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Ryans Tropical Fish
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Fish Profiles |
Selecting Healthy fishSelecting healthy fish is of course important, since sick fish might never recover from the stress they experience when they are transported from the pet shop and introduced to a new environment. Unhealthy fish can also infect the other aquarium inhabitants with bacteria, parasites and other unwanted organisms. You should also avoid purchasing fish that seem much stressed in the fish store. Even if a fish is “only” stressed and virtually free from malicious micro organisms, it will be less capable of adjusting to a new home. Stress can for instance be caused by poor water quality, aggressive tank mates, a barren aquarium without hiding spots, or an unsuitable diet. When you plan to purchase new fish for your aquarium, you should ideally visit the fish store around feeding time. If the fish refrain from eating, it’s generally a very bad sign. Some species are of course much more aggressive and active during feeding time than others, but even sluggish fish species should appreciate food if their healthy. Before you purchase a fish you should carefully examine its body, and also take a look at all the other creatures in the aquarium. If any of them have white spots, skin and gill flukes, anchor worms or any type of sores your should not buy anything from that tank. The eyes should not be clouded, the fins should not be damaged or clamped, and the scales must look smooth and flat. A fish that desperately gasps for air will most likely die soon. You can also take a look at the fish waste; dark fish waste is usually a good sign. You should always know what a healthy fish from the particular species you are interested in look like, since this will make it possible for you to determine if the specimen you intend to buy displays a vibrant and healthy coloration or if it has turned pale and dull from stress and poor health. (Keep in mind that coloration differs between the sexes, and a submissive male can dampen his colors when kept with another male. Some species are only really colorful during the breeding period.) There are of course exceptions to these general rules. If you are and advanced aquarists and find a specimen that refrains from eating, you might for instance instantly understand that it is because it is bullied by that large predator in the aquarium. If you purchase the fish and place it in safe environment, you might nurse it back to health. As long as you are a beginner aquarist, you should however try to refrain from such rescue missions. Chances are, you will only prolong the suffering for the fish and when it eventually turns belly up in your aquarium it can pollute the water for the other inhabitants. If you plan to purchase unhealthy fish, you must set up a special quarantine tank to prevent diseases from spreading. It is also unwise to expose healthy fish to strong medications. A quarantine tank is actually a good idea even if you try to purchase healthy fish, since many diseases can go unnoticed for a while. The shock of transportation and adjusting to a new home can cause the disease to break out, and it is better if this happens in a small quarantine tank without any other inhabitants. |
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