Continuing from the previous article, Maintaining a Freshwater Aquarium: 100% Foolproof Method (Part I) we will now present the remaining steps in regards to the fish.
1.
The kinds of fish in your tank are a feature of tank maintenance you really need to consider.
While some fish can live in the same space in harmony, others won't be as tender with one another.
Some species like cichlids are predators and will eat other fish, while some are prone to hiding or eating leisurely; they may not be adequately nourished if they have to wait until other, quicker fish are done feeding.
You don't need to keep all the exact same species in the same tank - just find out which ones can co-exist peacefully.
2.
Quality and appearance of the water is crucial.
You can use tap water in conjunction with a filter and your fish should be just fine, but the frequency with which you replace the water varies.
Some sources suggest replacing up to 15 percent of water once a month, while others suggest replacing the same amount once per week.
Rather than replacing the water all at once, it's best to replace a little at a time on multiple occasions.
And you should not just pour more water in the tank...
take out some water and actually substitute what was removed with new, fresh water.
3.
The tank isn't the only thing that needs inspection: be sure to look at your fish to make sure they're all swimming and alive.
Remove any dead ones you find and look around at the others if one dies...
if they're all acting unwell, odds are good something is wrong with the tank and you'll have to fix it before they all die.
4.
The tank will need an overall general cleaning once a month done in separate parts.
Scrape any gunk or algae off the sides once a week, clean the garbage out of the bottom once a month, use de-chlorinated water to replace water lost through evaporation, and by all means change the water if it looks cloudy.
5.
Every living thing needs food, and fish are in no way off the hook (pun intended) from this biological inevitability.
But you will need to find out the eating habits of the specific fish you purchase for your tank; different fish will need different foods and will have different feeding times.
You must also feed your fish as diverse of a diet as possible to ensure they are getting all compulsory nutrients and so they can develop properly.
Really, successfully running a freshwater aquarium requires a little effort to do lots of little things.
It looks intimidating, but we promise it's not as bad as it seems.
Fish are not too high maintenance compared to some other more exotic pets and those little efforts here and there will pay off several times over when you have a stunning tank of beautiful fish to admire.