Last updated on April 20th, 2023 at 09:22 am
We took a survey on our Facebook fishkeeping group and asked over 3000 fans “What Fishkeeping mistakes beginners make”? And from that survey, we created this Leading 32 Typical Fishkeeping mistakes.
Fishkeeping can be pricey at the very best of times without making any ridiculous mistakes. Learning from the mistakes that others have actually made can save you money, energy, time, and the death of your fish.
Some of these fishkeeping mistakes beginners make might appear strange to you initially if you’re about to purchase your very first aquarium or you’re brand-new to the fishkeeping hobby. But over a course of time, you’ll understand why many individuals always make the same mistakes again and again.
If you have actually made one or even a couple of these fishkeeping mistakes beginners make, please do not feel bad. Keep in mind that these common mistakes have actually been gathered from reality experiences by numerous fish keepers from all levels of proficiency from beginners to industry professionals.
Here’s the initial Facebook Post I published: “What’s the biggest mistake you’ve made in fishkeeping?”
32 Fishkeeping Mistakes Beginners Make – We’ve all done #21
This post was sent out to numerous popular Fishkeeping Facebook groups to collect a real representation of fishkeeping mistakes beginners make and mistakes made from all sectors within this hubby. All fishkeeping types from Saltwater, Freshwater, and Coldwater fish keepers were asked the very same concern.
The numerous replies we got were put in a spreadsheet and the Leading 32 Fishkeeping Mistakes beginners make were picked and published in this post.
Fishkeeping mistakes beginners make
We discovered from the big responses we got that there are various mistakes that can be made however 32 stuck out and were repeated throughout all locations and areas of fishkeeping. There were a couple of oddball mistakes made that made us laugh however they were not unique mistakes or repeated frequently so didn’t enter our list. They were Funny, however were not made adequate to enter our leading 32 mistakes! Like the example listed below.
“A guy was filling a big quarantine tank in his basement with fresh water from a hose pipeline and left it ignored whilst he returned upstairs to watch a TELEVISION program. He fell asleep and flooded the entire basement costing him around $3000 to dry and repair”
That one wasn’t very common or bound to happen often, not like the leading 32 fishkeeping mistakes beginners make listed below and have been made many times. I believe I have done a minimum of half of this list myself. lol
Let’s get into the fishkeeping mistake beginners make!
The 32 most typical fishkeeping mistakes made by beginners are:
- Beginning with the tank
- Impulse Purchases
- Using Non-aquarium safe silicone
- Cross-contamination from QT tank
- Not comprehending the Nitrogen cycle
- Not protecting Rockwork
- Not quarantining brand-new fish
- Overfeeding
- Ignoring the running expenses
- Not checking pH and Water quality
- Purchasing low-cost and paying two times
- Utilizing a Hydrometer rather of a more trustworthy refractometer
- Acquiring inappropriate fish for your setup
- Purchasing Fussy Eaters
- Low-cost food
- Not having an emergency situation prepare for power failure
- Letting next-door neighbors take care of your fish whilst on getaway
- Including a lot of fish too rapidly
- Not getting the better half’s authorization to purchase a tank
- Being Impatient & Rushing
- Not utilizing RO-DI water
- No cover on your aquarium
- Giving up prematurely
- Unexpected poisoning
- Refraining from doing adequate water modifications
- Overstocking
- Entering fishkeeping
- Purchasing fish that will rapidly outgrow your tank
- Tank too little
- Informing your partner just how much things expense
- Incompatible fish
- Direct Sunshine
1. Beginning with the Tank…
Perhaps maybe the biggest or greatest fishkeeping mistakes beginners make is purchasing their first tanks.
This is an outright no.
They may see a used aquarium noted on craigslist for $25 and be really lured! They choose to purchase the aquarium and then, later on, they think about which type of fish they would like.
This is the incorrect method.
Each type of fish needs a really particular environment to reside in. At a fundamental level, you have either freshwater or saltwater tanks. You can then have more particular requirements such as filtering, size, and heating.
Since the tank will not be appropriate, if you purchase the tank first, you are possibly eliminating lots of fish types.
How do I prevent this mistake?
