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Buying Your First Aquarium, What To Look For
by Kathy Strander
http://www.rockaquarium.com
If you want to start keeping fish as pets, there are several
things you need to know. Think about the decor, as this will
help determine the type of aquarium you will buy. The size
and variety of fish will also play a part in your decision.
The systems can be costly, but as with everything else you
buy, do some research on finding the best price.
If you haven't owned an aquarium before, you might think it
would be best to start off small. In truth you are
establishing an ecosystem, so buying a small tank and only a
few fish, is actually harder than going a bit bigger. In
order for your aquarium to survive, you need the correct pH
balance and also some live plants. Think in terms of twenty
gallons as a starting size. This will give your fish room to
swim and not feel trapped in a tiny space. It will give you
more to look at and enjoy as well.
When trying to determine how many fish you want you'll first
want to start with a small amount. Four or five fish may be
a good starting point. You can always add more fish to your
aquarium if you don't feel that you have enough. When
purchasing your fish you first need to decide if you want
fresh or salt water fish. Most of the tropical fish are salt
water and you can't have both.
Before you randomly choose some fish, do some Internet
research or talk to the pet store employees. Some fish
species don't interact well and may actually eat one another
for lunch.
Then decide what you want to put in the tank for decoration.
Just ensure that the item you put in the aquarium have been
purchased from the pet store. Do not put anything that you
might have picked up from the beach, especially the gravel.
The gravel that you pick up at the beach is not what you
find at the pet store. The items from the store have been
treated and will ensure that the balance inside your
aquarium is maintained.
After having your fish and decided upon the aquarium you
would like, next you will have to bring in the water. The
chlorine in the normal tap water is harmful for the plants
and the fish. This is the most important factor. You will
have to treat the tap water to remove the chlorine content.
Use a chlorine remover before adding the water to the
aquarium.
The water temperature in your aquarium should be between 70
and 80 degrees Fahrenheit. You will need to have a
thermometer to ensure that your tank is never too hot or too
cold. Fish are very sensitive to water temperature and it
can prove to be fatal if the temperature isn't correct.
As for food, once again check with the people at the pet
store. You can feed the fish flakes or pellets, but it's a
good idea to find out if they recommend one type of food
over another. Typically, fish aren't that selective about
what they eat.
Successfully setting up and maintaining your own aquarium
can be very rewarding and enjoyable. Many people think it's
as easy as throwing a couple of gold fish into a bowl and
the fish will be fine. However, aquariums take much more
work and can be much more rewarding than a fish bowl.
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