Acclimatizing your new fish

The fish in the local fish store might have travelled hundreds of kilometers, if not thousands which causes the fish to get stressed. This stress makes the fish vulnerable to diseases. It is therefore essential that the fish are properly treated and eased in their new home. This process of acclimitazation  will help you greatly to reduce your fish fatalities.

Here is how I acclimate my new fish.  I float the fish bag in the tank for 15-20 min to let the temperature equalize with the tank water. I then add the fish with some bag water in a separate container until the container is half filled with bag water. Then I let the container sit for 5 min to let the fish settle down. Cover the container if the fish appear panicky , restless, swimming around frantically. Once the fish are calm I start adding the tank water to the container using an airline pipe, until the container is full. The airline pipe helps to fill the water without disturbing the fish. Some people add the tank water directly with a jar while some drip the water drop by drop to avoid stressing the fish. I find it a matter of choice and belief. You can choose any way that you prefer. I then let the container sit  for 10-15 mins. After 15 mins I empty half the water from the container and refill it with tank water and again let it sit for 15 min. This process allows to slowly acclimatize the fish to the tank water chemistry. I carry out this filling-emptying-refilling cycle 2-3 times, thus increasing the concentration of tank water in the container. I then net the fish out of the container and directly add them to the tank. This avoids any ammonia built up in the container water to enter the tank.

Follow this acclimatization process each time you move your fish from one tank to another. This is because even though the two tanks may be set up at the same time and with same water source, over the period of time the chemistry of the two tanks will differ.

Also, it is advisable to add your new fish in a quarantine tank before you introduce them to your main tank. This is highly recommended when your main tank has well-settled fish because we don't know if the new fish has any disease which could infect the entire population. It can cause mass fatalities. 

Look out for my next post about setting up quarantine tank!

Looking forward for your comments and suggestions.

Setting up a planted tank.

Along with fish keeping another hobby you can take up is aquascaping. It is quite similar to landscaping your garden. Like a garden we can use ornaments, rocks, wood and plants. Plants can be artificial or live in the aquarium depending on the types of fish we keep. So if you want an aquascape with live plants you need to know how the plants are planted in the aquarium. Like any garden plant, aquarium plants also need to be tended for proper growth and beautiful look of an aquascape.

Setting up a planted tank:

Basic Tank: This tank only uses a substrate and a 7W led bulb for the plants rest is just for aesthetics.

Basic requirements:
1. Substrate
2. Lights
Advanced requirements:
1. Source of CO₂

2. Fertilizers.
3. Ph, NO₃, PH₄, KH tests.

Substrate: Substrate gives the plants support and holds them in place and is also a source of nutrition.

As the plants grow roots into the substrate, it becomes a major source of nutrition for the plant. Just like any land plant. Hence it is important that the substrate we choose be able to provide that nutrition. There are many types of substrates:

Sand/ small gravel can work for stem plants. As they can derive their nutrition from the water column.

Aquarium power soil specialized soil for aquarium plants engineered to supply all the required nutrients to the plants in required amounts. Works with all the plants.

Dirt or garden soil: will provide the plants with the required nutrients but you will need to balance the nutrients as per the needs of the plants and the fish. because unlike the power soil we do not know the composition of the garden soil. it may be rich in phosphates or ammonia. In short it will take some work to get your tank balanced for the plants to grow without causing issues to your fish. I do frequent water changes to remove any excess nutrients leached into the water column to avoid any problems to the fish or other issues like algal bloom.

Driftwood: mainly used for plants that just need something to hold onto and get all their nutrition from the water.

This is how I arrange the substrate in my planted tank: 1 inch layer of garden soil or dirt (make sure it does not have any added chemicals) and a 1 inch top layer of sand or gravel

What I use mainly is a layer of garden soil about 1 inch deep, topped with a layer of sand or fine gravel. Sand and gravel also play important roll in the rooting process of the plant. Coarser gravel will have larger gaps making it difficult for the roots to take hold as a result the plant will be uprooted by a slight nudge by your fish. This constant uprooting will hinder the rooting process. Rooting is important for the plant because even though some plants can also take nutrients from the water roots are still the main source. Without proper rooting the plant will start wilting. So the gravel here plays an important role of holding the plant in place until its roots develop and support the plant themselves.

Lights: Another important thing for your planted tank is lights. Live plants are just like garden plants with respect to light. Most of them grow in shallow waters so they get plenty of sunlight. So our aim should be to emulate nature. Though you can get away with low lights but that will be at the cost of your plants' growth. A general recommendation on the internet is to have 0.5-5 watts per gallon of fluorescent white light. I generally maintain 2-4 watts per gallon in my tanks.

Avoid using incandescent bulbs not only will you need higher wattage they will also heat up your system. In smaller tanks or bowls incandescent bulbs can literally cook your fish.

Since we are emulating sunlight the lights need to be kept on for a equivalent period as the sunlight. However keeping the lights on for 12 hours can lead to algal blooms. Hence we need to find a balance here. I recommend to find your sweet spot with a minimum photo period of 6hrs to a maximum of 12 hrs depending on the severity of your algae issue.

