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What To Look For When You Buy An Aquarium
by Kathy Strander
http://www.rockaquarium.com
If you want to start keeping fish as pets, there are several
things you need to know. Think about the decor, as this will
help determine the type of aquarium you will buy. The size
and variety of fish will also play a part in your decision.
The systems can be costly, but as with everything else you
buy, do some research on finding the best price.
It needs to be understood that starting an aquarium is like
attempting to set up a small ecosystem, which could have
living plants too. It will be required to maintain the
correct pH balance. This is difficult in a small tank. Thus,
you must not attempt to start an aquarium with small tank
with a few fish. It is advisable to start with about
twenty-gallon tank. This will ensure that the fishes are not
cramped.
Don't purchase too many fish in the beginning. Four or five
is a good number. You'll be able to add more later on if you
want to. Another consideration is deciding if you want fresh
water fish or salt water fish. You can't have both in the
same aquarium. Most of the tropicals live in salt water.
It is essential to understand the compatibility of the fish
with each other. Some fish do not get along with others and
eat the smaller fish. Take the advice of the employee at the
pet store or you can look for this information on the
Internet.
Now that you know the tank and the fish you want, it's time
to think about decorations. There are a lot of choices at
the pet store, and the right ones depend only on what you
like. That doesn't mean however, that you can just put
anything in the water. Gravel especially must come from a
pet store, since it won't have an adverse affect on your
aquarium system, like beach gravel would. You don't want to
upset the balance you've worked so hard to establish.
Okay, you have your fish and you have your tank. Now you
need to add water. Tap water has to be treated before you
can put your fish into it. Most of our drinking water
contains chlorine and is harmful to fish and plants. You
will need to remove it before you add it to your aquarium.
The water temperature in your aquarium should be between 70
and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. You will need to have a
thermometer to ensure that your tank is never too hot or too
cold. Fish are very sensitive to water temperature and it
can prove to be fatal if the temperature isn't correct.
As for food, once again check with the people at the pet
store. You can feed the fish flakes or pellets, but it's a
good idea to find out if they recommend one type of food
over another. Typically, fish aren't that selective about
what they eat.
Successfully setting up and maintaining your own aquarium
can be very rewarding and enjoyable. Many people think it's
as easy as throwing a couple of gold fish into a bowl and
the fish will be fine. However, aquariums take much more
work and can be much more rewarding than a fish bowl.
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