Freshwater fish care guides

Saltwater fish tank mates advices? Pearl Gouramis are beautifully decorated with pearl-like embellishments throughout their bodies. They grow up to 5 inches and have a lifespan of 5 years. They are native to the warm countries of Southeast Asia, where they thrive in a densely vegetated and acidic environment. What makes them unique is that they can breathe through the air as well, so you will see them come up to the surface for air from time to time. Betta fish, also known as Siamese Fighting Fish, are native to the harsh environments of Southeast Asia. They are extremely hardy can be considered as survivors because they can withstand flooding and droughts. Just like the Pearl Gouramis, they have the ability to breathe through their gills as well as the air. Male Bettas will fight with each other, but they can be placed in a community tank with other male fish species. Female bettas, on the other hand, can coexist peacefully.

In addition to keeping aquarium fish, many aquarium hobbyists also stock their tanks with live plants and other organisms. Marine tanks can be stocked with live rock and/or coral which are more than just decoration – they are living organisms that must be cared for properly. An in-between tank (in between fish-only (FO) and the reef) is called the FOWLR (Fish Only with Live Rock). Keeping reef tanks alive and thriving can be very difficult and therefore are the bane of novice fish hobbyists but the holy grail for those up to a challenge. Discover more info on kuhli loach care.

Return all the old clean decorations. If necessary, add more gravel or new decorations. Before adding new tap water to the aquarium, please treat it with a special conditioner. Everyone knows that tap water contains a lot of impurities such as chlorine, ammonia, and heavy metal salts. This water will harm the fish, so water conditioners have been developed that purify the water from harmful substances. Mix old and new treated water in the aquarium and measure its temperature. Control that the water remains the same temperature; otherwise, your fish will die. If necessary, dilute it with treated freshwater, or wait for the water to heat up and become room temperature if its temperature is lower or higher than the required level. Do not pour too much water into the aquarium; there must be space for air to saturate the water with oxygen. Carefully place the fish back. To make the fish experience less shock, you can put them in a plastic container with old water and put it in the aquarium; then, it will be easier for the fish to get used to slightly different water temperatures.

Frequent water changes replace minor and trace elements that are pulled out of the water by corals. This includes elements such as potassium, iron, strontium, and other lesser known elements found in salt mixes. Major elements such as Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium are commonly added back in to the aquarium by dosing, and are removed much faster than water changes can replenish (for more information on major elements, see the article Understanding and Balancing Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium in Saltwater Aquariums). Though major elements are easily maintained through dosing, minor and trace elements are much more difficult to maintain this way. This is because measuring the consumption of each minor and trace element and adding it to the water is both expensive and time consuming. Conducting frequent, weekly, water changes of 15 – 20% of the total water volume of the tank will help replenish the lesser measured minor and trace elements. Though you may need to dose these elements if you try to keep difficult, high end corals. However, for most of us in the hobby, frequent water changes will help your aquarium maintain these levels. Read additional info on fish pets.