You need to constantly begin by thinking about the type of fish you desire to keep first.
By doing this, you can select the fish you wish to keep, and after that work in reverse and choose an ideal tank for them.
If you just desire to raise Oscar fish, you would normally require at least a 100 gallon tank.
You would not be able to raise Oscars and would have squandered your cash on an aquarium which is too little if you have actually purchased a used 40 gallon tank.
2. Impulse Purchases
Okay, I confess, I have actually done this one just recently. I saw the most remarkable Regal Tang and purchased it without thinking. Just to include it to my tank with another big tang and they quickly began to fight. I left them for a day or 2 prior to having to get rid of the Regal Tang and tank it back to the shop.
When you go shopping for brand-new fish, make sure that you have actually done your research. Choose a concept in mind and if you’re lured to purchase something unplanned for, ask the assistant a lot of questions. Make sure your tank mates will accept the brand-new member of the tank and that you have the best setup for this brand-new purchase.
Withstand temptation in all ways!
3. Using Non-aquarium safe silicone
Fixing a little crack or protecting designs in place should be carried out by making use of the appropriate silicone. Do not run the risk of using anything like bathroom sealant or known inexpensive options.
Go to your aquarium or family pet shop and purchase some authorized and well-tested glue or silicone. It’s unworthy the threat to use anything that might possibly wipe out your tank for the sake of a number of dollars. Silicones with mold-resistant ingredients and ones that state they can be painted appear to be the worst offenders.
4. Cross-contamination from QT tank
If you have actually listened to a few of our previous suggestions and obtained a different quarantine tank to house your new fish, then fantastic, well done. You must be cautious when taking care of or doing maintenance of your QT tank.
Cross-contamination from this tank to your primary tank can be easily done. By just using a fish net to catch the fish in the QT tank and transferring them to the new main new tank is the best way to spread disease. Not cleaning your hands after working on the QT tank and then feeding your fish in the primary tank can also spread the disease.
You must be extremely careful with QT tanks particularly they house the sick fishes. The majority of people keep their QT tanks very near to their primary tank, if possible at all we recommend keeping your QT tank far away from the primary one and purchase different nets, buckets, and food for this tank to decrease the threat of cross-contamination.
5. Not Understanding the Nitrogen Cycle
Apart from over-feeding fish, misjudging the nitrogen cycle of the tank is the most significant killer of fish with hobby aquarists.
What usually occurs is the nitrogen cycle stops, due to an absence of helpful bacteria, this triggers an accumulation of ammonia and can be deadly for your fish.
When fish produces waste, it triggers an accumulation of ammonia inside the tank. Your useful bacteria then break down this ammonia and develop nitrite.
Nitrite is likewise hazardous to your fish, so once again the helpful bacteria are required to break down the nitrite into nitrate.
When the nitrate levels increase you then require to perform a water change as the helpful bacteria cannot breakdown nitrate, at this point.
What you see in this cycle is a spike and decrease in ammonia, then nitrite, and lastly nitrate.
It’s your task to make sure this cycle is maintained and continues through useful bacteria and water changes.
How do I prevent this mistake?
Helpful bacteria are needed in your tank before a nitrogen cycle can be completed.
You need to check your water every week and when the nitrate level spikes, perform a water change.
Generally, you will be performing a water change every 1 – 2 weeks. Not all of the water!
6. Not protecting Rockwork
Not protecting rockwork or using the incorrect kind of glue to hold rocks in place is another incredibly popular fishkeeping mistake beginners make.
Producing a great-looking background and rockwork filled with caverns contributes to the total appearance of any aquarium however leaving the rocks accumulated without protecting them can be a costly and big mistake. There are caves in many saltwater tanks with beautiful rock works built up from living rock where your fish can retreat to when they feel threatened. Not securing them can lead to bigger fish knocking them over and trapping your fish and hurting them.
We have actually even aware of rock work toppling and breaking tanks. Using the correct type of sealant or glue is extremely crucial as you do not wish to unintentionally poison your water. Sealant and glue with mold-resistant additive are among the worst ones you can use. We advise to simply make use of authorized aquarium silicone sealant, use in the building and construction of all fish tanks. This is 100% strong and safe.
