Fish are sensitive creatures. It is hard to tell if something is wrong since fish aren’t able to talk and then it just dies. One way to check on the health of those living in the aquarium is by using a test kit.

There are quite a few on the market and some fish experts recommend using a combination to check the water.

The first is called the ammonia test kit. This should be done regularly because ammonia is harmful to the fish. You will get some water out of the aquarium and let the machine do the rest. The level of ammonium must be at a low level or zero. Should it be too high, the water should be replaced even if there isn’t that much dirt yet on the glass.

Next is called the KH & GH test kit. This stands for calcium and magnesium and the level of normalcy depends on the species of fish. Goldfish which are frequently purchased by pet owners should stay between 100 to 200 KH & GH.

Another thing to watch out for is the pH level. There are two types available namely the pH high and the low range. The pet owner only has to buy one and then look at the indicator if the levels are normal. Again this depends on the type of fish kept in the aquarium.

There is also the Nitrate Test Kit. This is considered to be the best one around next to the Ammonia version which can tell when it is time to change the water in the aquarium. For freshwater fish like the goldfish, it should stay under 40 ppm.

If you have live plants inside the aquarium with the fish, it will be a good idea to buy a phosphate test kit. This will alert you if there is an overgrowth of algae that could be harmful for those living there. After changing the water, results should report that the phosphate content is close to zero.

No one can say that there is one kit out there over the others. This is because each one is designed to watch over something and unless someone is able to invent an all around version, fish owners will have to buy and use a combination to ensure the welfare of those living in the aquarium.

When you are an avid aquarium keeper, you should be able to relate when it is said that algae is a major nuisance in keeping the fish tank ‘pleasant’ to view. Once a small patch is seen, it only takes a day or two before you can see that it is starting to overwhelm the delicate balance of your aquarium. Although algae are usually considered an eyesore, we can’t prevent the fact that they will grow in your fish tank whether you like it or not.

It’s important to know the types of algae that can grow in your aquarium. It is important for you to know that there is a certain type of algae that can be left alone. This is the green type of algae. It will start as a small, slimy patch then when left alone, it will grow into something like hair (green hair, that is!). Be appeased when you have green algae in your aquarium. This means that you have established a healthy environment for your pets. Now the problem is how to control it and prevent it from overwhelming all the other species in the tank.

If your new aquarium is plagued by the brown or red algae, then it is most probable that you have a problem in your fish tank’s water quality. The red or brown algae normally appears in new, saltwater aquariums only. They are seen often on the corals.

Another type of algae-like organism is the diatom (and these are the hardest to clean!). These ones appear like dots. These diatoms have hard shells and they cling to the tank. When not cleaned, green algae would start to grow on it.

You should be highly alarmed when your aquarium becomes a habitat for cyanobacteria. This slimy stuff grows much faster than the common algae. Although it is easy to clean, cyanobacteria can grow back just as easy. Once there is an infestation of cyanobacteria in your aquarium, it is best to control them right away. The best way to do so is to clean the corals in your fish tank thoroughly.

There are ways of controlling algae in your aquarium. Aside from cleaning regularly, it is also important to place the aquarium as far away from the window as you possibly can. Having a direct sunlight hit your aquarium will mean faster growth to the unsightly algae. If you have to place your aquarium near a window, make sure to put blinds or thick curtains that would protect the water from a direct hit of light. You can open these drapes or blinds during the evening.

Another way of controlling algae is to limit the amount of lighting that your fish receive in a day. Of course, lighting is necessary for them to develop Vitamin D in their bodies but too much lighting will surely hasten algae growth. To avoid this risk, make sure that you turn on the ‘fish lights’ to no more than ten hours in a day. Make sure to turn them on or off during the same hours each day.

If you would like to resort to algae-eating creatures, then there are certain snails and fishes that you can purchase which would ‘clean up’ the tank for you. Just make sure that they do not overpopulate. Remember that the more fishes you have in a small tank, the higher the chances that the ammonia would reach toxic levels.

