Top 5 Things That I Wish I Knew Before Stating Fish Keeping!
- Sep 24, 2021
- Anshika Mishra
- 434 0 0
In this article, we will be discussing the top 5 things that every beginner fish keeper should know before they start into the hobby. If you are an expert, leave a comment below and tell people what you think is the rookie mistake you have made as a newbie.
So, let's dive straight in:
1. Fishes Will Die
No matter what you do, how good you are, some fish are going to die. It is not always your fault, and it can be an accident. For example, you go to feed your fish, but the food, and go away for a while. When you return you see, a fish has jumped out and died on the floor.
Therefore, fish are going to die, it is an unfortunate part of the hobby, but as aquarists, we can do our best to minimize that and prevent that as much as we can. But, alongside, do know that there will always be some deaths, sometimes, even dying of old age.
So, do not beat yourself too much. Instead, try to learn from each mistake and everything that happens and get better the next time. Soon, you will rarely have deaths in your tank.
2. Filteration is Important, But not the End-All Be-All
When many first start off, they buy numerous filters and change down filters all the time. Yes, it is important to have some filtration in your tank, but the goals are minimal after a filter. Pick any filter on the market.
If you have a filter with any amount of bacteria on it, then it probably is handling your aquarium. There are intricacies on how to service it, how you might like it, how much noise it makes, how much it costs. We recommend learning how it works and optimizing it according to your tank's needs if you have one filter. But do not go down the rabbit hole trying out everything before you settle on one.
3. Everyone in the Hobby is Nuts!
Whether it's good or bad, some people are passionate about fish, and then some people are crazy who believe they can never be wrong.
This gambet is like any other hobby in the world. Just know, learn from people whose tank you enjoy, take the tips on what to do and what not. But, at the end of the day, an aquarium hobby is something that you do yourself. Of course, you can get bits of knowledge from other people, but we are all in this giant experiment going, where were are competing who can keep the fish in a giant glass box the best, the longest, with the most enjoyment.
Most people forget the most enjoyment is the winning element. Because if you are keeping your fish long and healthy, it's doing great, then there should be a lot of enjoyment in the tank. If you miss that enjoyment part, you are not doing this hobby the way it was meant to be done.
4. Buying Way Too Much Food
Yes, you are going to buy too much fish food, too often, and a new one every time. This is the trap that every new fish keeper falls into. Everybody has been to that rabbit hole.
So, know that you will spend a bunch of money, and hopefully, if you have got a lot of fish in your tank, you will not be wasting it. If you find the best food for them, they might grow better, and they might color up better, live healthier.
But, the problem with food is that all of them have different targets, whether its coloration, longevity, health, and price. So, you will go through these different phases of your hobby, where you would like to have the healthiest fish, and what better to get than offering your fish the best food in the market. And, thus, the hunt for the best food begins.
5. Every Aquarium is an Experiment!
You never know the outcome of an aquarium. That's why you do it. You can have the same tank as your friend, or you might have different combinations of fish, different combinations of plants, you might have different water than that tank does.
All these things go into new recipes every time you do it, and the outcome is not always the same. That's probably why we get to learn so much. Innumerable factors are playing in an aquarium. Therefore, it is the experimentation that keeps us into the hobby. So, when you are setting up the tank, you will learn about things.
So, what was, were your beginner mistakes? Let us know in the comments!
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