What is something you wished someone told you when you got into fish keeping

[flukeone]

I've only been fishkeeping seriously for a year (my first 4L aquarium with a goldfish I got one Christmas as a kid doesn't count nor the 5 gallon my grandpa had) and I'm still learning everyday.

What is one thing you wish someone told you when you first got into the hobby?

Mine is quite stupid but fish need air...
Now obviously I knew that. But I did not anticipate the critical necessity of an air pump (or surface agitation) for some fish. I always saw bettas surviving in a cup and assumed all fish can somehow gulp air from the surface. This error cost me 2 blood parrots.... Of course I since learned what is labyrinth organ...

 

[tlindsey]

I've only been fishkeeping seriously for a year (my first 4L aquarium with a goldfish I got one Christmas as a kid doesn't count nor the 5 gallon my grandpa had) and I'm still learning everyday.

What is one thing you wish someone told you when you first got into the hobby?

Mine is quite stupid but fish need air...
Now obviously I knew that. But I did not anticipate the critical necessity of an air pump (or surface agitation) for some fish. I always saw bettas surviving in a cup and assumed all fish can somehow gulp air from the surface. This error cost me 2 blood parrots.... Of course I since learned what is labyrinth organ...
[/QUOT
All fish weren't compatible.

 

[Canoeist]

Since I have kept filtration to 10 times the gallons of the tank problems have been minimum at worst. Multiple filters as well so when one is cleaned the others remain established.
Preheat your change water to avoid shock.
Select fish from quality establishments and avoid foods that might introduce disease/parasites/aggressive behavior.
Plenty of research.
My worst mistake was putting a pair of moose antlers in my 220 gallon. I lightly researched and deemed that if they were sufficiently dried out/sterilized, it would be fine. It took a day or 2 to sink them and it looked great but within a month the smell was horrendous. After drying them out again they are fine.

 

[fishhead0103666]

Just how long it takes to get a fish from baby to adult. I likely would have bought my fish as adults already if I knew just how long it took for them to grow. I’m inpatient in that aspect.

I also wish someone had told me what quaranting was and how important it was to have one and keep it a quarantine tank instead of changing it over to a normal tank.

 

[Nilsafeller]

Since I have kept filtration to 10 times the gallons of the tank problems have been minimum at worst. Multiple filters as well so when one is cleaned the others remain established.
Preheat your change water to avoid shock.
Select fish from quality establishments and avoid foods that might introduce disease/parasites/aggressive behavior.
Plenty of research.
My worst mistake was putting a pair of moose antlers in my 220 gallon. I lightly researched and deemed that if they were sufficiently dried out/sterilized, it would be fine. It took a day or 2 to sink them and it looked great but within a month the smell was horrendous. After drying them out again they are fine.

A quick video disputing the temp match water changes... I started doing cold water changes... my fish have been less stressed now because the water no longer is coming from the hot water tank which seems to leech alot of metals into the water... noticed my fish quite often were stressed and scratching against objects within the tank and even had signs of early HITH coming in... changed to cold water changes... everything is now fine... may differ from household to household though... just throwing it out there

 

[Nilsafeller]

Also in reply to the thread.... wish I would have bought larger tanks from the get go... how much cash I've put into tank upgrades is ridiculous lol

 

[RD.]

A quick video disputing the temp match water changes... I started doing cold water changes... my fish have been less stressed now because the water no longer is coming from the hot water tank which seems to leech alot of metals into the water... noticed my fish quite often were stressed and scratching against objects within the tank and even had signs of early HITH coming in... changed to cold water changes... everything is now fine... may differ from household to household though... just throwing it out there

Unless you have a seriously faulty water heater, I think that vid is full of bunk. In fact, I posted about this in the past here on MFK, after people starting watching Shawn's vid. I wasn't the only one …..

BTW - our hot water tank is approx 25 yrs old.

Water change

It's it ok to use warm tap water for a water change Sent from my SPH-L710 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

 

[Nilsafeller]

Unless you have a seriously faulty water heater, I think that vid is full of bunk. In fact, I posted about this in the past here on MFK, after people starting watching Shawn's vid. I wasn't the only one …..

BTW - our hot water tank is approx 25 yrs old.

Water change

It's it ok to use warm tap water for a water change Sent from my SPH-L710 using MonsterAquariaNetwork App

www.monsterfishkeepers.com

That's a good read! Thanks RD... I do beleive i could drain the tank as I've never done that before lol... not sure I really got a "shawn is wrong" out of that thread but more of a not everyone has the same situation vibe

 

[RD.]

Most of what Shawn spoke about was non scientific nonsense. Similar to his reasoning for not using grounding probes in ones tank. This is one of the things that I hate about youtube & FB. People can say anything about anything, and pretty much just make stuff up as they go along, with no one to challenge their view.

Take a look at a water report in Calgary sometime, and you will find the same heavy metals naturally occur in the Bow & Elbow Rivers. It's referred to as Erosion of natural deposits in watershed. There is also Leaching and/or runoff from agricultural use.

The City of Calgary -

www.calgary.ca

The City of Calgary -

www.calgary.ca

The current tank in our house has never been drained, but before it actually fails from corrosion and rusts out I'm planning to replace it in a few weeks. And then as a safety precaution I will fill & drain the new tank several times (from everyday use) before I actually do a water change. A new tank scares me a lot more than an old tank, especially in these parts where our water is hard. Ditto to where you live amigo.

Not everyone does have the same situation, but as I said, unless one has something seriously wrong with their hot water tank, mixing cold/hot water on a refill is a non issue. Other than Shawn, and now yourself, in all the years that I have been in this hobby I have never heard of someone in these parts, where in the winter water main temps can drop down into the 40's, ......…… using only ice cold water when performing water changes.

My water changes can be in the 80-90% range each week. Try dumping 100 gallons of ice cold water on to a clown loach. Not good. duanes said the same thing when he lived in Milwaukee, 40+ yrs of mixing hot/cold. I doubt that in all his years he knew of anyone that strictly used cold water, either.

 

[RD.]

I added both the North & South Calgary reports. You will see Lead, Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, Copper, etc, all naturally occurring. As long as these substances are in trace amounts, most in the parts per billion range, this is a non issue IMO.