Jack's Aquarium and Pets - Freshwater Tips

Freshwater Fish Tips

freshwater fish Essential items
Recommended items
Setting up your aquarium
Filtration
Establishing the nitrogen cycle
Adding fish
Feeding fish
Aquarium maintenance
Signs of water quality problems
Solving water quality problems
Guarantee

Aquarium - Housing for fish & plants
Hood/Light - Secures fish and helps promote plant growth, enhances viewing & colors
Aquarium Stand - Evenly supports weight of an aquarium
Filter System - Maintains good water quality
Filter Media - Removes debris & impurities from water
Aquarium Gravel - Supports plant life; decorates aquarium
Heater - Maintains a constant warm temperature
Thermometer - Monitors water temperature
Jack's Complete Water Conditioner - Removes chlorine from tap water
Aquarium Salt - Natural additive that helps cure and prevent diseases
Fish Food - Supplies nutrition
Supplemental Food - Variety in diet & added nutrition
Bio-Boost - Starts nitrogen cycle in the aquarium
Gravel Cleaner - Removes excess debris from gravel
Books - For general information and good care

Vitamin Pyramid - Adds vitamins & minerals for healthier fish
Air Pump - Supplies oxygen to the water
Check Valve - Prevents water from back-siphoning into air pump
Air Stones - Disperse bubbles into the water for oxygen and circulation
Gang Valve - To operate multiple aeration devices
Air line tubing - Path for air to flow from pump to aeration device
Live Plants - Natural environment; hiding places for fish
Background - Makes aquarium more attractive, fish show up better
Rocks - Provide hiding places; decorates aquarium
Driftwood - Provide hiding places; decorates aquarium
Fish Net - Safe way to catch fish
Algae Scrubber - Removes algae buildup on aquarium glass
Ammonia Test Kit - Monitors harmful levels of ammonia in the water
Nitrite Test Kit - Monitors harmful levels of nitrites in the water
Nitrate Test Kit - Monitors levels of nitrates in the water
pH Test Kit - Monitors degree of acidity or alkalinity of water
Fish of the Month Club Membership:

Jack's Fish Of The Month Club annual membership is only $2.99! Each month you can choose a FREE fish with a value
up to $2.99 -OR- Purchase a more expensive fish and get $2.99 off the regular price.
Up to a $35.88 value! One membership per family, please. Annual membership valid for use monthly on any one fish, plant or invertebrate of your choice.

Rinse the aquarium with warm water. Position the aquarium away from direct sunlight. Place on a level, solid base, preferably on an aquarium stand (to prevent a possible pressure crack).
Tape background on outside of the aquarium.
Add gravel. Note: If using under gravel filter add before adding gravel.
Fill with lukewarm water to within 2" of top.
Add aquarium salt, Jack's Complete Water Conditioner and Vitamin and Mineral Pyramid, following directions on package.
Set up filtration system.
Place heater in aquarium. Wait 15 minutes before plugging it in. Set to 76°-78° for tropical or 70°-72° for goldfish. Use thermometer to adjust accordingly.
Decorate as desired.
Fill aquarium to within 1" of top.
Put hood/glass canopy and strip light on aquarium.
After temperature is stabilized, add first batch of fish and live plants. Generally first fish are added 24 hours after setting up the aquarium.
Bio-Boost is cultured live bacteria and should be added to the water when the fish are introduced to the aquarium.

Mechanical: physical removal of debris & particles from water with the use of foams, pads, filter floss or filter cartridges.

Chemical: absorption of pollutants by using types of carbon or a Poly filter®.

Biological: encourages growth of beneficial bacteria and breaking down toxic ammonia and nitrites into Nitrates (Nitrogen cycle).

Power filter: an external filter, pulls water out of aquarium, through the filter media and back into the aquarium. Usually biological, mechanical and chemical.

Canister filter: an external filter, pulls water out of the aquarium, through the filter media and back into the aquarium. Biological, mechanical & chemical.

Under Gravel filter: internal filtering system, a plate that goes under the gravel with lift tubes that are operated by a powerhead or an air pump and airstones. Biological system.

Wet/dry filter: an external filter, pulls water out of the aquarium, drips through filter media. Clean water is pumped back into the aquarium. Uses biological, mechanical and chemical system.

Ammonia - 1st stage of cycle
Nitrite - 2nd stage of cycle
Nitrate - 3rd stage of cycle
Harmful compounds (ammonia & nitrites) change into beneficial (nitrates) for a balanced environment for fish and plants.

