CATDOLL : CATDOLL: Cultivation of tropical ornamental fish

Essential equipment for keeping tropical fish

(1) Fish tank: It is the place where tropical fish grow and move around. The fish tank for raising tropical fish must be a slightly larger rectangular glass fish tank.

(2) Suction pipe: used to suck out dirt from the bottom of the fish tank when changing water. It is made of a soft rubber tube and a glass tube. The length depends on the height of the fish tank. Generally, it is 1.2 to 1.5 meters.

(3) Thermometer: used to measure and adjust the water temperature of the fish tank.

(4) Fish net: used to catch and transfer tropical fish.

(5) Glass lamp barrel: Place the bulb in the glass lamp barrel and sink it into the fish tank for heating and lighting. The mouth of the glass lamp barrel must be 100mm above the water surface to prevent fish from jumping in.

(6) Electric heating tube: used to increase the temperature in the fish tank in winter.

(7) Air pump: removes carbon dioxide from the fish tank and increases the oxygen content in the water.

(8) Filter: It filters out dirt in the fish tank, keeps the water clean, and plays a dual role of increasing oxygen and purifying the water.

(9) Thermostat: It is used to automatically control the temperature in the fish tank and can keep the temperature constant for a long time.

(10) Food bucket: prevents fish food from floating on the water surface, which is beneficial for fish to prey on. It also prevents fish food from falling to the bottom of the water and drilling into the water plants, which will turn the water plants and sand black and deteriorate the water quality.

(11) Decontamination liquid: Made of plastic board. Used to scrape away dust and oil on the surface of the fish tank.

Guppy is the first choice for beginners of tropical fish

Guppy is a small tropical ornamental fish, generally 3 to 5 cm long, petite, agile and lively, colorful. It is mainly produced in Brazil, Venezuela, Guyana and the West Indies in South America. According to its different characteristics, it is divided into common guppy, swallowtail guppy, long-tail guppy, lyre-tail guppy and yellow guppy.

It should be said that among the many tropical ornamental fish species, the guppy is not a noble fish species. Neither its price nor its requirements for the surrounding living environment are high, but it is deeply loved by people because of its liveliness and beauty. The male fish is especially beautiful, with red, orange, yellow, green, cyan, blue and purple mixed in its green-brown body, just like a rainbow in the sky, so it has a nice name - rainbow fish. At the same time, because it has several small blue round spots on its abdomen, surrounded by lighter rings, it looks like the eye-shaped spots on the peacock's open tail, so it is also called the guppy.

Some fish buyers told reporters that the reason why guppies are popular is largely due to their gentle and lively temperament. They will not fight with other fish and are suitable for mixed breeding with some non-aggressive fish. They are also not very selective about food and can be fed egg yolks, steamed bread residues, etc. However, it is best to feed them live bait such as fish worms and nematodes when raised artificially. At the same time, they do not have high requirements for water quality and water temperature and are very easy to raise and keep alive.

Generally, purebred guppies are larger, with large and stretched tail and dorsal fins, purer colors, more distinct characteristics, and higher prices, ranging from 10 to 50 yuan per pair, depending on the quality of the breed; hybrids or degenerate species are the opposite, and are cheaper, generally only a few yuan per pair. However, for those who are new to tropical fish breeding, it is more cost-effective to buy hybrids and degenerate species, because this allows you to accumulate a lot of fish breeding experience in breeding.

In addition, it is best to determine whether you are buying fish for viewing or breeding. If you are just looking for viewing, you can choose individuals with bright colors, large tail fins, and normal development of all fins; if you want to breed good guppies, it is best to choose young and energetic guppies, because fully mature guppies, although with large tail fins and bright patterns, are not suitable for breeding.

Generally speaking, the principles of selecting guppies are not much different from those of selecting other fish. The only requirement is that there should be no abnormalities on the body surface, no wounds, no damage to the fins, no contraction of the fins, no white hair and white spots, and that the fish should have a desire to eat and be responsive. It is also best to select fish that are not injured or dead in the entire tank. However, a key point in selecting guppies is the selection of male guppies. You should try to select male guppies that are larger, have larger and more stretched tail fins, and swim more actively. Generally, you should buy guppies that are two or three months old.