My DIY Lighting. In my experience a 2W/gallon of white light, be it fluorescent tube or a CFL or LED. The intensity of light seems to be the only thing that matters,

Other requirements: The above are the basic requirements of a planted tank. A mature well cycled tank can be sustained with the above setup. However it takes time for your tank to reach that point. Besides if you want to keep some high maintenance plants you need to supplement these with fertilizers.

Carbon dioxide CO2:  CO₂ is important for photosynthesis hence for plants growth.  There will be some amount of CO₂ dissolved in the water and will be available for your plants. However this will be well below the prescribed limit. Hence extra CO₂ can be dissolved into the water so that more is available for plants to make food and hence grow faster. Additional CO₂ can be introduced using CO₂ tablets, liquid CO_2, or pressurized gas, you can also do-it-yourself using yeast to produce CO₂ gas and pump it into the tank. High maintenance aquascapes which need constant supply of CO₂ to sustain growth and control algae. For such tanks compressed CO₂ gas from pressurized cylinders with a control valve is recommended . The relation between algae and CO₂ will be discussed in a future post.

Fertilizers: Like garden plants aquarium plants depend on macro nutrients (nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium) and micro nutrients ( magnesium, calcium, iron, zinc etc) macro and micro indicate the amounts to dose. In a basic low tech setup macro nutrients will get added through fish waste and dead plant matter. The concentration again is way below the possible threshold. Hence we can add supplementary fertilizers up to the threshold hold to boost plant growth.

Water chemistry tests: If you are an experienced fish keeper you may be aware of certain tests to ensure certain thresholds of concentrations are met for the well being of your fish. Example test to measure ammonia concentration in the water or ph test as some fish may need acidic or alkaline water while some may need neutral water. In a planted tank if we are using fertilizers we are adding chemicals which also have safety concentrations for the fish. We can't let the fish die for a nice lush green aquatic garden. Some of the important tests will be nitrate test, phosphate test, KH test for CO₂. I will talk about the safety thresholds and dosage of various of fertilizers in detail in a future post until then beginners can rely on the instructions provided on the fertilizers for planted tanks. Caution: Do not use garden fertilizer directly they are very concentrated for the safety thresholds. Unless you know the concentration and can dilute it below the safety thresholds stay clear of garden fertilizer.

So in summary to begin a planted tank just get add the appropriate substrate and a fluorescent bulb with a wattage of about 2 W/gallon, add a decent amount of fish for initial fertilization and finally try to plant a good amount of plants. More plants means any excess nutrients will quickly be utilized by the plants. If you have less plants they won't utilize all the nutrients in your water column leaving it for algae which are a type of plant and you will have a algal bloom. 

Hope the simplicity and basic requirements have inspired your to start your own planted tanks. My set-ups are 5-6 year old now I have seen most of the issues in the planted tanks. I would be happy to help my readers avoid them. So please feel free to ask or share any new insight in the comments.

Quarantine and hospital tanks

Like all living things fish also contract diseases. Some of these diseases will be contagious. Hence you should treat this fish separately. Many in the hobby have a separate tank which serves as a quarantine/hospital tank. Quarantine tanks are also useful to hold new fish before releasing them with other fish in an established tank. This screening helps protect the established inhabitants from potential infections we don't know the new fish might carry.

The quarantine tank is a separate closed system in which we treat the fish while it is isolated from your main tank to make sure it is does not infect other fish. The tank is a bare bottom tank with a mature sponge filter and heater. Mature sponge filter is one which has been in an established tank and has developed a robust microbe colony to deal with the ammonia in the quarantine tank right away. Heater helps speed up the lifecycle of disease like ich as they affect the fish only in a certain stage of the life cycle of the germs. Keep the lights dim and make sure the tank is not disturbed. This helps to keep the fish calm. Any undue stress will aggravate its condition. A large enough bucket also serves this purpose being closed from all sides gives a sense of calm to the fish. If you do use a bucket make sure it is at least 5 gallons because in smaller containers the water quality can deteriorate within hours.

Basic Setup for a quarantine tank:- bare bottom tank, heater, sponge filter.

Given that the inhabitants of this tank are sick this tank has to be maintained more meticulously than your regular tank. Even though we are using a mature sponge filter to take care of the impurities I recommend a daily 10% water change. I prefer keeping the filter as a backup. This is important in the quarantine tank especially when you are treating diseased fish. We use various medicines in the quarantine tank for the harmful microbes troubling the fish however it is quite possible that the medicines will decimate the beneficial bacteria in your sponge filter. Also it helps in avoiding a build up of the medicine in the water column as higher concentrations of the medicines may also be toxic for the fish along with the germs. For general quarantine do frequent water changes, maintain stable temperature, some salt, and methylene blue should be added.

Makes-shift Quarantine bucket if  it costly, time-consuming or you do not have space for a dedicated tank

 How long do we keep the fish in the quarantine tank? I would advised that one month to be on the safe side. After that check the fish for any signs of disease, see if they are lively and are readily eating food.  Make sure you have done enough water changes to clear any left over medicinal chemicals in the quarantine system. Once you have ascertained the fish is healthy you can transfer them to the main tank using the same acclimatization method described in the previous post.

