Freshwater

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Part II: Fish and How to Care for Them
Cure-all equipment and medications pose a real danger to your fish. When
you stray down untried paths instead of using the standard, proven road that
you know leads you where you want to be, you run a serious risk of losing
your fish.
The water in a fish’s natural environment is constantly replaced by seasonal
rains, tidal flow, and run-off. But in aquariums, the same water remains in the
tank between water changes. Take a moment and pretend that the water in
your aquarium is your only drinking supply for the entire day. Would you be
comfortable drinking it? Remember, your aquatic pets have to live in it 24
hours a day.
Carefully check your pH and nitrate levels with a test kit each week to make
sure that they remain within the range required by your species of fish. If
they are not correct, you can slowly change your pH by water changes or
chemicals if your tap pH does not match your species (pH should be kept
within 2.0 of the required pH).
If chemical tests indicate that your nitrate levels are too high, the best way to
fix the problem is to change 20 percent of the water daily until the nitrate
levels return to normal. Don’t forget to check your aquarium conditions, so
that you can identify and correct whatever is causing your nitrate levels to
soar higher than the national debt. A few causes of high nitrates include poor
filtration, overcrowding, lack of water changes, and chronic overfeeding.
While you are doing your weekly maintenance routine, take time to siphon off
any accumulated debris on the substrate’s surface area by using a simple
gravel cleaner or aquarium vacuum (see Chapter 6). Remove any dead vegetation
such as decaying plant leaves from the tank. This type of living debris
can quickly cause a large fluctuation in the water’s nitrate levels. If you need
to use searchlights to locate the gravel in your tank, then the water needs to
be cleaned.
Make the fish fast
Ideally, your aquatic pets should fast (that is, not be given any food for 24
hours) at least one day per week. We know this may seem difficult and harsh
at first, but avoid the temptation to give them treats such as cinnamon rolls
and donuts because you feel sorry for them. Fasting often happens in the
wild and it helps clean out your fish’s digestive systems and guards against
constipation problems. Remember to fast your fish on the same day each
week, so they don’t go too long between feedings.
Give medications
Take a close look at all the medications you use for common illnesses such as
ich and fungus and make sure you have all the standard treatments (see later
in this chapter for more). Is there enough dechlorinator (which removes