So you’ve picked up the hobby of owning a small aquarium and are interested in the best ways to keep your fish happy and healthy! Well, look no further for this article has got some of the greatest tips given by professional veterinarians and caregivers for fish.

It may be a hassle or even intimidating to acquire new fish and keep them alive. Especially if it is your first time caring for fish. Luckily for you, there are many sites, blogs, and other places to give you information on how to care for your fish in the best way possible. Here are 6 ways to ensure your fish are happy and healthy in their tank, taken from people skilled in the art of fish care.

Acclimate the Fish Correctly

When bringing in a new fish to a new environment, you want to make sure you correctly acclimate the fish to ensure its health. What this means is you don’t want to just throw your new fish into a brand new aquarium filled with foriegn water that is probably at a different temperature it’s not used to. 

What you want to do is:

• Keep the fish in its aquarium bag, but place it into the new environment.
• After 30 minutes, swap roughly 50% or less of the water in the bag with the water from the tank.
• After another 15 to 30 minutes, remove the fish from the bag and place it in the aquarium.

Following this process should ensure the Fish will respond correctly to the water and not be overwhelmed by the temperature change, or amount of water. 

Make the Environment as Natural as Possible

Just like any other animal, including yourself, fish are happier and healthier in their natural habitat. While it is impossible to reconstruct the ecosystem of the ocean in your tank, there are a lot of ways you can make the environment more natural for the fish. 

You can do this by bringing different decorations into your aquarium, some that are very simple like pebbles and rocks, coral, and even other small aquatic life and creatures. These additions will make the habitat in the tank seem more natural to the fish, making it happier.

Keep the Water Suitable to the Fish

The biggest thing you can control in your tank and aquarium is the water. This would be its temperature, the filtration, the chemicals in it, etc. You will notice something is wrong if the water is not good for the fish, as they will start to decline in health and mood.

Temperature is a big source because you want to keep the fish in a cool but not freezing area so that it will remain happier. While some fish may like warmer waters, they certainly don’t want it to be blazing with heat. Temperature is one of the easier things to control about the water.

The chemicals inside the water on the other hand may be a lot more difficult. If the water holds too many chemicals the fish will get sick or even die quickly, but without the correct chemicals, the fish could also die because it’s not the proper water. If you mess up with the chemicals, you may have to even take all the water out and refill it, so ensure you are using the correct amount for your fish!

Maintain the Cleanliness of the Tank

Just like you want a clean home to live in, so does a fish. They would easily get frustrated and angry or even decline in health if their home isn’t clean, and that’s mainly due to algae or other residue forming on the tank that could contaminate or damage the water. 

So make sure you are cleaning out the tank on at least a bi-weekly basis, preferably a weekly basis. It doesn’t take too much time, and your fish will be a lot healthier and happier to have a clean home that isn’t damaging it. Just like you would be happy to come home to a clean home every day. 

Always Check the Tank’s Filter

Without a doubt, this is one of the biggest concerns for your fish and their tank. The filter should always be checked to ensure it is running properly, doesn’t have any problems or damage, and is set properly. Without the filter, mayhem could happen in the tank. 

The filter of the tank is what, well filters the water. Removing residue and other toxic garbage from the water that is stopping the fish from breathing properly. Without it, the fish would start to suffocate within the tank and perish very quickly. 

Your fish tank’s filter should be checked every single day to ensure no damage has happened, it’s running correctly, and all the tubing is fine and correct. Without it, the fish wouldn’t just be unhappy, but would also die very quickly. 

Feeding the Fish at Correct Intervals

Lastly, fish need food just like everyone else. And just like humans, they prefer eating at certain periods every day and get into a routine of eating at those times. If you were to feed it sporadically, or whenever you feel like it, the fish may not be hungry, or not used to it so not eat. Then once it is hungry, you won’t be there to feed it which will damage its health and mood.

Try to keep the feeding period for your fish at the same intervals every day. If you feed it every morning when you wake up, don’t change that just because you get lazy or forget. Fish need food to survive, just like any animal needs nourishment to live. Don’t forget to feed your fish if you care about their longevity. 

Keeping a Home Aquarium Alive

Keeping your fish happy and healthy is just like having any other pet and wanting them to be well kept and healthy. It involves care that may have to take place on a daily, weekly, or bi-weekly basis. Without caring for your pet fish in these ways, their health will surely decline and eventually dissipate into being gone. 

To ensure your fish is kept in a happy and healthy environment: try your best to bring your fish into its new home correctly by acclimating it, building a more natural ecosystem inside the tank, keeping the water it resides in correct to its needs, and maintain the tank’s cleanliness, and it’s feeding times. And always check the filter!