7. Not quarantining brand-new fish
The majority of aquarium stores and pet stores are excellent at quarantining their fish, guaranteeing they offer just healthy fish. No matter where you purchase a fish from or how healthy it appears you need to constantly quarantine your fish to guarantee you’re not introducing disease into your tank.
It is vital to quarantine brand-new fish since they can bring parasites to your tank, most typical are external parasites such as ich and velvet … Quarantining brand-new fish in a quarantine aquarium can guard against introducing diseases into your tank.
The old rule comes to mind. ‘Better safe than sorry’
8. Overfeeding
I believe we have actually all been guilty of this one. It’s specifically tempting for beginners and newbies to overfeed their fish. We frequently think our fish are still starving as they continue to come to the surface trying to find food even after they have actually been fed.
Overfeeding is one of the biggest problems in the aquatic world. , if you overfeed your fish you must react quickly before you harm the water quality of your tank. Read our post “What to do if you overfeed your fish” it will assist you in maintaining your water quality and prevent harming your fish.
A lot of fish would gain from being fed 2 to 3 times a day, or smaller sized more regular portions. This implies there will be less food left in your tank to end up being moldy and trigger problems. This is the primary reason overfeeding is a concern. If there is more food than your fish can consume within 30 to 50 seconds it normally indicates some food will drop to the bottom of your tank or get drawn up into your filter where it will rot away or go moldy.
Keep in mind, little and frequent portions work best.
9. Undervaluing the running expenses
Not only is buying and setting up a new aquarium costly but also the running expenses can likewise build up. The cost of electricity, salt, food, medication, equipment, lighting, etc. all add up.
If you use top-quality dried foods mixed with live food and frozen treats, good-quality food for a large marine fish tank can cost $10 a week. Sliced-up mussels, prawns, and other kinds of seafood can cost much more.
Be sure you can pay for the running expense prior to buying and setting up any aquarium. Know that it’s hard to sell secondhand fish tanks and equipment if you decide to give up just because it’s costing you a lot to run. Then there comes the issue of giving your fish away. If you can’t look after them, most stores will not accept your fish back.
The typical expense of running a freshwater aquarium for a year is around $125 and for a saltwater aquarium is a little over $300.
Remember: Running an aquarium can be really expensive
10. Not testing the pH and Water quality
Many knowledgeable aquarists inspect the quality of their water weekly however, for beginners, they merely do not understand what to look for or how to do it.
Among the most typical questions, we get asked every day is ‘why is my water cloudy” or “Why are my fish dying” The very first thing we ask is the quality and results from their water tests and usually they respond “I have not done any”
You must understand what’s going on inside your aquarium and carrying out routine water tests is the only method you can understand where the problem is. Otherwise, you’re simply guessing.
In a saltwater tank, you’ll need to check for more things than in a freshwater tank.
SALTWATER TESTS:
- Nitrates
- Phosphate
- Liquefied oxygen
- Nitrite
- Ammonia
- PH
- Temperature level.
- Particular gravity.
- Carbonate firmness.
- Calcium material.
FRESHWATER:
- Temperature level.
- PH
- Ammonia
- Nitrite
- Firmness
- Alkalinity
- Chlorine
If something is going wrong you have the information to get to help quickly, ensure you use a good quality water test kit, and perform these tests weekly to ensure.
11. Buying cheap and paying twice
This one was discussed in our study a couple of times and appears to be a popular response. When initially beginning it can be a huge shock how pricey great devices are. From past experience, I know that buying cheap often means paying twice.
We have actually seen some fantastic-looking external cylinder filters online that prove to run 100 Gallon plus aquarium for just $40-50. How great do you believe these filters are? Not really good is the response. A lot of it will break within a year meaning you’ll have to pack it and send it back to the online shop. In the meantime, you’ll need to hurry out and quickly purchase another one to make sure your tank continues to run.
Purchasing low-cost is never ever a great concept. Have you heard of stating” You get what you spend for?” This is extremely real.
Do not be lured to buy inexpensive, unidentified brand names that might let you down. Buy devices that is attempted and evaluated and have actually gotten great quality consumer examines on Amazon or eBay.
