Lets Help Newcomers!

[AstonN24vantage]

my additions arn't so much mistakes, but general advice.

The first thing i learnt about fish keeping is still the most important: Look after your bacteria and your fish will be fine (obviously this isn't 100% true, or even close with things like compatibility [sp] or illness, but i still think its good advice)

Secondly, to butcher a quote from a well known aquatic film 'We need a bigger bucket!'
This makes water changes so much easier

Yes! Also, you should reall get a siphon... before I discovered this handy tool, I would just bail water out of the tank... and it took ages

but whatever you do do not drink tank water!

there are few plecs actually appropriate for average size tanks, such as bristlenose. NOT COMMONS!!!

 

[zophie]

Hmm.... Maybe...

Careful when you get a BristleNose! You will get the BN fever!

 

[the biffster]

i agree there is such
a thing a b/n fever

drinking tank water could
cause b/n fever

just of late i have been surprised
as to how many newbies giving
bad advice to other newbies

yes and i must agree that
we must help out as many
newcomers as we can and i will
in anyway i can

 

[RustedKnight]

just of late i have been surprised
as to how many newbies giving
bad advice to other newbies

Hope i'm not included in the above.. I mark most of my posts with *wait for advice from a more experienced fishkeeper*

Be careful when adding new stock, make sure you know what species can live with other fish in your tank.
Never be afraid to ask questions - It's better to look dumb than be dumb. And even better to look dumb than to be dumb with dead fish.
Find a local fish store who seem to be very knowledgable, and get to know them well, it will help.
If you're ever in doubt, don't do it. Always make sure you know what you're getting into.

AND finally!!

Never let non-fishkeeping friends and family look after your tank when you go away.. Lost an entire marine tank, with blown filter aswell thanks to letting a friend house-sit and watch my tank for me. Whenever I called him he said tank was fine, when i came home the tank was matt white and smelled like pure ammonia.. He'd overfed like a beehatch and completely ignored the filter getting clogged up..Grr.

 

[the biffster]

just of late i have been surprised
as to how many newbies giving
bad advice to other newbies

Hope i'm not included in the above.. I mark most of my posts with *wait for advice from a more experienced fishkeeper*

Be careful when adding new stock, make sure you know what species can live with other fish in your tank.
Never be afraid to ask questions - It's better to look dumb than be dumb. And even better to look dumb than to be dumb with dead fish.
Find a local fish store who seem to be very knowledgable, and get to know them well, it will help.
If you're ever in doubt, don't do it. Always make sure you know what you're getting into.

AND finally!!

Never let non-fishkeeping friends and family look after your tank when you go away.. Lost an entire marine tank, with blown filter aswell thanks to letting a friend house-sit and watch my tank for me. Whenever I called him he said tank was fine, when i came home the tank was matt white and smelled like pure ammonia.. He'd overfed like a beehatch and completely ignored the filter getting clogged up..Grr.

no its not you
you sound pretty
sound in the advice you give
you sound clued up and listen
to what is been said to you and
take it on board were others will
tell some one to do something one
way and they did another or you tell
them to do a water change and they say
oh it will be OK i will do it tomorrow
like i say there's them that know there's them that
don't know and there's them that don't know they don't know
and i probably will never know
but lets help them out to the best of our
abilities

 

[Aqua Tom]

just of late i have been surprised
as to how many newbies giving
bad advice to other newbies

Hope i'm not included in the above.. I mark most of my posts with *wait for advice from a more experienced fishkeeper*

Be careful when adding new stock, make sure you know what species can live with other fish in your tank.
Never be afraid to ask questions - It's better to look dumb than be dumb. And even better to look dumb than to be dumb with dead fish.
Find a local fish store who seem to be very knowledgable, and get to know them well, it will help.
If you're ever in doubt, don't do it. Always make sure you know what you're getting into.

AND finally!!

