Caring for a fish

Feeding a fish 

Ensure that you are feeding the appropriate diet for your fish’s type and life stage. For example: 

• Life stage 

  • Fry 

    • Newly hatched fry can be given commercial fry food, artemia, baby brine shrimp and other suitable diets. 

    • They require small feedings multiple times a day. 

  • Adult 

  • Senescence (Ageing)

    • Make food more accessible as they become less active 

    • Reduce feed amount to prevent excessive leftover feed in the tank, which can affect water quality 

• Types 

  • Puffer fishes: Bloodworms, Mussels, Shrimp etc. 

  • Guppies: Guppy pellets, Brine shrimp, Lettuce etc. 

  • Arowanas: Live foods (E.g. Insects, Small fishes etc.), Bloodworms etc. 

  • Goldfishes: Goldfish pellets, Crustaceans, Insects, Spinach, Algae etc. 

Healthcare for a fish 

Like your other pets, fishes are also susceptible to diseases and parasites like white spot disease, fin rot and swim bladder disease. Monitor your fish’s behaviour and seek veterinary assistance if you notice any of the below signs: 

• Loss of appetite 

• Inability to stay afloat 

• Swimming sideways 

• Protruding eyes 

• Rubbing of their body against the tank surface 

• White spots on their body 

• Abnormal-looking fins 

• Raised scales 

• Isolation from the rest 

Tank for a fish 

Tank size: Ensure that the tank is large enough for your fish type and number of fishes. The larger your fish and the more fishes you have, the larger your tank has to be. A common misconception many have is that goldfishes require only a small tank. However, they can grow to be quite large. A small goldfish should be housed in at least a 10-gallon tank. 

Tank location: The tank should also be placed on a sturdy surface, away from direct sunlight. 

Water type: Does your tank require fresh or saltwater?  

Set-up: The tank should have substrate, aquatic plants, hiding spaces, a filter, air-pumps and other necessary accessories. Cycle the tank before adding fishes in. This helps to establish a good bacteria population within the tank to break down waste and maintain water quality. 

Cleaning: Conduct regular cleaning, water changes and parameters tests to ensure your tank water quality is appropriate for the fishes. Uneaten food and excess waste from the fishes can cause ammonia in the tank to spike, which compromises your fish’s welfare and can lead to deaths. 

Compatibility with other species: Buying new fishes? Remember to do your research on if your new fishes are compatible with your current fishes. Keeping incompatible fishes with each other can result in stress, bullying and cannibalism. Consider the below factors before purchasing new fishes for the tank: 

• Do the fishes live in a pond or a river in their natural environment? 

• Small vs. Big fishes 

• Food eating zones: Top vs Middle vs Bottom feeders 

• It is ideal to have a good mix of all three for your tank. 

• Docile vs Aggressive/Territorial fishes 

• Goldfishes are known to be docile and gentle, while Arowanas are known to be aggressive. Goldfishes and Arowanas should not be housed together. 

• Shoaling vs Individual fish 

• Neon tetras are shoaling fishes that thrive in a school, with members of their own species while Betta fishes will fight if housed together with other bettas. 

Introduction of new fishes: Quarantine all new fishes before adding them into the tank, to prevent the spread of diseases to your resident fishes. Avoid adding too many fishes to the tank at once so that the tank and its environment can slowly adapt.