Setting up a Fish Tank

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Saving Nemo

Fish keeping may seem like a fun and easy hobby, but without the proper research and knowledge one will kill the fish rather than keep them. Most people think keeping fish is an easy hobby because all you have to do is buy a tank and the fish to put in the tank, but they are extremely wrong. Fish are very hard to care for, and they are also very temperamental to changes within the tank. Fish require constant care and a watchful eye of the water conditions in the tank. If the water condidtions in the tank are not set up properly, or if there is a spike or sudden change in the water conditions it could cause the fish to become sick or even kill the fish.

Tank set up might seem like a simple process of just filling the tank with water, but if the water is not treated properly it can be toxic to the fish and it will kill them. Tap water is extremely toxic to fish and needs to be treated to remove the chlorine from the tap water. In order to treat the water one must use a water conditioner, that removes chlorine, that can be bought from a local pet store. Treating tap water is only part of the set up process in a new tank. Once your tank is full of treated water you must cycle your tank.

Cycling a new tank is the process in which the nitrogen cycle is established in a new aquarium. It is crucial that a new tank is cycled properly in order to keep the fish in a non-toxic environment. The purpose of cycling a new tank is to establish beneficial bacteria that convert toxic elements into nontoxic elements. In order for the cycle to begin in a new tank there must be ammonia in the tank. Ammonia comes from the food that is fed to the fish, and it also comes from the fish waste. In order to get ammonia in the tank the pe...

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...ank. A new tank should only have one to two hardy fish in the tank in order to start the cycling process and once it is cycled more fish can be added. A fish keeper should make sure they check their fish frequently for signs and symptoms of diseases so they can quickly treat a fish if necessary. Once a fish keeper gets used to checking water conditions and preforming regular water changes fish keeping can be a fun hobby, but it can still be an expensive hobby.

Works Cited

"Beginner: The Nitrification Cycle and New Tank Syndrome(." Beginner: The Nitrification Cycle and New Tank Syndrome(. N.p., n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

"Common Symptoms." Chart on Fish Diseases, Symptoms and Their Treatments. FishNet.org, n.d. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

Seyffarth, Keith. "The First Tank Guide." Information on Setting Up Your New Aquarium. N.p., 23 Mar. 2012. Web. 31 Mar. 2014.

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