Fishkeeping: Filtration Systems, Tanks and More! Get Into the Hobby!

Looking to get your first pet but don’t think you have the time to commit to a dog or cat? Fish are a great way to get yourself use to the responsibilities of owning animals. They also provide a great way to add life and a centerpiece to your home.

Fish need a lot of care as well though. You can’t skip out on the size of the tank, the filtration systems, or the pieces of decoration you put in their tanks.

Here is everything you need to know about taking care of your fish.

Fish Tank Type

There are two types of tanks. There are freshwater tanks and saltwater tanks. If you’re a beginner when it comes to fish pets, then you should start with freshwater tanks.

Saltwater tanks need higher amounts of upkeep and you will need to make sure that temperatures are regulated more frequently.

Certain fish can only survive in one type of water, so ask what fish belong in what tanks before purchasing one.

Fish Tank Size

While those tiny glass bowls in movies might seem like enough, they often aren’t big enough to accommodate certain types of fish. Goldfish tend to continue to grow for all of their life.

For best results, keep tiny fish like guppies or neon tetras for the tiny tanks and get bigger tanks for goldfish and other continuous growers.

Filtration Systems

Once you’ve determined the tank size you need, you’ll need to pick up a filtration system that can handle that amount of water. You don’t want to get a filtration system that only handles 5 gallons for a tank that is 25 gallons.

Also, see if they can handle additional filters like ammonia or carbon. Not all fish are going to respond the same. You might need to pick up these filters if they produce excess ammonia or the water has a lot of carbon in it.

Decorations

Get decorations that aren’t sharp and could damage your fishes fins. Certain fish like beta fish are even more susceptible to tears and need specific types of decorations.

Food

Learning to feed fish is harder than it looks. Start with fish flakes while your fish is tiny and then move them to pellets afterward. These have more subsidence to them and allow them to get more nutrients.

Check out this site to help track how much they eat and whether or not you need to increase or decrease their food.

Keep Your Aquarium Healthy With These Tips

Now that you know everything about filtration systems, tank size, and how to feed them, you can go pick up your new fishy friend. In most instances, you do need to set up your tank before you go and pick out fish. This is to ensure they adjust properly and the water has time to filter.

If you want to learn more fish-keeping tips, then be sure to check out the rest of the blog. Know someone interested in being fish parents? Share this article with them to prepare them.