Common mistakes

This is an article that was written up by my lfs. Thought it might help some peoples!


Starting Too Small
With the advent of mini-aquarium packages, it's become appealing to go small. However, if you are a beginner, choosing a small aquarium is courting failure. Why? Because when the water volume is small, key water parameters change very quickly, leaving no room for error. Even experienced aquarists are challenged by a small aquarium. If you are a newcomer to the hobby, stay away from tanks under 20 gallons until you've gotten some experience under your belt. Remember, the bigger the tank, the less impact a mistake will have on your fish.


Adding Fish Too Soon
New aquarium owners are eager to add fish, and may purchase them the same day they set up the tank. Some are lucky but many will quickly lose some, or all, of their fish. What went wrong? The water in a new tank hasn't stabilized yet.

Gases are dissolved in the water, as well as minerals, heavy metals, and chemicals added by local water treatment facilities.
Without going into lengthy detail about water chemistry, suffice it to say that dissolved constituents in the water can harm the fish. The water should be treated to neutralize harmful materials, and allowed to stand for several days to allow dissolved gases to escape and the pH to stabilize. Only then is it safe to introduce fish to the aquarium.

Adding Too Many Fish at Once
You've waited for days to let the water to stabilize, and are eager to fill the tank, right? Don't add the fish all at once or you'll make another common new owner mistake - adding too many fish at once. Until the bacterial colonies have fully established, the aquarium cannot safely support a full load of fish. Only add a couple of small hardy fish initially. Wait until both the ammonia and nitrite levels have risen, then fallen to zero, before adding more fish.


Overstocking
Even after you've gotten through the initial startup, it's very common for new owners to overstock the aquarium. Although an experienced person may successfully keep a school of twenty small fish in a ten gallon aquarium, it would be disastrous for a beginner to attempt it.
Debate exists over the inch per gallon rule, but it provides a basic yardstick from which to start. I recommend taking eighty percent of the net gallons in your tank as the maximum number of inches of fish you can stock in your tank. As you gain experience, you'll learn to safely stock more fish in your aquarium.

Keeping incompatible fish
New aquarium owners often choose fish that look appealing to them, without knowing their environmental needs. Some fish may fight with one another, or require very different water conditions. Either way, they should not be kept together. Do your research your, and select peaceful fish that thrive in similar water conditions.


Overfeeding
The top mistake made by all fishowners is overfeeding their fish. Fish are opportunistic and will seek food at all times. Just because they appear hungry, don't assume you must feed them. Feed them no more than is completely consumed in five minutes.
During startup feed fish no more than once per day, and during critical times when ammonia or nitrite levels are high, withhold feeding for a day or two to reduce the wastes being produced. Fish can easily go several days without food, and not suffer ill effects.


Insufficient Filtration
An aquarium filter should run all the water in the tank through it at least three times per hour. If it doesn't, you don't have adequate filtration. If in doubt about filter size, go to the next size up. You can't over-filter, but you can definitely under-filter, and the results can be harmful to your fish.


Failure to test water
New owners aren't magically given full knowledge of the nitrogen cycle, and the need to track the water chemistry in their aquarium. As a result they often are are unaware of the need to test their water, and take steps to deal with harmful toxins.
When the tank is first set up, it should be allowed to run for a couple of days, then the pH, hardness, ammonia, and nitrite levels should be tested for a baseline record. During the startup cycle it is important to test the ammonia and nitrites often (see Nitrogen Cycle for details). Once the tank is well established, test the water monthly to be aware of unseen problems that may be brewing. If fish suddenly die, test the water to see if anything has changed.


Failure to do water changes
Again, new owners aren't always educated about how they should clean their tank, which includes changing part of the water on a regular basis. Wastes build up in the tank that can only be removed by vacuuming the gravel and removing some of water and replacing it with fresh water.
Although your fish may not die if you fail to maintenance and regular water changes, they will be stressed by substandard water conditions. As a result they will be more susceptible to disease and often will have a shorter lifespan than they should have.

 

Great Article! Wish I had one of these when I started back in the day. I followed most of the rules...but my LFS told me to add damsels very soon...only 3 days after the tank started...though...they were to start to cycle...and I dont like damsels...so it all worked out in the end! Actually I just went to the resturant where I donated my damsels to and they are still alive...really big too. They are in a 180gal I believe.

 

If we only knew then what we know now!!!
I never knew you could cycle a tank without ever having a Damsel in a tank!

 

funny my first fish were a damsel and a clown for the kids in 12 gal nano

 

Damsels are the devil!! . I used dead shrimp to start my cycle but it wasnt enough so after a week of almost no ammonia, I got two damsels for my 100g. They are both alive. Well both survived the cycle one though it could fly the other day, and I have a lid!! I guess it just hated me that much, . At the time I thought I could handle a small tank, but it still gives me a challenge. Mainly because the water evaporated to fast. Everyone needs to have a 150g + donated to them when you start the hobbie!! .

 

my starter damsels were evil, they were fearless, whenever I would stick my hand in there to do something, they came after me, haha.

 

Damsels are such feisty suckers! Highly recommend always returning them to your LFS after your tank is fully cycled... Otherwise your community of fish will be stressed and intimidated by the bullies!

 

Luckily I stayed away from them after my lfs guy told me the easiest way to take them out was to tear down the existing aqua scape, move all the rock to one side, and try to corner it and then catch it.

 

Unless you want a community of damsels and dottybacks. They are pretty and stay reasonably small, not to mention easy to care for.

 

Nope, won't work. If you leave just one rock in the tank, he will get to it and under it numerous times before you finally catch him.