Content
- Stressed and sick fish
- sick fish
- the clash between fish
- sensitive animals
- The water: the world of fish
- Ammonia and Oxygen Control
- Clean water, but not so much
- long life of the fish
If you like fish, you certainly have an aquarium and if so, chances are you've had a bad time seeing one of your pets die. But don't worry anymore, because at PeritoAnimal we'll help you understand why aquarium fish die and what you should do to minimize the chances of this happening again.
A healthy, colorful and full of life aquarium is all you need in your home to relax and feel some peace from time to time, so the best you can do to thank your pets for this benefit is to take care of them properly. Taking good care of your fish involves much more than watching their food, a clean environment, control of water, temperature, light inputs and other basic aspects for the correct maintenance of an aquarium.
If you want to know in detail what the main causes of fish death in aquariums and what you should do to improve the quality of life of your favorite swimmers, read on and find out why aquarium fish die fast.
Stressed and sick fish
Fish are very sensitive animals and one of the most common causes of death in aquariums is due to diseases, produced, among other things, by the stress they suffer.
sick fish
When purchasing your pets from a specialized store, you should be very aware of the most common symptoms that tell you that a fish is stressed or sick.
The visible characteristics of illness you should look for are:
- white spots on the skin
- chopped fins
- dirty aquarium
- little movement
- fish swimming sideways
- fish floating head
If you see that any of the fish you want to buy has any of these characteristics, we recommend not doing so. Even if not all fish show these symptoms, if they share an aquarium with sick fish, most likely they will all end up infected.
the clash between fish
Another important aspect that you should take into account so that your fish do not get stressed and get sick, is when you bring them home from the store. Later on, we'll talk about the water issue, but regarding transport, we recommend going straight home after buying the fish and, therefore, avoiding shaking the bag with the animals inside.
Another reason that causes a lot of stress in fish is the conglomeration of individuals. When there are many fish concentrated in small dimensions, it can happen that they hurt each other, increasing their stress level considerably.
Your aquarium may be big enough, but be aware that you must be careful when cleaning and changing the water, as this is when fish tend to gather in cubes or your aquarium space is reduced by the loss of Water. Avoid that this situation lasts too long, as these clashes between fish and the stress that this involves can favor the appearance of other diseases.
sensitive animals
Beautiful but very delicate. Avoid at all costs that your fish suffer episodes of stress, this way you'll be able to prevent the appearance of other diseases and more importantly, their premature death.
As we have already mentioned, fish are very sensitive and frightened animals, so constantly hitting the aquarium glass is not good for your health, remember that the more stress they suffer, the more likely they are to develop diseases and die. As for flashes we apply the same rule, avoid scaring your fish. As long as your quality of life is optimal, your hope of survival will increase.
The water: the world of fish
Another cause of death for fish in the aquarium is directly related to their livelihood: water. Incorrect water treatment, both in temperature, cleaning and adaptation, can be deadly for our pets, so review this point carefully about what you have to do to keep the aquarium water in good condition.
Ammonia and Oxygen Control
Two factors that are very present in the life of our fish, oxygen is life, and if ammonia is not death, it is very close to being. Ammonia poisoning and drowning from lack of oxygen are two of the most common causes of fish death in aquariums.
To prevent your fish from drowning, keep in mind that the amount of oxygen that can dissolve in an aquarium water is limited. Check carefully the quantity and size of fish you can have depending on the size of your aquarium.
Fish excrement, food decomposition and even death of living beings inside the aquarium give off ammonia, so if you don't want your fish to die before normal you should keep the aquarium clean.
To remove the excess of this toxic residue, it will be enough to make partial water changes on a regular basis and to have installed a good filter for your aquarium, which, in addition to providing oxygen, is in charge of eliminating all the stagnant ammonia.
Clean water, but not so much
Maintaining aquarium water is not as simple as it sounds. In addition to the help that a quality filter provides, the water in an aquarium needs to be renewed with a certain frequency and if we remember that fish are very sensitive animals, this process is often traumatic for them.
When renewing the water in an aquarium, in addition to taking into account what we mentioned about not gathering too many fish in small spaces, you should conserve at least 40% of this "old" water and complete it with new water. Otherwise, fish would not adapt to the change and would eventually die. This old water must have been treated to eliminate as much ammonia as possible to be able to mix it with the new one and thus renew the liquid medium in your aquarium.
On the other hand, new water for the aquarium should never be tap water, chlorine and lime concentrated in the water, which for humans is harmless, could kill your fish. Always use potable water and if possible try to have no additives.
Another important aspect is to use excessively clean materials. Try that the cubes where you will put the water and fish, have some of that old water or at least confirm that there are no soap or cleaning products left. In any case, don't forget that you can never use the same products to clean your house to clean the aquarium or the material that is in contact with fish.
long life of the fish
Despite mastering the arts of fish care, it is possible that some will die occasionally or fall ill without warning. Don't worry, sometimes fish die for no apparent reason.
The most important thing is that you take into account the aspects we mentioned. If you know that fish are sensitive and delicate animals, but treat them brusquely, then you have the answer to the question of because aquarium fish die fast.
Our latest recommendations are:
- Stir them gently and gently when changing the aquarium water.
- If you acquire new fish, do not put them violently in the aquarium.
- If you have visitors or small children at home, avoid hitting the aquarium glass.
- Do not exceed the amount of food that increases the level of ammonia and the appearance of bacteria in the water.
- Do not gather incompatible fish within the same aquarium.
- Check the recommended water, temperature, light level and oxygen specifications for the types of fish you have.
- If you are going to decorate your aquarium, buy quality objects and check if they are suitable for aquariums and do not contain contaminants.
If you have or plan to purchase rainbow fish, learn how to care for them.
This article is for information purposes only, at PeritoAnimal.com.br we are not able to prescribe veterinary treatments or perform any type of diagnosis. We suggest that you take your pet to the veterinarian in case it has any type of condition or discomfort.