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Introducing fish to your aquarium is tricky, whether you've
just set up the tank or already have an established aquarium
with other fish. In fact, it is often more difficult to add
new fish to an established tank. You'll need to make sure
that the aquarium is ready for new fish, choose the right
aquarium fish, and introduce them carefully.
Do not add new aquarium fish unless your water quality is
high. This will provide the optimum environment for your new
fish to settle in. Adding new fish to an established
aquarium stresses out each of the fish, and if they are
already living in poor water quality, they could become
diseased. Test the water, and make sure it is the highest
quality possible before bringing your new fish home. Assess
the ammonia, nitrite, and nitrate levels, and do any
necessary water changes before adding the new fish. If you
don't want to do frequent water changes, add an
EcoBio-Block, which introduces beneficial bacteria and trace
minerals into your tank, reducing the need for water changes
and naturally clearing cloudy water.
When adding new fish to your aquarium set up, choose the
kinds that are compatible with the fish that are already in
your aquarium. Choose those that will peacefully and
comfortably co-exist with your present fish. You dont want
them hurting or eating or killing any of your old fish and
vice versa. It will be wiser to introduce more than one fish
to your aquarium to minimize the chances of the new fish
being picked on by the old fish. Also choose those that will
thrive in the same water environment that you have in your
tank. There are specific pH and water temperature levels
that have to be considered when introducing new fish to any
water.
Once you have chosen the fish to add, you need to rearrange
the aquarium. Your old fish have likely made territorial
claims on the hiding places in your aquarium so cleaning and
rearranging the plants and other decorations will clear the
field for your new fish. Try to give them plenty of hiding
places to go to, until they familiarize themselves with
their new neighbors.
When introducing new aquarium fish to an established tank,
never bring your new fish home from the pet store and
immediately dump them into the tank. This will shock their
system, and they may not make it.
For best results, you may want to set up a separate tank
where you quarantine new fish for a week to check for signs
of illness. Sometimes, pet store fish carry diseases, and
you don't want to introduce these into your aquarium. If you
decide to transfer your new fish directly from the pet store
bag to your established tank, first float the bag with the
fish in your aquarium for a few hours. This allows time for
the water temperatures to equalize. Then, open the bag to
release your new fish into the tank.
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