Fish get used to the condition of the water they are living in.
If you change all the water at once, the shock of an "extra
clean" environment may be too much, and you might find your
scaly pal doing the dead man's float. Cleaning overzealously
will remove most of the "good" bacteria that Wanda needs to
live. Good bacteria breaks down waste and toxins such as ammonia
into relatively harmless nitrates. It needs time to grow so it
can effectively clean the toxins in the tank.
When it's time for your weekly water change, remove only 1/3 of
the water to ensure you're not drastically altering the water
chemistry. Never use soap of any kind when you clean your tank.
Although detergents are great for human habitats, they can
easily kill your fish. After removing the water, replace it with
dechlorinated water the same temperature as the water in the
tank. About once a week you can "vacuum" the gravel (gravel
vacuums are available at the pet store) to remove food and other
debris that settles at the bottom.
Feed me!
Remember the Dr. Seuss book about the fish who was overfed?
Although you probably won't wake up with a gigantic fish on your
staircase, overfeeding can lead to health problems. Feed your
fish only as much as they can eat in about three minutes, and
then feed them that amount one to two times per day. Although
they look like they are still hungry, much of the food will fall
to the bottom of the tank. When this food is left to decompose
it leads to problems with water cleanliness.
Variety is the spice of life, and your fish wants a piece of the
action. Think of fish flakes as you would rice: okay as a
staple, but awfully boring day in and day out. Just as you would
add veggies or meat to your rice dish, add live worms as well as
frozen and freeze-dried foods to your fish's diet. But be
careful! Fish can get fat, and if you feed an excess of
protein-rich foods such as bloodworms, you'll have a happy but
fat fish on your hands. Beware of flake food that is old or has
been left open and become damp-it will have less nutritional
value.
Fish stress
Although they don't ever have to deal with rush-hour traffic,
fish do suffer from stress. Increased stress inhibits your
fish's ability to heal and to ward off parasites and disease.
And as with humans, the less stress on a fish, the happier they
are with life. The causes of fish stress are varied (see Fish
Stressors, below) but the main stressors involve the condition
of the water. Signs that Wanda is suffering are a lack of
appetite, gasping for oxygen, staying hidden continuously, or
wounds that don't heal.
But in order to see the signs that your fish may be suffering,
you will need to spend a little time each day observing Wanda's
behavior. Get to know the behaviors of the different fish you
have so you will be able to tell when something is amiss. While
you are monitoring your fish, check the tank, its filter, air
pump, and any other gadgets you have installed to ensure they
are working properly. Besides that, watching your fish is
relaxing and just may lower your blood pressure. All the more
reason to find yourself a fish, and call her Wanda.
Fish stressors
Unsuitable water (unclean, improper temperature, acidity, salt)
Too small of a tank
Mixing incompatible species
Oxygen deficiency
Poor nutrition
Sudden changes
Netting the fish
