Caring for Freshwater & Tropical Fish

Tropical fish make a colourful and mesmerizing addition to any household but first you need to understand more about them and the care required because there are a few things you need to consider before making the leap to an aquarium owner. 

Every species of freshwater tropical fish grows to varied sizes and can live within certain water parameters. They can also be more compatible with some species than others, and some not at all!

Choosing & setting up a fish tank

When choosing a tank, it is important you ask yourself the following questions: 

• What type of fish and how many fish do I want? 
• Where in my house will it besituated (ideally not in full sunlight)? 
• And how big does the tank need to be tocreate a suitable living space for the fish I am hoping to get? 

A staff member can give you advise on all of this as well as whether the fish you want are compatible. Just pop in store if you need some advice.

Once you have settled on a tank, you must set up. With a tropical tank you need to run your tank for at least five days with water once set up before being able to select your fish to take home.

1. Rinse the gravel under the tap to remove dust and dirt.
2. Fill the tank with tap water (not filtered or from the hot water tap).
3. Add water ager as per instructions.
4. Set up any filters / air stones following the instructions on the packet or askus for help with this.
5. Put in the heater. Good heaters will have an inbuilt temp gauge.
6. Set this to 26°C.
7. Aquarium lighting should be on for 6-8 hours a day.

Please Note: NEVER remove the heater from the water unless turned off for at least 10 minutes.

Introducing your fish:

Introduce 2-3 fish at a time with 2-3 days break in between. This ensures ammonia levels do not rise too rapidly. Float the bag for 15 minutes when you get them home to equalise the temperature between the tank and the bag. Cup water from your tank into the bag doubling the volume of water. Then release your fish.The staff can help with your choice of fish. It’s important to make sure your fish are compatible with tank mates and suit the size of your tank to avoid any future problems or aggression towards other tank mates.

Decorating your tank:

By decorating your tank with plants (live or fake), driftwood, ornaments and different substrates you can put your own twist on your tank. Live plants can make a lovely addition to any tank and are available to buy instore. Some fish are big nibblers though so it’s best to check with a member of staff first. Driftwood is also always advised for bristle nose catfish.

General upkeep:

Your fish will need feeding every second day. It’s important to remember that a fish’s stomach is only the size of the pupil of it’s eye so don’t follow feeding instructions on the fish food packet as this can lead to over feeding and make your fish very sick.

Cleaning is an important part of general tank maintenance.

• Scrub away algae growing on the side of the tank and ornaments every week to keep it looking pristine.
• Siphon out 10% of the water once a week, replacing with water from the cold tap that has been treated with water ager.
• Squeeze out the filter pads in the water you have just siphoned out to remove any built-up wastage. These do not need to be replaced too often as they contain some good bacteria so every couple of months is plenty.
• When cleaning, always mix hot and cold water in the fish’s bucket. To get the right temp, a good guide is: 8 litres of cold water to 2 litres of boiled. (Boil water from the cold tap – Hot taps have copper piping which is toxic).
• Always remember, don’t use any chemicals, soaps or containers unless designed for fish. At the very least they will make them sick or burn them, maybe even kill them.

Top tips to remember

• Don’t set up your tank in a sunny position – this will just help the algae grow
• While most tanks are reasonably quiet, if you’re a light sleeper it might be better in a general living area.
• Always keep the water level above the minimum water level line on the water pump and have a drip loop on your power cords.
• Ask for help – once going fresh water tropical fish are not hard to maintain but it’s important to set them up correctly and ensure you choose the most compatible fish for what you want.
• Enjoy them! Fish are relaxing to look at and make abstunning addition to any household.

New Owner Checklist: 

• Tank of a suitable size
• Fish Gravel or Sand as a substrate
• Water ager
• Heater (ask the staff to ensure you get the right sized heater)
• Light (if not built into the tank)
• Fish net
• Gravel siphon
• Algae scrubbing pad