I Want An Aquarium. Part 2

2024 Author: Gavin MacAdam | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 13:38

Photo: Valyukha

The aquarium is one of the few gifts that cannot come as a surprise. You can't put it under a Christmas tree, hide it under a bed, or wrap it in colorful packaging. An aquarium is a balanced decision, careful preparation and a lot of positive things afterwards!

Start: X

I see an aquarium. Part 1

Step 6. Populating the fish

And now, after a while, you can already go for fish, but again, only 2-3 pieces every 3-4 days. The purchase of fish is stretched for quarantine purposes, in order to avoid the transfer of diseases with new fish. Fewer amounts are easier to cure, or less waste. The fish is launched according to the scheme:

• Turn off the lighting

• A closed bag with fish is placed in the aquarium for 10 minutes (the water temperature levels off)

• Without removing the bag from the aquarium, 30% of the water is taken (not into the aquarium !!!), we add 30% of the water from the aquarium to the bag.

• After 10 minutes, repeat

• After 10 minutes the fish is caught and put into the aquarium.

Congratulations! You are now the owner of the aquarium

The purpose of this article is not to intimidate the complexity, but to show the full extent of the responsibility of owning an aquarium. It's a wonderful hobby, even a way of life. Only these pets cannot be taken to the veterinarian and you will not see that they are "lethargic, do not eat, etc." A gradual and correct start-up of the aquarium will reduce possible problems by at least half, and the study of a large amount of information in this case is imperative. It is always easier to avoid problems than to eliminate their consequences. Unfortunately, the seller in the pet store is not always literate or acts in his own interests. However, all the troubles pay off with interest, the aquarium is an antidepressant without side effects, it works ideally as a humidifier, and observing a piece of nature will have the best effect on the development of children.

Afterword. Some facts that will be helpful

• The water is cloudy. If new fish have been added, the aquarium is overpopulated. If there was no change in the quantity, overfeeding. Reduce feed volume and get rid of problems.

• The water has a pronounced smell of ammonia, the amber color of the water is noticeable - overfeeding. Reduce the amount of feed (ideally, the feed should be eaten within 1 minute). A weekly change of 30-50% water is required until the odor disappears. Further water changes are carried out according to the requirements of the "population" of the aquarium.

• There are fish that are sensitive to changes in pH balance and acidity; special tests sold in pet stores will help to monitor this.

• If the fish becomes covered with whitish mucus, the disease is most likely contagious. Treatment is with antibiotics added directly to the water. Further, according to the instructions, the water is actively replaced until the fish recover.

• A small aquarium doesn't make it easier! In a large aquarium, maintaining the desired balance of the ecosystem is easier and changes for the worse in the state of the water are not so destructive for the fish. While in a 30-liter aquarium, an imbalance in flora can lead to the death of fish in a day.

• If there are viviparous among the inhabitants of the aquarium, purchase a fish nursery. This is a mesh cube that is placed directly in the aquarium and the pregnant fish is placed there. This will save the offspring from total eating.

• There is a cute cuckoo catfish. For its reproduction… cichlid fish is used! Yes, this fish incubates its eggs in its mouth, and the cuckoo catfish, like its feathered namesake, tosses its eggs. Catfish hatch earlier by eating cichlid eggs.

• Adorable goldfish are inherently comparable to pigs. They very actively plow all the ground, overturn the scenery, pull out algae, gnaw them. In addition, they are quite aggressive, they eat everyone who is smaller than them.

• Mollies are viviparous, but an interesting fact is that after one mating, they give birth 3 times. This is due to a special structure, they store fertilized eggs in themselves, preventing them from developing. After giving birth, they are rounded again and after a month they give birth to new fry.

• Aquarium - an outlet for families with allergies. Fish have no wool and do not come into contact with household items. Food concerns only make sense for primitive food (dried plankton and crustaceans such as daphnia or hamarus). Modern complex feeds do not crumble, and microparticles of such allergenic crustaceans do not get into the air. In addition, constant air humidification prevents household dust from flying in the air, prevents mucous membranes from drying out, thereby reducing the manifestation of allergies.