In addition, when buying guppies, don't forget to buy an aquarium. The aquarium for raising guppies should not be too large, generally 60 cm long, 30 cm wide, and 40 cm high. And before buying, you must pay attention to test the water to ensure that there is no leakage before buying.

After choosing the guppies, the next thing is the bait. Guppies do not have high requirements for bait, and generally use water fleas, water silk earthworms or compound pellet feed.

Once everything is purchased, it is time to start breeding guppies.

Forbidden areas for beginners of tropical fish breeding

After the newly bought fish get used to the new environment, you can start feeding them. Generally, after the fish are placed in the water tank for half a day, if you find that the fish start to peck at the sand on the wall or bottom of the tank, it means that you can start feeding them. Some fish will be timid when changing the environment and refuse to eat, so you should feed them the feed they like. You can feed artificial feed and daily feed in a balanced way. Pay attention to the amount to avoid leftovers, because the leftovers will rot and damage the water quality.

Several reasons that cause tropical fish to become sick and die:

1. Drastic changes in water temperature - The best temperature for tropical fish to survive is 25℃, but different species have different temperature requirements, some require as high as 30℃, and some prefer 20℃. Therefore, on average, 25℃ is a generally acceptable temperature. In addition, we must avoid drastic changes in water temperature, and the generally allowed temperature range is 2 degrees.

2. Too high stocking density - Many people see that aquariums can put many cute fish in one fish tank, so they also raise many fish in the fish tank at home. This kind of breeding method will kill all the fish. If you raise many different kinds of fish, you must consider the suitable space for each fish and reduce the number of fish. No matter what kind of fish, it is never a good thing to have too many small fish in the tank. The principle of raising tropical fish is very similar to raising goldfish. It requires a relatively wide water surface and a normal proportion to the number of fish to ensure that the tropical fish has sufficient oxygen supply.

3. Types of feed - The feeding habits of tropical fish vary from species to species and can be roughly divided into three categories: animal, plant, and omnivorous. Therefore, we must understand the type of fish in the tank, what kind of food they like to eat, and classify them for feeding.

4. Disease - There are many reasons why tropical fish may become sick, including infection from purchased sick fish, white spot disease caused by too low temperature, and water quality deterioration due to leftover food or decomposition of fish feces and waste.

Newly purchased tropical fish often carry germs or parasites. Because the disease is mild and no obvious symptoms have yet appeared, it is not easy to detect when purchasing. If you put it directly into the fish tank without using drugs, it will become sick in 2-3 days at the fastest, or 1 to 2 weeks at the slowest, and even cause death. Even if the newly purchased tropical fish is healthy, it may be injured during capture and transportation, causing bacterial infection. Therefore, it is very important to disinfect newly purchased tropical fish to prevent diseases.

There are two commonly used anti-disease disinfectants. The first is table salt, which is safe, effective, and easy to obtain. Add 100-300 grams of table salt to every 10 kilograms of water to make a 1-3% concentration of salt water. Disinfect for about 5-20 minutes. The length of the bathing time depends on the water temperature. It can kill most germs and parasites.

The second is potassium permanganate, which can be added directly to the fish tank. The concentration of the drug is 0.03 grams of potassium permanganate for 10 kilograms of water. It is inconvenient to weigh 0.03 grams of potassium permanganate. Therefore, first weigh 1 gram of potassium permanganate and fully dissolve it in 1 kilogram of water, that is, prepare a solution with a concentration of one thousandth, store it in a Coca-Cola bottle for use, and then use a straw or syringe to draw 30 milliliters of potassium permanganate solution and add it to 10 kilograms of water. Change the water 24 hours after medication. However, it should be noted that for small tropical fish. Potassium permanganate is highly toxic. After using the drug, pay attention to observe the activity status of tropical fish. Once abnormalities are found, rescue immediately, that is, change a large amount of water or take the tropical fish out.

