HowToDoThings.com Recent Fish Articles

How To Take Care of a Betta Fish

gonzo — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 14:27:53 -0500

Betta fish are also known as Siamese fighting fish. These vibrant and interactive fish can be a great choice for a pet if you prefer the low maintenance type. Bring home your new friend and follow these steps to be able to take care of a betta fish.

How To Start a Koi Pond

sspets — Thu, 09 Oct 2008 16:20:53 -0500

How To Set Up a Salt Water Fish Tank

cwalk — Wed, 13 Aug 2008 12:19:01 -0500

How To Identify and Treat Freshwater Fish Diseases

caesar542 — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 13:08:30 -0600

In this article you will find some of the main information about how to identify, treat and prevent the most common diseases and health problems in freshwater fish. Maintaining a good water quality with water changes, not overfeeding fish, maintaining an adequate amount of fish for the available space you have, choosing species with similar behavior, and controlling the levels of PH are all good tips for you to have a healthy and beautiful aquarium. But even if you pay attention to all of these recommendations, a disease can strike at any time.

How To Clean the Water of Your Aquarium

caesar542 — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 18:35:32 -0600

To maintain a high quality water for your fish, it is important to renew it partially on a regular basis. Learn how to do this the right way with the minor risk to your fish and plants, keeping your water clean and beautiful.

Verify if renewing water is really necessary by checking the smell and color. The first step is checking if the water is really unhealthy. If the smell is fishy (I mean really fishy -- remeber the aquarium water has a natural smell) and the color is not clean and it looks cloudy and heavy, checking the filters will be necessary. Don't forget to make a partial water change following the next steps.
Take the water out. You can do that using a small bucket carefully, so you will not injure your fish or cause any damage to your decorations and other stuff. If you have a hose and syphon, of course the result will be better.

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How To Decide What Pet Is Right For You

JessRan — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 12:32:29 -0600

Selecting a new pet is a big decision for anyone. Remember anything you do will now impact the
life of another creature. Below are some things to think about before you decide to bring home any animal.

How To Give a Pet as a Gift

JessRan — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 11:24:10 -0600

Many people purchase pets as gifts with good intentions only to discover their new pet takes more time and care than anticipated or the recipient isn’t as thrilled as they’d hoped. Caged animals need daily handling to become loving members of the family. Puppies and kittens left in unfamiliar surroundings may get into more trouble or discover possible dangers in the home.

How To Take Care of Goldfish

Brian263 — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 12:05:25 -0500

Many people think that goldfish are excellent pets for someone who doesn’t want to invest much in pet care and has no interest in owning a pet for a long period of time. Both the lifespan of your goldfish and the level of attachment formed between the two of you depend upon how much care you provide and whether or not you know the proper ways to care for goldfish. Goldfish aren’t necessarily short-lived. In fact, if cared for properly, your goldfish could live for a decade or even far longer (one goldfish was reported to have lived for 43 years!). Learn how to take care of goldfish to ensure that your goldfish enjoys a long and happy life.

How To Cope with the Loss of a Pet

Staff468 — Tue, 16 Jan 2007 13:39:00 -0600

There's no easy way to cope with the loss of a pet, nor should you try to bypass the natural grieving process. Always remember, you're not alone. Everyone who's ever been touched by a pet's loving devotion has also known the pain of loss.

A time of emotional turbulence. After the loss of a pet, you can expect to face the emotional roller coaster known as grief. For a time - sometimes a period of days, sometimes weeks or months - you may experience feelings of disbelief, sadness, anger, guilt, embarrassment or depression. Let's banish embarrassment without further delay, though, since there is no justifiable reason to be ashamed of grieving for your lost pet. Grief is admirable and human, not unnatural or embarrassing.

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How To Buy Freshwater Fish

Casey47 — Sat, 25 Nov 2006 20:41:00 -0600

Buying healthy and beautiful freshwater fish is the key to having a beautiful aquarium. It is not a complicated process, but it is one that takes much care. There are a few easy things to do to ensure that you are buying the best fish, as well as the healthiest fish, possible. Among these are to research the different varieties of fish to decide which ones are the best for you, which ones are the best for the tank you possess, as well as where to get your fish.

Following these simple instructions will ensure that you will have one of the most beautiful and healthy freshwater aquariums around!

