fish tank care sheet
FISH / health & care Fish need clean, chemically balanced water to thrive. An aquarium is a delicately balanced ecosystem that relies on “good” bacteria to keep fish healthy. When everything is working right, helpful bacteria grow in the aquarium’s gravel and filter. There, they help break down the ammonia and nitrite found in fish waste—which, if left unchecked, would be toxic to your fish. When you first set up your aquarium, you’ll need to encourage the growth of these beneficial bacteria. The process, called cycling, can take 4 to 6 weeks. Using bacteria starters can reduce the cycling time to 1 to 3 weeks. Here’s how to start: Set up and fill the aquarium with water. Do not add fish. Run the aquarium filter for at least 24 hours. Introduce a small number of danios, gouramis or livebearers—hardy fish that aren’t as sensitive to ammonia or nitrites. (The number of fish will depend on the size of the aquarium; ask a PetSmart associate for advice.)
Use a cycling-aid product to seed the aquarium with healthy bacteria. Feed your starter fish carefully, according to package directions. After a few days, use a testing kit to determine the levels of ammonia, nitrites and pH in the aquarium water (PetSmart offers free water testing. Just bring in a sample and we’ll test it for you in minutes.) If levels of any of these chemicals are out of balance, remove some of the water from the aquarium and replace it with clean water. Over time, the beneficial bacteria should kick in and balance the chemistry in the aquarium. Once the water is ready, you can slowly introduce new fish. How do I care for aquarium water? Be sure to check the water temperature in your tank every day. Replace 10% of the tank with clean water Test the water's pH, ammonia, nitrite, nitrate, hardness, alkalinity and chlorine Clean away any algae Replace 25% of the tank with clean waterrinse or replace the cartridge, carbon and pre-filter if necessary
Remove and clean plastic plants and decorative items Prune live plants if necessary What chemicals are in aquarium water? Normal pH range: 6.5 to 8.2 This is the acid/base activity in the water Rapid changes in pH levels are unhealthy for your fish The stability of the pH is related to water alkalinity. Normal results: 0.0 mg/L Chlorine and chloramine are found in city water and must be removed for fish. The chlorine in tap water is toxic to fish. Use a dechlorinator to clean any water before adding it to the aquarium. Normal results: 0.0 to 0.25 mg/L Once an aquarium has been cycled, it should have no ammonia. In new aquariums, ammonia neutralizers can be used to lower ammonia levels. Normal results: 0.0 to 0.5 mg/L Nitrite reduces the oxygen in your fish’s blood. If nitrite levels spike, change the water until it is at a safe level. You can also add aquarium salt to your tank (use 1 to 3 teaspoons per gallon, 0.1-.03%) to reduce nitrite toxicity.
Low alkalinity can result in a sudden change in the tank’s pH level that may be deadly to your fish. Test tap water alkalinity and change water as needed to maintain proper alkalinity. Increase the alkalinity of the water to stabilize the pH level.
best size fish tank for oscars Normal range: 74 to 82 degrees Fahrenheit. (23 to 28 C) Sudden swings in temperature can harm fish. Use an aquarium heater to keep a consistent temperature. Shop water test kits What kind of filtration does my aquarium need? There are 3 methods of aquarium filtration: biological, mechanical and chemical. Your aquarium needs all 3 types to neutralize ammonia and nitrites and remove debris and contaminants. These common filtration systems employ all 3 methods: Under-gravel filter: A slotted plate beneath the gravel bed circulates water continuously. Power filter: Ideal for tanks up to 55 gallons, a power filter can be combined with an under-gravel filter for aquariums with a lot of fish.
External power filter: Located on the back of the aquarium, this style draws water from the tank and pumps it through a replaceable cartridge. Canister filter: Ideal for aquariums 55 gallons and larger. Ready to find your fish? We have a wide selection of freshwater fish sold in stores.We have a wide range of care sheets available which you can access using the links below or the ‘Fish Care’ drop down menu at the top of the page. When you have finished, take our free fish care training courses! New in April: Aquarium Industries have put together a brilliant caresheet on Moon Jellyfish. Download your copy here.Ambystoma mexicanum (axolotl) at the Steinhart Aquarium in San Francisco. Photo by Stan Shebs Axolotls are large salamanders that come from the remnants of lakes Xochimilco and Chalco in Mexico City, Mexico. Axolotls live their entire lives in water, never emerging onto land. Axolotl care requirements are minimal, and provided temperature and water flow are well controlled, they are hardy, easy-to-care-for captives that breed readily in captivity.
