Are You Killing Your Fish Softly With Your Love?

It’s a joy to have a beautiful aquarium in your home, and to watch the amazing lives of the inhabitants within its four walls. Sadly though, many people who embark enthusiastically on fishkeeping give up the hobby very quickly. Most get discouraged when their fish die, or when they find aquarium maintenance too difficult.

More often than not, fish are killed with kindness rather than through neglect or malice. This is because fishkeepers, especially beginners, lack the information needed to succeed in their hobby.

Common problems resulting in fish deaths can be avoided by understanding the basics of feeding and the functioning of aquarium systems.

1. Understand The Feeding Habits Of Your Fish

Overfeeding is a primary cause of fish fatalities. Fish, like human, do get fat. In addition to bringing about health problems like fatty live disease, overfeeding will cause more waste products and rotting, uneaten food will produce more ammonia and pollute the aquarium with toxins.

It’s wiser to feed your fish small, frequent meals as the digestive systems of most aquarium fish are designed to take in a constant stream of low-protein foods. Observe your fish, and you will often find them constantly nibbling all over the aquarium.

The majority of aquarium fish species are omnivorous micro-predators—in the wild, they eat tiny animals like worms and bugs, along with some plant material. These small animals are high in protein, but low in volume. Thus, the fish have to be constantly on the hunt for these little morsels in order to meet their dietary requirements sufficiently.

Fish species that are herbivorous feed on plants. As plants are much lower in protein than animals, the fish have to eat a lot of this low-nutrient food to satisfy their dietary needs.

2. Watch What You Put Into The Aquarium

Another silent killer of aquarium fish is osmotic stress. This is a problem that arises when substances dissolved in the aquarium water substances dissolved in the aquarium water upset its optimum chemical equilibrium.

Though osmotic pressure is something we cannot see, hear or smell, it’s very real to fish. It can sap the fishes’ energy and strength, weaken their immune systems, and even kill them in severe cases.

Every chemical you add to your aquarium water is likely to put stress on the fish in it, so do not use aquarium chemicals indiscriminately. Do not put chemicals into your aquarium unless it is really necessary or there is something wrong, and you know how the chemicals are able to fix the problem. The incorrect use of chemicals can load the water with unnecessary and potentially harmful substances, and lead to osmotic stress.

3. Check The Stocking Level Of The Aquarium

Another pitfall includes overcrowding and incompatibilities between species. It’s important to know the maximum stocking level of your aquarium.

Perhaps the best way for a beginner to have a successful start is to keep things as simple as possible. When you succeed in maintaining a thriving aquarium, the appeal that drew your interest to fishkeeping will continue to grow stronger, instead of fading away in the face of failure.

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