Fish can be extremely fascinating pets to keep. Simply sitting next to a tank and watching them swim elegantly through the water can be a very therapeutic exercise, and I know this from personal experience. My younger brother got his first few fish around about ten years ago, and ever since then we’ve both been enthralled by their actions. Judging by the fact that you’re reading this article, you’re interested in getting some aquarium creatures for your home as well and I definitely recommend it- it could be one of the best decisions you’ve ever made. 

However, keeping pets like this can be a lot more challenging than a lot of people give it credit for. There are a lot of high maintenance pets, and fish are among those who require the most work of all. If you aren’t able to commit to taking care of them, then there’s very little point in getting them to start with. If, on the other hand, you are able to commit, then you need to simply make sure you know everything there is to know about keeping these pets. That’s what I’m here to help you with today, so here’s a complete guide to keeping fish as pets. 

The majority of pets share the same home as you, and that makes things a little easier. For cats and dogs, for instance, you can leave them to their own devices throughout the day and simply provide them with a comfy bed for whenever they want to go to sleep (and a lot of the time they don’t even use that!). However, for fish, they need their own small home within your home- a tank. It is absolutely pivotal that you choose the right tank for your fish because without it they simply won’t be able to survive. 

For starters, you need to think about the type of tank. This depends on the kind of fish and plants you’ll be playing host to. For instance, there are nano reef tanks that have been described as like having a miniature ocean in your home. They are very realistic and are extremely fun to take care of. However, there are a lot of versions of reef tanks out there and you need to know what ones are the best. That’s why, to help you out, we’ve included a link to a handy guide for you here. Find out what the best nano reef tank for you is here. 

Of course, you also have to think about the kinds of fish you have. A nano reef tank won’t be much help if it doesn’t help the kind of fish you actually want to buy; they need their natural habitat. That’s why you need to make sure you do some research. If you have your heart set of certain types of fish, then research the kinds of tanks they’ll be best suited to and buy them. If, on the other hand, you’ve seen a type of tank you really like and won’t budge on your decision, then research the kinds of fish that will thrive in its environment. Don’t mix and match, because your fish won’t appreciate your decision. 

As I already touched on briefly, there are a lot of pets that can be left to their own devices for large periods throughout the day. If you leave food out for a cat, for instance, they can nibble at it throughout the day- and if they run out, they can even go out into your garden and catch their own dinner (well, that’s what mine does, anyway). Fish, on the other hand, can’t exactly jump out of their tank, collect their dinner, and jump back in. That’s why you need to make sure that you’re going to keep on top of your fish feeding chores- if they aren’t fed, they won’t survive. It’s as simple as that. 

You also have to make sure that you clean their tank regularly. This has to be done for a number of reasons. For starters, and most importantly, it’s vital to maintain and improve the health of your fish. If they aren’t swimming in a clean environment, it’ll be easy for their health to rapidly deteriorate and they won’t last long. It’ll also mean that your tank will look unclean to anyone who gazes at it, and that’s not a good look. Fish tanks can add a lot to whichever room you place it in in terms of decoration, but they can also detract from it if you don’t clean it enough. 

It’s really important that, when you are going to invest in fish and the tank they’re going to live in, you make sure you have a suitable place for the tank to be placed. This is important for a number of reasons. You need to, for instance, make sure it doesn’t look out of place. If you put it in a location that it doesn’t suit, it’ll simply stick out like a sore thumb; people will look at it and wonder why it’s there. You need to find a room and a place where it will actually add to the aesthetics of your house.

As I’ve already mentioned, fish need to be taken care of around the clock. That’s why you need to make sure you’re not the only one in your home looking after them- what if you’re at work and the fish need to be fed, for instance? It doesn’t matter if it’s a flatmate, a spouse, or your younger children; you need to make sure that everyone is on board with looking after the aquarium creatures. That’s the only way to get the best out of the fish-keeping experience, which is a good one.