Your First Aquarium Helps

Your first aquarium should never be an impulse buy. You should be aware that you are about to embark on a mission to provide a suitable world within your home to your new aquatic pets. To understand your responsibility fully, you must realize that you are playing god to these creatures and therefore you are ethically required to understand their environment and requirements fully and to the best of your ability. These creatures that you have decided to make your pets and create a home world for them have no escape except through death. It is a startling reality, which is completely ignored by most.

What are these aquatic requirements you need to fulfill?

Fishes have to be provided with a sufficiently large water body. You can decide the size of the aquarium that your budget allows and buy fish that would be comfortable in that aquarium. Alternatively you could decide the kind of fish that you want to have and buy an aquarium that suits that species. It is cruel to put a large fish into a small aquarium; the unfortunate fish would have limited mobility and low oxygen levels. In the long run such a fish would be unhealthy and as a result may succumb to opportunistic diseases. A large aquarium with few fishes or many small fishes is dreams come true. Ideally plan your aquarium for a small number of fish with a large space to swim around in.

Fishes come from rivers and lakes where there are natural currents constantly refreshing the water. This movement ensures that water is constantly exposed to air. Water from the lower reaches of your aquarium must be brought up to the surface so that fresh oxygen may dissolve in it and carbon dioxide exhaled by the fish may escape into the air. To achieve this in an aquarium you can either use an aerator or a filter-power head. The aerator does more than introducing fresh air bubbles into the water, the air curtain draws up stale water from the lower parts of the aquarium to the surface. Water rides along the water bubbles reaches the top, ripples on the surface increases oxygenation and refreshed water from the surface flows down. Remember that the aerator you select should not be so noisy so as to keep you awake at night. A filter or power head is a better choice. Select one with the flow capacity to suit your aquarium.

Your aquarium needs gravel to simulate nature. The gravel at the bottom helps in many ways. The gravel becomes home to billions of bacteria which help in harmlessly decomposing the fish excreta. This is a very important function to make your aquarium habitable to fish. In water fish excreta breaks down chemically and produces ammonia, which is very toxic to fish. These beneficial bacteria convert ammonia to less harmful nitrates. Without these bacteria your fishes would fall sick within days and eventually die by the damage ammonia does to their gills. The life of these creatures is in your hands and you have to ensure that these useful bacteria are present in your aquarium. Firstly choose gravel which is between 1 and 3 mm. in size, smaller particles will become compacted and larger gravel will make it difficult for plants to root. Make sure the gravel is free of sea shells, gravel prepared from laterite from the coast is ideal. To give your gravel a head start with bacteria, you need to fill your aquarium with water from another aquarium which has been successfully functioning for 3 months or more. You can also take a scoop of gravel from such an aquarium and add it to yours. Another way, take the sponge from an established aquarium and shake it firmly in a mug of water. Allow the mess to settle and add this water to your aquarium.

Most rivers and lakes provide aquatic life with a stable temperature. The temperature may only vary a little in tropical areas, while in other colder regions water might even freeze. Not all fishes have evolved to survive in such stressful climates. Temperatures in small bodies of water like your aquarium might vary quite a lot between day and night. If you plan to keep an aquarium indoors, the temperature may not vary much. If you plan to keep the aquarium outdoors or in an exposed area then temperatures may vary quite a bit. If you suspect that temperatures might vary a lot then you need to reduce these fluctuations by the use of an electric heater. The wattage of the heater will depend on your aquarium size, ask local aquarists for advice. Do not use heaters without automatic temperature control. Remember that glass heaters can break if handled carelessly and broken heaters immersed in water can result in FATAL injuries.

Plants are found in many water bodies, its only natural for you to provide aquatic plants in your aquarium for your pets. Plants provide much needed oxygen during the day. Plants remove nutrients from the water, reducing the buildup of nitrates. Plants provide a hiding place for fishes and break the monotony of an aquascape. Plants need to be selected by their size and suitability to your aquarium size. Some species of fish do not like plants in the aquarium; others constantly dig the gravel pulling out plants. Plants need light to grow, do not skimp on lights. Some species grow well only in bright light. For the first 6 months or more your plants need trace element supplements to do well. Add a micronutrient or trace mix according to directions.

In nature the sun rises and sets with absolute predictability. This sets the biological clock in all living things. It is very important that you provide this cycle to your plants and pets in the aquarium. Unless you plan to keep your aquarium near a well lit window, a light is required. You will have sufficient light if you use Compact Fluorescent lamps (CFL) with good electrical efficiency and keep you power bills low. Common household filament lamps have low light output and high heat radiation and are not suitable for an aquarium. Lamps should be switched on in the morning and switched off 12 hours later. You can invest in a electronic timer if you wish to automate the job. Lights may be fixed in a hood, a cover over the aquarium. When selecting light bulbs for a hood ensure that your fixtures are water proof. You can suspend lights from overhead and leave the aquarium top open. To prevent excessive evaporation, use a glass sheet to cover the top of the aquarium. This sheet is known as a condensation plate. You can use a condensation plate to protect your lighting fixtures from moisture.

In nature there is fresh water flowing in rivers. We cannot provide our home aquatic world with flowing fresh water, waste chemicals accumulate and important chemical elements get depleted so its very important to change some of the water in your aquarium regularly. Since we are driven by a calendar week of 7 days, it's easier to remember change some water weekly. Replace a maximum of 50% your aquarium water every week and add micronutrients or trace mix. If your water supply is chlorinated, you need to allow the chlorine to dissipate by allowing the water to sit in a container for a long time. You can also use chemicals like sodium hyposulphite "Hypo" to bind the chlorine and make it harmless. Chlorine is harmful to fish and it kills the useful bacteria in the aquarium.

Selecting your new fish at the shop is important. Do not buy fish that look like their fins are frayed or look visibly sick. Avoid fish with white spots, fishes with visible injuries or parasites clinging to their bodies. When in doubt avoid buying. Do not pick fish from an aquarium where there are dead fish. Do not buy fish on an impulse. Check if the fish you wish to buy are compatible. Some species are territorial and may become aggressive. You can learn a little more about a fish's nature by spending a little time at the shop observing them. Start with very few fish and increase your population with a few at a time. The aquatic world you have created needs time to adjust to fish load.

Finally your pets need to be fed. Growth of the fish is dependant on the amount of food they get. The more food they get faster they grow and shorter their life span may be. Fish food is available as pellets, flakes and live feed. Select food from reputed manufacturers, use pellets that suit the type of fish you have. Some fish species are bottom feeders, for them you need to use sinking food. They will starve if you feed your pets only floating food. Vary the food a little and give your pets some variety. Feed the fish once or twice a day, use as much as they eat in 5 minutes. Remove all excess uneaten food immediately. If you wish long life for your pets, feed them lightly. Unlike other pets, you can leave fish unfed for many days. If you have to leave town for a few days you need not worry about the fish, they will do nicely for days without being fed. Do not feed them excessively to compensate.

Plan your first aquarium with your family. Encourage your spouse and children to take part in its planning and upkeep. Keep the aquarium where it is out of reach of toddlers and four legged pets! Place the aquarium in a stable and safe place, safe for the family and safe for your fish.