rinse your gravelwith water only,never use any type of soap.
Place your ornaments, driftwood, etc. being careful to leave enough distance from the glass to allow cleaning tools to pass freely.
Adding water
Dechlorinatewater before adding it to the aquarium
Adjust the temperature at the sink to 75 - 78 degrees
Gently add the water to the aquarium
Prior to adding any fish
Adjust and stabilize temperatureand pH (6.8 -7.0 for most fish)
Have your water tested at our store
Acclimating your new fish
Float the bags of fish in your aquarium for 10 minutes.
Open the bags and add water from your aquarium to the bag, doubling the amount of water in the bag.
Wait 10 to 15 minutes allowing the fish to float at the top of your aquarium in the bags.
Net the fish out of the bags and do not add the water from the bags back into your aquarium.
Watch your fish for at least 15 minutes to make sure the new fish are not bothered by the older fish. Moving the ornaments around may help the new fish by changing the territories of the older fish.
Proper feeding
Feed your fish very small amounts of food at a time over the course of about ONE minute.
If there is any food left over after about two minutes, you have either fed to much, or the fish don't like the food.
Always remove excess food to prevent any build-up of Ammonia and Nitrite.
A happy fish has a slightly rounded belly after eating, but should not look ready to burst!
Your little aquatic pets love to beg, so don't be surprised if many of them still act hungry after they are fed. Don't fall for their act!
Simple maintenance steps for a successful aquarium
Monitor water quality weekly.
Perform regular (manual or automatic) water changes and gravel siphoning.
NEVER take out your gravel and rinse it in tap water! This will kill all of the beneficial bacteria that keeps your aquarium stable and cause bad ammonia and nitrite to accumulate.
TREATING OR MEDICATING A SICK OR INJURED FISH:
Always check your aquariums water conditions before adding any medications! Many "signs of disease" are simply signs of stress due to poor water quality, and can be fixed with a simple water change.
If your water conditions are good, call us with symptoms and we will help talk you through the many treatment options available for your fish.
