Go Fish

Go Fish

Common mistakes marine aquarists make

Most marine aquarist complaints have fallen into a few general areas. Knowing what these mistakes are can prevent you from going down that same frustrating path and avoid those common mistakes; In turm, keeping you, your wallet and most of all, your fish very happy.

Lack of patience

“Patience” is a requirement with just about anything that you do with a saltwater aquarium. Far too many people report problems after they have put a tank together, because they are just moving too fast!

New Aquarists grow very impatient and go out and buy livestock before their Aquarium is ready to support it. Stocking too soon can heavily overload the system if the nitrogen cycling process has not been given sufficient time to mature. This balance between the bio load and nitrifying bacteria must be achieved over a period of time so that the beneficial bacteria can play ’catch up’ with each new addition.

Lack of a hospital tank

It is always good practice to have a secondary tank set up to accommodate any new fish that you are planning on acquiring. Keeping the new specimen in this tank for a few weeks gives you the added security that you won’t bring home an unhealthy fish and expose your healthy fish to possible unseen parasites. It is easier to treat a single fish in a smaller tank than it is to treat the whole tank and stress the healthy inhabitants unnecessarily.

Livestock Incompatibility

Complaints of ”my tangs are tearing each other up” or ”my Majestic Angel ate my Corals” are complaints I encounter daily. Buying critters that don’t get along can lead to badly injured tank mates and even death , as well as introduction of stress-related diseases. Do your homework; research the species you are interested in and buy from a reputable dealer who’s not just trying to make a sale but who cares and asks about your aquarium and it’s inhabitants.

Know what you buy

Purchasing livestock without knowing what they are and how to care for them can lead to loss.

Just because the color or shape may appeal to you does not mean it’s an easy-to-care-for species. Some are specialized feeders, and others may need to be housed with less aggressive tank mates (such as sea horses).

Purchasing fish in poor health

The easiest thing to do when buying a new fish is to determine it’s health.

Fish that are not eating is the biggest red flag that it is not at it’s best.
Frayed fins, pinched stomachs and pacing back and forth aimlessly are all indicators that all is not well. If you do desire that particular specimen try returning to the store a few days later and check to see it has started feeding. It could have recently been placed in the store’s tank and not had sufficient time to acclimate to aquarium life. If it is still not feeding and looks stressed, move on.

Lack of performing routine maintenance

Well-maintained tanks seldom experience high nitrate levels, bacterial outbreaks, algae blooms or other common tank problems. To avoid the common pitfalls that may stem from this area, keep on top of your water quality by testing regularly, do your water changes and do the regular house keeping to keep the tank at it’s best.

There are many other areas where aquarists make mistakes, but this pretty much covers a majority of the most common ones made. By taking advice from those that have been there, you’ll save yourself a lot of headaches and frustration in the long run.

Presented by AquariuMart, at 6104 S. Dixie Highway in Miami, 305-661-6905.

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