I recommend looking around and perhaps studying some material that discusses the care of tropical fish before getting started. After you are ready to start, gravel obviously will be the first to be added to the tank. If you use an underground filter, be sure to place it far enough under the gravel - about one and one half to two inched in front and three to four inched in the back. When adding the water, you only want to fill the tank half way to begin as this will allow you to finish adding the plants and decorations that you desire to please your pet fish. Make sure that the plants have enough gravel for the roots. When you are installing the filter, attach it so no plants or rocks are in the way. Attach heater and thermostat firmly also. If you use large rocks, make sure that they are firmly bedded in and can never topple other. This is very important.

Next, condition the water. This needs to be done before adding the fish. Get rid of all of the chlorine in the water. That can harm the fish. There are lot of water conditioners on the market and they must be used. Before adding any fish, let the filter run for 5-7 days, so any last chlorine will be able to escape. Its not a bad idea to add a couple of flakes of food without the fish to start off the nitrogen cycle before your fish arrive. You can also take some water from an aquarium that is already in use and pour it in. Make sure that the temperature is correct, at about 24 degrees Celsius. Add only a couple of fish to start off with. You will need to "equalize" the waters by floating the fish using their bag. Leave them there for 15 - 20 minutes. Then release them.

The absolute balance of an aquarium world is not usually possible to start with. Usually the fish give off more waste matter than the plants will absorb.And plants almost never provide sufficient food for fish life in an aquarium tank. You will need to work to start the "ecobalance" in the tank and then maintain the environment afterward.

The aurthor, Mike Dodd, has kept a variety of tropical fish as pet fish and has years of experience in the upkeep and maintenance of pet fish.

Different diets for different species
Feeding fish a sensible diet that is suited to their species is absolutely essential. Proper feeding supports a healthy immune system, stimulates growth and breeding, improves the appearance of fish and encourages activity. Different species of fish require different diets so it is crucial that you research the dietary habits of the fish you propose to put in your aquariums.

Discovering the right consistency and type of food
The type of diet and food consistency can be determined by bearing in mind three divisions of two groups.
The first division is the type of food. Herbivores eat plant-based food only, carnivores are meat-eating fish and omnivores eat both plant and animal matter. Most fish fall into this third division.


There are also different levels at which fish feed in fish aquariums so it is crucial to introduce food in a texture suitable for fish which collect food from the surface, fish that feed on food which has been dropped into the water, and fish that gather food from the bottom of aquariums.

What will you offer?
All fish require a balanced diet consisting of fats,carbohydrates,proteins, vitamins and minerals. Here are a variety of foods you may bear in mind, depending on the dietary requirements of the fish in your tropical freshwater fish tank aquariums.

Herbivore fish need food with high fibre content, for example algae and vegetables. These fish will enjoy lettuce, zucchini, spinach, nettles, maize, carrots and peas. You need to make sure that these vegetables are boiled so they are soft, and broken down into reasonably sized morsels. These foods provide several vitamins, minerals and trace elements. I also recommend using Spirulina for herbivores as it provides them with easily digestible vegetable protein.

For omnivores and carnivores, a high protein diet will be vital. This can be provided through live food (ensuring it is healthy), home-made or commercial foods. Thin slices of cooked white meat or raw red meat can be used, live small fish (e.g. feeder goldfish), live or freeze-dried worms, brine shrimp, daphnia, Tubifex, and krill. Meat, worms and brine shrimp are best fed as a treat rather than as a daily meal. Tubifex fosters growth and can be used as a conditioning food to get your fish healthy prior to reproduction. Personally, I advise krill as a dietary basis for carnivorous and omnivorous fish. They are rich in protein and contain amino acids and Omega 3 fatty acids for overall health, carotenoids to bring out bright colors in fish, vitamins and minerals which improve the immune system, dietary roughage for better digestion, and energizing carbohydrates. Krill also contain little fat and salt. They are excellent for helping a sick fish get better or to bring a healthy fish up to maximum fitness for breeding or showing. For predatory carnivores who like to catch moving things, you can hang non-live food from a fork and lower it into the aquarium in view of the fish, wiggling it around so that it seems it is alive!

Dry foods
There are various types of dry foods for example granules, pills, flakes, grains, wafers and pellets. All of these can be bought in a choice of textures considering the type of fish you want to feed and the various depths of the water column they live in. Most of these prepared foods are of a high-quality, designed to provide a balanced diet and are fortified with extra vitamins and minerals, so it is vital to add them in the diet. Different formulas can also be used at times such as preparation for breeding or for developing color. It is also very convenient as it is easy to store and doesn't require any preparation. The danger of disease or parasites being brought into aquariums with food is likewise completely removed.

Bon Appetit!
Diversity is the real key to superior fish nutrition. Therefore, it is vital to provide your fish with a variety of different suitable foods to guarantee they obtain a balanced diet for their optimum health and their interest in and enjoyment of food.

Copyright © 2009 Jill Kaestner @ Kaestner Marketing LLC

By: Jill Kaestner

Article Directory: http://www.articledashboard.com

Jill Kaestner I intend to give you with professional guidance on setting up, stocking and servicing your fish tank aquariums. With personal familiarity in tropical freshwater aquariums and widespread professional research, information and guidance in my articles can be trusted. I have also created 'Aquarius', a website to share with you some of my unique aquariums bowls.

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