# Freshwater fish hobby



## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

To be successful in keeping fish, what should I do
I only started the hobby last yearend quit and re-started a couple months ago.


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

the first and most important thing you need to know is the Nitrogen cycle. there is a sticky here on it:
http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fish-poop-you-primer-8310.html
What kind of fish are you wanting to keep?


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## jbrown5217 (Nov 9, 2011)

Learn about the nitrogen cycle, common fish keeping practices, and research about the types of fish you want want to keep.


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## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

Manafel said:


> the first and most important thing you need to know is the Nitrogen cycle. there is a sticky here on it:
> http://www.aquariumforum.com/f66/fish-poop-you-primer-8310.html
> What kind of fish are you wanting to keep?


I have guppies, but they seem like they keep dying on me


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## Manafel (Sep 4, 2011)

deaths can be caused by a variety of things. Is your tank fully cycled? how many are you putting in your tank? how big is your tank? What is your male to female ratio? How do you acclimate them to your water?


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## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

Manafel said:


> deaths can be caused by a variety of things. Is your tank fully cycled? how many are you putting in your tank? how big is your tank? What is your male to female ratio? How do you acclimate them to your water?


I keep it at 78 degrees, it's a 35 g and I have 2 guppies. I put my betta inside with them from time to time, she's friendly to them. My male to female ratio was 1:2 but one died. It is fully cycled I check the ammonia, ph, nitrites, nitrates every day, they seem to be fine. Water is quite cloudy I have 2 plants inside.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

cloudy water sounds like bacterial bloom.Not uncommon,many reasons they occur;#1 reason is overfeeding.No food should remain(be visable) after3 minutes of feeding.With less fish now cut amount of feeding in half.If overfeeding is the cause of cloudiness ; no food for 3 days(at least , the fish will be fine). Test are fine means 0 A ,0 trites ,and trates are under 40 ?


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## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

coralbandit said:


> cloudy water sounds like bacterial bloom.Not uncommon,many reasons they occur;#1 reason is overfeeding.No food should remain(be visable) after3 minutes of feeding.With less fish now cut amount of feeding in half.If overfeeding is the cause of cloudiness ; no food for 3 days(at least , the fish will be fine). Test are fine means 0 A ,0 trites ,and trates are under 40 ?


0 ammonia trates and trites.


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## coralbandit (Jul 29, 2012)

search bacterial blooms if your water is cloudy enough ,it usually doesn't kill fish ,just looks rotten.


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## gar1948 (Jan 25, 2012)

Before you start again. Read, Read and then Read some more on nitrogen cycle, water testing, fish compatibility, tank capacity, filter types, filter sizes, filter media and lighting.


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## susankat (Nov 15, 2008)

With your readings zero across the board, your tank isn't cycled. For the size of tank and what few fish you have you should be reading ammonia by now. Best advice is to read on the nitrogen cycle that you have gotten linked to and read it several times to get an understanding what needs to happen and what will happen. If there is some you dont understand, ask and someone will help you.


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## navigator black (Jan 3, 2012)

This is one of those knowledge is power type hobbies. The more you know, the better you succeed. Read, read and then read. Learn things you don't think you'll use, for when you suddenly discover you need them. Reading, talking, participating in forums - it all adds up to a solid grounding in the art of fishkeeping.

I talk a lot with aquarium wholesalers, since I have worked in the business a little. There is a lot of frustration with the quality of guppies, platys, and gouramis right now, as there are a lot of losses with orders coming in - more than before. A lot of hobbyists quit the aquarium world thinking they lack skills, when all too often, the fishfarm that bred and raised the fish is at fault. Predictably, a lot of the corporate chain stores buy centrally in bulk from the cheapest possible sources, and it is hard to keep the standards up when you are trying to be very very inexpensive.


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## Isrolina (Sep 16, 2012)

I just remembered one reason that guppy died, it jumped out of the tank while the cover wasn't on while I was reading the water, fortunately I was there to catch her, but she did fall quite a distance.


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