Never let non-fishkeeping friends and family look after your tank when you go away.. Lost an entire marine tank, with blown filter aswell thanks to letting a friend house-sit and watch my tank for me. Whenever I called him he said tank was fine, when i came home the tank was matt white and smelled like pure ammonia.. He'd overfed like a beehatch and completely ignored the filter getting clogged up..Grr.

no its not you
you sound pretty
sound in the advice you give
you sound clued up and listen
to what is been said to you and
take it on board were others will
tell some one to do something one
way and they did another or you tell
them to do a water change and they say
oh it will be OK i will do it tomorrow
like i say there's them that know there's them that
don't know and there's them that don't know they don't know
and i probably will never know
but lets help them out to the best of our
abilities

Probably me then

 

[the biffster]

just of late i have been surprised
as to how many newbies giving
bad advice to other newbies

Hope i'm not included in the above.. I mark most of my posts with *wait for advice from a more experienced fishkeeper*

Be careful when adding new stock, make sure you know what species can live with other fish in your tank.
Never be afraid to ask questions - It's better to look dumb than be dumb. And even better to look dumb than to be dumb with dead fish.
Find a local fish store who seem to be very knowledgable, and get to know them well, it will help.
If you're ever in doubt, don't do it. Always make sure you know what you're getting into.

AND finally!!

Never let non-fishkeeping friends and family look after your tank when you go away.. Lost an entire marine tank, with blown filter aswell thanks to letting a friend house-sit and watch my tank for me. Whenever I called him he said tank was fine, when i came home the tank was matt white and smelled like pure ammonia.. He'd overfed like a beehatch and completely ignored the filter getting clogged up..Grr.

no its not you
you sound pretty
sound in the advice you give
you sound clued up and listen
to what is been said to you and
take it on board were others will
tell some one to do something one
way and they did another or you tell
them to do a water change and they say
oh it will be OK i will do it tomorrow
like i say there's them that know there's them that
don't know and there's them that don't know they don't know
and i probably will never know
but lets help them out to the best of our
abilities

Probably me then

no not you

 

[Timmy_Bee]

back to the topic in mind (just in case Biffster is talking about me...) - i recently learnt not to miss my fish's feeding time - even by an hour. The guys went mental, and when i fed them, one of my rosey barbs jumped clean out of the water and landed on the support brace of the tank. Thanksfully within a second he had wriggled his way back into the water...!

 

[the biffster]

back to the topic in mind (just in case Biffster is talking about me...) - i recently learnt not to miss my fish's feeding time - even by an hour. The guys went mental, and when i fed them, one of my rosey barbs jumped clean out of the water and landed on the support brace of the tank. Thanksfully within a second he had wriggled his way back into the water...!

no its not you neither
right lets stop this its getting
silly

i know what you mean i had fish
jump out of the tank

 

[fluttermoth]

i know what you mean i had fish
jump out of the tank

I think we all have at one time or another; so here's a tip for newbies on that very subject!

Take a split second to wet your hands before you try and pick a fish off the floor.
That way you're less likely to damage its mucous coating and the fish will be less likely to develop a fungal infection

 

[Timmy_Bee]

i like it!

Thankfull i have never had one properly escape. Would you recommend wetting hands and picking it up then? or grab the net which isn't too far away?
Im guessing fish will be alright out of water for a little while? (wouldn't like to test how long though!)

 

[fluttermoth]

Grab the net if it's nearby and flick the fish into it with your wet hands. The less you can handle it the better.
Don't try and scoop it up with the net; you can badly injure the fish that way.
Fish can easily last a few minutes out of water (think of fishermen removing hooks and taking pics); it's better to get organised even though all your instincts are telling you to grab it and get it back in the water as fast as possible!

 

[Timmy_Bee]

(think of fishermen removing hooks and taking pics

thats what i thought, but best to check! (as someone said: ask the question and look stupid or dont ask the question and be stupid)

 

[SlyPolak]

If feeding peas make sure you crush them small enough for the smallest fish in your tank - a greedy danio got a piece stuck in his mouth (I netted him and luckily got it out)

about a year ago a greedy angel took a chunk out of a piece of cucumber for my farlowella..... chocked and died ....got it out of his mouth with some tweezers about 5 seconds too late...

 

[the biffster]

i always had a damp cloth
in a bucket by the way
it was a sajica that
took a flying leap all
10 inches of it frightened
the **** out of the dog
he was laid on the floor
also got up one morning
to find my clarias catfish
going for a walk and that
was 18inches after that
it was a brick on top
of the cover classes that
stopped the b***** getting
out