Age of Aquariums: Fish Make Good Pets

In sheer numbers, fish are among the most popular pets on Crete.

However, keeping them is not as easy as it looks.

Yes, fish don’t shed hair . . .  they don’t need to go out for walks . . . they don’t scratch your furniture or chew your slippers.

But, keeping an aquarium healthy and clean, and caring for different kinds of fish, can be quite difficult, especially for the novice.

The first step in keeping fish for pets, of course, is to decide:  what fish do I want? There are many choices, since there are many more species of fish than breeds of dogs or cats.

First, there is the common goldfish which can be quite happy in a bowl, rather than an aquarium, and since it is fairly easy to maintain, it might be a good start for the beginning hobbyist. Also, there are the Japanese fighting fish, which can not be kept together in the same tank (the name explains why), and they can live in a very small space, since they breathe from the surface of the bowl and not by swimming around like most other fish. They are beautiful, and make lovely pets.

Then, there are the various-sized aquariums with other coldwater fish, such as the goldfish. However, unlike a goldfish in a bowl, with an aquarium you can keep other fish, such as the shumbunkin, oranda, Japanese rice fish and a lot of other coldwater fish.

After that, it’s a tropical fish aquarium, which takes a bit more work. It always needs heating, and the water temperature, as well as its acidity, needs to be constantly checked since they are much more sensitive than coldwater fish.

 There are many different kinds of tropical fish to choose from, so look around and find the ones which most interest you. Just remember, in the fish world, the larger ones usually eat the smaller ones, and the wild ones (real aggressive) don’t go with the tame ones, or those bred in captivity.

The easiest tropical fish to keep are guppies, swordfish, and mollies, which are Livebearers. They are very hardy, beautiful and exciting to watch, therefore good fish for beginners.

Finally, there is the salt water fish aquarium, but since they are very difficult to maintain and are only for the more experienced hobbyist, we will not discuss them here.

Once you have decided on the type of aquarium, there are other choices, such as external or internal filtering; an air pump for decoration and extra oxygen in the water; plastic or live plants, etc.

When choosing a location for your aquarium, select a quiet, not too bright spot. And make sure it stands on adequate base, sturdy enough for the total weight of the filled aquarium.

Decorating the tank is important. If you choose live plants, you must use special sand in the aquarium which can be covered by decorative stones.

When first filled with water, be sure to add special solutions from a good water testing kit.  For most fish, the nitrate level must be 0 -40 mg/l water; nitrite has to be 0 mg/l water; alkalinity at 120 – 180 mg/l water; the ph has to be 7,0 and, last but not least, the hardness needs to be 150 – 300 mg/l water.  Once the water levels are right, the water must be tested on a regular basis.

Before you actually add your pet fish to the tank, you should put in a goldfish or another hardy fish, as a sort of “warm up.”  Let it swim around for about a week, to add some healthy bacteria, then, if all is well, put in your favourite fish. Remember, when adding new fish to the tank always float the plastic bag, used for transporting them, in the aquarium water for about 20 minutes to allow the new residents time to acclimate themselves to their new environment.