There are some apparatus that can be installed to control the growth of algae. These include ultraviolet sterilizers and algae scrubbers, also equipment that do ozonization, resin exchange, or reverse osmosis. If you are willing to do so, you can use distilled water in your fish tank.

There are so many ways of controlling algae but bear in mind that preventing them from recurring would be futile. Algae are a normal part of an aquatic habitat. It is, after all, not dirt but just an unsightly growth in your tank. All you have to do is to learn to control it and manage a habitat that is healthier for your pet fish.

Keeping Goldfish can be a fun and rewarding hobby. As with any new hobby, especially one that involves living creatures, always consider the maintenance that will be involved. If you care for your aquarium properly, you will be sure to have happy and healthy Goldfish for many years. Goldfish have a life expectancy of five to ten years. If you do a good job maintaining their fish tank, you should have fun, beautiful fish for a long time. Make sure to feed them correctly and keep their water fresh and clear.

When starting any new aquarium, you should get everything in place before buying the fish. If you are going to put gravel on the bottom, you may want to put only a thin layer. This will make it easier to keep clean, as Goldfish tend to be messy. Make sure that you rinse the gravel thoroughly before placing it in the bottom of the tank. If you have some decorations, you should add them now. Make sure that you rinse them well before putting them into the tank. Also be sure that the goldfish have plenty of room to swim, as they as active fish. Give them a place or two to hide, and that should do nicely.

Now that you have everything in place, you can add in the water. You will need to use a dechlorinator, as the chlorine in tap water is poisonous to fish. Once the fish tank is filled up, you can turn on the filter. Change it as often as recommended to keep your fish healthy. Goldfish live at room temperature, so you will not need a heater. They are quite comfortable in temperatures from 68 to 80 degrees. However, they should not be exposed to rapid temperature changes. You might want to let the filter run in the new goldfish tank for a day or so to filter out any chemicals or dyes that might have been left on the gravel and decorations that you just added. Waiting to buy new fish can be one of the hardest things about fish keeping!

You need to add fish gradually. Fish excrete ammonia. If you add too many fish at once to a new fish tank, the water will not be seasoned enough to dissipate it. As the water in your Goldfish tank ages, it builds up beneficial bacteria that turn harmful chemicals excreted by the fish into harmless ones. However, this will take some time. Start out with only one fish. The nitrogen cycle will not begin until you add the fish, so running an empty tank for several days will not help. Since your fish tank is brand new, you might want to consider making partial water changes of about 25 per cent of the total water volume every few days for the first week or so.

You can find Goldfish food at almost any pet shop. Make sure to purchase some when you buy your first fish. Feed only a small amount. Especially at first. Any uneaten food will sink to the bottom and rot. Keep this to a minimum. Watch your fish the first few times that you feed them. Feed only as much as they will eat in two to three minutes twice a day, or as recommended on the Goldfish food label. Be especially careful not to overfeed when the Goldfish tank is new. This will cause excess build up of toxic chemicals and can kill your fish quickly.

As the water in your fish tank cycles through the nitrogen cycle, you may notice that is becomes very cloudy. This is a normal process and should clear up in a few days. Do not add any new fish until the water is crystal clear again. Clear water will signify that the nitrogen cycle is working and that the toxic chemicals are being converted to good ones. Remember that Goldfish will grow large and they need a big space. Don’t overcrowd the tank if you want to keep healthy fish. If you follow this little guideline, you will be sure to have a healthy goldfish aquarium.

Foods are almost always unbalanced. In many cases, the vitamin content will gradually decline at room temperature and since majority of the dry food for tropical fish commonly used will only keep for about three months, it is always advisable to buy fish-feeds in many small packs rather than in one large pack.

