Marine Fish Care

When its time to start buying marine fish you are going to need to find a good aquarium store. You should visit several stores before making a decision on which one you will do your business with. Things you should take into consideration is how educated the staff is. Are they helpful and answer your questions or at least able to give you a idea where you can get the answer? Look the store over for cleanliness, a clean store has a better chance of selling healthy disease free fish than a store that is a mess and smells bad. You want to make sure the store sells everything you need weather its aquarium supplies or fish.  A good marine fish store will have a quarantine tank to keep sick fish away from the others do keep the other fish from being exposed to disease. A store without a quarantine tank could be a indication that they do not have a problem with you buying marine fish that are sick or diseased.

Maintenance is a critical when it comes to your keeping your marine fish alive and healthy. Creating a schedule for daily, weekly, bi-weekly and monthly checks and maintenance will help in making your marine aquarium a success. The type of tank and fish you have will change the schedule in some ways but here is a list of the basics.

Daily Schedule

• You should give your marine fish tank a good look over check the temperature with a aquarium thermometer to make sure its within its parameters.
• Observe the condition and behavior of your marine fish look for signs of disease or stress.
• Make sure the pumps and powerheads are functioning properly.
• Look for leaks.
• Remove any leftover fish food before it starts to decay.
• Check tank level and top off if necessary.

Weekly Schedule

• Scrape any algae that might have build up on the sides of the tank.
• Clean any filters that appear to have a buildup of waste and leftover food.
• Check the water with a aquarium test kit for ph, ammonia, nitrate and nitrite if necessary.

Biweekly Schedule

• Do a 10 percent water change.
• While removing the water vacuum the substrate to remove any waste and leftover food.
• Clean your filter elements with the water you extracted out of the tank.
• Clean any salt buildup from the top of the fish tank and the cover so not to block any light.

Monthly Schedule

• Inspect all electrical connections for any type of corrosion
• Change filters and carbon.
• inspect all plumbing and airstones for leaks and proper operation replace if necessary.

How to do a water change in your Marine Aquarium.

The water in your aquarium should be changed at least every two weeks sometimes sooner which is why testing the water is important. The more fish you have in the fish tank the more waste will be brought into the tank. Check with your local pet store about what needs to be done with water in your area to make it marine fish friendly.When changing the water you will want to disconnect anything electric to you tank as a safety precaution. Remove about 10 percent of the water from your tank. In a bucket or some sort of container add water and the salt mix according to the manufactures instructions. Check the specific gravity of the water with a hydrometer and check the water with a test kit to make sure both the aquarium and the new water are within the same parameters. Once the temperature of both are about the same you can start slowly add the water. You can now turn your electrical components and make sure everything is running smoothly. Remember excellent water condition is crucial to marine fish care.

Taking on the hobby of marine fish can be the most frustrating yet most rewarding you can have. Something to keep in mind though, aquarium maintenance never stops you can’t take week off and get back to it later. Marine fish have no tolerance to dirty water so high quality water must be kept at all times. Location of the marine aquarium is also an important part of the success of the tank. Your aquarium tank should not be in a high traffic area where people are constantly scaring the fish. They also should not be near a window where sunlight can throw off the balance of the tank. Drafty rooms can make it hard to control the temperature of the water. Most important you want your marine fish tank in a place where you can easily enjoy it. When choosing a tank the bigger the better. The bigger the tank the easier it is to keep the water stable your marine fish do not like changes in water conditions. Try to get a least a 55 gallon fish tank or bigger if you can. After you decide on the size of the tank you must choose your aquarium equipment. Make sure what you buy is appropriate for the size of the tank you will be using and what you plan on having in the aquarium. After the tank is set up plan on about 3 to 6 weeks for the water finish its cycling process. Patients is a virtue not letting the water finish its cycling is setting yourself up for disappointment. Before you head to the pet store to get every fish that looks pretty do your homework. Marine fish require more room than typical freshwater fish you have to find out how many fish you can have in the tank. You will also need to know if the  fish you plan on buying will get along with each other many fish are territorial. Too many fish can also lead to more waste than your aquarium filtration system can handle. So are you still ready to take on the hobby of a marine aquarium? I can’t emphasize enough you need to do your research, you have to plan on a regular maintenance schedule even if it means hanging a calender on the wall, and most of all patients. If you can get a grip on all that then you may be on the road to a successful marine aquarium.