My Aquarium

I have read a number of articles saying you should support your local suppler, they all make a lot of sense. We were always going to do this anyway… I’m the opposite of a lot of people, rather than go and look in the shops and then buy things cheaper online, I tend to look online and then go and get them from a real person in a shop, even if I have to pay a bit more. I think this is especially important when buying something like fish!
And besides, these are Matilda’s fish, she will buy them with her pocket money. As they don’t let 6 year olds drive, we needed to find a good retailer within walking distance.

We actually got the idea about getting her an aquarium while in a local pet shop and I though I could take her to a large aquatic centre in the next town where I used to spend my lunch hours many years ago. Un be known to me, there was a tropical fish dealer just a few doors down from the pet shop – Fishy Friends. This is a superb shop with fantastic staff who are really friendly, helpful and knowledgeable. This is definitely a tropical fish supplier that installs trust.

During the last few weeks we have popped in and visited other local stores, including a very large one and somehow, the fish there don’t look as healthy and content as they do in Fishy Friends.

Anyway, now I’ll get to the point. Yesterday I was out and about visiting garden centres looking for some natural slate for Matilda’s Aquarium, when I found myself in Pitsea, and I remembered there is a place there called Pets at Home where Matilda’s Mum and I went many years ago not long after it opened. I remember her looking at the tropical fish then and saying she would like some… so I decided to pop in.

Now I realize why so many people say that you should find a trusted local supplier. The state of some of the fish tanks was a disgrace. Some had cloudy water, a couple were thick with algae… I can’t believe they got this way overnight. I know these are common problems, but they are basic problems and if anybody can sort them out, you would think a pet shop can.

Obviously I think it’s a great idea to get tropical fish for children, but they are not toys. Nor should they be treated as a commodity by a franchise store.

The bacteria lives in the filter but when the fish tank is new there isn’t any. It builds up naturally so that there is enough for the amount of fish you have in the tank.

Panda Cory

You get rid of the nitrates by changing the water.

You can also get algae in the water but you can get fish that will eat it. Suckermouths and Corydoras will eat algae and scavenge, helping to clean the tank.

Zebra Danio

It is the best idea to have Zebra or Leopard Danio because there are very easy to keep and they are very hardy which means that they are tough and resilient.

They are both very beautiful and pretty but I like the Leopard Danios best. They like to be in shoals or they get lonely, so I am going to get six.

They come from East India and they grow to 6cm long and live for 5 years. They are egg laying fish, laying 300 to 500 eggs. The Latin name for them is brachydanio rerio.

Leopard Danio

This lady also had Danios as her first fish. And I have found somebody else keeping a diary of their fish tank.

Resources
How to breed Zebra Danios

Temperature Range 18°C – 24°C 21°C 22°C 23°C 24°C 25°C 26°C 27°C

pH Range 6.0 – 8.5 pH 5.0 pH 6.0 pH 7.0 pH 8.0 pH 9.0

Hardness 5° – 20° 0° 10° 20° 30° 40°

Depth of gravel

After you get a fish tank then get the gravel and put it in the bottom of the tank. You then get the water and add chemicals to it to remove the fluoride. You can then fill the tank the quarters full and then add your plants. You can also decorate it for your fishes with supplies from the fish shop.

Next you fill the tank up the rest of the way and turn on the heater and pump. But you have to wait for a day before adding any fishes.

Juwel Rekord 120

The fish tank I am going to get is a Juwel Rekord 120, which we will get from Fishy Friends. This tank is 101cm x 31cm x 46cm and holds 120litres. It comes with pump, filter and a light. This is almost everything I need.

Daddy Says, “How many fish can you put in an aquarium this size? A Juwel Record 120, with its standard set-up will support around 172cm of fish. According to ‘Think Fish’, with an oversized external filter, a 120 litre tank will support 288cm of fish. Although this all depends on the actual size of fish… if you keep only 2cm fish you can have more, if you keep large cat fish, you can keep less.

Think Fish has a superb ‘Community Creator’ which allows you to calculate exactly how many fish you can keep and tells you if they are compatable.”