Aquarium is the much preferred item in any household. The fishes moving inside the tank brings a solace in the room. However, when it comes to selecting the water in the aquarium, most people opt for freshwater rather than saltwater as they feel that the latter is difficult to maintain and leads to dying of fishes. This is not true. The fact is that fishes in the saltwater aquarium have different needs and have to be tackled with an extra care. Many aquarium owners are unaware of a few facts and this mislead them to think differently. A little knowledge would be suffice to keep your fishes in the saltwater healthy and prevent any mistakes from your side. Listed below are 11 such common mistakes committed by saltwater aquarium keepers.
1. Overloading the aquarium tank
The most common mistake that has been observed with owners of saltwater aquarium is they tend to overload the tank with too much of livestock or pebbles and stones found underwater. The attempt is to make the aquarium look colorful and appealing. The owners mix new fishes and other aquatic animals with the existing and this leads to discomfort among the creatures. Even the babies are not ready to face the new group. Many don’t even wait to complete one cycle. Placing too many new additions even to a well established tank is not advisable. Patience is the only solution to avoid this mistake.
2. Misdiagnosing diseases
Saltwater ich is the most prevalent problem which is encountered frequently when it comes to diagnosing diseases of the inhabitants of a saltwater aquarium. Saltwater aquarium owners often misjudge many diseases with each other because of similar symptoms. For instance, white spot disease and oodinium are very much similar but the treatment for them is completely different. Giving wrong worsens the condition of the health of the fishes. Therefore it is very important to diagnose disease properly before taking necessary steps.
3. Purchasing livestock without adequate knowledge
When it comes to purchasing animals or fishes for our aquarium, most of the people often go for those ones which look fascinating without taking into consideration the fact that they have hardly any knowledge about them. This lack of knowledge leads to improper feeding and other things which does not prove beneficial in the long run. Always do some research before selecting the aquatic animals. In other words, your selection must not be entirely based on the stunning looks of the fish, but your ability of understanding its nature and even minutest detail.
4. Buying animals which are in poor health
The most important thing that you must consider while buying fishes for your aquarium is the health of the fishes. You must make yourself aware with the symptoms which show that the fishes are in good health or not. One such symptom is that most of the sick fishes won’t eat.
5. Carelessness in tank maintenance
Another pitfall that is encountered by the aquarium owners is the carelessness in tank maintenance. The most common problems that are experienced as a result of lack of proper tank maintenance are outbreaks of bacterial disease, high nitrate concentration and water quality issues. You must follow regular maintenance routine in order to assure the good health of the inhabitants of your aquarium.
6. Lack of patience
Most of the saltwater aquarium owners face problem after putting a tank together because they are moving way too fast. You need to administer patience in everything you do with your saltwater aquarium. You must study all the aspects carefully before taking up it as your hobby.
7. Overfeeding fish and invertebrates
One of the most common mistakes that has been observed with saltwater aquarium owners over time is that most of the newbies assume that overfeeding the fishes will ensure their good health. But is is not so, in fact it does more bad than good. The unused food settles at the bottom of the tank thus increasing the nitrate concentration and overloading the biological filter.
8. Inadequate water circulation and filtration
The primary key to success in keeping a saltwater aquarium is having proper biological filtration and water circulation arrangements. It’s always better to have more, rather than too little filtration. Also if the water circulation arrangement in the tank is not adequate then the level of dissolved oxygen in water will decline resulting in the building up of slime and other algae which competes with the inhabitants of the aquarium for food and nutrients.
9. Over medicating the fishes
Way too often, the sick or ailing fishes are over medicated when any disease is observed, that too without knowing the actual problem. However, medication must be used only when it becomes necessary, and if possible it should be carried out in a quarantine tank. You must opt those medications which are especially formulated to target the specific disease with which the fishes are suffering.
10. Incompatibility of livestock
Compatibility of the inhabitants within the aquarium is one of the factors that is often ignored. You must purchase those livestock only which can peacefully reside with other tank mates. Ignoring the compatibility factor can lead to injured or dead animals as well as stress related diseases.
11. Using poor quality water source
Using water straight from the tap or impure water as an alternative for the saltwater can lead to many water quality issues in your aquarium. To combat this problem you must use water purification filter, buy clean natural sea water or pre-filtered RO/DI water from a trusted supplier.
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