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Step 1
Part 4: Care for Your Fish
Daily Watch
Watching your fish everyday may come naturally because they are such pleasant friends to spend time with. However, sometimes people get busy and forget to pay attention to them. After all, fish cannot bark, meow or jump on you to get your attention like some other pets.
Of course, you should feed your fish regularly, as discussed later in this article. However, dropping in the food and dashing off again does not qualify as watching your fish. You need to watch them for at least 10 minutes every day and give them your full attention. In doing so, you will discover each fish really does have a unique personality, and you may even find yourself feeling like good friends (or maybe even talking to them!). -
Step 2
Happiness
The daily watch enables you to monitor the health of your fish, as well as their general happiness. Each fish will have a different measure of happiness. Some fish are content to hide in a cave, while others enjoy swimming around. However, if you notice a typically active fish hiding in a cave one day, there is a possibility that it could be sick or unhappy. Maybe there is a bigger fish that has claimed its usual swimming spot. If you notice one fish bullying other fish by chasing them or lunging toward them, there could be some tension in your tank. Your fish will not be happy if they are always feeling scared or bullied.
During the daily watch, you should make sure that each fish is getting its share of food and that one fish is not hogging it all. Also, you will discover which kinds of food each fish prefers by watching them gobble up their favorite foods. After all, fish are happiest when they are fed a healthy diet. -
Step 3
Health
There are a few things to look for when determining if your fish is sick: coloring, lethargy and appetite. If the fish's color seems dull or there are strange spots, or if the fish is lethargic or has a lack of appetite, your fish may be sick
If your fish looks sick or seems unhealthy, always quarantine the fish to a separate tank. This way it will not spread the disease to others and you can administer medicine to the sick fish and not the others.
There are too many diseases to discuss in this article, so please check out other resources to help you diagnose your fish's problem. -
Step 4
Food
Some questions include, what kind of food, how much and how often.
What Kind of Food?
See my Fish Profiles companion guide or other resources to decide what kind of food your fish should eat. Most tropical fish like we are discussing can be content with tropical fish food flakes, available at any pet store. However, some fish do have special nutritional requirements. Be sure to find out all you can about what to feed your particular fish.
How Much Food?
Typically, feed your fish a little at a time for five minutes and then stop. The amount is determined by the size of your fish. Small fish need less food than big fish. Imagine your fish's stomach and how much food it would take to fill it up. It may be half the size of a peanut for a medium fish. That is how much food you should feed your fish.
Feed How Often?
Generally, small fish need to eat small portions two times a day. Larger fish may eat large portions once every other day. If you have several kinds and sizes of fish in one tank, how do feed them separately? You just put it in there and let let them figure it out. They will eat when they are hungry and stop eating when they are full.
However, watch out for little piggies... those fish who will keep on eating and eating. Do not let an over-indulgent fish gorge himself because he will likely be dead the next day. Also, if children are allowed to feed the fish, measure out the amount for them so there are no spills. Teach them that when the measured amount of food has been given to the fish that feeding time is over. -
Step 5
Great job! You have completed Part 4 and your tank and fish are doing great. However, there are a few important maintenance tasks to cover in the final Part 5.
Part 1: Setup
Part 2: Learn
Part 3: Get Your Fish
Part 4: Care for Your Fish
Part 5: Maintenance
