Mary Allen
Every aquarist started out small. Unfortunately, many a beginner’s hobby is ruined at the beginning: Beginner mistakes happen quickly, because of the lack of routine and lack of specialist knowledge, you can no longer get the water values under control. Find out here which mistakes you should avoid.
Size of the aquarium
In general, the larger the pool, the easier it is to keep suitable values constant. With small amounts of water, such as in a nano aquarium, fluctuations cannot be sufficiently balanced out, which means that the aquarium “tips” more quickly.
Position of the pelvis
First of all: never put the basin on the windowsill, otherwise it will soon become a pure algae breeding basin! You prefer to choose a place where there is no direct sun, but where there is enough light. You also have to pay attention to the statics, because a full aquarium is much heavier than is often assumed. So it is better not to pack the 200l aquarium on the desk.
Furnishing and decoration
The subsurface in the aquarium should be about 5 to 8 cm high and not too coarse-grained. In general, you should adjust the bottom to the fish that will soon be moving in. Some like sand, some like gravel, some like something else. When it comes to decoration, it is important that you – at least as a beginner – only use goods from specialist retailers: mussels you have collected yourself are just as taboo as roots from the garden, as they give off substances over time that you do not want in your tank.
Patience
This is probably one of the most difficult points for beginners: you want to see as many fish as possible in your tank. However, this goes wrong if you do not consider the sufficient running-in period. The aquarium should run for at least three weeks without fish in order to level off and build stable values. During this time you can also sprinkle a small amount of food into the tank every now and then so that the bacteria slowly get used to the water pollution.
Plant
This topic is particularly important because plants are not only attractive in terms of appearance. They are also important for the oxygen content of the water. If this is incorrect and too low, your fish will not be able to survive in the long run. So use as many and different plants as possible and above all choose fast-growing plants at the beginning – this prevents excessive algae growth.
Water change
Replacing your aquarium water with fresh water is an important measure to keep your water levels at the correct values. Replacing around a quarter of the water every week would be ideal. Make sure that the water to be refilled is not too cold.
Lighting
This point is an important factor for the well-being of fish and plants, but also for unwanted algae growth. You should never leave the light on around the clock, because in the great outdoors it also gets dark. A good method is to leave the lights on for a few hours and then give the residents sufficient rest. Then switch it on again and schedule the whole thing so that you get around 12 to 14 hours of lighting per day.
Fish stock
Now it’s down to the nitty-gritty: When choosing the right trimmings, it is important to have expert advice. You should only seek advice from the dealer if you trust the dealer and think he is competent. Incorrect information often has dire consequences for the entire system. When it comes to stocking, the first important thing is the type of fish, then the number and possible socialization with other animals. Of course, you have to adapt all of these questions to the size of the pool!
Feed
Fish are not cats or dogs: they don’t need to be fed every day. First of all, they don’t need that, and secondly, it’s bad for the water values. Your little ones would eat every day, but you also have to watch out for a healthy figure with fish. Feeding every second to the third day is sufficient.
Mothering too much
This term describes a combination of over-caution and over-care. You shouldn’t constantly cut plants, remove stains, loosen up gravel and clean up technology. After all, the aquarium is a biosystem, which in the best case (almost) runs on its own. Permanent intervention is more likely to harm.