Tank Boat Ornament

Posted by admin on Monday, September 3, 2007 · Leave a Comment

Tank Boat Ornament
how do i look after tropical fish? salt water or fresh water.?

my mum broght a new house and she asked for the fish tank too. we filled it up brought a filter/pump, heater, fake plants, rocks, boat and bridge and off course tropical fish. ( lampeye tetra, 6 ) and i think they are fresh water. but a few hours after buying the fish they died. the shop keeper said the water had to be 26 degrees celcius. and it was set at that. i used water from the tap to fill the tank up. the stones at the bottom were natral but were meant to be used for a different purpose. and the bridge and boat where japanese but could also be used in fish tanks. i have really 3 questions.Q.1 how do i look after tropical fish? ( i.e what will i need to make sure they stay alive ) Q.2 what do you think me and my mum did wrong? Q.3 do the things that go in the fish tank need to be specially made to be in the fish tank? ( i.e like i borught the stones from a hardware store, meant to be used for path ways. and my mum brought a boat and bridge from a market meant for ornaments )

Tetra’s are pretty delicate, they need a well aged fully cycled tank. (google freshwater tank cycling) If you wish to try cycling the tank with fish, I would recommend zebra danios, (just 2) they are a schooling fish & once your tank is cycled you will want to slowly build their school up to at least 6 (provided your tank is at least 56 litres or approx 12.5 uk gallons) You should purchase a freshwater test kit that tests for ammonia, nitrite & nitrate. In a fully cycled tank the ammonia will read 0 ppm, nitrite 0ppm and the nitrates should be kept under 40 ppm. Zebra Danio are hardy fish, and are often used in the cycling process. You want to keep very few fish untill the tank is fully cycled, and once your perameters are stable, you can slowly add more fish to your tank, (2-3 fish per month when nitrates are at about 20ppm) untill you reach stock capacity. see article: http://www.thetropicaltank.co.uk/tanks-uk.htm

Q1 make sure you cycle the tank: http://www.firsttankguide.net/cycle.php , do partial water changes every other day (25%) untill the tank is fully cycled(if cycling with fish) make sure to treat the water with a conditioner that removes chlorine & chloramines: http://www.petfooddirect.com/store/product1.asp?pf_id=80736501&affiliateCode=PF012803&cm_ven=Performics&cm_cat=BizRate.com&cm_ite=DDI%20Link , properly acclimate your fish before adding them to the tank: http://www.aquariumpros.com/articles/acclimation.shtml

Q2 pretty much everything…The tank needs to be cycled or at the very least left with filter running for at least 48 hours before adding any fish. Always research the fish you are interested in & thier needs before buying them. Make sure you buy them from a reputable fish store,(usually they won’t sell you the tank & the fish in the same day, and they require a water sample for testing before they will let you take a fish home) Only put things in your aquarium that are made for aquariums unless you are knowledgeable about how to make items safe for your tank. (usually through baking, or boiling)