Researching Varieties of Freshwater Fish: There are literally hundreds and hundreds of varieties of freshwater fish. This is why it is important to research all of the differences and find out which types of fish are the best for you and the aquarium you possess. We are going to split them up into five different groups.

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How To Buy and Use an Aquarium Pump: Water Pumps

Staff468 — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 17:27:00 -0600

Anybody want to go for a swim in a pond of stagnant, sludgy water? No? Why, then, would we expect our fish to be happy in a tank with poor water circulation? Like its cousin the air pump, a water pump is another kind of aquarium pump that will help to create a healthy environment for your fish.

Filling up the tank and draining it as well. Aquariums periodically must be drained and filled back up. What better way to do this than to use an aquarium pump?
Filtration. Perhaps the most fundamental use of these aquarium pumps is to either move water into the filtration system, or to move the water back into the tank after filtration has occurred. The filter setup in your aquarium, along with the necessary flow rate and head height, will determine the kind of water pump you buy.

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How To Buy and Use an Aquarium Pump: Air Pumps

Staff468 — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 14:02:00 -0600

Air pumps are one form of aquarium pump. They most common use in the past was to provide the power for under-gravel filtration, but the popularity of that filtration method has fallen due to the generally better performance of other filters. Today, aquarium pumps of this sort are used for several other purposes as well as the effective filtration of very small tanks.

Air pumps are positioned outside the aquarium, usually in the form of a black box resting behind your tank. The closer it is to the tank, the better it will perform; tubing should be as short as possible to maximize performance. But it should never be placed inside the water!

How To Buy Aquarium Decorations

Casey47 — Tue, 07 Nov 2006 05:52:00 -0600

Aquarium decorations are part of what makes owning an aquarium fun, aside from the fish of course! There are many different styles of decorations, many different ways to present them, precautions to take, and many different places to find and buy them. In this article we will explore all of the fun decorations that are available and where to find them, as well as the other topics listed above.

Tank Size: The first thing you want to do before you buy decorations is to make sure you are aware of the size of your tank. If you are not sure, you can measure it, and a person at a pet store should be able to tell you how many gallons it is. This is an important fact to know before beginning to buy decorations.

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How To Set Up a Freshwater Aquarium

Jerome163 — Mon, 05 Jun 2006 06:05:00 -0500

A beautiful freshwater aquarium can add color and life to your home or office. Setting up an aquarium is not difficult, but there are decisions to be made. Here are some steps you can take to start up your very own aquarium.

How To Buy a Wall Mounted Aquarium

Matt303 — Wed, 24 May 2006 13:39:00 -0500

A wall-mounted aquarium can be very elegant and dramatic. Some of them can be mounted within a wall in such a way that the aquarium can be viewed from two rooms. Because they are so dramatic and can often be viewed from two rooms, prices tend to be considerably higher than for a conventional aqaurium. Additionally, the installation of a wall mounted aquarium may require the services of a professional carpenter. And, maintenance tasks may be a bit more awkward due to the confined space.

Assess the site for your new wall mounted aquarium. You may need to hire a professional to help determine if there are pipes, electrical wiring or air ducts in the wall you intend to use.
Locate the studs and determine if the wall is a load bearing wall. Again you may need to get a professional assessment, especially for larger aquariums.

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How To Care for Tropical Fish

Matt303 — Wed, 24 May 2006 13:21:00 -0500

Once you have your aquarium set up and have started adding fish, there are a number of routine steps required to keep things healthy and looking good. It is very helpful to keep a logbook to ensure that all steps are completed at the desired intervals.

Feed fish lightly on a daily basis. All food should be eaten within a few minutes. Remove uneaten food to prevent it from rotting and compromising the water quality.
Monitor the growth of your fish to avoid a condition of overcrowding. Overcrowding the tank will lead to stressed fish and inadequate water quality. There is a rule of thumb that one inch of fish per gallon of water is the maximum capacity for an aquarium. This is only a guide as the bulk of the fish is as important as its overall length. Additionally, a lightly stocked aquarium can be more forgiving than one stocked to maximum capacity.

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How To Buy Tropical Fish

Matt303 — Wed, 24 May 2006 10:24:00 -0500

So, your aquarium is all set up and ready to go. Now that you are ready to add fish, here are some tips that will keep this hobby fun and exciting. Whether saltwater or freshwater, the brilliant colors and unusual shapes of tropical fish can be a fascinating addition to your aquarium.

