Tropical Fish Guide For Tenderfoots

February 11th, 2010 | Author: Harold Peterson

Owning tropical fish is both relaxing and fun. You can throw your stress and worries to the wind when you sit in amazement, watching your fish swim and frolic. If you have never owned tropical fish before, here’s a tropical fish guide to help you get started. Do some research on the kinds of fish you might like to buy so that once you’re ready to buy, it’s not a drawn out event. The first thing you need to do is purchase a tank.

The first thing you need to do is figure out what you have room for and what you’re prepared to take care of. Knowing how big of a tank to buy can be tricky. The people at your local exotic pet and tropical fish store can be a huge help to you. Typically the best size for new tropical fish owners is anywhere from 10 to 20 gallons. You can manage this size easily and once you’ve got good experience handling this size tank, you can move up to a larger tank.

Many pet stores these days sell tank kits. They can be useful when you aren’t very familiar with what fish need to live and what they like. However, be careful that you don’t buy a kit that is cheaply made. It’s going to be a little bit expensive when you first start this venture. Don’t go the cheap route; you could end up putting your fish in jeopardy. Cheap parts can fall off and kill your pets.

You need to buy a solid tank with a lid and a stand that will hold your fish tank. You also will need to buy a light and a filter for your fish tank. Before you do anything, clean your fish tank with warm water. If you use any sort of soap or detergent, it is imperative that you rinse your tank thoroughly. You don’t want to poison your fish!

Make sure that your tank is completely clean and then add about an inch of rocks to the bottom of the tank. There is a variety of colored and ornate gravel that you can purchase for your tank. Get creative and give your new pets a beautiful home to enjoy.

Once everything is in place, it’s time to begin filling. You’ll want to bring the temperature of your fish tank water to around 80 degrees. This is usually the perfect temperature for tropical fish but always double check with an expert, first.

Set up your light in the tank before adding your fish. Fish like light but having your tank directly in front of the window will cause algae to grow out of control and you’ll have a difficult time with regulating temperature. Once you’ve got the water added, gradually warm it and then get to the pet store! There are a lot of places you can buy tropical fish from. There are specialty shops that can order any kind of tropical fish for you if they don’t have them in stock. You can also buy tropical fish in most local pet shops.

Since you’re new to this, ask the pet store owner to show you the lower maintenance fish they have to offer. Select a few of several kinds of fish that will be both bright and fascinating to watch and also easy to care for. Some fish, contrary to popular belief, do not get along well. They may not warn you at the pet shop, but some fish are highly predatory. Read up on the kinds of fish that you shouldn’t mix together before buying your new pets.

Feed your new fish the right kind of food and always feed them at the same time of day. Don’t give them too much food and don’t starve them, either. This can lead to fish cannibalism. Again, not a pretty sight, especially for the young ones. Make sure your tank stays clean and your fish will be very happy to call your tank home.

If you want to read a more extensive tropical fish guide, then please click on any of the given links: tropical fish guide for starters tropical fish guide

categories: tropical fish,fish,pets,animals,reptiles,home,family,hobbies

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