Generally speaking, 4-6 small fish can be added to a new aquarium (10 gallon aquarium).
Types of fish recommended for a new aquarium:
Barbs, Swordtails, Danios, and some Tetras. These fish withstand the nitrogen cycle better.Types of fish not recommended for new aquariums are…neon tetras, cardinal tetras, glo lite tetras, angels, and guppies. These types of fish do not withstand the nitrogen cycle well.
Jack’s codes all fish. Follow the A, B, C & D coding when selecting compatible fish for your aquarium.
Mix fish of comparable size.
Live bearers - should purchase 2 females/1 male.
Schooling fish - should purchase 3 or more at one time.
Cory Catfish - should purchase 1 catfish for every 5 gallons of water.
Plecostomus - should purchase 1 for every 10 gallons. (Add after the aquarium has completed the nitrogen cycle.)
Sexing live bearing fish - males have a pointed fin underneath the belly area. Females have a round fin underneath the belly area.
Sexing egg laying fish - more difficult to sex…sometimes by color, body shape or fin shape.

We recommend feeding fish, in an established aquarium, 2-3 times daily. (Except fish that eat
live feeder fish.) Feed only what the fish can eat within 1 minute. Feed fish lightly with a newer aquarium until the aquarium has cycled. The major cause of cloudy water is over feeding. Food should not fall to the bottom
Fish should be fed a variety of foods: staple flake food, specialty flake food, frozen brine shrimp,
specialty frozen food, live food, freeze dried food.
Fish that eat live feeder fish can be fed every other day. The number of live feeder fish needed may vary depending on the fish. A feeder fish diet alone is not sufficient for fish to thrive.
Feed a variety of fish foods for healthy fish.

Unplug heater & filter system.
Wipe inside walls of aquarium with algae pad.
Change 20% of the water every 2-4 weeks with a gravel cleaner.
Clean under rocks/driftwood.
Refill aquarium with water the same temperature as original water.
Add aquarium salt and a dechlorinator for amount of new water.
Change carbon every 30 days.
Clean filter media or replace, depending on filter system.
Restart filter system.
Plug in heater.
Wipe/shine outside glass.

Water test indicates high ammonia, nitrite or nitrate.
Fish have red streaks in fins or clamped fins
Fish gasping at the surface or breathing rapidly
Fish develop bacterial infections
Fish death
Bad odor or a yellow cast to water
Foam at the water’s surface

Reducing ammonia and nitrite levels...

Ammonia is the first stage and nitrite is the second stage of the nitrogen cycle. They are normally present in a new aquarium because there are not enough beneficial bacteria established to break down the fish waste by-products.

If ammonia is 4 ppm or higher and/or nitrite is 2 ppm or higher, make up to a 50% water change with a gravel siphon, removing excess debris from the gravel. Add Jack's Complete Water Conditioner and aquarium salt to the replacement water (water must be the same temperature as the aquarium water).
Change carbon, add ammonia remover and increase aeration.
Add Bio-Boost or other products that aid in speeding up the nitrogen cycle.
Since overcrowding and overfeeding are major causes of high ammonia, only add recommended amounts of fish and reduce the amount of food being fed.
Make sure filtration is adequate for the aquarium.
Test water daily.
A 50% water change and addition of Bio-Boost may be repeated every other day until ammonia or nitrite level is reduced.

Reducing nitrate levels...

Nitrate is the final stage of the nitrogen cycle and is normally present in an established aquarium. Nitrates are normally not a problem for fish, however, a high nitrate level will lower the pH levels.

Make regular monthly water changes with a gravel siphon to control nitrates. Add dechlorinator and aquarium salt to replacement water (water must be the same temperature as the aquarium water).
If nitrates can not be lowered by the method above, cleaning beneath the under gravel filter and/or changing part of the gravel may be necessary.
Add a nitrate reducing agent to the filter.
Clean/change filter media and carbon.
Since overcrowding, overfeeding and infrequent water changes can cause high nitrates, follow the guidelines for the amount of fish suggested, reduce the amount of food being fed and do more frequent water changes.
Test water weekly.

Thank you for shopping at Jack’s Aquarium & Pets. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to call us, or better yet, stop in an and let us know how your fish are doing. At Jack’s Aquarium & Pets, we sell the highest quality of fish possible with one of the best guarantees in the indusrty.

We guarantee our freshwater fish for FOURTEEN DAYS at 100% replacement value. We are unable to give cash refunds are given on freshwater fish. Fish loss due to incompatibility or jumping out of the aquarium are excluded.

Should a problem occur, please bring in the following:

The receipt
The deceased fish
A sample of aquarium water (1cup), without the fish in it.

We want to help prevent any fish losses. We will test your aquarium water at no charge. If there is a problem with your water quality, we recommend that no fish be added until the water quality is corrected.