The feed could preferably be kept absolutely dry in a refrigerator. However, all fish appreciate a change of diet and will thank you for your consideration with more interesting behavior, better colors, and greater readiness to breed and better general well -being. This change of diet should be supplemented with live food; majority of which now come in irradiated freeze dried forms to make sure that they are disease free.

I will mention a few that could be found handy in some major aquarium shops and I will group them into two. And they are flake foods and freeze-dried foods

Flake foods

Most popular and highly recommended brands are Aquarian®, Tetra®, and Wardley®. They are varying in cost and quality. Wardley is the least expensive among the three. However, the Aquarian and Tetra are richer in specialty flakes compare to Wardley.

Freeze-dried foods

You will also find freeze-dried foods available in aquarium stores. They are favorite foods for aquarium fish. They have single animal-ingredient like mosquito larvae, blood worms and Tubifex worm each. Aquarist should note that freeze-foods are not in themselves complete diet but they can be combined to flake food or other type of freeze-dried foods. We shall discuss more about Tubifex as a popular freeze-dried food.

TUBIFEX – This is a traditional favorite food relished by most fishes. They are small red worms that live at the bottom of streams and rivers particularly where large amounts of organic matter are present. Therefore, it is difficult for the aquarist to collect them life from their habitat. It is therefore preferable to buy Tubifex from pet shops where they are already clean, freeze-dried and concentrated into cube forms.

From personal experience, Tubifex tubes could probably be the most exciting feed to use for fishes. The cube can be stuck to the front inside wall of the aquarium. The fishes in the tank will immediately come forward and bit off pieces of worms excitedly until satisfied.

You need not bother to remove the rest worms since they seldom pollute and in most case fishes return to the feed for further fill.

There are two areas of introducing new fish into an aquarium that you must be aware of:

1. Fish Quarantine

Fish quarantine is one big, singular factor that must be observed strictly before you can be sure that your new fish is of good health and not an apostle of doom for the other inmates. Most new fishkeepers don’t consider this a very important factor.

For the benefit of intending aquarists, quarantine in the fish world refers to the physical and chemical treatment of new fishes (either imported or caught from the wild) to rid them of disease and restlessness before introduction into a new environment,

A small quarantine tank (30x20x25cm) is advisable for any serious aquarist. The alternative is to be sure that your pet shop has a functional quarantine section to cater for bacterial, fungal and viral diseases.

This is a sure guarantee against fish deaths. The unfortunate thing with most shops in the country is the lack of space and inadequate expertise to build and administer the prophylaxis procedure on new fish, as the procedure is sure to last at least three days! To the average aqua-investor, this is an unnecessary tie down of capital and you know what that means.

Admittedly, the expense incurred on quarantine by way of chemical purchase e.g. copper sulphate, wescodyne, malachite green, teremycin etc is high. This is more or less reflected on the final sales price of the fish, which is slightly higher in the shop. But, this would pay you off in the long run, as it is unlikely that you will complain of fish deaths any longer.

I am quite sure, some fish farmers reading this column would be more concerned about the application of this procedure to solve their farm problems especially those with hatcheries or those who stock with post fry and fingerlings.

2. Feeding New Fish

When you just introduce a new fish to aquarium tank it’s necessary to feed the fish. Though this will not be instant because no matter how carefully you add the fish to your aquarium tank they will look very unhappy for a while.

Thus it’s necessary that you turn the flights out, and leave them overnight to get used to their new home first before thinking of feeding them. Then feed fish with aquarium fish food with fish flakes the next day, this will make the fish feel at home.

If you already have an established tank, it is advisable to quarantine new fish before adding them to an existing populated, and the cheapest way to do this is to purchase a plastic tank which will need no gravel or plants.

This can be used solely for quarantine and as a hospital tank.

Leave the fish in this tank for about three days during which any disease harbored by the fish would be evident for which it can be treated using available chemicals from your dealer. The fish can then be introduced into the tank in the same way as before.