The accumulation of organic matter such as leftover bait and excrement in the fish tank will cause the water quality to deteriorate. There are two forms of organic matter in the water. One is the undissolved granular solid organic matter, and the other is the organic matter dissolved in the water. The dissolved organic matter will be decomposed by bacteria into toxic ammonia nitrogen and nitrite. If there are enough beneficial bacteria (such as nitrifying bacteria) growing in the water, the toxic ammonia nitrogen and nitrite will be decomposed into non-toxic substances (nitrates). Therefore, water purification has two purposes: 1. Filter out the undissolved solid organic matter; 2. Cultivate enough nitrifying bacteria to decompose the toxic ammonia nitrogen and nitrite in the water.

There are two specific processing methods:

The first is to use water treatment circulation equipment. Large and medium-sized fish tanks use circulation filtration equipment, and small fish tanks can use biochemical cotton. There are many types of commercial water treatment circulation filtration equipment, including built-in and external types, and you can also make it yourself. The general structure consists of three parts. ① Cylindrical shell made of stainless steel or plastic; ② Filter cotton, quartz sand, plastic biochemical balls or biochemical ceramic rings, etc. are placed in the cylinder; ③ Small water pump and pipe. The function of filter cotton and quartz sand is to intercept large particles of organic matter in the water, so they need to be cleaned frequently.

The function of the biochemical balls and ceramic rings is to serve as carriers for cultivating beneficial bacteria, or in professional terms, to cultivate biofilms. The main purpose is to cultivate a sufficient number of beneficial bacteria to decompose toxic ammonia nitrogen and nitrite in the water into non-toxic nitrates.

Small fish tanks can be equipped with 1-2 biochemical cotton and an air pump. Biochemical cotton has the function of filtering solid organic matter and cultivating bacteria.

The second is to add beneficial bacteria regularly. There are many varieties of beneficial bacteria, the most common ones are photosynthetic bacteria, nitrifying bacteria, Bacillus, etc. Most of the products sold on the market are compound bacteria. For example, a product called EM produced in Japan consists of four categories and more than 80 strains of bacteria.

Some people have done experiments, regularly adding beneficial bacteria, the water in the fish tank can be kept for a year without changing the water.

Some necessary conditions for breeding tropical fish

1. Water

1. Water quality

All water in nature contains different chemical components to a greater or lesser extent, and some chemicals will directly affect the growth and survival of fish. Tropical fish have higher requirements for water. Tap water, river water, well water, lake water, etc. can be used directly to raise goldfish, but they cannot be used to raise tropical fish directly, otherwise the fish will get sick and even die.

The so-called water quality mainly refers to the hardness and pH value of water.

The hardness of water is determined by the amount of calcium, magnesium and iron salts in the water. It is divided into hard water, soft water and neutral water. Well water and spring water are mostly hard water; tap water and river water are mostly neutral water; rainwater is soft water. Neutral water should be used for breeding tropical fish. Although the pH value of tap water in cities basically meets the living requirements of tropical fish, water plants often add some chemical disinfectants and purifiers when treating water, so the water often contains chlorinated water. The water should be dried for 2 to 3 days, or dried in a cool and dark place for a week before it can be used.

2. Change the water

Fish have to constantly metabolize and excrete feces while they are alive. The bait for fish is also constantly oxidized and decayed, which will affect the water quality. Therefore, the water in the fish tank should be changed regularly and timely to keep the water fresh. Water change is divided into partial water change and full water change. Partial water change is also called water addition. Water addition means that the amount of water should be added according to the amount of water drawn out from the fish tank. It is not necessary to remove the fish and aquatic plants from the tank when adding water. Generally, the amount of water added should not exceed one-fourth of the total water volume of the fish tank each time. When adding water, pay attention to the temperature of the newly added water, and try to keep it consistent with the water temperature of the original fish tank. The number of times of water addition is one to two times a week in autumn and winter, and two to three times a week in spring and summer. The specific number of times depends on the turbidity of the water in the fish tank. If the filtration conditions are good and the water quality is clear, the number of times can be appropriately reduced. If the filtration conditions are poor, the number of times can be appropriately increased, but it should not be too frequent, otherwise the fish will get sick.

2. Temperature

Temperature is the most important condition for the survival of tropical fish. Fish cannot survive without suitable water temperature. Tropical fish have strict requirements on water temperature and are extremely sensitive to water temperature.

