Stop… Dinner time!

Tropical freshwater fish require a varied diet. It is not good to feed too many flakes, because this can clog your fish tank’s filter and disrupt the water quality. At The Toledo Zoo, fish in the freshwater tank in Nature’s Neighborhood are fed a mixture of small krill, brine shrimp (but not too much because brine shrimp are not very high in nutrition), mysid shrimp, and flakes. The flakes can be purchased in any quantity from your local aquarium supplier or pet store. The shrimp and krill can be purchased in large frozen sheets anywhere you purchased your aquarium supplies. Any good aquarium store will have a selection of foods that are prefect for your fish.

A healthy pet is a happy pet.

Just like us, our pets can get sick and need to go to the doctor. It can be quite difficult to take your fish to the vet, but you should at least have the phone number of a vet in your area that is qualified to answer any questions you may have about your fish. Often, employees of the aquarium stores can help you answer any questions regarding the health of your fish tank or specific individuals since they work with fish on a regular basis.

Here is a list of signs your fish could be sick:

• Sudden loss of weight
• Loss of appetite/not eating
• Gasping for air at the surface
• Changes in appearance of color or scales
• Swimming strangely, on its side or upside down

Remember, a good veterinarian will be happy to talk about your animal’s health, so don’t hesitate to call if something seems wrong. 

Beauty School

First you will need a very, very tiny cosmetic bag…

Just kidding!  There is not much you can do to groom or dress up your fish.  Keeping your fish and plants in your tank healthy will keep colors bright and everything looking great. Simply pay close attention to the brightness and color of your fish’s scales as this will be a big indicator of the animal’s health.

Could I have some space please?

When considering buying a fish, you first need to find a space in your home for the fish tank. Fish tanks can be heavy by themselves, but when you add water to them, they get even heavier! In fact, one gallon of fresh water weighs about 8 pounds! If you have a 10-gallon tank, the water by itself weighs 80 pounds, so you’ll need to have a strong and safe stand to place the tank on. Then, once all the water is in the tank, you shouldn’t move it with the water in it, so be sure you’ve chosen a good spot to put your tank before you set it up!

You’ll need some gravel in the bottom and you may want to add some aquarium decorations just for fun. You can add live plants or fake plants to your aquarium, too! When adding these items to your tank, be sure to rinse them thoroughly. Make sure that you rinse off the gravel before you add it to your tank; otherwise, the water will become very cloudy. If the water is cloudy and dirty, your fish and plants will have a very difficult time breathing in the water—just like it would be difficult for you to breathe dusty air.

Be sure that your tank has some way of circulating the water and some type of filter. Carbon filters and/or undergravel filters are quite common and work well. There are even tanks available for purchase now that have entire filtration systems already built into the tank. Ask pet store staff to help find the perfect size for your tank.

Your freshwater tank will need a light as well as a heater to keep the water at a comfortable temperature. You’ll also need to have some type of thermometer where you can read the water temperature to determine if the water is the appropriate temperature.  68-80oF is a good range to maintain the health of your fish. You will need to do a little research to determine the appropriate lighting necessary to maintain the plant and animal life in your tank. The goal of aquarium lighting is to replicate natural conditions as best as possible. Your tank may need up to 12 hours of light every day. You will have to turn the lights on and off daily unless you set a timer to do it for you.

Once your tank has water and gravel in it, you will want the water to filter for at least a day before you add fish and plants. This is because the water that comes from the tap is typically treated with chlorine, which can be deadly to your fish. By letting the water filter for about 24 hours, the chlorine will have a chance to dissipate so that it is safe for fish and plants.