Fish as a Pet for Beginners

If you are looking for a new pet and you are thinking about adding some fish in your life you are probably someone who can really appreciate soothing relaxing moments at home.

Fish watching can be very therapeutic for the mind.

There is definitely something soothing about watching fish gracefully glide through the water of your aquarium, as long as you don’t throw in aggressive fish with passive fish because that is when things can get ugly.

Not trying to scare you off, just something you have to watch for when selecting varieties of fish. Compatibility is key in the underwater world, especially when contained in a small aquarium.

If you have children and decide to get fish as a pet you will be a big hit as children are always interested at watching fish swim round and round. Throw in some bubbles are the kids will enjoy it that much more.

A few things that make fish a better pet than a cat or dog are things like not having to change a litter box or not having to take your dog for a walk every day (some days a person is just too tired) or not having all of the hair and other messes that a furry animal makes.

With fish everything is contained and fish don’t bark or scratch or knock ornaments over. Furry animals have to be checked on if you go away for a weekend where fish can be left for a few days and be fine. Fish can be left for longer periods if you have a feeder block or device in your aquarium, you can’t leave a dog or cat alone for a week without having someone check on them.

You might be thinking of getting a gerbil hamster or maybe a mouse. The cages for those types of critters usually smell and the shavings you have in the bottom of the cage never stays in there, they are always scattered all around the area of your pet cage.

With fish everything is contained. Smell from an aquarium is never a problem if you keep the filter clean and perform some maintenance in the tank once a week like cleaning the glass inside and doing small water changes.

Something you have to consider if you decide to go with fish as your pet is the location you would like to place an aquarium.

Placement is important. For safety reasons an aquarium shouldn’t be placed in a high traffic area. Most aquarium stands are very sturdy and safe but your children are not always aware of the consequences of bumping into a tank. Another place to try to keep your aquarium away from is direct sunlight.

Direct sun will encourage the growth of different types of algae and will most definitely increase the temperature of the tank. Some fish are very hardy and can handle fluctuations in tank temperatures, but some cannot and will surely die if the temperature of your aquarium is not kept within a certain range.

Here is another tip when purchasing your aquarium and accessories. Purchase the proper sized filter for your size of aquarium. To be on the safe side buy an aquarium filter that can handle more gallons or litres than the size of your tank.

The larger your filter medium is the better your water will be filtered. Also use power heads to help the flow of the water reach the intake stem of your filter so it sucks up as much bad stuff as possible.

When you buy an aquarium it is a good idea to fill it up and run your filter(s) for a couple of weeks before you stock the tank with fish.

You want the water to be fish safe or you will be just killing your fish when you get them home. When you do buy a fish and bring it home it is a good idea to set the plastic bad with the fish in it on the water and let it float there for 10 or so minutes to let the water in the bag get to the same temperature as the aquarium as not to shock your fish.

Make sure to turn the lights of the aquarium off before floating the bag on the water as the heat from the lights could over heat and kill your new pet.

If you are considering setting up a marine/salt aquarium there is a bit more to consider. Make sure to do your research on salt water aquarium set up and spend as much as you can afford on filter types and buy as large of an aquarium as you can afford. Salt water fish need more space than tropical/fresh water fish do.

If you choose to go with fish as your pet I know you won’t be disappointed as there are so many options for varieties of fish you will never be bored. If anything you will find yourself wanting to set up another larger tank. Enjoy your fish.