The Fishkeeper Friend

Small things that can make a noticeable difference

The longevity of a hobby is honestly the most valuable thing you get from it. If you learn to crochet, it is a skill for life and one you can enjoy for an unlimited amount of time. I’d like to think fishkeeping is the same – if you can master the care of an aquarium, it can be enjoyable for life. Today I wanted to get back into posting after my long absence by sharing tips I’ve noticed make keeping an aquarium simpler and could make your run as a fishkeeper yourself longer. Hopefully these help anyone who’s feeling tired or down on the aquarium ownership journey, as well as anyone starting out!

Tip 1. Consider keeping your tank light off

This is probably the most important tip I have to share. I remember reading some article that randomly mentioned that having your aquarium light on can stress out fish. I got new additions to my tank a week afterwards and decided to leave the light off for the new fish.  

For some reason, I didn’t turn it on the next day. I might have been busy, or maybe just distracted, as I often am. Somehow the light was off for a while and that was when I noticed algae growth had dramatically slowed! Additionally, it seemed like my Zebra Danios, who had been schooling tightly, were more loosely exploring the tank. It seemed like they were enjoying themselves. After that, I just decided to always leave the light off. It’s been maybe a year or two and I honestly don’t miss the light, and I don’t think my fish do either.

So, consider keeping your overhead light in less frequent use. If your tank isn’t right next to a window where it will get direct light anyway, algae should shrink in appearances. It’s also an extra gift for Mother Earth if you don’t always have a tank light plugged in!

Tip 2. Don’t use soft water in your tank

‘Soft water’ is basically normal hose water with dissolved minerals in it. Water can be made ‘soft’ by a water softener (very creative naming there), and many newer houses have water softening appliances nowadays. If you have soft water, I’d suggest trying to fill your tank with hard water from a hose or a garage mud sink that isn’t softened. 

When I visited relatives in Nebraska once, I complained to one of them about how my tank kept getting dirty. Somehow tolerating my whining, my grandfather told me to stop using sinkwater. I was skeptical. 

…But I tried it anyway. Like keeping the tank light off, it dramatically reduced algae and didn’t seem to bother my fish.  As a bonus, of course, I’m able to fill larger buckets faster with a hose than with the kitchen sink.

Tip 3. Make your tank personally enjoyable

 What’s the point of a hobby if you don’t actually enjoy it? Sadly, most beginners in the aquarium hobby lose interest after the first few months of owning a tank. I’ve almost given away my tank a bajillion times when it gets rough. I wanted to note that making your tank something you actually like is the most important aspect of fishkeeping. I used to have live plants in my large tank and hated the extra work – so I gave up and got fabric ones. Point is, your tank should fit the personal aesthetic appeal and time budget you want it to. If you play D&D, get your fish the $50 dollar castle at PetSmart already. Have a budget, but have a theme as well. Just decorate and stock your tank in a way that makes you happy to look at it. 

Tip 4. Clean your tank before it gets extremely dirty

 I want to state the sheer importance of cleaning your tank here. If you let the aquarium get dirty, it’ll just snowball. Don’t lose track of when you last cleaned your tank! I do that way too often. Instead, clean your tank every other week (or weekly if it’s under five gallons/without a filter/highly stocked) to avoid having to do a massive clean all at once. If you notice algae buildup on the glass or lots of little ‘gifts’ at the bottom of your tank, you’ve already waited too long. Get it over with, and I bet you it’ll take less than 50 minutes.

Tip 5. Don’t overstock your tank

Honestly, this is the hardest tip to come to agreement with. We all care for our pets’ wellbeing, but at the same time, there are so many different ways your tank could go that it becomes a spiral. The older rule of thumb is to do the inch per gallon method – it’s the idea that one square inch of fish needs one gallon of water. So three fish that will all be one inch long = a three-gallon tank. I love this rule, but it only works with modifications. A safe rule would be to save five gallons as extra space – so those three fish would need eight gallons. I’ve found this keeps the tank cleaner for longer as well.