When you add new fish to an established community, there will probably be a certain amount of harassment of the new arrivals by the original fish. Try to divert their attention by giving them a good feed when the fish are introduced.

Here are five important points to keep in mind when you are choosing your fish:

1. Check out the health conditions of the fish carefully. If you are observant enough, you can check out both visible and intrinsic health conditions of the fish. First, you must observe the body of the fish. Pay attention to the scales and the fins. The scales should be shiny and smooth, while the fins should not have any cuts or nicks. If there is some fuzzy growth on the body of the fish, it is better left alone. Also check the areas under the eyes for any telltale health signs. Some fish would not ‘look’ ill, but they might have internal conditions. You can tell that if a fish is either too sluggish and spends most time at the bottom of the tank, or if it is hyperactive and keeps darting everywhere in the tank in a sort of frenzy.

2. You must next check the nature of the fish and its compatibility with the other fish in the tank. Do not select fish that fight a lot with other fish in the tank. They will be a pain to maintain as they will injure themselves often, and you will not be able to place other fish in the tank with them. Also, check out if the fish becomes more docile with another fish of its own species in the tank, preferably of the other gender.

3. Ask the stocker about the size the fish can grow to. You must consider the size of your aquarium here. The equation to maintain is one inch of fish size per gallon of aquarium space. You must not only consider the present size of the fish, but you must see what size it will attain when it becomes an adult.

4. Fish are temperamental little creatures, and most of their temperament depends on the temperature of water they are kept in. You must ask the stocker about the natural living conditions of the fish, as to whether it is tropical water or temperate water fish. That will give you an idea what kind of temperature you will have to maintain in your tank.

5. Finally, you must choose fish according to the food they eat. Different fish have different food habits and some of them are very finicky when it comes to eating. You must make sure that the food your fish wants is readily available, and that it is not going to be very expensive. You will also need to keep food for your fish always stocked.

These are the five factors on which you can base your shopping for fish. By adopting these factors, there are very less chances that you can go wrong in your selection of fish.

Aquarium plants are as important to aquariums as water is to fish. Aquarium plants add more life to aquarium and make it to look beautiful while completing the aquarium community structure.

The most important thing to bear in mind with plants is to form an attractive background, leaving ample space so the fish can swim undisturbed and be seen. The tall, grassy type is best planted at intervals in rows, while the feathery ones look better when they are bunched into small clumps, which makes them to appear like branching bushes.

When planting rooted plants, hold the tips of the bunch of roots between the thumb and second finger and rest them on the sand. Now with the first finger push the upper part of the roots (where they join the stem) about 2cm into the sand. Without moving this finger scrape with the thumb and second finger some sand over any uncovered portion of the root.

When putting in rootless plants in bunches, the method explained above is repeated, but this time the lower ends of the stems are placed together and treated exactly as if they were roots.

It is important that the water surface should be right up to the lower edge of the top angle iron of the tank, so that looking from the front the water surface can not be seen and the viewer gets the impression that there is no water in the aquarium. If the level is allowed to fall below the top angle iron the tank looks like a container holding water.

Aquarium Lighting is also important for aquarium plants

This depends greatly on whether you intend to successfully grow plants or not. Lack of light causes colorful fish to fade and blanch-reds to pink, green to white. The two main methods of lighting aquarium are by the INCADESCENT and FLOURESCENT.

The total amount of light required is a matter of trial and error. Too much light will turn the water green; too little will stunt plant growth.

The lighting can be natural or artificial or a combination of both. The best position is near a north facing window. This should provide the ideal amount of indirect lights which can be supplemented by artificial light.

The lighting should be housed in wood constructed stylishly with the furniture and placed above the tank. If there is no natural day light, the lights should be left on for approximately eight hours per day.

If the water turns green, you cut down on the light.

The best light for showing off an aquarium comes from behind.

