Fishkeeping is quite complex hobby. It combines biology, zoology, botany, water chemistry and at first it may seem like a rather difficult passion. Therefore, you should apply a few rules regarding our pupils, i.e. fish.
Overstocking
You should act in such a way that the fish feel well. Their number must correspond to the amount of water in the tank. The general rule is: we count one fish of 1 cm in length for 1 liter of water. You must never allow the fish to stand under the surface and gasp for air due to an overcrowded stock.
Temperature
The water temperature should not exceed or be lower than the thermal level appropriate for a given species. It must meet their requirements. If someone cannot provide the fish with the right temperature, then they should give up taking care of them. There are a whole range of really nice cold-loving species. At night and during an artificially introduced water temperature longer period of rest, the substrate in a tropical aquarium may also drop slightly by a few degrees, which to some extent also corresponds to the conditions prevailing in nature.
Introducing new inhabitants to aquarium
Remember never to move fish from cold to warm water suddenly and vice versa. Fish, which are cold-blooded animals, must gradually adapt to changes in temperature, otherwise it may affect their health. Before letting them into the aquarium, the temperature of the water in the transport vessel must always be equal to the temperature of the water in the aquarium. The best solution is to hang the vessel with the fish you have brought in the aquarium until the water temperature is the same in both.
The nature and life requirements of the fish that we want to keep together must match to a large extent. Fish that require special nutrition should not be found in a multi-species aquarium.
Stress factor
Unjustified disturbance of the fish and any unnecessary manipulations should be avoided. Any stress that your fish may face can cause health problems which are often difficult to deal with. Leave plants and animals alone as long as possible – they will be stronger, healthier and grow healthier.
Feeding
Feeding should be a regular action but the most important thing is not to overfeed your fish. Although dry food does not cause turbidity of the water, when given excessively, it pollutes it. Live food, e.g. daphnia, is given only in amounts that can be eaten within an hour. Uneaten live food takes oxygen from the water, while those that die quickly lead to the formation of putrefactive processes. Remember that fish should be fed with a varied diet that meets their requirements.
Prevention from diseases
It should be remembered that fish diseases are in many cases difficult to cure, and often incurable at all. Prevention is better than cure. The best preventive measure is the type of care appropriate to the nature of the fish, as well as scrupulous cleanliness. Biosecurity is a basic knowledge for every aquarist. You can read more about it here.
As you can see, basic care contains a few factors. As aquarists we should remember that our mission is to create such conditions in our home tanks that are similar to the natural environments of our pupils. Following above mentioned rules should help you to maintain your tank the way your fish deserve!