While you are treating your sick fish it also advisable to treat your main tank. Add some salt, gradually increase the temperature 2-3℃ over the regular temperature maintained, perform major water change 50-70% clean the gravel and if possible clean the hardscapes like driftwood or other decorations. This will help contain the infection. 

If we maintain good water quality, diseases will be rare unless they are introduced by you in the form of a sick fish or because of your laziness to do regular maintenance. Your tank can buffer impurities and toxic build-up but that does not mean you should stretch to the threshold. Even with the best of filter you should do a regular weekly water change. 

How to choose your fish!

When stocking your tank with fish it is important to consider tank space, bio-load the tank can support, fish compatibility, nature etc.

Space: Many fish in the local fish stores are juvenile. Hence it is important to know how big they will grow. If you have a small tank shark fish, Oscar, flowerhorn will soon outgrow the tank.  Such fish need big tanks for them to live comfortably. 

I had set up a tank of African cichlids. I brought them when they were hardly a few centimeters long taking the word of my local fish store that the won't grow beyond a few inches. Soon one of them grew bigger than others and started harassing the others. Other fish in the tank, terrorized by this one fish, did not grow well and finally died of stress and disease. When I brought them my fish load was  1 inch/2.5 gallons. When they grew up the ratio changed to 1 inch/0.7 gallon. Had I housed the fish in a bigger tank they would have thrived even with the aggression of the alpha fish.

Even if you buy small fish  the number of fish is also important for the space they need to live freely and healthily. The number of fish is called fish load. The prescribed fish load is 1 inch of fish per gallon. While calculating the fish load also take into account the maximum size the fish will grow.

Assortment of Tetras with some other fish. They are in groups of 3-4 hence don't bother other fish.

Bio-load: Another reason for the 1 inch per gallon guideline apart from space is management of fish waste produced in the tank. More the number of fish greater is the waste produced. This will necessitate frequent water changes to remove the waste and maintain water quality. The reason I call 1 inch per gallon a guideline and not rule is two fish fitting the length may produce different quantities of waste. For example 2 adult Guppies each around 1 inch in size  will produce less waste than a 2 inch goldfish.

You are generally prescribed to do a partial water change every week. This is based on the assumption that you tank is stocked  in proportion to the waste processing abilities of the tank. Waste in the tanks is processed by the microbes which colonize your tank. A new tank has few or none of these microbes, that is why you are advised the two week waiting period before adding fish. Though the microbes grow fast they take time to mature enough to manage all the waste. A given colony of these microbes in a given size of tank has a limit to the amount of waste it can process even after maturing. Hence it is advisable to add few fish at a time giving the microbe colony to mature and not over stock your tank. 

You may consider adding hardier fish like Guppies, platys, and mollies before going for the more difficult to keep fish like neon tetra, cardinal tetra, harlequin rasbora, etc. This way the tank won't sit empty, they fish will aid the microbes to grow faster and they can survive the initial beating of ammonia spike.( This is if you can't wait I do not advise it)

Compatibility: There are many beautiful fish you will want to keep but you have check their compatibility first. Some fish attack other fish because they may be territorial, or aggressive or just naughty. Many cichlids, breeding pairs of fish can be very territorial, a male fighter fish will be aggressive towards other males or veil-tail fish he perceives as a competition for mating, Oscars will eat any fish that fits in their mouth, tiger barbs, some tetras can be very restless and naughty when alone and will harass other fish by nipping their fins.

Personally I prefer one species in one 10 gallon tank. If I do keep multiple species make sure of their nature and ways to neutralize their aggression. For example I always keep tetras in schools of 5-6 this ensures they are engrossed in each other and don't bother other fish. I keep my tanks heavily planted to provide ample hiding space. 

Small tank with single species of dwarf rainbow fish.

Goals: Finally have clear goals with your aquarium and choose you fish accordingly. If you want pet-like interactive fish go for the larger cichlids like flowerhorn, Oscars but they will need more meticulous pet-like maintenance too. Besides this cost of the aquarium and it's equipment will increase too.

If you wish to aquascape the tank go for smaller fish. Fish like koi, goldfish, pleco, and silver dollar will eat the live plants. While larger fish like cichlids have a tendency to move the substrate around causing the uprooting of the plants. Tetras, rasboras, dwarf chichlids, small barbs, bettas, rainbows, angelfish, discus, platys, fancy Guppies, and mollies are ideal for planted tanks.

If you wish for a low maintenance tank keep the fish load low and keep hardy fish like Guppies, mollies, platys  etc.

Some closing thoughts- be responsible while choosing your fish. Make sure you don't bite more than you can chew with a large fish or huge fish load unless you have the infrastructure and bandwidth to support them. They are living creatures and you assume the responsibility of their life when you buy them. 

Feel free to share you thoughts and queries in the comments. Let me know about your experience with your fish their compatibility, aggression, and ways you dealt with the issues. Any comments, tips to improve the blog, topics for future posts are also welcome!