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Page 2 about The Seven
Essentials of Keeping
Pet Fish
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This page continues the discussion of the Seven Essentials of Keeping Fish. Click
here to go back to the
first page in this discussion. |
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Click
here to listen to
Tom and Nevin Bailey talk about
the Seven Essentials of Keeping
Pet Fish in
Aquariums, Fish
Bowls, and Ponds. |
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The advertisement, shown below, links to
this advertiser's web site. |
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Click
here to hear a
Special Interview on Pet Fish Talk about the EcoBio-Block
Family of Products, which are very effective at keeping
aquarium water clear. |
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2. Getting Started.
The first few days of starting a Fish Bowl, Aquarium, or Pond are the most risky and stressful for the fish. You can reduce this risk by
carefully following the advice given at,
Be patient, start slowly with just a few fish, and don't crowd too many fish together.
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3. Make Regular Partial Water Changes.
Your fish need fresh water. Your fish can’t live forever in the
same old water. One of the Seven Essentials of Keeping Fish is to regularly remove some of the old water and replace it with fresh safe water. This is called a Regular Partial Water Change.
How Much Water Should be Replaced?
If you have a Fish Bowl, twice a week change 15% to 20% of the water. You can't
use tap water straight from the faucet. Click
here for the details on how to change water in your Fish Bowl.
If you have an Aquarium or Pond, twice a week remove 15% to 20% of the water and replace that water with fresh tap water
from the faucet. You don't need to add Water Conditioner to the new water when you replace 20% or less. Click
here for more information
about Water Conditioner.
But replacing more than 20% of the water during one day is risky, even when you add Water Conditioner. Click
here
for more information on how to measure 20%. Click on the items in the list below for more details about changing water.
Have you been advised to change water once a month in your fish's home? Ugh, that's too long for the fish to live in the same old water. Fresh water for fish is like fresh air
for me, and I need fresh air more than once a month.
One of the best things about changing some water for your fish is to watch them after you've finished. Your fish will be more energetic and seem to be happier, and when our
fish are happier, we're usually happier too. |
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The advertisement, shown below, links to
this advertiser's web site. |
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Customer Comments |
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I rec'd a new aquarium - the largest we have ever kept - 55 gallons for xmas. I haven't kept an active tank for over 7 years,
since we started having children. It's amazing how much I have forgotten!
Thanks for such an informative site and for allowing email questions!
Lisa
Memphis, TN |
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4. Clean Your Fish's Home.
At least once each month you should thoroughly clean your fish's home. Click on the items in the list below to read in detail about
cleaning your fish's home.
Click
here to read about a complete Maintenance Schedule.
Caution, fish can be greatly stressed, if you do too much cleaning or change too much water on one day. Click
here to
read more about that. |
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Click on the advertisement,
shown below, to learn more about these products. |
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5. Feed your Fish Properly.
Feed your fish twice a day. Feed only floating food, live food, or frozen food. Do not feed pieces of dry food
that sink.
Goldfish must eat food that is labeled for Goldfish, and Tropical Fish eat a different kind of food that is labeled for Tropical Fish, so for this reason and several other
reasons Goldfish and Tropical Fish are not compatible and should not be kept in the same aquarium.
Give your fish several small feedings each time you feed them.
Be sure all your fish get plenty to eat, and be sure they eat all the food you give them,
so there are no uneaten leftovers to pollute the water. Remove all uneaten bits of food with a small net after about 10 minutes. Click
here to
read more about feeding your fish. |
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6. Look at your Fish.
every day for Signs of Stress and Disease such as clamped fins, shimmy, ick, sores, glancing, gasping, and crashing on
the bottom. Click
here for more details about how to observe these Signs of Stress and Disease.
If you see Signs of Stress and Disease, immediately give your fish the Recommended Treatment. Click
here for the
complete details about the Recommended Treatment. |
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7. Look at the Water.
in your fish's home every day. Be alert for Cloudy, Foamy, or Smelly Water. If you see Cloudy, Foamy, or Smelly Water,
take immediate action. Click
here for information about how to test your water with your eyes, finger tips, and nose without spending a
dime. |
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Click
here for a schedule of daily, weekly, and monthly maintenance tasks. Remember
it's
easier to prevent fish from getting stressed and diseased, than it is to cure them, after they're sick. Regular maintenance prevents most problems.
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Customer Comments
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On the FAQ page, one of the first questions is whether there is a good book to recommend for beginners. I'd like to suggest one for you to review and possibly recommend.
My 12 year old son is wanting to set up his first aquarium and I went looking for a beginner book for him. I didn't really find one that was both written for a young person and also complete and accurate. I did find and buy one
that was written for adult beginners that I actually think is the best I've ever seen.
I heartily recommend "The Simple Guide to Freshwater Aquariums" by David E. Boruchowitz (2001, T.F.H.) The author's recommendations are in line with the recommendations given on your site. I actually didn't expect to
learn anything from the book (as a 25 year veteran, I thought I knew it all, right?) but I've actually enjoyed reading this book and have learned a few things along the way.
The author does a great job in organizing material in the proper order (even advising that it is okay to skip ahead to the fourth section (about fish selection) early (since that's what everybody wants first) but then to return
to the beginning and read through the rest of the material in order and then to read the final section again with the proper background to actually make fish selection decisions.
His sample suggestions for community tank stocking all seem very reasonable (though I've certainly not tried all of them). He does a great job of telling the beginner what they need to know without letting the discussion go off
onto non-critical topics and gadgets that easily distract both beginner and experienced fish keepers.
I really do love this book! I probably would never have ordered it from Amazon but after actually thumbing through it on the Barnes & Noble shelf, I am glad I bought it even at full price. (The Amazon price was under $13
when I checked and left them a review.)
I've recommended that my favorite local fish store start carrying it along with all of the other "advanced" and specialty books. (Actually I've tried to talk her into bundling it with each "setup" she sells.)
I hope you'll take a look at this book and, if you agree, recommend it to your visitors. I have no financial interest in the book, don't know the author, don't own stock in T.F.H. or have any other connection except really
believing that if every beginner read and followed these guidelines, there'd be a lot fewer failures in our wonderful hobby! ...
Gary D.
Highlands Ranch, CO 80126 |
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Reply. Hello Gary. Thank you very much for your advice. You talked me into ordering a copy from Amazon.com, and I added a link to this book just below. Thanks again. |
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Books for Beginners
The books shown below are listed on Amazon.com. You can click on the image or the title of a book to go to the page at Amazon.com, where that book is listed and
discussed. In some cases you can preview several of the pages in that book. |
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