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Step 1
Look at the other fish in the tank from which you are buying yours. Are they all healthy and vibrant?
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Step 2
Check your fish over carefully. If it doesn't look 100 percent healthy, ask for another one, preferably from a different tank.
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Step 3
Keep new fish in a quarantine tank with the same water quality as the main tank. They should stay there for at least two weeks (preferably three) before you introduce them to the new tank. When you start getting impatient, think about how much trouble it would be to treat the entire population instead of one fish.
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Step 4
Maintain the water quality. Test the ammonia, nitrite and pH levels regularly. These are the leading culprits when you have sick fish. Once the water quality is acceptable, 20 percent of the water should be changed about every 10 days.
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Step 5
Remove uneaten food and waste weekly.
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Step 6
Store food in a cool, dry place for no more than a few months. Make sure to feed a varied diet.
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Step 7
Keep a canopy or hood over the tank at all times. Some fish are jumpers.
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Step 8
Don't let your fish get stressed. It will lower their resistance to infection and disease.
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Step 9
Quarantine a sick fish as soon as you notice it.
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Step 10
Be cautious about putting medication into the water. Some fish may not be able to handle it.
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Step 11
Make sure the temperature doesn't vary by more than a couple of degrees.