Decide which type or types of fish you want. Your local pet store may not always carry some of the more unusual or rare types of tropical fish. Or, you may want to start with adult-sized specimens.
Learn about the fish. Take some time to research the types of fish you want. Some fish are can't be kept in the same aquarium. You will want to discover this before you put them together, trust me. Try a search on Google or Yahoo, using the names of the fish that interest you.

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How To Care for Fish

Matt303 — Wed, 24 May 2006 10:07:00 -0500

Basic fish care involves a few simple and routine steps you can do to ensure the ongoing health of your aquarium or pond inhabitants. The basic steps to fish care are outlined below. You should research any unique requirements your fish might have or ask a knowledgeable employee at a local aquarium specialty store.

Good fish care habits are key to the healthy and vitality of your fish. In turn, healthy and vital fish will greatly enhance your enjoyment of this hobby.

Feed your fish daily. While it is true that most fish can go a few days without food (for instance, while you are on a short vacation), more aggressive fish may decide to try and eat each other. Only feed them enough food so that it is all consumed within about five minutes. Promptly remove any uneaten food.

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How To Buy a Freshwater Aquarium

Matt303 — Wed, 24 May 2006 09:33:00 -0500

Your new freshwater aquarium can be as simple as a watertight glass box or an elaborately designed antique such as those sold by Vintage Aquariums www.vintageaquariums.com/tanks. You can spend a few dollars or hundreds of dollars.

When selecting your new aquarium, remember that other expenses related to the purchase-such as a filter, stand or cabinet, lighting, decorations and the fish-represent a significant expense as well. As the size of your selection increases so will overall costs and labor. Make sure you are comfortable with the commitment required. Fish-keeping is great fun if the costs and labor don't overwhelm you.

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How To Care for Betta Fish

Matt303 — Wed, 24 May 2006 09:19:00 -0500

Betta fish are flashy colorful fish with lots of vim and vigor. Since they exist naturally in small mud puddles and can gulp air from the waters surface, they are well suited to the small fish bowls often sold expressly for keeping Bettas. In some situations you may want to house one or more Bettas together in a larger aquarium. Just remember that if male Bettas can get to each other they will fight. Fighting causes severe stress and the weaker ones may suffer mortal injuries.

Follow these steps to keep your Betta healthy:

Comprehensive eBook on Betta Fish, Satisfaction Guaranteed
Caring for Betta Fish

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How To Buy Aquarium Decorations

Matt303 — Wed, 24 May 2006 09:02:00 -0500

Aquarium decorations can lend as much excitement and wonder to your tank as your fish. You might want to recreate a naturalistic setting, or you could go for something otherworldly with blue gravel, underwater lasers, and bubble toys. There are a few simple steps to help ensure you maximize your value and enjoyment when selecting decorations. Most importantly, have fun!

Determine if any of the fish you intend to keep have special needs. Special needs include places to hide or a fine substrate. Included these items in your aquarium's décor.

Develop a plan for aquarium décor. There are so many options it's a good idea to write or sketch your ideas out. Consider whether you want bright, bold, and artificial colors or a very natural looking aquarium. Consider the mood you want the aquarium to evoke:

Silly?

Otherworldly?

Serene?

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How To Move an Aquarium

Jerome163 — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 21:38:00 -0500

So you've spent considerable time and money, not to mention heart and soul, to create a pleasant aquatic environment for your aquarium fish. What happens to the aquarium when it's time to move? Careful planning is the key to success in moving an aquarium. Following these simple steps will give your fish the best chance of arriving safely in their new environment.

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How To Treat Aquarium Water

Jerome163 — Thu, 06 Apr 2006 12:19:00 -0500

Water quality is perhaps the single most important factor in determining the health of your aquarium fish. In natural environments such as lakes, streams, and oceans, the water supply is continually cycling, providing healthy, fresh water for fish to inhabit. The natural flow of the water, as well as bacteria and other organisms, prevents fish waste from stagnating and eventually breaking down into toxic substances. Unfortunately, the aquarium is an artificial habitat and is thus quite different from the natural environment, as it depends on its owner or caretaker to provide fresh water.

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