13 Beginner Aquarium Mistakes (And How to Avoid Them)
Add fish before the aquarium is ready
I must admit that I am also responsible for this error. You will receive your new aquarium and hope to add fish and immediately place the tank. If you add fish before your water parameters are stable, it's very likely your fish will die. . .
Buy a "small" aquarium
A big myth among beginners is that small aquarium is easier to maintain than large aquariums.
However, this is only true to a certain extent.
Basically, I would recommend to beginners to find a tank between 30 and 60 gallons.
Why starting with a small / nano aquarium is a mistake?
There is less water in a smaller tank, which means that the water conditions can change very quickly.
In large aquariums, it is much easier to maintain water parameters
However, this is only true to a certain extent.
Basically, I would recommend to beginners to find a tank between 30 and 60 gallons.
Why starting with a small / nano aquarium is a mistake?
There is less water in a smaller tank, which means that the water conditions can change very quickly.
In large aquariums, it is much easier to maintain water parameters
Accidental poisoning
Believe it or not, it's amazing that beginners poison their fish by poisoning the water in their aquarium.
The main causes are:
1. I don't understand the nitrogen cycle
2. Excess supply and waste in the tank
3. Too many chemicals are used unnecessarily
Unintentional poisoning cases I have ever encountered might be because the filter was turned off at night.
The story continues: a novice aquarist
Don't use live plants
It depends on your aquarium, but in a freshwater environment, I will consider life plans as a necessity.
Most beginners see plants as something complex and as something that doesn't benefit the aquarium. It cannot be far from the truth.
The main advantage of plants is to prevent algae because they absorb the same nutrients.
Living plants also help supply oxygen to water. However, you must be careful and do not contain toxic elements in your tank.
Using a Cheap Starter Filter
You will find that many aquarium starter packages come with filters that are barely enough. They only use up to two water, maybe three times in one hour. This is not enough and can be harmful to the health of your fish.
As a general rule, you should look for filters that change the water at least four times per hour.
The good news is that you cannot filter too much water, so you should filter it too big to be too small.
Not Routinely Testing the Water
Unfortunately, the aquarium is not "laid out and forgotten". They need constant care, especially new aquariums.
You must check this:
- PH value
- Ammonia
- Nitrite
- Nitrate
- Hardness of water
I also have to note that if the fish dies suddenly, the water parameters must also be checked.
Add too much fish
This is a very similar mistake when adding fish to a new aquarium.
Adding too many fish to the aquarium simultaneously can disrupt the chemical stability of water and cause the nitrogen cycle to stop.
In general, you can only add 3 fish to your aquarium.
When you have filled the fish in your tank, wait until you complete the nitrogen cycle to add more fish. This is a very similar mistake when adding fish to a new aquarium.
Adding too many fish to the aquarium simultaneously can disrupt the chemical stability of water and cause the nitrogen cycle to stop.
In general, you can only add 3 fish to your aquarium.
When you have filled the fish in your tank, wait until you complete the nitrogen cycle to add more fish.
I don't understand the nitrogen cycle
The nitrogen cycle is one aspect of fish conservation that is most confusing for beginners.
Beginners tend to choose one of two methods: they ignore it completely or soak it too much. This is rather complicated, but once you understand, it's not too difficult and it's just something you take in your process.
All you need to know here is that if you don't add and continue the nitrogen cycle, your fish cycle can collapse.
If you want to understand the nitrogen cycle in more detail, read our article here
Patience is not enough
If you ask the aquarist
Patient
Whether it's adding fish to your aquarium, waiting for the end of the nitrogen cycle, or waiting for the growth of beneficial bacteria, you might wait!
You will soon learn that raising fish requires patience when loading buckets
Too many fish are kept
Overfilling an aquarium is a very common mistake made by beginners.
This can cause problems with your filtering system and make water parameters almost impossible.
You may have been told that you can save 1 inch of adult fish per liter of water. This is wrong.
Use the 75% rule instead. This means you double your tank capacity to 75%, which shows how many fish you can keep.
Let me show you how it works with a 30-gallon aquarium. They multiply 30 by 75%; They landed at 22.5. This number shows the total length of adult fish that you can maintain. So, in a 30-gallon tank, you can accommodate up to 22.5 inches of adult fish.
Overfeed
This is probably the beginner's biggest mistake. It's hard to know when the fish is hungry. In fact, they always look hungry.
If you continue to feed your fish, they usually continue to eat. This is what happens to beginners. They feed their fish because of their fish to eat constantly.
This causes too much waste and can disrupt the nitrogen cycle.
When you start, you have to feed your fish once a day. This prevents overeating. Whatever you give them, they must be able to eat in five minutes.
Inadequate water changes
In general, you have to make a 15% water change every week.
Beginners often ignore this and think they can overcome less frequent water changes. Weekly water changes are very important for maintaining a healthy aquarium.
Poor water conditions emphasize your fish and increase their susceptibility to disease.
Blind animal shop
Let me anticipate this by saying that there are fantastic fish sellers. However, it is known that larger and more common pet stores offer false advice.
Before visiting a store, you should at least do online research to find out whether they know their products or not.
Just because your local pet store tells you that saving an Oscar in a 30-gallon tank is okay doesn't make it real.
Be sure to check the information they provide here or in the book. It doesn't matter where you look, it's just that you do it! The second opinion does not harm anyone.
