Freshwater fish tank mates recommendations? This vibrantly colored fish are tough and friendly but have a tendency to be territorial and hostile during mating season. Rivers are their natural habitat, so they are adept in swimming through currents. Male Cichlids are larger than females, growing to be 6 inches compared to females who only grow up to 5 inches. They will eat all types of fish food. In time you will realize that caring for a pet fish is not any easier than caring for any other pets. They also require attention, cleaning, proper nutrition, and a stable environment. If this is your first time to own a fish, do plenty of research about the fish of your choice, and be prepared to shell out some cash because their tank and accessories can be quite expensive. All efforts become worth it once you see them all set up and swimming peacefully in a tank.
Just like keeping any pet in the house, there are things you’ll need to watch when keeping tropical fish: Tropical fish can die very easily when something goes wrong with the tank. Often by the time you notice something is wrong with the tank or the fish, it will be too late for you to do anything for them (although you can take you lessons learned for the next aquarium you set up). Tropical fish do require more care than a plant; you must know how to change the water, clean the tank, and what to feed them. As opposed to bringing other type pets into the house, set up costs for fish keeping can be expensive. You’ll need to put in an investment in terms of the tank and the accessories. Plus many fish are not cheap! Tropical fish are living creatures. Things happen to them, even when you’re not paying attention. So they aren’t just design features and will require your frequent attention and care. If you keep your tropical fish tank without doing any research, things can get ugly! For example you can have algae blooms or snail infestations that are very hard to eradicate. See extra details at kuhli loach tank mates.
A dirty aquarium can threaten the health of fish and other inhabitants. Cleaning the aquarium is not limited to changing the water; cleaning the decorations and walls of the aquarium is also necessary. To do this as correctly as possible, read this article before cleaning. Before cleaning the aquarium, browse the specific literature, or consult a pet store about how often you need to change the water in a freshwater aquarium. Aquarists’ opinions on this matter differ, so we advise you to find several points of view and choose the most suitable for you.
Frequent water changes replace minor and trace elements that are pulled out of the water by corals. This includes elements such as potassium, iron, strontium, and other lesser known elements found in salt mixes. Major elements such as Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium are commonly added back in to the aquarium by dosing, and are removed much faster than water changes can replenish (for more information on major elements, see the article Understanding and Balancing Alkalinity, Calcium, and Magnesium in Saltwater Aquariums). Though major elements are easily maintained through dosing, minor and trace elements are much more difficult to maintain this way. This is because measuring the consumption of each minor and trace element and adding it to the water is both expensive and time consuming. Conducting frequent, weekly, water changes of 15 – 20% of the total water volume of the tank will help replenish the lesser measured minor and trace elements. Though you may need to dose these elements if you try to keep difficult, high end corals. However, for most of us in the hobby, frequent water changes will help your aquarium maintain these levels. Discover more details on here.