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This
List contains things that a Fish Keeper (hobbyist or professional)
should clearly avoid. Some of these things have to do with the good
health of the fish or the hobbyist himself, while others have to do
with the morals and the general concepts that we, as persons,
believe should guide every "pure" serious hobbyist. Of
course this list is not complete. It couldn't be and it will
probably never be. New "Don'ts" will be added every now
and then. Fish keeping is a very demanding hobby which requires (apart from skills and love for the
pets) basic knowledge of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Pharmacology while the basics on
plumping and connecting wires or fixing sockets are also welcomed.
This site is aimed to the serious hobbyist (this is taken for
granted by the authors) and not to the ones who intent to pay
regular visits to the pet shop to renew their dying stocks.
1.
Don't release
the fish you don't want any more in domestic water bodies (rivers,
lakes or sea). You should either donate them or kill them
painlessly. You may cause a very serious (possibly irreversible)
damage to the native biotope.
2.
Don't strip the
female mouthbrooder Africans unless there is a good reason for it
(disease, prolonged history of premature release or swallowing).
Mouthbrooding leads to the release of females which know what to do
when the time comes. It is the wide use of stripping that has led to
more and more females which use to swallow their eggs.
3.
Don't let your
hybrids enter the market. Keep them in your tank or destroy them
painlessly. If nature wanted these hybrids they would have become a
species by now, they had 5.000.000 years to become one.
4.
Don't neglect
water changes. No matter how clean the water seems, water changes
play the single most important role in the well being of your
fish. Don't rely
on your vision to decide when a water change is needed. Test
kits will help you to decide that far more accurately.
5.
Don't medicate
every now and then. Medication should only be administered if there
are clear symptoms of a disease. Don't
use antibiotics
every time you see a symptom. Make sure you know what the disease
is. Nine times out of ten, there is no need for an antibiotic.
Raising resistant strains in your tank may be harmful to you and
your family.
6.
Don't feed
feeder fish unless the species you keep can only feed on them. Our
aim is to keep fishes alive because we love them. In many cases your
"meat" eater can be easily trained to accept other foods
without any consequences for its health. Keep in mind that such
feeding usually increases the aggression.
7.
Don't work in
your tanks with the electric appliances plugged in the electric
outlets. Always disconnect appliances before putting your hands in
the tank. Better still, try to "ground" the tank.
8.
Don't feed your
fish foods other than those indented to be used in aquariums. The
left-over of your meal (even if it is just bread) may cause very
serious troubles to your fish.
9.
Don't work in
your tanks every now and then. Your fish want to have the confidence
that the tank is their house. You can easily take some notes of
"things to be done" and do them all together once a week.
10.
Don't let people
knock on the glass to attract your fish. This causes them great
stress. Sound travels very fast in the water and all fish are extra
sensitive to vibrations.
11.
Don't buy fish
by the color or shape. Mother nature did its best to ensure that
every species will thrive in the right water conditions with the
right tankmates. Don't torture
a small mild temperament fish by adding it to a tank full of
aggressive Africans, simply because it "looked so cute".
Get to know every species before you get it.
12.
Don't overfeed.
The simple rule "feed as much as your fish will consume in five
minutes" is simply nonsense. My Africans can consume enormous
amounts of food in five minutes and then spend the whole day chewing
it. Overfeeding is the first cause of deaths in aquariums. Get to
know your fish. If not sure, then underfeed.
13.
Don't perform
massive water changes without a good reason (usually following a
medication or a sudden ammonia/nitrites rise). Most fish don't
tolerate these changes at all (e.g. cichlids from Lake Tanganyika)
whilst most of them will be stressed. A 50% change every other week
should suffice. Otherwise you have a poor filtration system or a
highly overstocked tank.
14.
Don't change all
your filter media at the same time. When you need to clean your
filters always do it in aquarium water and leave at least 35% of the
old media. Your old media is colonized by useful bacteria which keep
your tank running safely (they keep ammonia / nitrite levels at safe
levels). Removing all filter media at the same time could cause your
tank to cycle again with heavy fish losses.
15.
Don't buy fish
that will outgrow their tanks. Always read about the species you
want to get. Red tail sharks are very beautiful and cute animals at
10m but they will outgrow your 100 cm tank in no time. Don't keep
fish in tanks that are too small for them. Fish need to swim, keep
that in mind. Fish kept in small tanks do not grow normally, are
prone to diseases and, most important, are unhappy. Leave these
species to someone who can give them the care and space they need.
16.
Don't place your
tank on top of ordinary furniture. This is especially dangerous with
large tanks (more than 300 liters). A 300 liter tank complete with
equipment, decorations and water may well weight more than 500 Kg.
This is more than any furniture can take. Such tanks should be
placed on special constructions, preferably metal frames. For even
bigger tanks you should also check the loading capacity of the
floor.
17.
Don't save money
on equipment or tanks. You should make a survey and buy the best
equipment that will do your job. Cheap equipment may leak, get stuck
or have a short life. With tanks it is better to wait a bit and buy
a larger tank. Larger tanks are easier to maintain, allow a greater
fish selection, are more stable regarding their water parameters,
give more space for proper decoration and, if promptly maintained,
are more impressing.
18.
Don't buy fish
that are obviously stressed, lethargic, stay motionless or sit on
the bottom of the tank. Don't
buy fish that refuse to eat at the pet shop, are constantly being
bullied by tank mates or have clear marks of disease (ulcers, open
wounds, spots on body or finnage, swollen or cloudy eyes). Don't
let your feelings guide you into such a
selection. You may feel like "saving this little creature"
but in the end you will struggle to save your whole tank.
19.
Don't add newly
bought fish directly in your tank. New fish should always be
quarantined for at least a month in their own tank. Thus, a disease
outbreak will not harm your existing fish.
20.
Don't stock your
tank immediately with fish. Your tank must be allowed to cycle first
(get colonised by useful bacteria). If you do not allow for that you
will end up with a very "fragile" balance and, finally,
with heavy losses.
Continued
in next page. |