12. Using a Hydrometer instead of a refractometer.
Using undependable devices can be a huge mistake and a costly one. Lots of beginners make use of a Hydrometer that you fill with seawater and see the dial transfer to reveal the salinity reading of your aquarium. These are very unreliable and not very accurate, resulting in a fault reading sometimes up to a 5% difference.
But making use of a Refractometer is a lot more trustworthy technique for checking out the salinity of your tank. They are a bit more expensive, costing around $30 for a great one. We discovered this one on Amazon with excellent consumer rankings: a professional automated refractometer.
Invest the additional $15 or more and get a precise reading for your saltwater tank is a great value for money well invested.
13. Getting inappropriate fish for your setup.
This can be divided into various areas. The apparent ones are saltwater fish and freshwater fish living in the proper water conditions, however numerous other elements should likewise be considered.
Are the fish you’re purchasing ideal for the size of the tank you own? Are they suitable for the fish you currently have?
Numerous elements need to be taken into consideration prior to purchasing a new fish. Ask the storekeeper for guidance, they are the best individuals to speak to so you do not make any ridiculous mistakes. When shopping for new fish, it’s is very tempting to buy on impulse but you’ll regret it within hours if you get home and put the wrong type of fish in your tank!
Water qualities are among the most crucial measurements and consider keeping specific fish. Luckily there are some exceptionally precise test packages on the marketplace today to assist you to manage the water qualities.
14. Purchasing Picky Eaters.
Lots of beginners, particularly in the saltwater division, make the mistake of purchasing gorgeous-looking fish without understanding how tough they are to feed. This is among the greatest killers of saltwater fish in our hobby.
Picky eaters like Mandarin Dragonets, Tanks, Pipefish, and a particular Angelfish can be tough to acclimatize to their new houses which typically leads to them not eating and thereby they die within a number of days or weeks.
Not having the proper environment and setup can likewise lead to not eating of your fish. As an example, the Green Mandarin Dragonet fish consume great deals of copepods, and including these fish into a just plain fish tank with no live rocks or refugium with copepods living and reproducing within will lead to them dying within weeks or even days.
Refugiums produce a natural source of food for picky saltwater fish.
When buying a new fish make certain you ask great deals of questions from the store owner about their feeding practices. I frequently ask them to feed the fish in front of me so I can see what it consumes and after that purchase that exact same food and take it away with me. So that when it’s introduced to my aquarium, this will give me the best chance of the fish accepting foods.
15. Inexpensive food.
Beginners typically make the mistake of purchasing inexpensive, bad quality dried flake food for their fish. This not just provides really little vital vitamins, proteins, and other important supplements but also offers them a lot less in the way of variety.
Can you think about simply eating Lettuce for the rest of your life? No, I can’t also. So why would you feed that to your fish every day? It’s boring!
Offering an ideal and different diet plan becomes part of being an accountable and responsible fish keeper. We enter this hobby with the objective of keeping healthy fish and offering them the very best environment and the food is a small part of that.
Make sure you provide your fish routine live foods such as saltwater Shrimps, Bloodworms and provide a choice of either frozen food or freeze-dried options. There are numerous various foods readily available nowadays and costing really little which indicates you have no reason to not offer your fish quality and different diet plan.
16. Not having an emergency plan prepared for power failure.
Having a backup strategy is vital to cover any emergency situation. If they have a power outage or filtration failure, most beginners don’t know what to do. Having extra devices is an excellent concept. You do not need to invest a fortune on loads of devices however having a basic air pump, low-cost heating unit, and secondhand external filter costing around $30 might be a lifesaver.
In case of a filter failure, you can move your filtration media to your extra filter and continue to offer sufficient water conditions whilst you fix the primary devices. Heating system failure is very common and although heating units have actually come a long way, they still are susceptible to failure. We have actually composed a Best aquarium heater guide which may assist you to discover a more trusted heating unit to avoid failure.
You ought to likewise have a perfect plan for other possible issues that can wipe out your aquarium. The weather condition has recently played a significant function in fish keeping. So many parts of the nation experienced a heatwave and had a hard time keeping their fish tanks at the proper temperature levels. Not typically the sort of problems we deal with in this hobby with all the innovation we need to manage scenarios like this. This could be an issue we face more and more in years to come.