It is difficult to think of a more unusual display animal than the axolotl, and its bold and tame nature makes it an interactive pet. Axolotls are often available from private breeders, often via the Internet. Axolotls are not commonly available in reptile stores or at reptile shows, owing to their incompatibility with most reptile-friendly temperatures. Some suppliers may be able to special order them for you, but generally the best sources for healthy axolotls are other hobbyists. Photo credit: John Clare Leucistic axolotls are white with dark eyes, and sometimes they have a few black markings along the top of the body. Most axolotls reach about 10 inches total length (from the tip of the nose to the end of the tail). A few will pass 12 inches, but this is rare. I have personally seen and photographed a 17-inch axolotl that had to be seen to be believed, but such monsters are highly unusual. Axolotls reach sexual maturity when they reach about 8 inches. This can be in as few as six months, but generally it takes about a year of good care to reach this size.
Axolotls have been known to live past 20 years, but it is unusual to find an individual older than 10 years. A 10-gallon aquarium can accommodate a single adult axolotl, but due to the large amount of waste produced by these messy creatures, a 20-gallon aquarium is a safer choice. Axolotls do not emerge from the water, so a land area would go unused. Fill the aquarium to the depth of your choice, but it will be easier to maintain good water parameters when the aquarium is filled, as you would for aquarium fish. A lid or aquarium hood should be kept in place at all times because axolotls have been known to jump out of their aquariums. A filter will help maintain safe water parameters. The best choice is an external canister filter, but ensure the water outlet to the aquarium is fitted with a spray bar or other flow-spreading outlet. This is necessary because axolotls do not tolerate distinct water flow like fish. Axolotls that live in a noticeable water flow for a few months will go off food and develop stress-related diseases.
Lack of appetite and forward-curled gills are usually a sign of stress from too much water flow. Like the vast majority of amphibians, axolotls do not require lighting, and indeed, new axolotls may be shy if kept under bright lighting, though they will become accustomed to it if provided with some hiding places (the usual aquarium “furniture” such as caves, wood, plants, etc.). Lighting is generally for our viewing pleasure and for the benefit of aquarium plants. Choose a plant-friendly bulb, such as those sold for freshwater aquarium fish. Keep in mind that lighting fixtures often generate a lot of excess heat and this can be detrimental to axolotls. Temperatures up to the low 70s Fahrenheit are tolerated well by axolotls. An ideal temperature range is the low to mid 60s. Temperatures above 74 degrees will invariably lead to heat stress, loss of appetite and death. If you cannot provide year-round temperatures below this limit, axolotls are not the ideal pet for your circumstances.
If you must have an axolotl but you have temperature problems, consider buying an aquarium chiller for the warmer parts of the year. The ideal substrate for axolotls is aquarium-safe sand. Axolotls have a bad habit of ingesting gravel and mouth-sized objects if they are available. This can lead to gut impactions and the death of the axolotl. If you wish to use gravel, consider large pebbles instead. Anything the size of an axolotl’s head or smaller can and will be consumed! A substrate is not essential – many keepers use no substrate at all – but it is certainly more pleasing to the eye in a display aquarium if a substrate is used, and it will also help to keep water parameters stable by providing surface area for beneficial bacteria. Good staple foods for axolotls are nightcrawlers (large earthworms) and frozen bloodworm cubes. Good treat foods for axolotls include frozen shrimp from the supermarket (cooked), and lean pieces of beef and chicken. Avoid live food such as feeder fish because of the risk of parasite and disease transmission – axolotls are vulnerable to many fish diseases and parasites.
Pinkie mice and other fatty foods are best used only as a rare treat for axolotls and preferably not at all. As is the case with most salamanders, axolotls have no need of vitamin/mineral supplementation, and indeed it would be hard to deliver this to an aquatic animal. In my experience, axolotls fed solely on nightcrawlers will never develop any vitamin or mineral deficiencies. Tap water is fine for axolotls, provided it is pretreated with aquarium water conditioner to remove chlorine and chloramines. Axolotls are far more forgiving than aquarium fish when it comes to water quality, but a good filter and regular water changes should be employed nonetheless. If you’ve ever kept aquarium fish, follow a similar routine. Ideally, a new aquarium and filter should be allowed to cycle for several weeks prior to the introduction of axolotls to let the water conditions settle and filter bacteria develop. Be sure to keep an eye on water parameters using the test kits sold at aquarium stores.
Axolotls have virtually no true bone in their bodies, particularly when young. Much of their skeleton is made up of cartilage. Axolotls are delicate and soft-bodied amphibians with permeable skin. As such, axolotls should not be handled unless absolutely necessary (they are tricky to catch in a net). If you use a net to move an axolotl, avoid nets with mesh that would let an axolotl’s fingers get damaged. Use a soft, very fine-mesh net. Young axolotls tend to nip at or bite off the legs and gills of their tankmates, so youngsters should only be kept together if fed well and given plenty of space. Axolotls larger than 5 inches tend to be safer tankmates, and adults will rarely have any altercations. Contrary to the advice of some sources, axolotls are not social animals and do not benefit from having a companion axolotl. Keeping multiple axolotls is purely for the keeper’s benefit and for breeding. Due to the tendency of nipping, fish should not be kept with axolotls. In fact, an axolotl aquarium should contain only axolotls!