How To Discover And Prevent Aquarium Fish Illness

How To Discover And Prevent Aquarium Fish Illness by John Gorecki

Aquarium fish fall ill just like any other pet. The illnesses are as a result of disease. The common diseases that affect aquarium fish are mostly stress induced.

The micro-organisms which cause these diseases may be present in the water as part of the normal micro fauna and grab the opportunity to infest or infect the fish when it is stressed and its normal defense are weakened.

Different ways aquarium fish suffer from stress

- Aquarium fish usually start experiencing stress starting from the time its about living the breeding farm till when the end purchaser finally picked it from retailer. Most beginners dont really know how to handle fish.

- The quality of water is another cause of aquarium fish stress. Different fish species have different water quality that will make the environment conducive for them. Quality parameters like pH, water hardness, high nitrite and carbon dioxide level, low dissolved oxygen salinity of water, water temperature and others.

- Any change in environment like physical damage, leaches, lice and introduction of new fish that is not quarantine could lead to stress in aquarium, thus making life non conducive for fish in aquarium tank

- Change in weather condition is another factor that leads to aquarium fish stress. When there is heavy downfall as you know the weather will become cold and this could lead to stress in aquarium.

- Poor Diet as a result of lack in nutritional requirement always leads to poor performance in fish immune system. Fish immune system will struggle to operate efficiently. This will result in a stressed fish.

Warning signs of illness in aquarium fish

You can easily know when your fish are going through stress if you watch them very well and often. You will notice signs like fish swimming with clamps up (closed) in their fins, hovering in a corner, heavy breathing and fish brushing its body against objects. These are warning signs you need to act on immediately.

How to reduce stress in aquarium

To reduce stress in aquarium, you need to guide against factors that lead to stress. The following are tips on how to prevent stress that ultimately leads to illness:

- Make sure you have detail information about the fish species that you will be introducing to your tank. Enquiring about its requirements before you buy it will help you a lot. Thus, ask lots of questions before making your purchase.

- Knowing the right food for your fish is another important thing you have to know as this may vary from species to species. If you have this knowledge you will be able to provide foods that are rich in nutritional ingredients that your fish require.

- Keep the environment clean.

- When you want to introduce new fish, make sure its quarantined to reduce the risk of disease.

For more great aquarium related articles and resources check out http://tropicalfish.aquariumspot.com/

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How to Buy The Right Aquarium

How to Buy The Right Aquarium by: Kathy Strander

Buying Your First Aquarium, What To Look For
If you are interested in buying an aquarium and keeping several varieties of fish as pets, there are several things you should know before you start looking. Some factors to keep in mind are type of fish, number of fish, and what type of decor would you like. Buying an aquarium can end up costing a great deal of money but if you shop smart you can get a nice aquarium for a good 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.
Don't purchase too many fish in the beginning. Four or five is a good number. You'll be able to add more later on if you want to. Another consideration is deciding if you want fresh water fish or salt water fish. You can't have both in the same aquarium. Most of the tropicals live in salt water.
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.
Now that you know the tank and the fish you want, it's time to think about decorations. There are a lot of choices at the pet store, and the right ones depend only on what you like. That doesn't mean however, that you can just put anything in the water. Gravel especially must come from a pet store, since it won't have an adverse affect on your aquarium system, like beach gravel would. You don't want to upset the balance you've worked so hard to establish.
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.
Maintaining the correct water temperature is another important consideration for your aquarium. It needs to be between 70 and 80 degrees Fahrenheit, so be sure to purchase a thermometer. If the temperature isn't just right, your fish could die.
The next thing to be considered is the food for the fish. Most fish are not fussy about the food they are given, fish flakes and pellets are both fine with the fish. Recommendation for any special food can be ascertained from the pet store.
Some people are of the opinion that just placing a few gold fish in a bowl and hoping that the fish will be fine. However it takes much more effort. Starting an aquarium and then maintaining it can be very enjoyable and satisfying.
About The Author
Kathy Strander runs a very interesting website at Rock Aquarium, visit there today for the latest Aquarium advice, and while you're there sign up for the free newsletter. Read many more interesting articles on Aquarium at: http://www.rockaquarium.com/articles
http://www.rockaquarium.com

You read more about Aquarium products, maintainence and information here at Aquarium Info

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