Beginners guide

Why do fish always seem to die within weeks of purchase?

As a breeder and owner of many tropical fish and in particular, Siamese Fighting fish, I often get asked this question time and time again. It is always from people new to fish keeping so please take the time to read fully if you want to understand where you may be going wrong.

I made many mistakes along the way to being a successful breeder and owner of my fish but one of the first and biggest mistakes any new fish keeper can make is not understanding tap water and it's effects on fish.

Tap water is treated with chemicals to make it safe for us to drink. For a long time the water companies used chlorine as a major part of this treatment but in current times more and more of them now use chloramine as well as chlorine. These chemicals will kill the bacteria which make it safer for us to drink but are harmful to your fishes health.

Chlorine can be evaporated off by using an open container and aerating the water for a few days, it is often then called "aged water". Chloramines are a bit more nasty as they won't be removed via evaporation methods and for this in particular you need to use a de-chlorinator treatment that will specifically remove chloramines from the water before using it in any aquarium. Chlorine and chloramines at tap water doses won't usually kill fish instantly but will cause them to become stressed and ill over time. Symptoms may include ragged fins, blood streaked fins, heavy breathing and sluggish fish and eventually will cause death so if you do use intend to use tap water make sure you treat it accordingly to make it suitable for aquatic use.

The next big mistake new fish owners often make when using tap water is not adjusting temperature. Fish are cold-blooded animals, their temperature constantly adjusts to the same as their surroundings. Naturally in the wild this is fine, they move through the water depths and temperature changes gradually but when you decide to do a water change straight from room or heated tank temperature to tap temperature this can have disastrous consequences, often resulting in either immediate deaths or death within hours. Fish cannot adjust their internal body temperatures quick enough and often go into shock. To avoid this always let water either sit until it gets to a similar temperature or even use some boiled water to mix it up to within 2 degree's C of the fishes current temperature. Do not use water from the hot tap to mix as it may contain a build up of heavy metals like copper which also can be harmful to the fishes health long-term.

There are some basic essentials that any aquarium keeper needs, these may not be in the order that youuld consider buying when first starting out so do take notice of whats important and what is not from the following lists..

The basic essentials you may need

Aquarium or fish tank that is adequate size for the fish you are buying or intend to buy for the same tank in the future. The basic rule of thumb is one inch of a fish per gallon of water.

Heater, depending on climate then it may be necessary for tropical fish

Air pump, this is usually needed to oxygenate the water for most species, not always essential but recommended

Filter that is a suitable size and flow rate for your tank and the fish you intend to have.

Water de-chlorinator if using tap water.

Food.

Option extras

Gravel, except for when using an under gravel filter system when it's essential

Live plants, many are hard to keep alive when you first start the aquarium hobby and aren't essential

False plants, like real plants can provide hiding places and make a tank look prettier

Hiding places, depending on the species of fish, some do need caves and hiding spots to be happy

Ornaments, these are purely for visual purposes and don't matter to the fish.

Filters

Filters need to be established to be effective and this is a major topic all on it's own. Research about the nitrogen cycle and aquarium filtration for specific details. In brief, a brand new filter put into a tank does nothing, it takes weeks before it builds up a good bacteria bed that will help remove fish waste and keep the tank healthy, This can take as long as 6 weeks and possibly more time depending on fish numbers and set up, during this you need to treat your aquarium as of it doesn't have a filter at all and do frequent partial water changes until it's established.

Once established the water changes can be reduced dramatically but the only way to be certain of this is either by buying your own test kits (they are worth the investment) or take samples of your aquarium water to your local fish shop to get them to check it for you. The main chemicals you need tested are ammonia, nitrite and nitrate. Both ammonia and nitrite should read zero on an established tank and nitrates under 40 ppm (parts per million). There are other tests you can do but not as important when first starting out.

Stocking your aquarium

As a basic rule fish keepers stick to 1" of fish to 1 gallon of water. Research the species before you buy, it may only be an inch long in the pet shop but it may grow to 12". Another big common mistake that people make is adding too many fish too soon. This applies to a newly bought tank as well as an established one. It takes time for filter bacteria to adjust in numbers to compensate for the extra waste load, add too many fish at once and you can get major peaks in ammonia and nitrites, enough to kill all your fish or if not make a lot of them ill over the next few weeks.

Keeping fish can be an enjoyable hobby and although much of this may seem daunting at first, if you can spend the time to research and provide the basic needs for your fish you will get a lot of enjoyment and satisfaction for many years instead of the constant disappointments from losing every fish you buy within weeks of purchase.


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