Today I wanted to write about what I wish I had known when I wanted to become an aquarium hobbyist. This applies to both saltwater and freshwater aquariums.

1. Get into the hobby as slowly as possible. Don’t be afraid to dive in, but do as much research as possible using books, the internet, and other reputable hobbyists. Be especially careful to take seriously the advice of people who other people trust, who also align with literature or websites that others agree with. You also need to decide which direction you want to take the tank, but make sure that is the case before you start shopping for gear. Do you want a reef tank? A predatory tank? A freshwater cichlid tank? There are tons of options to bring joy to your home. Once you’ve done your research, you can set up an aquarium!

2. Learn about the nitrifying bacteria cycle. People who completely remove all the water from the fish tanks and clean the filters with tap water are doing the exact opposite of what they are supposed to do. This applies not only to salt water, but also to fresh water. As waste is added to an aquarium, this is called ammonia. It can be added through the use of fish food, but is also excreted through the fish themselves. As ammonia builds up, without good bacteria to convert this ammonia to nitrites, it quickly becomes toxic and is the leading killer of fish. Once beneficial aquarium bacteria form naturally, they convert nitrites to nitrates. While nitrites are less toxic, they remove oxygen from the water. That is why they must also be converted naturally to nitrates. Nitrates are the least harmful and can only be harmful to fish in large quantities. Just by removing 25% of the aquarium water and replacing it with clean water that has been dechlorinated, it does not harm fish or beneficial bacteria. This bacteria can take 4 to 6 weeks to form if not stocked in another tank and this “nitrification cycle” can be very harsh on the fish. Delicate fish will not survive. The bacteria live throughout your aquarium. This can be in gravel, sand, filter, and water column.

3. Test your water. Test strips are inexpensive and easy to use, to check for elevated levels of ammonia, nitrite, or nitrate. The remedy for these situations is to simply feed less, remove some fish if the tank is more than a couple of months old and the levels are still high, or do partial water changes. I recommend to all my clients that they change 25-35% of their water every 2 weeks. This will dilute the nitrates in the water, removing them. It is not a necessity, but it is an important preventative to keep your fish healthy. If bad water doesn’t directly kill a fish, it weakens their immune system and this is where disease can kill fish.

4. Control your eating. Most of the people I have come in contact with in the aquarium maintenance industry follow the instructions on fish food containers and overfeed their fish, causing the water and tanks to fall over. Eat a pinch of food every day except one day of the week without food. Let the fish eat all this food in 30 seconds without it getting into the filter, and if the fish appears skinny, slowly increase the amount of food. In this way, beneficial bacteria can multiply to compensate.

5. Do your research before you buy. I cannot count the number of tank crashes and large humpback fish because the buyer did not do any research. Find out if your tank can create an ethical and healthy environment for your fish or corals, such as having enough room for them to grow to their specified healthy size. You and your livestock will be much happier and less stressed with ample space and filtration.

Thank you for taking the time to prepare my article. I have been in the aquarium industry for over 6 years and it is currently my main profession and hobby. I think with these five things, you are on your way to success!