Our leading tip! Be prepared for all events and all possible setbacks!
17. Letting your neighbors care for your fish whilst on holiday or vacation.
I have actually made this mistake and it appears that others have made the same mistake too after checking out a few of the replies to my message on Facebook. Asking non-fishkeeping to take care of your aquarium for anytime longer than a number of days can result in all sorts of problems.
The greatest mistake appears to be forgetting to feed or overfeeding them. They either forget to feed your fish which can be especially bad for particularly difficult to feed saltwater fish, or they overfeed your fish and trigger a devastating crash in your fish tanks filtration system triggering Phosphates and nitrates to shoot up which can totally wipe out a whole tank rapidly.
Then other factors come into play if you’re going away for a long period of time. Handling a break out of disease within a tank can be a huge issue. When it does, they simply don’t know what to look out for and how to treat it. The other is carrying out regular upkeep like water changes, filter cleaning, and so on
We heard tales of individuals cleaning up biological filters in boiling water thereby eliminating all the helpful bacteria that keep the tank and ecosystem well balanced. Another was a next-door neighbor cleaning up the glass with chemical-based glass cleansing which unintentionally enter the aquarium and kill all the fish within minutes.
18. Adding a lot of fish too quickly
For a lot of beginners, the temptation to include a lot of fish in an aquarium at once can be frustrating. Adding too many fish can destabilize the water chemistry of your aquarium and can cause the nitrogen cycle to fail.
As a great guideline just, only add an optimum of 3 fish at a time to your tank. Wait until the chemistry of the water is balanced again, once you’ve added new fish to your tank, before adding more fish
An excellent balance of fish, plants, and a natural ecosystem will take some time, and including a lot of fish simultaneously will just cause a disaster. Among the pleasure of fishkeeping is shopping for brand-new fish, so why rush and purchase them all at once. Take pleasure in equipping your aquarium gradually.
19. Not getting the other wife’s approval to purchase a tank.
This one would be it if we could stop you from making just one mistake from this list of 32 fishkeeping mistakes beginners make.
Having the assistance of your partner or wife is very important. Fishkeeping is costly and frequently uses up all your extra time. This might be looking for brand-new fish or equipment at the weekends or carrying out partial water changes on your day off, all of which can cause you issues with the spouse if you do not have their total approval.
Prior to buying an aquarium make certain you include your wife and attempt to get her interested and eagerly anticipating your brand-new purchase. Above all … Get their consent!
Including the entire household is a fantastic thing, we enjoy shopping for brand-new fish and our entire household consisting of the spouse actually anticipates purchasing a brand-new fish. The only issue is everybody agreeing on which fish to purchase. LOL.
20. Being Impatient & Rushing
This was the number 1 talked about fishkeeping mistakes that beginners make. It can be divided into various classifications however all included rushing or being impatient.
Examples were, including fish to a saltwater tank prior to when the complete water cycle had actually happened and the water was safe to include fish. The other was hurrying and overstocking your freshwater tank with either a lot of fish or fish that were too big for your tank without thinking of the viability.
Developing the best tank with incredible water quality and terrific design with healthy fish is a lengthy procedure. The very best tanks take place naturally and require time! Do not be lured to hurry and ruin all your effort. Request for guidance and be patient. The outcomes deserve waiting.
21. Not use RO-DI water
Are you saying why it is important to use RO-DI water in a saltwater aquarium? Basically, you do not understand what is in tap water until you test it on your own. Fluoride, Chlorine, Chloramines, Nitrates, Phosphates, and even metals like copper remain in our tap water. All of which are damaging to tropical fish.
RO-DI implies Reverse Osmosis &/ or De-Ionized water. RO-DI water is the purest water you can use in any aquarium, guaranteeing absolutely nothing abnormal is contributed to your aquarium even old copper pipelines that many houses have can be unsafe. Running your faucet water through an RO-DI system will get rid of undesirable aspects.
22. No cover on your aquarium.
90% off fish specifically saltwater fish are jumpers. When first presented to a brand-new aquarium, a lot of fish will attempt to escape, so it’s essential to ensure you have a tight-fitting cover on your aquarium.