Light and heat are very important factors in an aquarium. Since it is an artificial environment, it is best to simulate natural conditions as much as possible to avoid having its inhabitants sicken and even die. For most people, having an aquarium means putting in the right water, providing the right food, and setting up a filtration and pump system that keeps the water that the fish breathe clean and fresh. While these are important factors themselves, the failure of most aquarium owners is to overlook the fact that lighting and heat are just as important to fish as the other things mentioned.

Lighting is extremely important because most fish except for deep water ones are used to seeing the sun, and it’s a fact that, like any other animal, part of the nutritional needs of fish are physiologically triggered and released by exposure to sunlight. While admittedly not as high as the needs of non-aquatic animals, it is still there.

Light sources come in a variety of types. One of the most common and popular types are fluorescent lighting. Fluorescent lamps are cool, inexpensive, easy to maintain and replace, and consume low power. For most aquariums, this need is enough.

There are also classic incandescent lights, which consume a bit more power but provide brighter, if harsher, lighting. These also run hotter than fluorescent lights, and are better suited for raising tropical fish, which naturally would be more comfortable in brighter and more temperate surroundings.

Compact lights on the other hand, consume the least power and generate the least heat, but also produce the least illumination. They are best suited for people who want to raise deep water fish or other breeds which prefer darker and cooler waters. However, if your aquarium has a high number of aquatic plants as well as fish, then you’ll probably need a metal halide light.

Metal halide lighting mimics sunlight at a low intensity level, roughly that which would breach the surface of water in natural environments to reach the bottom where the fronds and other aquatic plants are located. Metal halide lighting comes in a variety of intensities, and you should select one with a light and heat output that most closely approaches the natural environment of your aquarium’s inhabitants, both the plants and the fish. You should be careful with metal halide lamps, and avoid choosing one with a higher output than your aquarium’s needs; overexposure to sunlight on fish and plants which aren’t physiologically capable of handling them can be as unhealthy as no exposure to it at all.

Aside from the lighting system, water heater coils and even filters with built in heaters are recommended equipment for any aquarium. For those who are serious about raising their fish, there are even heaters with a temperature setting and thermometer. Avid fish raisers will have done their research, and will know the exact range of temperature their fish will be most comfortable at. For casual fish raisers, however, a general rule of thumb is to have a low power heater that keeps the water lukewarm even in relatively cold weather.

To go into further detail in heating; use two heaters for larger aquariums, one at either end to ensure even distribution of water temperature. This is very important, as if only one side of a tank is hot, then the other remains cold, it can cause some thermal shock when your fish swim from one side of the tank to another. To put it in human terms, imagine spending an entire summer day inside an air conditioned room, one cold enough to require wearing a jacket to keep the chill out. Then, after a while, leave the room once you’re become acclimated to the cold, and step outdoors into the blazing sun. THEN, once you’ve gotten used to the heat, jump back into the cold room. Obviously, this will eventually make most people sick. The same thing applies for fish.

Lastly, consult with your pet shop about the heater’s output. The larger the fish tank, the larger the heaters you’ll need to install. Heaters are measured not by their temperature output, but by their power consumption, which directly relates to their heating performance.

As we all know rivers and lakes are the natural habits for fish and other marine life. Rivers and lakes have large surface area which makes maximum provision of oxygen for fish survival possible. On the other hand an aquarium is not like a river or lake, it has a smaller surface area and there is limited movement of habitats.

This makes the provision of alternative means of oxygen for fish to breathe important. This artificial process of providing oxygen is called aeration. It’s a simple process of re-oxygenating the water in aquarium tank.

The Aquarium Aerating System:

An aquarium aerating system made up of a series of materials that increases the supply of air (thereby increasing oxygen concentration) they are:

- the air pump
- t-pieces
- rubber tubing
- clamp or regulator
- diffusers or airstone

Air pumps come in different shapes and sizes but the most popular ones are tecax air pump from Taiwan together with ‘dyna free, and the dragon. Another popular one is super 555 from India though cheaper, but not as rugged. Occasionally available are the more expensive whisper and rens air pumps from UK and France respectively. Always place air pumps above the water level hooked to a non-vibrating material.

