Adding Fish

Now, we come to the most exciting and much awaited part of the hobby. The type of fish
you choose is a purely personal decision, but for a beginner a few hardy fish species is
the best choice to start with. Fish that are beautiful and interesting, but still easy to care
for and feed is an excellent choice for the beginner. DO NOT purchase too much fish at
once and put them into the water. Introducing a lot of fish will strain the habitat and
topple the balance of the environment within the aquarium. As you know, when you put
in new fish, you are introducing a whole batch of ammonia and bacteria into the water. If
this is not done slowly and in stages, the concentration of these undesirable elements will
increase beyond the tolerance level of your fish and your fish might die.
You also have to be aware of the species of fish and their compatibility with other fish
before you decide what types of fish you should include. Different species of fish will
flourish in different conditions. Having a wide variety of colorful fish is visually very
appealing, but some combinations are not to be recommended. Keeping a large number of
fish with similar demands and behavior will lead to an aquarium where the fish thrive in
their new home. Select fish that are used to the kind of water that you can provideThere are many ways to add fish into your water. While bringing the fish home, care
should be taken to only have a few fish in each bag. Too many fish in a bag will cause
the ammonia level in the water to rise and the oxygen level to drop. Since you will be
bringing the fish in a smaller bag, sharp temperature fluctuations in this water are quite
possible and you should avoid exposing the bag to heat or cold. It is necessary to plan
your trip to the pet shop in advance. This will reduce the stress and shock that your new
fish will be subjected to. Try to bring the fish home as quickly as possible, and in a large
bag.
As soon as you get home, float the bag in your aquarium for a minimum of 15 minutes.
This will allow the temperature within the bag to equalize with the temperature in the
aquarium. You should thereafter add about a cup of water from your aquarium into the
bag and wait another 15 minutes. Repeat this last procedure 4-5 times before releasing the
fish. NEVER put the water that you brought from the store in your aquarium. It may
contain diseases, parasites or other unwanted passengers such as undesirable bacteria and
snails.
There are certain things you have to avoid while transferring the fish into your aquarium.
Avoid using your hands while transferring fish. Net them out gently into the aquarium.
Avoid putting in all the fish at once. Transfer the fish one by one, and leave a gap of 15 to
20 minutes before adding each fish. If you already have some fish in the aquarium, feed
these well before you start the transfer. This will keep your new batch safe from the
curiosity of the existing fish. It is also a good idea to turn off the light in the aquarium
while adding new fish. The existing fish in the aquarium will not see the new ones arrive,
and will therefore leave them alone. If you keep very aggressive and territorial species,
you will have to use other methods when you introduce new fish, but such species are not
recommended for beginners and thus beyond the scope of this e-book.
How many fish do you begin with and how many can you add at once? The rule of thumb
regarding the number of fish is: "One inch of fish per gallon of water", but this rule is
very general and frequently unadvisable to follow. While stocking your aquarium, you
have to take the needs of your particular fish into consideration.
􀂾 Territorial fish require more space and boundaries.
􀂾 Room for swimming and other activities like schooling or
other common behavior patterns in your particular fish species.
􀂾 Taller fish needs more vertical space. While they swim,
they need enough room above and below their fins.
Aggression due to lack of space is one of the common reasons why many fish die after a
few days in captivity. If you put a fast swimming schooling fish in a small aquarium, it
will never be able to swim freely. Some fishes become aggressive when they are packed
together into a small space. Putting more fish in a smaller aquarium will also increase the
debris in your aquarium, thus poisoning the entire habitat.Fish compatibility is a matter of great importance while selecting fish. Not all types of
fish mingle well. Being able to predict what species will do well together comes from
research or experience.
Every school of fish has a certain natural pecking order. The dominant male, followed by
the dominant female typically take up the center of this order. When you add a new fish,
this pecking order completely changes. The fish that are already in the aquarium have
established behavior patterns and the new member has to adapt and find a niche for itself.
Meanwhile, if it is a perceived threat to the order, the others in the school may harm it.
This is a bigger problem for some fish than for others but it is best to avoid it for all
species. You should therefore always try to buy the entire school you want at once.
You should also try to avoid unnecessary aggression and territorial disputes. For instance,
putting two male Gouramis into the same small aquarium will give rise to unnecessary
competition among them. Adding a second male to an aquarium that already contains a
male can have even worse consequences since the first male has already claimed the
aquarium as his territory. The established male will attack the new comer viciously if it
enters his swimming space. The newcomer has no place to swim or hide. Things might
get worse, and you may lose either or both the fish. All this can be avoided if you do a
little bit of research before you stock your aquarium. Try to buy all the fish you want of
one species at once.
Fish, like any other pet, need care and devotion. You need to keep the conditions in your
aquarium just right for the fish to thrive and be happy. Healthy fish can be spotted easily.
They swim briskly, eat well and generally look sturdy. Every aquarist dreams of having a
well stocked aquarium and a flourishing ecosystem. Some care taken at the early stages
will help you to achieve this easily.
Doing the following things regularly will help you to keep your aquarium healthy and
happy:
􀂾 The aquarium has to be checked daily to make sure that
there are no dead fish lying around. Remove any dead fish
immediately. Remember, dead fish will spread infection and is a
breeding ground for bacteria. Dead plant material is less dangerous
than dead fish, but will also affect the water quality and should be
removed as soon as you notice it.
􀂾 On a weekly basis, clean out the plants and decorations in
your aquarium. Trim the plants and cut away any decaying parts.
Scrape away the algae forming inside the glass.
􀂾 Always make sure that your filters are working smoothly.
􀂾 Changing the water partially every 1-2 weeks will also
greatly reduce the debris and algae collection in the water. This can
be done by gently siphoning the water from near the gravel. This is
where the most debris collects.􀂾 Check for symptoms of stress in your fish. Once found, the
conditions that are causing the stress must be determined and
changed as soon as possible