When viewed from above, reef tanks and nano fish tanks look their finest so I perfectly understand the lack of interest in covering your tank with a huge awful cover. You might attempt a mesh/wire sheet on top of your tank for the first couple of weeks after introducing a brand-new fish to your tank. Normally, fish will calm down after a couple of days and not try to jump or escape again. This isn’t constantly the case however definitely will decrease the threat of losing a brand-new fish.
There’s absolutely nothing worse than investing a couple of hundred dollars on a fish just to discover it lying dead on the floor the next day.
It’s not simply saltwater fish that jump, most freshwater fish will likewise attempt to leave if you have no cover fitted. When first presenting fish to their brand-new house is when the fish are the most stressed out, fish that are worried will attempt to jump out of your tank. If a fish is being bullied by another fish, it can also trigger them to jump.
Never ever overstock your aquarium
23. Giving up too soon
When individuals are waiting for the natural nitrogen cycle to occur, this frequently occurs. Beginners typically get tired and quit prior to when they truly get to enjoy their aquarium.
Often beginners, particularly when establishing a saltwater aquarium, quit for a variety of factors. The expense, the length of time for water qualities to settle, and the experience required can frequently trigger beginners to sell their tanks prior to when they actually get established and begin to enjoy them.
24. Unintentional poisoning
I need to admit I have actually done this one. I was really young and it was my very first aquarium. A goldfish in a little 5 Gallon tank (Not a bowl) you’ll be pleased to hear. I took my precious goldfish out and put him or her in a container and continued to clean up the tank out with both boiling waters and after that cleaning up liquid.
The boiling water might have broken the tank (which it didn’t) however definitely might have. After cleaning the tank out utilizing a scrubbing brush and cleaning up liquid I felt delighted with myself and included brand-new water and my cherished fish.
Some minutes later on, I notice him or her swimming in an odd way, doing loop after loop till it ultimately passed away. Never ever use a chemical to rinse an aquarium as I did. Sorry, Goldy, R.I.P.
Do you understand the length of time goldfish can live for? Read our post, you’ll marvel! For how long do goldfish live?
All of us learn and this is the main reason for this post. To assist others not to make the mistakes we have made. Other unintentional poisonings can originate from glass cleaners using on the outdoors glass which can inadvertently enter the water. Metal contamination from nets, food clips, and so on
25. Not doing enough water changes
There are various factors for changing aquarium water regularly. The primary factor is to keep your fish healthy. It’s frequently stated that fishkeeping needs to be called ‘water keeping’ since that’s what you do every day: take care of your aquarium water. As long as you keep in mind to feed them if the water in your aquarium is great your fish will be great!
Throughout the Aquarium Nitrogen Cycle, Nitrates naturally develop in the water column. Routine aquarium water changes assist eliminate these toxins. Throughout the water changes, you will be eliminating hazardous contaminants such as nitrates, ammonia, nitrite, and phosphates. Not just are you getting rid of hazardous and toxic substances, but you are however including necessary minerals.
Water changes must be performed every 2 weeks as a minimum and you need to change 15-20% of your tank water.
26. Overstocking your aquarium
Overstocking can cause lots of problems however the most typical is high Nitrates & Phosphates. These will poison the water and can eventually trigger your fish to die.
There’s a formula aquarists use, 1 inch of fish per gallon of water. This is an excellent way to work out if your tank is presently overstocked, however, bear in mind that the majority of your fish will still be growing and you require to factor this into the numbers.
Overstocking has lots of effects. It is crucial to the health and wellbeing of your fish that this problem is fixed as quickly as possible. However, it does not take long for things to spiral out of control if you look at your tank now you might believe they are great.
Poor water quality is the top reason for health problems and illness in fish. Toxic substances develop really rapidly in an overstocked tank due to the quantity of waste within the water volume. Partial water changes can help in reducing the contaminants, however, reducing the variety of fish in your tank will be the very best solution to make sure your fish is growing and healthy.
