Hey fish geeks! Hope you all are going good.
Almost all hobbyists pay
great attention and pour a lot of efforts in setting up their tank and getting
the right water parameters. We set the tank with the right equipments, Dechlorinate
water, enable proper filtration and set the right temperature…But occasionally
our new fish dies even when all the parameters were just right.
But sometimes it’s not
you but it’s the wrong choice. Maybe the fish was already sick due to improper maintenance,
or it was stressed, or maybe you have some aggressive species in your tank that
is leading to stress in the new fish.
We are going to discuss
all the factors you need to keep in mind while buying a new fish. And if you
confused about why your new fishes are continuously dying even when the parameters
are right then this article s surely going to help you.
So here I have laid out step by step procedure for the buying right fish.
Decide your fish.
Decide which fish
species you wish to have in your aquarium. Unless you have are a dedicated aquarium hobbyist, your fish should be easy
to care for, not too demanding, and less-aggressive.
Among 30,000 different
ornamental fish available you can choose the fish species taking into
consideration of your tank size, your tank setup, the aggressiveness of the species,
and it’s general tank needs(average temperature, pH).
It also sometimes
depends on which fish you already have with you, check if the new species go
along with the fish you already have and if their general needs are same.
Find the right Pet store.
In the last 2 decades, the aquarium
business has grown exponentially and this resulted in opening of numerous pet
shops all around. But this lead to a drop in the quality of service. So
choosing a hop that houses great variety and healthy live stock is important.
So here's what to expect from a
perfect shop.
-The shop premises should be clean.
- The tanks should have clear water.
In case you find that in most of the tanks water is yellowish, or cloudy it indicates
dirty and unhealthy water conditions. So the fish in the tanks will also be unhealthy
and sick.
- Fishes in the tank should be continuously
swimming, look healthy, active,
have bright colors, , and without any physical injuries. If
you notice 60-70% fishes not active or have dull colors it means that those are
sick and not well cared.
- The shopkeeper should be knowledgeable about the
fishes he/she is selling. They should have basic knowledge like Names of
the species, their compatibility, life span, feeding instructions.
Get the right price.
Pricing is one of the most important aspects and you wouldn't easily find websites talking about it. The price may differ but there should be some limits and margin. First, find out some websites or videos on Youtube that talk about the prices of various fish. Then try finding prices in your locality like ' goldfish price in India'.
If wish to know the average price of some common fishes and their reason then CLICK HERE. (Video from our blog partner MATSAY MALIKA).
Choose your fish.
Once you are think you
are in the right shop and fishes are healthy it’s time to select the fish.
It means choosing the
most healthy and happy fishes amongst all. Try choosing the most active and
bright-colored fish pair according to the points mentioned above.
Make sure the shopkeeper
gives you the fish that you choose.
After purchase.- Assimilation
So once you buy your
fishes, don’t just toss them in the tank.
Bring them home as early
as possible and handle the bag carefully to avoid stress. Fishes who had
already been sick or stressed can die just because improper handling!
Once you reach
home put the fish bag in your tank for 15-20 mins This helps
them to get accustomed to the water temperature of your tank. Also, this helps
them to slowly get introduced to the new environment. Remember to only put the
fish and not the water in the bag. Because, if there is any disease in the water from the
shop, it is likely to get introduced in your tank.
Don't panic if you see
new fish get somewhat less active or breathing heavily. This is just because of
the transition of the tanks. Also, they will not eat for the first day. But
continued lethargic behavior indicates sickness.
So this was how to buy a perfect aquarium fish.
Hope you enjoyed it and this article helped you.