Unless your fish are goldfish, your aquarium will also need a heater. Most come with a built-in thermometer, but a separate thermometer to check the water in other parts of the tank to see if another heater is required. If the aquarium is not near a window, you will also need to get a light, which can cost between NT$400 and NT$1,000.
Once all this is set up, you can add gravel and the water. Tap water contains chlorine, which kills fish, so you either have to leave the tank for a few weeks to dechlorinate the water, or get some chemicals to do the job immediately. Even with the chemicals, the filter and heater should be left to run for a few days before fish are added.
The grand finale to all this preparation and expense is to get the fish. The array of fish on offer is huge, and on visiting a fish store you may be tempted to get too many. Some cost as little as NT$20, others many thousands of dollars. But for a newly established aquarium, it's best to add them a few at a time.
Developed fish tend to cost more than younger fish and, as with dogs, you should find out before you hand over the money how big your purchase can get. Sharks, for example, can grow very quickly and start eating your more colorful fish.
There are a lot of other kinds of water-faring animals available. Turtles, of which there are many kinds, are quite affable creatures, while lobsters can disappear for weeks under rocks, making them a less-visually stimulating buy. You can also get shrimp, lizards, eels, crabs, snails, frogs and even alligators, although they share a drawback with dogs in that they can attack your visitors.
Taking care of your fish can be straightforward, and you can leave them unattended for a few days if you go on holiday. However, prolonged neglect can cause problems that are very hard to correct. The fish should be fed regularly, although the frequency depends on the kind of fish and what they're being fed. Around one-third of the water needs to be changed every few weeks, and the filters will have to be cleaned or replaced.
Your fish will get sick if you fail to do any of these things, and sometimes even if you don't.
Every set-up is unique, and advice from the place where you bought the fish can be invaluable. If your fish do get sick, they will stop eating and probably get some kind of fungus on their skin.
Unfortunately, there are many different kinds of fungus that all look pretty similar to the untrained eye, so you may have to look it up on the Internet, buy a book or take a digital camera to show the people at the shop what the problem is. But to avoid all this hassel, prevention is the best cure, so it pays to look after your pets.
So next time you're looking for something to keep you company at home, consider fish. Obedient, loyal and always willing to please, fish really are man's best friend.
RSS