7 WAYS TO KILL YOUR FISH
We all love our fish and want them healthy and happy in the aquariums we provide for them. We want our fish alive.. But here are a few ways we unintentionally kill our fish.
Rushing your cycle.
When preparing a new tank for use it must go through a complete nitrogen cycle to make it inhabitable for your fish. This is a natural process that every tank must go through before you can add fish. Now there are additives you can purchase to cut down on the time it takes, but regardless it still has to complete the nitrogen cycle before it's ready for use. Test your water daily to keep tabs on the progress and when your cycle is complete and your parameters are right were you want them it's ready.
Do your water changes.
Providing high quality water for your fish is just a matter of doing scheduled water changes and watching your parameters for any problems. In my opinion you should do no less than 50% water changes weekly on a non planted tank. Depending on the tank and the inhabitants this may vary but a good water change once a week is a must for healthy fish.
Do not over feed.
Over feeding your fish can quickly lead to fish death. Waste and left over food will become toxic to your fish. Only feed as much as your fish will eat in 30 seconds. I know many people say 3 minutes but that's way too long in my opinion. First of all your fish should constantly be hungry and they do much better with 2-3 smaller feedings than one big one. Watch if food makes it to the substrate if any does you are over feeding. That's just my personal rule of thumb.
Do not over clean your aquarium.
In order for your aquarium to maintain healthy water properties you should never over clean to the point of removing healthy bacteria that your fish need to survive. This means, alternate cleaning your filters, never do them all at the same time. Lightly vacuum the visible bits of debris. There is no need to dig deep and remove every trace as some is necessary to maintain the quality your fish will flourish in.
Wrong tank mates.
When choosing tank mates it's important to do your research. With so many species available you must make sure the ones you are interested in can live together. Their aggression, water parameters, water temperature, diet and many other factors, if not researched properly can lead to unnecessary fish death.
Wrong substrate.
The substrate we use can have an impact on the health of your fish even to the point of death. For example, goldfish need fine gravel as they are scavengers and will consume sand with their food which in turn can cause blockages in their systems leading to death. Cichlids need softer substrate, preferably sand as many sift through the sand. If they have a harder or sharper substrate they could injure themselves which can lead to infection and death.
Not quarantining
When you bring home a new addition, no matter the source you should quarantine them for even a short period of time is better than not at all. I do not medicate new fish just in case. I'm not fond of medications unless absolutely necessary. I keep them in a quarantine tank for 7 days up to 2 weeks. If they are sick something will show up in that time. If not they pass the quarantine and graduate to my tank. I haven't had any issues with this process.
Do not overstock without adequate filtration
Over stocking your aquarium is the easiest way to cause an ammonia spike which will lead to a quick death if not addressed. In order to over stock your aquarium safely you must provide enough filtration to handle the bio load produced by your fish. If you don't have enough filtration your water will become toxic and kill your fish.
I hate to admit I have killed my share of fish over the years I've been in this hobby. The only good thing I can say is, I learn something new each day, which in turn teaches me I don't know everything and never will. Even when we have all the tools and information before us there are still times where we will experience unexplained fish death.
We share our knowledge, experience, triumphs and disasters.. And never ever stop learning.