Owning tropical fish is both relaxing and fun. You can throw your stress and worries to the wind when you sit in amazement, watching your fish swim and frolic. If you have never owned tropical fish before, here’s a tropical fish guide to help you get started. Do some research on the kinds of fish you might like to buy so that once you’re ready to buy, it’s not a drawn out event. The first thing you need to do is purchase a tank.

The first thing you need to do is figure out what you have room for and what you’re prepared to take care of. Knowing how big of a tank to buy can be tricky. The people at your local exotic pet and tropical fish store can be a huge help to you. Typically the best size for new tropical fish owners is anywhere from 10 to 20 gallons. You can manage this size easily and once you’ve got good experience handling this size tank, you can move up to a larger tank.

If you don’t have a tank already, go purchase a small one. You also need a filter and light as well as other supplies to clean the tank. Buy the food you’ll need ahead of time as well. You can design a tank that is creative and colorful or if you prefer, very basic. Just make sure that whatever you do, you buy quality products. Things you buy that are less than well crafted can cost you down the road.

You need to buy a solid tank with a lid and a stand that will hold your fish tank. You also will need to buy a light and a filter for your fish tank. Before you do anything, clean your fish tank with warm water. If you use any sort of soap or detergent, it is imperative that you rinse your tank thoroughly. You don’t want to poison your fish!

Buy colored gravel or pretty glass beads to line the base of your tank. The fish will enjoy this and it helps trap algae and other things that you may not want to see floating in your tank. You can buy all kinds of cool stuff to put in the bottom of the tank, make sure that if you buy any “hiding place” items for your fish, they’re big enough. The last thing you want is a fish injuring itself by trying to get into a space that’s too small for it.

Once everything is in place, it’s time to begin filling. You’ll want to bring the temperature of your fish tank water to around 80 degrees. This is usually the perfect temperature for tropical fish but always double check with an expert, first.

Make sure that you are setting your tank up at least 3 feet away from any direct light source or source of heat such as windows, sliding glass doors and heating vents. Your fish love the light, but natural sunlight helps algae to grow and you’ll have a very messy tank to clean. The 5 watt light you bought should be more than enough light to keep them swimming around happily. You’ll want to begin filling the tank once you get the stones and toys in place. Now that you’ve got everything ready, you can go select your fish.

Ask the pet shop owner what the easiest to care for fish are, and then you can start with something easy. Make sure that the fish you are buying won’t eat each other. It’s very sad to wake in the morning and see that half of your fish are missing or half eaten by the others in the tank. Many pet shop owners are not truly well versed in tropical fish so you may have to do some learning on your own. If you’re in doubt, don’t mix breeds. Buy a few of one kind, bring them home and then do some online researching. You can always go back later and buy more kinds and colors of fish.

Make sure that you are feeding your fish the right food. It’s important to do this unless you want to make your fish sick or possibly kill them. Feed your fish the right amount of food and feed them at the same time, every day. Don’t overfeed fish, they can actually eat themselves to death! Keep your tank clean and keep a close eye on your new housemates, especially for the first few days after you bring them home.

If you want to read a more extensive tropical fish guide, then please click on any of the given links: tropical fish guide tropical fish guide for newcomers