I have always been a lover of water, be it swimming in it, drinking it, or just plain watching it flow; no matter, I like to play around in water. I have also always had a certain infatuation with nature and how it works, in how each interconnected part relates to the next. A grade school goldfish bowl with far too many fish in it was the start of my aquatic obsession. After killing a couple swaths of fish, I began to get the hang of keep these colorful little beings alive.
I've spent my fair share of late night reading, browsing endless online forums, reading guides to care and maintenance, going so far as to join the Aquarium Association of my hometown of Sioux Falls, South Dakota -- I was the youngest member by a gap of 13 years. In my free time during much of high school, I could be found hidden away in my room constantly getting my hands wet. Regular nights would consist of draining and filling aquariums and cleaning endless cycles of filters and glass.
I still love aquariums, big and small, though I have none set up for myself currently. One benefit of immersion in all things aquatic, is the immense knowledge they're to be observed both in reading and in practice. Aquarium keeping has been a very important hobby for me, teaching such cherished lessons as "remember that gravity is a thing," to a better understanding of patience and attention to detail.
Now, I won't be giving instructions to set up a tank as I would want to, as that setup is fit for the obsessed hobbyist. What I offer is a set of guidelines to help the amateur fish keeper avoid the far too common toilet funerals. So sit back and enjoy a testament to four years of intricate aquarium knowledge so you don't have to work so hard to keep your fishy friends happy.
1. Being a beginner is important: starting small is ideal.
There are many mistakes I have made in fish keeping so far, but starting small was not one of them. My first "aquarium" held only 1 gallon, but it was more like a well-shaped bucket good at suffocating fish. The next step was the standard 10-gallon aquarium which, by all means, is the perfect sized beginner aquarium. The point of the matter is, jumping wholeheartedly into fish keeping with a much larger, harder to control aquarium usually ends up causing more problems than enjoyment. If the goal of having an aquarium is to have fun, there's no sense in biting off more than you can chew.
2. When setting up an aquarium, let it sit for a week before adding anything.
This tip comes from a significant collection of hobbyist knowledge I've picked up during my years in the hobby. Surprisingly, the community of Sioux Falls has a great number of people similarly obsessed with aquaria as myself. After an aquarium is set up with all water, gravel, decor and filtration, it is essential to let the entire system run for at least a week before adding any fish or, to be discussed later, plants. This acclimation period is so essential because it allows for the necessary micro-organisms to establish themselves in the soil and the filters. The bacteria and other micro fauna help create a better environment for the fish, breaking down waste and filtering water in an efficient and natural way. And trust me, the anxious curiosity that comes with letting one sit seems much more manageable when your fish actually live healthily.
3. Water changes save lives.
One of the least enjoyable aspects of aquariums is the eternal need for water changes. This involves taking out up to half the water in your aquarium and replacing it with new, treated water. In order to ensure the health of most fish, weekly water changes are paramount. Water changes emulate the natural cycling of water through a biological system. In an aquarium, the only source of water and the only space for waste reside in the same tank, so it's easy to see why introducing new substance periodically is important. I like to think of it as playing rain cloud, except much more terrifying because I vacuum out like half of the atmosphere before making it rain heavily.
4. Algae is a tool, not a menace.
As I talked about in No. 2, there is a large and diverse amount of micro-organisms that go into and sustain an aquarium. One sector of these varied critters is the infamous aquatic curse of slimy green substances. Algae exists in hundreds of different forms and their favorite home is one made in water. No single aquarium in the world exists without algae within it, so it's clear it will never truly go away. So what does one do when they see the green walls of defeat take over their own little chunk of nature? Fear not! for algae works best when viewed as an indicator. Algae blooms are directly related to nutrients; when large sections appear, then it's safe to say that something is in imbalance, giving the hobbyist the opportunity to act and adjust as needed. Too much nutrients can come from several different places, like my next point.
5. Do not over feed!
This is probably by far the biggest offense of any first time fish keeper. The saying goes "well they just look so hungry all the time!" Well, that's because they are, but that doesn't mean they always need to eat. Fish are highly efficient creatures, making full use of basically everything they eat. Regular old fish food works just fine, as long as one heads the no overfeeding rule. I like to suggest feeding once every day; in mostly all cases, feeding your fish once a day will do them fine. And don't just tip the container and let fall in what falls in; take a moment when you first start feeding your fish, and take a close look at how much food is enough for them first before you start feeding regularly, for extra food leads to algae and dirty aquariums.
6. Plants can be your greatest ally.
I speak only from the stand point of a freshwater aquarist, as admittedly there aren't mean plants that grow in salt water, but in the freshwater home aquarium, plants make for easy and aesthetically pleasing decor. Although they do require some extra maintenance with trimming and planting periodically, the benefits of aquatic plants far outweigh the minor adages in labor. Aquatic plants offer the most natural way to filter an aquarium, as their roots absorb nutrients from waste, and their leaves and plants produce oxygen when lit during the day. Plants also add a sense of beauty to aquariums, giving them a flow and grace more natural than the dismal plastic plants everybody knows.
7. Turn off your lights at night!
Here's one of those weird ones where it seems like you wouldn't have to tell anyone, but it's never ceased to surprise me. For some reason, many think it's normal to leave an aquariums light on 24/7. This is foolish for many reasons, the least of which being that fish need sleep too. A healthy fish is a fish that gets enough sleep, just like a teenager. Plants too, if they are utilized, need a period of darkness to alert the parts of their cells that convert energy into growing power. And to top it all off, you don't end up paying as much! The best way I've found to never worry about my aquarium lights is to put them on a timer, then I know I'm not over stressing my tank with light.
8. Read!
If not the most important part about fish keeping, reading about care and setup prepares a fish keeper immensely for showing healthy aquariums. As mentioned before, the Internet contains an endless and free quantity of knowledge concerning aquariums and how to keep them. Everybody does things a little differently, and sometimes, online is the best place to look for the weirder questions surrounding fish.
9. Every fish has its parameters.
There has been many a time I've been at friends' houses or at a restaurant with an aquarium where I sit and watch the fish be miserable, simply because their tank didn't suit their size. Or other times, I've seen fish be bullied and hurt by other fish in the tank when they should've never been in the same tank. It's important that one puts more thought into picking out fish than the average Wal-Mart shopper. When you buy fish, you buy little lives that you are in charge of keeping relatively happy, and if you don't pay attention to their needs and dislikes, you might end up with piranhas in a fishbowl.
10. Don't fear the watery reaper.
An environment composed of water creates a space governed by hundreds of different variables. I've seen many people become discouraged with fish keeping because of their loss of a tank of fish. But with the nature of life being to eventually die, the loss of aquatic life cannot be treated too strongly. On some levels, it seems inhumane, but fish are simple creatures who just want a damp place to hang out, and if you get some enjoyment from them just existing, then all the better. Aquarium keeping has so much more to offer than the stylized depictions in commercials; an art form in its own right.
