Fish & Aquarium Care Tips

Fish are great pets - quiet and fascinating to watch. Whether you have a solitary goldfish or an aquarium filled with exotic tropical fish, at Feed-All Pet Centre we have all the accessories you need to set up your aquarium and keep your fish healthy, including Food, Aquarium Supplies, Filters, Treatments and Remedies. Many products are available at Feed-All Pet Centre to help you control, change and monitor the pH levels and water quality in your aquarium. These products tend to be easy to use and fast-acting. Some products also help to remove unwanted substances like chlorine from the water.

Basic Fish Care

Fish can become 'stressed' by handling, shipping, fighting, moving to a new aquarium, a change in water or the addition of new fish to their aquarium. Try to minimize your fish's exposure to stressful events to help keep them healthy.

It can also be helpful to not replace an aquarium and all accessories at the same time. Fish create 'good' bacteria within their environment and removing all water, accessories and changing the filter will effectively erase the bacteria leaving the fish susceptible to disease. When changing to a new aquarium use the same filter for awhile, or put the same accessories in the new tank without cleaning them. There are also products available to encourage development of beneficial bacteria in the water. Test your water weekly for PH levels, ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Visit Feed-All Pet Centre for an assortment of pamphlets and guides with information about caring for fish and aquariums.

Behavioral Needs

• Decorations - reduces stress and aggression
• Plants - provide niches for mid-water and surface swimming fish
• Driftwood, Castles, Rocks, etc. - provide niches for bottom dwelling species
• Schooling - reduces stress, natural way to keep fish, 3 or more of same species

Maintenance Needs

• Gravel Cleaner - keeps tank clean, removes waste buildup, best way to clean tank
• Filter Material - change as recommended by manufacturer, biological filter is most important
• Net - to catch adult and baby fish
• Algae Scraper - best and safest way to clean aquarium glass
• Test Kits - to monitor water quality parameters, ammonia and alkalinity are most important
• Book - background information and instructions for ongoing care

Environmental Needs

• Aquarium - bigger is better - general rule is one gallon of water to each inch of fish.
• Hood/Light - keeps fish in tank
• Stand - safe support for weight of aquarium
• Filtration Systems - life support system, more is better - chemical, biological, mechanical
• Heater and Thermometer - stable temperature reduces stress and disease
• Water Conditioner - makes water safe for fish and other organisms

Nutritional Needs

• Food must be offered in proper form for fish to eat (flake, pellet, disc, etc.).
• Staple Diet - provides basic nutrition (like oatmeal every day)
• Plant Based Diet - provides roughage, good for omnivores (Live-bearers, Tetras, Barbs, etc.)
• Specialty Food - for other specific needs and feeding habits
• Frozen Food - provide variety of balance, a must for certain fish (a more natural food source)

Good places for your Aquarium

• On a table or tank stand capable of bearing the weight of your filled aquarium
• In an alcove of a room providing enough space to service the tank and lights, heaters, filters etc.

Places to avoid:

• in direct sunlight or near windows - sunlight is the main cause of algae growth
• near direct sources of heat such as a radiator or forced air vent
• around sources of noise such as stereo speakers or television
• in drafty areas

Read some additional tips for setting up your Goldfish Aquarium or Tropical Aquarium

Tropical Fish Diseases

There are hundreds of diseases that can affect fish in an aquarium – here’s a quick guide to some of the more common diseases and treatments.

White spots on your fish (looks like small dots sprinkled on the fish) - This is probably Ich (Ichthyophthirius), a parasite which is rather common. It is usually caused by poor water quality or stressed out fish whose immune system have weakened. It can be treated easily if caught in time and there are many medications that you can purchase online or at the pet store to treat your tank at the first signs of this tropical fish disease.

Grayish cottony patches on skin or gills - This is probably a fungus caused by large amounts of decaying matter (fish waste and food) in the tank. It should be easy to clear up with treatments if it has not progressed too far. You can buy treatments at Feed-All Pet Centre, of course, and clean the tank more often to prevent this from happening.

Rotting Fins - This tropical fish disease is probably cause by bacteria attacking the fins and is likely to happen where there is poor water quality and / or the fish are stressed. If only a few fish are affected, you can isolate them to prevent spread of the bacteria. This can be treated with medicine purchased at the pet store specifically for this type of disease. You should check your fish daily to insure their fins are in good condition as this requires immediate treatment.

Fish scraping itself against bottom, cloudy skin - These are symptoms of Flukes – a parasite which attacks skin and gills. Poor water quality can cause Flukes to multiply and it is very difficult to treat the fish. You can buy medication to put in the tank for this but it must be done at the first sign of “itching”

Fish gasping for air - Your tank may be overcrowded and not have enough oxygen. Try a pump with an airstone to add some oxygen to the tank.

When medicating your tank, always be sure to follow the directions on the medication and use the proper medication for the problem. Good water quality through diligent aquarium maintenance can help to keep your fish healthy and ward off tropical fish disease.