The water temperature for tropical fish is generally between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius. However, different types of tropical fish have different requirements for water temperature. For example, guppies, red swordfish, black Mary and other fish species can tolerate water temperatures of around 10 degrees Celsius without dying, while swallow fish, tiger barbs and other fish will die when the water temperature is below 18 degrees Celsius. Most tropical fish are very sensitive to water temperature. If the water temperature changes by ±2 degrees Celsius, they will catch a cold. If the water temperature fluctuates up and down for a long time, the fish will suffer from various diseases. Therefore, the water temperature should be kept constant as much as possible. The water temperature should not be too high. If the water temperature is high, the fungi in the water will multiply too fast and affect the water quality. The normal temperature for most fish to live is between 20 and 24 degrees Celsius, and the breeding water temperature is between 25 and 28 degrees Celsius. There are two common ways to control water temperature, which are natural control and artificial control.

Natural control is to place the fish tank in a sunny room, so that the fish tank can receive sunlight to increase the water temperature. The water temperature change of a small fish tank is relatively small. On the contrary, the small fish tank has less water and the water temperature change is large. If the room conditions allow, it is better to make the fish tank as large as possible.

Artificial control of water temperature mainly uses heating measures such as stoves, kangs, and heaters to heat. In recent years, the market has seen an increasing number of electric heating appliances, which is a better heating method. Most products have automatic temperature control functions and should be preferred.

3. Oxygen

Any living thing needs oxygen to survive. Without oxygen, there is no life. Tropical fish also cannot survive without oxygen. The oxygen needed for fish survival is obtained by absorbing dissolved oxygen in the water through the microvessels in the gills, and then brought to the body through the blood circulation system. Carbon dioxide is also discharged through the microvessels in the gills. The amount of dissolved oxygen in the water directly affects the growth of fish, so it is necessary to ensure that there is enough dissolved oxygen in the water. In addition to obtaining dissolved oxygen in the water by adding water and changing water, it can also be produced by photosynthesis of aquatic plants in the water.

There are special oxygenating devices on the market - air pumps. It is convenient and simple to use air pumps to add oxygen. You can choose a suitable air pump according to the size of the fish tank. The price is relatively cheap.

4. Fish Food

Although there are many types of tropical fish and their habits vary greatly, their feeding habits can be roughly divided into three categories: carnivorous fish, which account for the vast majority of tropical fish; omnivorous fish, which account for a small part of tropical fish; and herbivorous fish, which account for a very small part of tropical fish. Here is an introduction to the common fish food for carnivorous fish:

1. Daphnia (also known as red spider)

Fish worms are bright red in color, medium in size, and swim in groups in the water. They are rich in protein, fat, and calcium. They are widely distributed in various places, but they have a short lifespan and generally only live for one to two days after being caught. Before feeding fish, the fish worms should be cleaned before feeding.

2. Sword flea (also known as green flea)

This type of fish worm is small, has low nutritional value, and is easy to die. They jump and stop in the water at a fast speed, and slow-moving tropical fish, especially young fish, often cannot catch up with them, so they are a poor bait.

3. Red nematodes (also known as water earthworms and maggots)

This fish worm has a slender body and dark red color. It lives in shallow water near dirty water bubbles and ditches. Half of the worm's body is in the mud and the other half is in the water. Red nematodes are rich in nutrients, containing more protein and fat, and are an ideal food for adult fish.

5. Light

Light is very important for tropical fish to survive. Without light, tropical fish cannot survive. Light has three main effects on tropical fish breeding.

Light is the most important factor for all plants to photosynthesize. Without light, water plants cannot photosynthesize, absorb carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, and plants cannot maintain their own survival. However, plants also have certain limits on light requirements. If the light is too strong or the light duration is too long, the water plants will grow green moss, which will affect the photosynthesis of the water plants; but if the light is too weak or the light duration is too short, the branches and leaves of the water plants will turn yellow or even die due to too little photosynthesis.

