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COMPLETE GUIDE TO FISH TANK CARE

Copyright © 2003, by mousetrading ltd. All rights reserved.

Copyright © 2003, by mousetrading ltd. All rights reserved.

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Copyright © 2003, by mousetrading ltd. All rights reserved.

COMPLETE GUIDE TO FISH TANK CARE
The tank should be maintained as an environment as near to natural as possible, so a certain amount of
care and observation is needed. Fish suffer as much stress as do humans, if their area is dirty, however
more fish are killed through poor cleaning procedures than by neglect. They die through no cleaning, they
die through too much cleaning solution.

WHEN IS TANK CLEANING NECESSARY

The fish are swimming constantly on or near the surface. There is a good chance you will mix this up with
greedy fish wanting food. So you put more food in which adds to the problem. The fish will not eat the food,
but will quickly float back to the surface.

The water smells sour and acidic and it is dirty. Put some into a clean white cup and you will see, it has
"clumps" of sediment in it. This is the stuff which is turning the ornaments and the side of the tank brown.
This is also the stuff which is taking up all the oxygen in your tank water.

In neither of the above situations will additional aeration of the water be suffcient. The only answer is a tank
clean

THINGS TO WATCH.
All your buckets, scratchy cloths, nets, should be clean and only used specifically for your fish. They should
not have been near any bleach or detergents. So don’t use a bucket which has been used to bleach clothes.
Change carbon and fibre filters at each water change.

Sterilisation of equipment
Take a very strong solution of salt water and soak the buckets, etc in it after each use.

Take a bucket of water from your tank and net your fish into it their body temperature will not be affected by
a strong temperature difference in the water. To this water add a spoon or so of sea salt -dessertspoon for
preference, per bucket. This cleans them of parasites and any fungal spores and infections. The less you
handle them physically the less chance they will get fungal infections, as the protective sheath of mucus will
not be disturbed.

Now take a piece of rubber tubing and siphon the tank water into another bucket and tip it away. You siphon
by sucking into the tube until the water touches your lips. The bucket should be below the tank so the water
flows freely. Do this until the tank is empty.

Take a bucket of salt water and put the ornaments in to this after rinsing off under a running tap. Also rinse
any plants, if they can be disturbed. If you have plants well rooted in the gravel, you will have to flush the
tank with clean water and keep siphoning it out until it is clean. Remember that the plants need the slime as
food, so it is a case of care and balance. You will not be able to remove the bottom filter if the plants are
really well established, but take the air line and push the air underneath to flush out the bottom filter soil as
you siphon. Salt water will not damage your plants in
The way you are using it here, as sterilant.

Copyright © 2003, by mousetrading ltd. All rights reserved.

The filters should be removed, and all that black slime underneath the filter, removed. Usually a good rinse
underneath a running tap is a good enough clean, but they too can be soaked in salt water. Also treat air
lines, air stones, and pumps and tank heaters.

The gravel should be rinsed off until the water runs clear, and it too left in salt water soak.

Now take the scratchy cloth and with a level of salt water in the bottom of the tank, scrub around the walls
and base of the tank to remove the last of the soiling. Empty the tank and rinse with clean water.

RE-ASSEMBLY.
Take the cleaned tank and replace all the equipment, gravel and plants ensuring that there is sufficient
depth of gravel for the roots.

Replace the water with clean water from the tap. If you have a heated tank start to warm up the water. As
you replace the water add to the water, water conditioner. This is a solution of chelating agents which "bind"
chemically, the chlorine and heavy metals in the tap water. This makes it safe for the fish. Follow the
manufacturers instructions regarding the amount of solution to use. More is not better. Alternatively fill a
large container of water and leave it to sit for an hour or so before you add it to the tank. This lets the
chlorine evaporate away before the water is used.

When the tank temperature equals the water temperature of the bucket of water the fish are in, then tip the
bucket of water into the tank.

This is a complete change of water, a partial change of water should be done around once every two weeks
to a month. It all depends on stocking ratios. If you keep a high density of fish, then expect to need to
change the water, also, more fish are lost through over - feeding as the waste food ferments on the tank
bottom. The answer to this is to keep some bottom feeders in with your fish. You can keep doing a partial
change of water per month for some months especially if you have a thriving colony of plants which will
actively aerate the water. After a partial change of water fails to cure the problem then you will have to
dismantle the tank set-up as shown. Get into the habit of smelling the water. A sour smell always indicates
a change of water, as the acidity levels rise.

FISH CARE
Keep a tank fresh and clean and your fish will thrive, let them suffer stress from sour water and they will
succumb to disease and fungus, and no amount of medication will cure them. Let them have live food as
often as you can. This really gives them a food boost. If you do have fungus or other infections in your tank,
treat the whole tank, not just the one or two fish, which are showing symptoms. The best treatment for
fungus, or rather prevention - is to keep a small amount of sea salt in the tank water as a matter of routine on
every water change. For individual treatment let the fish swim in a very strong solution of salt water for up to
five minutes and even rub the wound with salt. Fungus is destructive of the flesh of the fish, but once the
fungus is cured, the wound soon disappears. The treatment needs to be spread over a week or more, but it
does work.

GRAVEL CARE
Remember to rinse this out at each water change. It smells and turns black, salt water cures it. Rocks
should be of anything but limestones - this can increase the carbon dioxide levels of the water, especially in
a heated tank. This means that concrete pieces, marbles, and anything similar should be kept out. Aeration
of gravel helps to clean it of the bits of food which stick to it. Here bottom feeders help, but don’t expect carp,
goldfish or similar, to do as good a job as catfish or shrimp.

Copyright © 2003, by mousetrading ltd. All rights reserved.

PLANT CARE
If the fish don’t eat the plants, they should root in the gravel and give a nice appearance to your tank. They
will grow on if not disturbed. You will have to clean around them and not use a bottom filter. They will keep
the fish healthier than in a tank with no plants, so some should be encouraged, especially the oxygenating
plants. Salt in small quantities will not damage their growth. Pick the correct plant for the correct
temperature of the tank. Your aquarium shop should be able to give you guidelines for plant purchase.
Remember that the prettier ones usually need heat, so if you are going to keep goldfish, the plants may
have to take second place. Be assured the goldfish will dig them up.

Proper tank care starts and stops with observation. So look at the water and smell it once a week for
deterioration. That is all you need to do. You can look forward to years of fat healthy fish if you do just this
simple routine.

Copyright © 2003, by mousetrading ltd. All rights reserved.