Responsible fish keeping starts with how you set up your aquarium. Make sure that the aquarium can accommodate the fish you want. Many people believe that fish will swell to the size of the aquarium. Preventing them from growing to their fullest size by keeping them in a small tank is dangerous for the fish. Ultimately, you have to provide your fish a bigger tank if they outgrow their smaller tank.

Find out as much as you can about the fish that you plan to keep, to know what size of aquarium you need to get for them. It is best to factor in the adult size of the fish when choosing the size of the aquarium. But if you got a small aquarium and later it became too small for your fish, then upgrade as soon as possible to the appropriate size.

Make sure that the fish you choose will be compatible with each other. Responsible fish keepers will not add different species to the same aquarium without first making sure that they will get along. Different fish have different requirements for pH, water temperature, and other measurements, too. Do not purchase too many fish for your tank, either. Just because they are small doesn't mean that several dozen of them can fit in your small aquarium.

If your fish or aquatic plants become too big for their aquarium, never release them in a pond, stream, or other wild environment. Unfortunately, many people do this when their fish grow much larger than they originally thought they would, and it can wreak havoc on the local ecosystem. If your fish survive, they may begin breeding and eventually kill off native species.

Many tropical species found in aquariums simply can't survive the temperatures outdoors, especially during winter, so setting them free outside is essentially a death sentence. Instead, upgrade their tank size or return your fish to the pet store.

Besides the aquarium itself, you'll also need a water filter and a heater. These are necessary for the vast majority of fish that you may want in your aquarium, and it would not be responsible to set up an aquarium without these. The filter type your aquarium requires depends on its size. The heater depends on the type of fish you plan to keep, since different species have varying temperature requirements.

Even with a filter, responsible fish keeping also includes regular water changes. Test the water weekly to track pH, nitrates, ammonia, and other water quality indicators. You can reduce water changes with beneficial bacteria. The EcoBio-Block Family Products do a great job with this. Their unique system of delivering beneficial bacteria on a regular basis insures that your water will stay clear and healthy even while reducing water changes.

Some of your fish may be small but that does not mean that you can just disregard them or that they will survive with less care than what you are giving to the other fish. Do not forget to feed your fish. Make sure that they receive proper nutrition. Find out the best kind of food for them.

Responsible fish keeping means a dedicated effort to take very good care of all the needs of your fish.

Leonard Boyler has been keeping fish for more than two decades. His favorite products make aquarium care and maintenance so easy from start up to clearing up cloudy fish tanks. To find out more about keeping the water clear and having healthy fish, please visit ONEdersave.com.

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Written by Leonard Boyler using tags: aquarium, Fish, Pets