Reasonable lighting should be that in a sunny room, do not expose the plant to direct sunlight, and do not place it on the windowsill or under the window. It can be exposed to sunlight in the morning and evening for 1 to 2 hours. Of course, the time of using scattered light from the window can be extended appropriately. In a room without sunlight or insufficient sunlight, artificial light can also be used. A 60-watt incandescent lamp or a 40-watt fluorescent lamp can be used for about 6 hours a day.

Tropical fish also need light to grow and reproduce. Fish with light will grow faster, their bodies will be more colorful, and their breeding cycle will be shortened.

The third function of lighting is to facilitate viewing. If you are in a dark room or a room with too little light, you will not be able to see the scenery in the fish tank clearly, and if you can't see it clearly, there is no point in viewing it.

The key to raising tropical ornamental fish is the selection and treatment of water quality and feed, which is based on the understanding and simulation of the natural ecology of the origin of the fish species. In other words, when raising tropical fish, you must pay attention to the characteristics of the waters of the native place of the fish species. Experience has repeatedly shown that in order to raise tropical fish well, especially the precious and delicate high-end species, you must create an environment in the aquarium that is the same or close to the natural ecology and conditions of its origin.

1. Water treatment

Freshwater tropical fish are generally born in tropical freshwater waters on both sides of the earth's equator. Among them, the Amazon River in South America, Thailand and the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia, and the Congo Basin in Africa are the three major treasures of tropical fish in the world. Most tropical fish can only survive when the water temperature exceeds 20°C, and generally prefer a water temperature of about 26°C. The soil in Africa is slightly acidic red soil, and there is a lot of humus in the surface water. The pH value of the water is generally slightly acidic, between 6 and 7. Therefore, tropical fish produced in Africa prefer slightly acidic water. Species that grow in the waters of South America also mostly like to live in weakly acidic water with a pH value of 7. However, fish species that grow in the waters of Southeast Asia and South Asia, including those that grow in the waters of southern North America, mostly prefer neutral water with a pH value of 7. Ovoviviparous fish such as guppies, swordtails, mollies, and moonfish that grow in Central and South America also like to live in weakly alkaline hard water. Tropical fish from Central America require slightly alkaline water for breeding because the water quality of their birthplace is slightly alkaline. Some other semi-marine fish, such as bat pomfret, yellowfin pomfret and the colorful golden phoenix in Oceania, prefer weakly alkaline water. In fact, some fish that prefer neutral or weakly alkaline water, such as bat pomfret and elephant nose fish, can also live well in weakly acidic water. However, fish that prefer acidic water generally find it difficult to survive in weakly alkaline water.

my country's freshwater resources are generally slightly alkaline, but the north is more alkaline, while the water quality of some lakes, reservoirs and rivers in the south is slightly acidic. For example, the pH value of drinking water in Guangzhou and other places in southern my country is less than 7, which is the ideal water quality for breeding discus; while the pH value of water in Beijing is around 7, which is neutral. On the other hand, the water hardness of the rainforest rivers in southern my country is low, mostly soft water; the north has little rainfall, high salinity and alkalinity in the soil, and high water hardness. In addition, the surface water hardness is generally low, the groundwater and well water hardness is high, and rainwater and snow water are soft water. In southern cities in my country, such as Guangzhou and Foshan, the water quality is relatively soft, which has unique breeding conditions for small fish species produced in South America such as discus and red lantern. The water quality in northern cities such as Beijing and Tianjin is slightly hard, and it is difficult to breed such fish species.

