| Rainbows, clowns, spots, and stripes; a tank full of | | | | Be careful with overfeeding because this can result in |
| tropical fish can add a menagerie of color to any | | | | poor water quality as the excess food will be floating |
| home. Keeping and caring for a tank of tropical fish | | | | around in the tank. Keep food stored in moisture |
| require a little bit of extra attention. Fish enthusiasts | | | | resistant containers and in a cool dry area. Never |
| who are considering building an aquatic community of | | | | allow your fish food to sit frozen for longer than |
| tropical fish need to be aware of the specific | | | | three months. |
| equipment and care that these fish require. | | | | Lights, air, action |
| The H2O factor | | | | Airflow inside your tropical fish tank should be |
| Water quality is undoubtedly the most important | | | | regulated at a rate of two liters per hour, per liter of |
| aspect of keeping your tropical fish alive and thriving. | | | | water. Use an aerator in your tank to control airflow. |
| Keeping the water in the tank at the appropriate | | | | You will want to make sure that you install proper |
| temperature and pH levels is crucial to the health of | | | | lighting in your aquarium. This will help to avoid heat |
| your fish. Avoid adjusting the water temperature | | | | accumulation and excess algae growth. Only use lights |
| abruptly. This could send your finned friends into | | | | that are recommended for aquarium use. |
| shock because tropical fish have narrow optimum | | | | Another thing to keep in consideration are the lights |
| temperature ranges and do not usually tolerate | | | | in your home. A good idea is to install a dimmer |
| sudden changes in environment. | | | | device in the room that the tank is in. This will help |
| Fish food | | | | you to avoid startling the fish when you turn on the |
| A good diet for tropical fish has 30 to 36 percent | | | | lights in the room. |
| protein, 10 percent fat, and low amount of | | | | Keeping it stable |
| carbohydrates. As far as the amount to feed them, | | | | Use a home water-quality testing kit to measure the |
| this could vary by species. A general formula is to | | | | temperature, pH, dissolved oxygen, ammonia levels, |
| feed 10g of flake food to 50 adult tropical or | | | | nitrate levels and salinity of water. |
| freshwater fish. | | | | |