How to make aquarium fishes live longer?

This is probably the most asked question that there is for aquarium fishes. Most people cannot figure out why and how their fish died. It is seen that fishes who have a natural lifespan of about a few years die in an aquarium within a few weeks. 

There is nothing more frustrating to a fish owner than to see his fish floating lifelessly in the tank and nothing more confusing than not knowing how it happened. So here are a few reasons why fishes have a short lifespan in an aquarium. Go through them to be more careful the next time.

Sudden and drastic water changes

Regular and partial water changes are recommended for an aquarium. If the entire water of the aquarium was changed drastically then the fishes could die of shock. This is not due to the quality of the water. A lot of uneaten food particles, by-products of waste from fishes, etc change the chemistry of the water over time and the fishes living in the aquarium get used to that. 

Fishes take time to get used to the water of an aquarium and a sudden change in the water makes the aquarium feel foreign to them hence most of them gradually die. To prevent this, you should change the water partially and at regular intervals. Remember that not changing the water of an aquarium also leads to the death of fish. Hence, it should be done properly.

Size of aquarium

The size of the aquarium should not be too small. A small aquarium can make it difficult for the fish to move around and cause them stress. If there is overcrowding in a small aquarium, the water of the tank will soon become too toxic from the waste produced by the fishes and ultimately kill them.

New tank syndrome

New tank syndrome refers to high levels of nitrite in the tank. This can prove to be very fatal for the fish and they can eventually die because of this. Before the tank has formed proper chemistry to suit the fish, the nitrite and ammonium levels in the water can be quite high. Eventually, the good bacteria in the water will balance out these contaminants but until then fishes can die unexpectedly. You should test a tank regularly for nitrate and ammonium levels to prevent your fish from dying.

An aquarium should suit the fish

Your tank should suit your fish. A fish that is used to saltwater will not survive in freshwater. Similarly, fishes that are suited to warm water will die if you put them in cold water. You have to know what suits your fish to make them live longer.

Buying the tank and the fish on the same day

You should buy fish after a few days of buying the tank. This will give the tank the required time to be set up and when you finally buy fish, they will not feel like they have been put in an alien environment.

Overfeeding

Overfeeding fishes cause more harm than good. Fishes do not eat a lot nor do they eat all at once. If you go on feeding them food throughout the day then all the uneaten food will settle at the bottom of the tank which will eventually make the tank toxic and cause the fish to die.

The best way to avoid this is to feed them little by little and at proper time intervals. You can also refer to our article related to the diet of aquarium fishes on our website.

Not filtering the tank properly

You can under filter a tank by buying a filter that is too small for your tank. If you do not filter the tank properly the toxins will remain and will eventually cause harm to your fish and kill them over time.

Overcleaning

Too much scrubbing, washing, and cleaning of the aquarium disrupts the natural balance of the tank and cause harm to the fish. If the chemical or biological balance is off, the fish can die due to shock. 

If your aquarium needs cleaning after the first 2 or 3 weeks of setting up then you may be overfeeding or overcrowding it with fish or your filter may be too small for the aquarium. It is very important to observe and alter things accordingly for the healthy life of your fish.

Leaving the lights always on

If you always leave the aquarium lights on then the fishes will not get proper rest. Like all species, fishes also need to rest, and keeping the lights on all the time will lead to stress.

Unhealthy fish

You should always buy fish from reputed, experienced, and trusted breeders. No matter how well you take care of your fish, they will die if they were unhealthy, to begin with. You should always choose your fish in the best possible condition so that they can withstand the stress of transportation and adapt easily to a new environment.