27. Entering fishkeeping.
We’re unsure about this one as we enjoy the hobby however we understand where you’re coming from. Generally, fishkeeping is extremely addicting and as soon as you get the bug it can wind up taking control of your wallet, house, and life.
We would never ever put anybody off fishkeeping, after all, we enjoy it. You might never ever have any extra money ever again. We understand enthusiasts that lose out on vacations and brand-new cars and trucks due to the fact that they would rather purchase a brand-new tank, light, and even a costly fish. Do not let this stop you however be cautioned it will take total control of your life. (In an excellent way).
28. Purchasing fish that will outgrow your tank rapidly.
Lots of fish in the store are little, economical, and cute, nevertheless, they frequently grow to 12-15 ″ in size within a couple of years. What do you do with them? When they are too huge so you’re required to increase the size of your aquarium because many aquarium stores will not take them back.
Typical fish that are bought that outgrow their tank rapidly are Plecostomus, Catfish, and Oscars. All are economical and frequently imported at around 2″ and cost around $3-4. Tempting for any brand-new fishkeeper, however, do not be. It can be a pricey mistake to make, purchasing among those small and charming fish.
29. Tanks too small
Beginners fall under the trap of purchasing an aquarium that can be found in a box prepared to opt for all the equipment you require. Fantastic! Frequently you discover that this type of fish tank around 15-20 Gallons quickly ends up being too little. The smaller sized the water volume the more difficult it is to keep and preserve great water quality.
Lots of fish quickly outgrow your little tank within a year or 2. You then end up spending for a 2nd tank and beginning all over again, an expense that might have been prevented if you’d actually acquired a great size tank, to begin with.
30. Informing your partner just how much things cost.
Fishkeeping is a pricey hobby and going out and purchasing a total saltwater aquarium with all the equipment can cost thousands. Make sure you inform your partner prior to going out and purchasing one or you might discover yourself swimming with the fishes with concrete boots on. Haha.
31. Incompatible Fish.
Stocking incompatible fish can trigger all sorts of issues. Beginners make the mistake of purchasing fish they like the appearance without requesting guidance from the shop. And before you know it, they’ll have an adorable 2″ Oscar fish that will grow quickly and will eat up all their neons tetras.
Aquatic shops typically use extremely educated personnel so make sure you inform them what fish you have and after that ask for their opinion on which fish will fit the tank mates you currently have and the size and kind of aquarium you own.
How do I prevent this mistake?
Many pet shops will have a compatibility list you can examine prior to you purchasing the fish. If not, ensure to search online that the types of fish are compatible prior to you visiting the shop.
32. Direct Sunlight
Positioning your tank in direct sunshine or in front of your window might look at first however, the water will end up being cloudy over time and the tank will end up being green with microalgae. Direct sunshine can likewise raise the temperature level of the aquarium and can change severely having a destructive result on your fish.
Direct sunshine will not injure your fish straight away as they get direct sunshine in the wild, after all, however, it’s the changes in water quality that will ultimately damage them. Plus your tank will be covered in awful green hair algae and nobody desires that.
Conclusion on 33 Fishkeeping Mistakes Beginners Make
All of us make mistakes that become part of the hobby we like. If it’s an expensive mistake, we find out and grow extremely rapidly among the fishkeeping folks. Do not beat yourself up about it. Out of the 100’s of individuals who reacted to my initial concern on Facebook “What are the most significant fishkeeping mistakes beginners make”, many of them were skilled aquarists who are still to this day more than twenty years of experience in the hobby still makes ridiculous mistakes.
The very best thing you can do to prevent these fishkeeping mistakes beginners make is to research the hobby you’re contemplating on and ask questions. There’s no such thing as a ridiculous question. There are numerous terrific and useful individuals in the hobby who enjoy connecting and assisting others.
Sign up with Facebook groups like ours Click on this link or sign up with fish online forums and publish your questions online about the most typical fishkeeping mistakes beginners make. Visit Fishforum.net and constantly post questions and responses. Even after 30+ years in the hobby, I find out something brand-new every day.
We hope you discovered something brand-new today and ideally, we have actually assisted you in preventing most of the fishkeeping mistakes beginners make and assisted you to begin this terrific hobby we enjoy a lot. Thanks for reading.
