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6 Tips for Setting Up a New Fish Tank
aqueon.com
1. Maintain Balance Before Adding Fish to a New Aquarium
Once you’ve set up your new tank, you’ll probably be anxious to fill it with fish, and that’s natural. But it’s important to be patient and go slowly. Remember that an aquarium is a living system, and it takes time to establish the balance that will keep its inhabitants thriving. Introduce just a few fish at first and wait a week or two before adding more to give the essential bacteria that filter the water time to grow. Test your aquarium water for ammonia and nitrite, and only add more fish if the levels are zero.
Not sure how to test and maintain the water quality of your freshwater aquarium? Check out our blog on The Nitrogen Cycle & Optimal Water Chemistry.
2. Decorate Your Aquarium for the Fish
Decorating your aquarium helps your fish feel at home, and it’s fun too! Some fish like open spaces to swim, while others need cover to relax and put on their best colors. Do research to find out what type of habitat your fish like and decorate your aquarium accordingly. The first fish to inhabit the aquarium will claim the best spots, so add decorations gradually with each new fish purchase, to give the newcomers a place of their own.
3. Don’t Worry if Your Fish Hide at First
Your first fish may hide a lot. Don’t worry, that’s normal. Being caught in a net at the store, placed in a bag and ending up in a new place tends to be scary for most fish. Make sure there are enough decorations in the aquarium to make them feel safe. Another reason fish hide is that when they don’t see other fish swimming around, they think there’s a predator lurking about. Don’t panic, as you add more fish and decorations, they’ll come out!
Check out full article here! https://www.aqueon.com/articles/6_tips_for_setting_up_a_new_fish_tank
New Tank Syndrome
Why Are My Fish Dying in My New Aquarium?
By: The First Tank Guide
What Is 'New Tank Syndrome?'
New tank syndrome is an explanation for loss of fish in an aquarium that is under two months old.
There are really a wide number of things that these losses could be more accurately attributed to, but the fact that many new fish tank owners encounter these problems has resulted in getting them all lumped together.
So What Really Causes 'New Tank syndrome?'
Though the actual cause of death can range from poisoning to disease, or from improper water conditions to stocking problems, the root of all these is twofold.
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Elevated ammonia levels due to an ineffective biological filter.
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Poor care due to an inexperienced owner or care-giver.
Click here to see the article! http://www.firsttankguide.net/newtanksyndrome.php
HOW TO DE-ICE YOUR KOI POND WATER GARDEN
By: Mike Gannon
Posted On: January 18th, 2017 |https://fullserviceaquatics.com/
The seasonal dynamics and beauty of pond keeping are just one of the many reasons to take up the enjoyment of being a koi pond water garden keeper. Each season brings with it a new pond keeping experience. Winter pond keeping holds a unique charm. The season’s daily changes can make for dramatic scenes around your pond. The winter pond with it’s super clear water, intermittent snow cover, and ever changing ice formations provides an enjoyment unmatched by the other seasons. Winter pond scenes and visual beauty is second to no other time to year.
The whole article is here: https://fullserviceaquatics.com/koi-pond/de-ice-koi-pond/
WATER TESTING!
thesprucepets.com
Is aquarium water testing really necessary? In a word - yes!
In a newly set up aquarium, water testing is critical to avoid fish loss as ammonia and nitrite rapidly rise. In an established aquarium, water testing is important to ensure the continued health of your fish.
Test kits should be considered an important part of the operating expense associated with keeping an aquarium. If you cannot afford test kits or feel uncomfortable testing water yourself, check with your fish shop to see what they charge for doing water tests. Some offer free water testing, or at least one free test each month, or will quote you a flat fee for monthly testing. Compare their charges against the actual cost of test kits.
Which Kits?
Ammonia, pH, nitrite, and nitrate water test kits are by far the most integral to aquarium water upkeep. Hardness and alkalinity tests are useful to establish what your levels are, but don't warrant purchasing an entire kit for them unless you have special needs such as a planted tank. Phosphate is worth testing for if you have algae problems. All testing should be recorded in a log or journal so that you have a record of what is happening over time.
Read more here: https://www.thesprucepets.com/aquarium-water-testing-1378802
Beneficial Bacteria In Your Aquarium –
The What, The Why and The How
aqueon.com
What Are Beneficial Bacteria?
A healthy, balanced aquarium relies on beneficial bacteria to break down fish waste, dead plant material and other organic debris that accumulate in the tank. They keep the water crystal clear and prevent toxic ammonia and nitrite from accumulating. These bacteria live in the filter media and on solid surfaces in the aquarium, such as gravel, rocks, plants and decorations, but it takes time to get them established.
Why Are Beneficial Bacteria Important?
Newly set up aquariums sometimes experience dangerous spikes in ammonia and nitrite from fish waste due to a lack of these bacteria. This happens when more fish or food are added than the existing bacteria can process. Ammonia is released by fish as waste and is broken down by beneficial “nitrifying” bacteria to nitrite and then nitrate, in what is known as the Nitrogen Cycle. Both ammonia and nitrite are highly toxic to fish. It’s important to add fish gradually to new aquariums and feed sparingly at first to give beneficial bacteria time to colonize the tank and filter.
In established aquariums, accumulation of solid fish waste, uneaten food, dead plant material and other organic debris can cause a deterioration in water quality and a drop in pH. This is especially true in tanks containing goldfish, large cichlids, piranhas and other predatory fish.
Keep Reading here>>> https://www.aqueon.com/articles/beneficial-bacteria-aquarium