Therefore, to successfully raise and breed tropical ornamental fish, we should first find out the origin of the fish species (this can be found in relevant professional books and periodicals through the scientific name), and find out the range of water quality factors such as pH value, hardness, water temperature and salinity that are suitable for its survival. Then test the water quality of local water. This can be done with a commercially available simple water quality colorimetric box. If some items are found to be inappropriate, they must be adjusted manually. In cities, tap water is generally used to raise fish. First, the residual chlorine must be neutralized: add baking soda (Su Bo), that is, sodium thiosulfate or vitamin C (ascorbic acid), and then test. When the water quality is alkaline, add acidifiers: phosphoric acid, sodium dihydrogen phosphate, or place sinking wood or add activated carbon to the water filter for 24 hours. When the water quality is acidic, you can add alkalinity agents: baking soda, that is, sodium bicarbonate, calcium carbonate (coral sand, shell sand or powder) or silica sand, medical stone, and strengthen the aeration. When the water quality is too soft, you can add lime water (quicklime or calcium chloride). However, it is relatively difficult to soften hard water. You can add appropriate amount of rainwater, distilled water or deionized water to the aquarium. If peat moss is placed in the aquarium or filter, it can soften the water and reduce the pH value because it has ion exchange function and releases humic acid. Grass mud also has this effect. In addition, magnetizers can also soften water, and ion exchange resin filters and reverse osmosis water treatment machines can produce water of different hardness. Among them, residual chlorine, pH value and hardness can be tested by simple colorimetric combination. As for salinity, it can be measured with a floating tube hydrometer, a pointer hydrometer or a refractometer. If the salinity needs to be increased, it can be prepared with commercially available artificial sea salt. After the water quality treatment, aeration is carried out. At the same time, nitrifying bacteria, photosynthetic bacteria and Bacillus can be artificially inoculated to accelerate the maturation of new water for breeding. Microbial water purifiers such as Bacillus can be added in a few days. If the new fish is precious, you can also put 1 to 2 fish in the tank first. It is safer to put new fish after testing the water.

In the process of fish farming, while regularly changing a small amount of breeding water, a small amount of microbial water purifier should also be added to maintain good water quality, so as to achieve the purpose of raising water before raising fish. Not only does the water quality need to be suitable and stable during fish farming, but also the water quality of the new and old tanks should not differ too much when the fish are rotated, especially the pH value. For example, when changing water or rotating the tank for discus fish, the pH value difference between the new and old water should not exceed 0.5, and the temperature difference should not exceed 1-2℃. For breeding water quality, hardness should also be considered. For some estuarine egg fish, the salinity problem must not be neglected.

2. Feeding

If the water quality of tropical ornamental fish is well treated, half of the success is achieved. The remaining major problem is feed. At present, the commonly used fresh live baits are water earthworms and water fleas. The more expensive and ripening ones are bloodworms (chironomid larvae) and Artemia nauplii and adults. The more convenient ones are artificial feeds, which are in flake and granular form. Another type is fresh feed artificial hamburger, the main ingredients of which are beef heart, shrimp meat, vegetables, multivitamins and drugs, etc., which are crushed and mixed into a slurry with a household meat mixer, spread into thin slices, frozen and diced for feeding. Hamburger feed has become the staple food of five-color and seven-color angelfish.

References: (Transferred)

A complete guide to raising ornamental fish:

Friends who have just started to raise ornamental fish all have this experience. After buying the fish and putting them in the fish tank, everything was fine for the first few days. After a few days, the water became turbid and the fish wilted. After asking around, they found out that the fish was sick, "What? Fish can get sick?" Half-believing and half-doubting, they consulted doctors and gave them medicine. Their wallets were empty. They spent a lot of time, and their hair may have turned a few white. Finally, all the fish were gone. They gritted their teeth and bought a few more. They got better for a few days, then got sick again, got treated again, died again, and bought more, over and over again. They fell into a vicious circle unknowingly. In the end, it felt like a fish keeper who couldn't treat fish diseases was not a good fish keeper. Haha. Think about it, am I wrong?

This is a beginner's mistake. Everyone makes it. It's not surprising. What's surprising is that some people can't help themselves. They get stuck in the fish doctor's circle and can't get out. They think that raising fish is just about constantly treating fish diseases.

In fact, raising fish is like raising children. The important thing is not to cure them, but to prevent them from getting sick. In other words, disease prevention. Fish that have been sick will have small defects no matter how well they recover, which reduces their ornamental value. Moreover, if your beloved fish always greets you in a sick state, I think you will not feel good. Right?

So how can we prevent fish from getting sick? The most important thing is to maintain the water. That is, to maintain a good hydrological environment in the aquarium. At least a certain balance should be achieved between the fish, beneficial microorganisms, harmful microorganisms, nutrients, and harmful compounds in your aquarium. If it is an aquarium with aquatic plants, the role of water cracked rock spring plants in the hydrological environment should also be added.

