Cold water fish are the most common that are kept as pets in our homes, in small and typical spherical aquariums. Taking care of them is simple, but we must not forget that they are living beings, animals that have their habits of coexistence and reproduction, feeding, that can get sick, be more or less sociable or aggressive…
However, the care is simple even if it is continued, and with the following tips you will be able to have the best experience as a fan of these attractive fish that provide a calm, colorful and reminiscent holiday of the marine world. Actually, caring for fish properly can be a very fun part of your hobby.
What do you need to take care of a cold water fish?
- An aquarium
- Fish or fish of suitable size for the aquarium
- Fish-food
Instructions for caring for a cold water fish
- Observation. The observation and surveillance of our aquarium is one of the pleasures of having it and one of the best ways to take care of our cold water fish -actually, at room temperature-.
- The filter. Place the filter in the right place both for the perfect functioning of the aquarium and for the fish, which means that if we have other pets such as cats or dogs, we make sure that they do not touch or reach it. The filter must always be clean and for that you must clean it at least once a month, or more frequently if you have many fish or they are larger. If the fish stick their heads above the surface a lot, it could mean that there is something wrong with the filter or with the water, which may be dirty or hotter than it should be or the pH has changed.
- Food. You must make sure that your fish or fish eat, giving them enough and in several feedings a day, ideally four to six times. See if -in case you have more than one fish- that they all eat following the same routine, without any of them separating or isolating themselves, because it could be a warning of some disease such as white spot or some parasite.
- Diseases. In the daily observation of your cold water fish, you may notice that the fish rubs a lot with the bottom rocks that you may have placed at the bottom of the aquarium, because that usually happens when they have a parasite that makes them itchy. If the fish is sick, it is advisable to consult a veterinarian or a trusted pet store, which will indicate a treatment. When administering it, it is very important, if you have several fish, that you put the sick fish in another equally well conditioned tank, until it recovers.
- Compatibility. When you have several fish in the aquarium you should keep in mind that not all small cold water fish for aquariums or home fish tanks coexist peacefully with each other. It is normal for them to interact or “play” with each other, peacefully, but depending on the species they could fight with each other or even eat each other. An aggressive attitude can also mean that the victim is sick or simply that the tank is too small for the number of fish you have, because they need a certain amount of space to move in the water. For this reason, when introducing a new fish into the aquarium, check its compatibility with the ones you already have there.
- Theater. Aquarium hygiene requires that you change the water in the aquarium at least once a week, and clean the tank once a month. In addition, the aquarium must be in an area where it is not very hot, but rather the opposite. Likewise, sudden changes in temperature are very harmful to fish, so do not move the aquarium too much.
- The best fish for cold water. The goldfish or goldfish, the Koi carp , the Chinese neon (you must acquire them in groups of seven, because they form a flock; and do not gather them with the koi carp, because it would eat them), the pink barbell (this one holds up well to different temperatures), the beta spenders (it is very aggressive), the dojo loach, the big- cheeked bubbler or the telescope, of which here we tell you how to take care of the telescope fish and of which it should be noted that it is very important not to put sharp objects on them.
Tips for caring for a cold water fish
- If you decorate your aquarium your fish will be more entertained and you will enjoy their comings and goings more by having a more varied environment. You can put colored sand, rocks, roots, natural plants -in this case you should check if the fish would eat them and with what effects- or synthetic ones, branches, objects such as sunken ships or planes, scuba divers, etc.
- Lighting is an important chapter, because it will allow us to see the fish tank or aquarium at night, and for this the best are fluorescent lights, which will provide oxygen to the natural plants that you may have and will improve the physical condition of your fish.
- You should know that the larger the aquarium, the easier it is to maintain, so that from a 90 liter aquarium the coexistence between your cold water fish will be much better and the water temperature will be more stable, something fundamental for the health of your fish.
