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Tropical vs. cold water

There are two types of domestic fish; tropical and cold water. While each has unique requirements and characteristics, there is a common set of rules that can be applied when choosing and setting up a tank, conditioning the water, adding new fish and maintaining the delicate ecosystem of the aquarium.

It is important to decide which type of fish you are intending to keep before you purchase anything.

Tropical fish - Popular because of their brilliant colours and shapes and they give an exotic feel to your aquarium. However, they are more challenging to care for than cold water fish and have specific needs, like a heater.

Coldwater fish - These are different varieties of goldfish with similar care requirements. They are more robust than tropical fish and your tank won't require a heater.

Tank - Interestingly, larger tanks result in fewer problems when owning an aquarium. There is more space for fish to grow, water is more stable and you can keep a wider range of fish.

TIP: As a rule of thumb, buy the biggest tank you can afford and have space for.

Where to put your tank

Put some thought into where your tank goes. It should be away from direct sunlight (the main cause of algae growth), drafts, heaters and stereos.

Setting up your tank

Before you start setting up your tank, rinse the aquarium, gravel, ornaments, plats etc. in cold water. Do not use hot water or detergents! Add gravel and then place ornaments, stones and plants directly on the bottom of the tank, working the gravel around them for better stability.

Install the filter (and heater and air pump if you have them). Plug in the electrical equipment only after you have filled your tank with water.

TIP: Filters and air pumps are very important in tropical tanks as higher water temperatures result in less oxygen availability.

Adding and preparing your water

Fill the tank with fresh water. First you need to add a de-chlorinator. PETstock staff can advise a suitable product.

For tropical tanks, heat the water to between 23 - 26 degrees Celsius. cold water tanks should be around 12 - 20 degrees Celsius.

Ideally, wait 48 hours for the water clarity and temperature to stabilise.

Now condition the water (test water chemistry) with a test kit. You need to test the pH, GH (water hardness), ammonia, nitrites and nitrates. Desired readings depend on the type of fish you own, however general recommendations are a GH of 50 - 150ppm and a pH of approximately 7.

You need to reduce ammonia if it is detected. Add conditioning salts as required and advised in the water conditioning sets.

Alternatively, take a sample of water to PETstock for a free water test.

Next, add the biological bacteria (ensure it is added after the water is conditioned). This forms the basis of the aquarium ecosystem and biological filter and will take several weeks to build and stabilise. This is important, so be patient.

TIP: Ideally you should find the optimum temperature for your species of fish. Heater size should be approximately one watt for every litre of tank water.

Adding fish - patience & time

Once the above steps have been completed, you are ready to start adding fish to your tank.

Initially, it is best to purchase a small number of less-expensive, hardy fish as some may die in the first few weeks of set up. Remember it takes 2 - 3 months to establish a stable aquarium ecosystem, so be patient and don't give up!

Go directly home after purchasing your fish, as there is limited oxygen in the bag and water temperature will alter.

Turn off the aquarium light.

Float the bag in the tank for 20 minutes before adding small amounts of aquarium water to the bag every 5 minutes. Continue this for the next 20 - 30 minutes.

Transfer the fish from the bag to the tank with a net. Do not tip the bag water into the aquarium (you've spent a lot of time conditioning the water!).

Finally, don't feed your fish for 24 hours, keep the light off and leave the fish alone to de-stress. You may begin to add new fish after one week and when your fish are looking healthy.

TIP: It is ideal to wait two weeks from completing your aquarium set up before adding fish.

Feeding

Aim for two feeding sessions daily. Most people over-feed their fish, resulting in a poor tank environment. Each session, feed a small amount first then wait 45 seconds. Once the food is eaten, add a little more and repeat the process up to 3 - 4 times in total. There should be no food left in the tank by the end of the session.

PETstock has a fantastic selection of top-quality fish food.

TIP: For new aquariums, feed fish every second or third day for four weeks, to keep nitrate levels down.

Algae Control

Ensure algae does not invade your tank by keeping it out of direct sunlight and only keeping the aquarium light on 8 - 10 hours a day.

Any algae can be cleaned off the glass with various scrapers and wipes available at PETstock.

Maintaining your aquarium

Weekly - Perform a water chemistry test. Using a test kit, check pH, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Increased ammonia and nitrite may indicate over-feeding or problems with the biological filter. Tanks become acidic over time, resulting in a drop in pH, so this needs to be maintained. Regular checks allow you to catch problems early and save your fish from suffering.

Fortnightly - Perform a partial water change. As the aquarium is a closed environment, over time nitrates, organic acids and wastes accumulate in the water. The only way to prevent this becoming a problem is to perform a partial water change

TIP: Only ever change 25% - 30% of the water at one time, as any more will affect the biological filter.

Tropical tank checklist

Needed:

  • Filter
  • Heater
  • Reflector (light)
  • Water conditioning set
  • Biological bacteria
  • Gravel
  • Thermometer
  • De-chlorinator

Recommended:

  • Fish net
  • Air pump
  • Ornaments
  • Artificial or real plants
  • Gravel siphon
  • Algae scrubber

Cold water tank check-list

Needed:

  • Water conditioning set
  • Biological bacteria
  • Gravel
  • De-chlorinator

Recommended:

  • Filter
  • Air pump
  • Fish net
  • Reflector (light)
  • Ornaments
  • Artificial or real plants
  • Algae scrubber
  • Gravel siphon