Harmful microorganisms in aquariums mainly refer to pathogens such as viruses and bacteria. Harmful compounds are various inorganic salts produced in water, such as phosphates, nitrites, etc., which are harmful to fish. In addition, friends who feed live bait caught from nature (such as water lice, silk earthworms, bloodworms, etc.) to feed ornamental fish for a long time will inadvertently bring in some organisms and pathogens that are harmful to fish (such as fish lice, cat head lice, viruses, etc.) when feeding. These are basically the main causes of disease in ornamental fish raised in aquariums.

Compared with rivers and lakes in nature, aquariums are much smaller and more isolated. The high fluidity of water in nature means that all kinds of harmful salts there will be quickly washed away with the water flow, and a large number of various elements in natural waters will also neutralize some of the harmful salts. The wide water bodies in nature also give fish a large range of activities, and in order to survive, they have to run for food and avoid attacks from predators all day long. The chances of being infected by pathogens and being attacked by harmful organisms will be much smaller. Based on these points, we can formulate disease prevention methods

First, the aquarium should be large and have few fish. That is, the density of fish should be relatively small. 1cm fish should be raised per liter of water. This breeding density is the experience summarized by many predecessors. You can lower the density a little bit.

2. Arrangement of filters. Some friends will only buy an air pump when they first start to raise fish. They think that if the water is lacking in oxygen, they can pump air, and if the water is turbid, they can change the water. It doesn't matter whether they buy a filter or not. This idea is very dangerous. We have talked about it in the colorful breeding equipment chapter. The current meaning of the filter device refers to biochemical filtration. It is no longer a simple way to remove impurities in the water. Instead, it is a method to establish a good circulation system that uses microorganisms to eliminate harmful substances in the water to improve the hydrological environment. It is an indispensable system. In my experience, the drop of the filtration channel should be larger and longer. The first step is to filter out impurities with coarse filter cotton, and then filter through nitrifying bacteria attachment bases such as biochemical filter cotton, biochemical balls or ceramic rings to allow the nitrifying bacteria attached to them to play a role. Then filter through activated carbon to remove harmful elements such as chlorine and cadmium. Finally, filter through a filter cotton and return to the aquarium. This filtration link is my experience in raising fish. Because, in order to save money, I generally don't use finished filters, but build a filtration device myself. This will be much cheaper.

3. The water flow speed should be higher. This depends on the type of fish. If you raise fish from quiet or even still water, you can't use a lot of water to flush them, right? Here, we mean to make the circulating water flow as large as possible within the water flow that the fish can withstand, so as to simulate the natural water flow conditions.

4. Lazy people can't raise fish. People who raise fish must develop a good habit of monitoring and checking the water quality and the living conditions of the fish every day. This work is boring. But you have to do it. Carefully check the pH value of the water, the content of nitrite and other hydrological indicators. Observe whether there are any abnormalities on the body of the fish. Whether there is anything wrong with the shape and movement of the fish. Discover whether the fish is infected with diseases in the early stage and prevent infection. Several of my friends who buy fish said that only those who sit in front of the fish tank for 1 or 2 hours after returning home every day and stare at the fish without blinking can be considered to be in the right state. Haha, it's not that exaggerated. But it is necessary to observe every day and it is best to keep an observation diary.

5. Change some water every three to seven days. Old water is the key to raising good fish, but new water is also essential to stimulate the metabolism of fish and aquatic plants.

6. Control and disinfection of bait. This is extremely important for friends who feed natural live bait. Some time ago, many friends sent me emails asking why I said that silk earthworms cannot be used to feed seven-color fish, but they did not find anything wrong after using it. Regarding this point, I would like to ask everyone to take a look at the origin of natural silk earthworms. In the sewage ditch in the countryside or next to the factory, the mud under the water surface with a depth of 3-5cm is the gathering place of natural silk earthworms. Everyone should know that such places are extremely polluted by pesticides or industry. In particular, silk earthworms are immune to metal cadmium, and after they absorb it, it will be deposited in their bodies. Do you think such things are good for fish? Of course, it is not impossible to feed a small amount after disinfection and rinsing. But the disinfection and rinsing work must be done very well.

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