You can accomplish aeration in your aquarium tank by using the above listed aeration materials.

For small tanks all you need is to attach a simple aquarium air pump to airstone by means of a rubber air tube. The system will be blowing air into the water which causes motion in aquarium tank and thus provide the necessary oxygen your fish needs to breathe in the aquarium.

Sometimes people complain that the airpumps are too loud. A trick to keep the air pump quiet is to insulate its vibrations by placing the air pump on a large sponge.

I have even heard of some people who have buried the pump in cat litter with an air tube running to the surface from the air inlet… but you don’t have to go to that extent. A large sponge should do the trick.

Any new aquarium tank should first be given a thorough test to ensure that it is watertight. If after 12 hours there are no leaks, it may be emptied and placed in its final position.

Now all is ready to set up the aquarium, for this work we shall require various items such as sand, rocks etc. For making a bottom soil, you need, first of all some sand, the most suitable is called 1/16th grade and it is about the size of the average pin-head:

The gravel to be used must also be graded; that is, the gram must be of uniform size. Sand and gravel’s sold in aquarium supply stores are always graded, but if you buy elsewhere they may not be. Gravel grains 2-5mm work best.

If you use nothing, but sand, it must be well washed-in buckets, under running water until no more dirt or foam comes to the surface – and spread out on the bottom of the tank in a layer running from 3- 6cm thick sloping upwards from front to back. If you decide to mix the sand with gravel make at least a layer 6cm deep on top of the subgravel filter since less than this amount reduces the filtering capacity of the tank.

Your tank is the basic element, and is of the most importance in building an aquarium. The size of the tank depends on the number and size of fish you plan to have in it. That is why proper planning is quite essential when you want to set up an aquarium.

But then it is important to make it as big as you can afford. By all means avoid a globe tank as much as possible. Rectangle shape is always good because of ease of maintenance.

Option 1: You can buy ready made glass tanks already sealed professionally and set up for you at any aquarium store.

Option 2: Buy ready-made plastic models through distributors or mould-extrusion manufacturers and put your aquarium tank together yourself. Below are the tools you need and the steps you need to take to set up completely a new aquarium tank:

Tools:

- Sheet of glass (4mm to 12mm)
- Silicone sealant (clear and transparent)
- Silicone gun or (syringe)
- Dulling stove
- Tape rule
- Sheet of paper, ruler, pencil and eraser
- Napkin (x2)
- Newspaper
- Hand glove (rubber type)
- Methylated spirit
- Blade
- Knife
- Toilet soap and soap case
- Masking tape
- Flat bench (made with plywood)
- 1/4 flash
- Water and siphon hose
- Buckets (x2)
- Polythese sheet about the size of the table

Other than that, I’ll give you my 12 essential aquarium tips below to start you on your way to having a beautiful aquarium full of happy and health fish that you can be proud of:

1. Location of the tank in a spot which is draft free and has a moderate amount of light for 8 to 10 hours. This will ensure the safety of the tank and the inhabitants.

2. Location of the aquarium tank where water spillage will do no damage, at a height convenient for working, and in a place where it will not have to be moved.

3. Proper sand gravel (not too large, not too fine).

4. Conditioned water – free of chlorine, dirt, excess hardness, excess acidity, or excess alkalinity. Hard, acidic, dirty water is not suitable for an aquarium. It will make life uncomfortable for fish and leads to constant fish death.

5. Availability of plants properly placed is highly essential.

6. Proper, even temperature for the fish species.

7. Decoration and furnishing if you desire them.

8. Aeration to supply additional oxygen.

9. Filtration to remove excesses waste products.

10. Fish which will live peacefully together.

11. Food to keep them healthy.

12. Kits and utensils to make maintenance easy.