Know which fish is right for you!
Where people go wrong.Your kid says they want a fish, you say ok. A few years down the road you realize, wow this is work, and man is that fish getting big!. In this article i would like to stress a few points. Things people should think about before they even go to the store.
First i would like to point out after you research, research, research your fish first you'll need to consider what size tank you can house him or them in comfortably. Water also weighs a lot so make sure were you put it can handle the weight! Tanks can be cheap to expensive, if you skimp you will pay in the long haul.
Filtration is another issue you will have to deal with. Some fish require more oxygen than others so you might need an air stone with a pump. Some need a lot of bacteria so you might want a bio wheel, or refugium. You might want a canister filter or a mechanical hang on back filter. There are canisters filters as well each with a different purpose, and different difficulty of use.
Decorations are something you will need to consider. Making your tank as close to the native surrounds your fish was caught at will make it happier and healthier. There are caves of many sorts, logs, driftwood, rocks, plants, and figurines to help with this. Your substrate should be close to native as possible also. This will help not only with there happiness but with there health.
The compatibility of fish you put in the tank is a must to know. You don't want to put a non aggressive fish with one that is aggressive. Take the time to research what types of fish get along with the type you want to house. Some fish can be bought single and thrive in a tank by there self. Some fish need to be kept in schools, some need to be kept in certain male to female ratio's.
Cost can be a big factor when you add all this stuff up. Some think they can keep a fish in a gold fish bowl that cost them 4 bucks. In reality the fish they put in the 4 dollar bowl could be one that needs to be in a 220 gallon 1000 dollar setup.
Always remember when you purchase your new fish to acclimate them to the water temp by floating the bags for 20 minutes. Never put store water in your tank!!!! When you add new fish to existing fish make sure they are similar size and aggression. Moving around the decorations will help the new fish get accepted a lot better. You can also get a target fish for your existing fish to pick on first before your prized new find. Any of your local fish stores can help you out with this if you ask.
Remember the most important step to keeping fish successfully, happy and healthy is to research, research, research first.l