Keeping Tropical Fish

So you’ve chosen to keep a tropical fish aquarium and I guess you’re a little bit confused as to what and how to look after them. Basically they are very simple to look after as long as you follow a few simple guidelines from us at the fish lodge you will soon become a competent tropical fish keeper, be warned though fish keeping can become addictive?
It has been scientifically proven that watching fish in an aquarium can lower bloodpressure and relax people who are stressed out or nervous, hence the aquariums in doctors and dentist waiting rooms. So what are you waiting for, get down to the fish lodge and buy an aquarium, sit back and relax?

Choosing an aquarium?

Firstly you will have chosen an aquarium from the many that are available. Many aquariums like the jewel aquariums now have an integrated filtration unit with a heater and a lighting unit, at the fish lodge we would recommend the rekord 70 or the vision 180 which are two of the jewel aquariums suitable for the novice fish keeper that we sell at our shop. We will also be happy to arrange for a bespoke aquarium to be made by our tank maker, who will be able to finish the aquarium cabinet with a variety of finishes to match in with your furniture at your home.

Setting up your aquarium?

Think about where you will be locating the aquarium; keep it away from direct sunlight to stop excessive algae growth, away from slamming doors, radiators and draughty openings which will shock the fish and cause stress. The aquarium should be placed on a properly designed aquarium cabinet as water is very heavy indeed so do not just balance it on a shelf or side board, also check the suitability of the floor where it is being located .

Choosing your filtration?

We would recommend an external canister filter which sits outside the aquarium usually in the cabinet underneath. The water will be sucked out from the aquarium through an inlet strainer then it will pass through the various filter mediums and then be pumped back into the tank via a spray bay fixed along the back edge of the aquarium. External canister filters make regular maintenance very easy and you will not disturb the fish, causing less stress. Internal filters are very good to and we would recommend the fluval + range, at the fish lodge these are always on our monthly special offers page along with lots of other great bargains.

A jewel tank will come with an internal filter which is very easy to maintain.Undergravel filters tend to need a lot more maintenance and general looking after and we would advise the beginner not  to choose this method of filtration.

Choosing your heater and lighting units?

We sell several choices of heaters at the fish lodge from 50 watts up to 300 watts. The wattage of the heater you choose will depend on the size of your aquarium.

Try and choose a heater with a built in thermostat, it will have a dial on it that you set to the desired temperature, and the heater will maintain this heat by switching itself on and off.
Choose a waterproof lighting unit such as an arcadia light unit; these are very reliable and inexpensive. The length of your tank will dictate the size of unit and tube light you choose. Arcadia original tropical tubes give off a very nice light, enhancing the colour of the fish and plants. Double light units are also available.

Filling with water and decorating the aquarium?

Our advice would be to decorate the aquarium before filling the aquarium to the top with water. Firstly place the aquarium backing on the outside, and move the aquarium into its final position. Place the substrate of your choice on the base, natural pea shingle or aquarium sand looks nice. If you intend to have lots of plants then use the new tetra plant substrate and co2 unit to promote healthy plant growth. Now is a good time to plant up your new aquarium, making sure they are well secured in place. Now you are ready to fill the aquarium, place a saucer or dish on the gravel and pour the water directly onto it so as it deflects the water and does not dislodge the plants, fill to the water level mark then and only then you will be ready to switch on the filter and heater.

Add some tetra aqua safe to neutralize chloramines and some filter aid such as cycle to get the nitrogen cycle up and running a lot faster. Now you can adjust the p.h if you live in a hard water area using a p.h adjuster in liquid or powder form available at the fish lodge, a p.h of 7 will be fine for most tropical fish. Discus fish would be about 6.5 and Malawi’s about a ph of 8 .It will take several days to bring the p.h down or up to the correct level. We would advise you to leave the aquarium running for a week or two before adding some fish, but if you are impatient then a few hardy fish will be fine to start off with such as danios or mollies. Over the weeks check and adjust the heater until you reach the desired temperature for tropical fish which should be around 25 degrees centigrade.

We recommend a glass or digital thermometer. We would advise you to put the lighting unit on an automatic timer so the fish will become accustomed to a regular routine and you will not have to worry about turning the lights on and off.

Adding more fish?

Now that you are confident that the aquarium is ready you can add some fish.
Try and buy a few fish every week and do not add loads at once. This will prevent your new filter from becoming overwhelmed which will lead to problems with high ammonia levels which you should try and avoid at all costs. The fish lodge staff will guide you on which fish to and not to choose. Try and research the fish before buying them so you have a better understanding of what they look like and how big they will get and what food and water conditions they require.

Feeding your fish?

Try and feed your fish a variety of food such as frozen foods, flake foods and live foods.

High quality tropical flake foods are all available at the fish lodge such as teramin,tetra prima and king British. We sell several frozen foods suitable for tropical fish such as bloodworm,tubifex,daphnia and brine shrimp and we have specials on frozen foods all the time. We have regular deliveries of live food such as bloodworm,daphnia,brineshrimp and tubifex worms. Always strain live food before feeding, and make sure you wash your hands thoroughly.
All these foods should be fed to your tropical fish, a varied diet is very important for all fish. Do not over feed your fish. This is a common mistake that all new fish keeper make. A good pinch of flake food or a cube of frozen food is fine once a day. Buying an auto feeder like a daily double is a very handy piece of kit to have if you lead a busy lifestyle.

Top tips for keeping tropical fish healthy.

1. Regular small water changes 10 – 20 % once every 2 weeks using a quality de-chlorinator such as king British or tetra aqua safe (remember to use a little Luke warm water when doing a water change to take the chill off the tap water)
2. Good water filtration and circulation. (The use of an air pump is very beneficial)
3. Feed a good quality varied diet.
4. Do not overfeed; cloudy water is a common sign of over feeding.
5. Regular tank maintenance such as gravel cleaning, filter cleaning, replacing carbons and polywool regularly will all help to create a stress free environment.
6. Regular water testing for nitrate, ph, nitrite, ammonia.

What tropical fish should I keep?

Well there are a lot to choose from, we would recommend that you start off with community fish or Cichlids such as Lake Malawi’s.

Remember that we are here to help you with any problems you can email or telephone us. We will be happy to advise you on your fish selection in the shop. check out the special offers page for special offers on aquariums, filtration and other aquarium products and livestock.