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COMMON AQUARIUM
MYTHS
Frequently Asked
Questions |
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Back to FAQ Index Page
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Fish grow to the size of the tank.
FALSE!
Contrary to very popular belief,
fish do not grow to the size of the tank in
which they are housed. When fish have outgrown their
aquarium they become stressed.
This is much like if we were to keep a puppy in a box for
its entire life. It would not have room to properly
move around and exercise. As a result, it would be
extremely stressed. Stressed
animals are very susceptible to disease and they often become
aggressive towards other animals that are around them.
Additionally, if one fish in the aquarium is stressed and a
parasitic, viral, fungal, or bacterial infection sets in, it can
spread to the other fish in the aquarium and kill them. One
should also consider the extra cost of medication to cure the sick
fish.
Please let the NorthSide Aquatics staff help recommend fish
that are appropriate to the size aquarium that you have.
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The
person at XYZ Pet Shop says if I buy their
filter system or miracle product I will never have to do maintenance
or water changes again. Is this
really true?
FALSE!
If you have ever hear the
old adage that "If it sounds too good to be true, then it
probably is," then you can apply that here.
All aquariums require regular maintenance and regular water
changes to keep them healthy. There are no miracle
products, only good practices to help reduce the amount of
effort involved in maintaining your aquarium.
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Taking care of an aquarium is hard.
FALSE!
If you have put in good
equipment and not skimped and tried to cut corners, taking
care of your aquarium is not a difficult task.
The most difficult things about having an aquarium are:
1. Waiting for the
aquarium to become established so that more fish can be
added.
In this instant gratification society, we are all
accustomed to getting what we want right now.
No matter how much you may want your aquarium to be up and
running full of fish overnight, it won't happen. Be
patient and you will be rewarded with a happy and healthy
tank.
2. Resisting impulse buying.
Take time to learn about each critter you intend to add.
Not all fish are equal. We try very diligently at
NorthSide Aquatics to make sure that customers take home
fish and invertebrates that are appropriate for their
respective aquarium setups.
3. Taking the time to learn about aquariums.
While aquariums are not difficult, there is a lot of
knowledge that goes into having one. NorthSide does
its best to inform customers about what is needed to setup
and maintain a successful aquarium. However, despite
our best efforts, we can not tell everyone everything.
It is necessary to spend time learning things through books
and the internet. The fact that you are reading this
page means that you are on the right track!
If you run across contradictory materials, then come and ask
us to get you back on the right path. Not every book
or website is 100% correct and there are multiple schools of
thought. Just pop in and ask us if you get confused. |
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A "Nemo" themed
aquarium is a good idea.
FALSE!
While it is certainly possible to have an aquarium that has
fish from the movie Finding Nemo, it is not possible
to house all of the characters from the movie in one
aquarium.
All animals have special needs to
live, and when a person decides to keep an animal as a pet
it is up to him or her to provide for all of those needs.
A few common needs are: adequate space, correct diet, enough
light, correct tank-mates, and removal of waste.
We've written an explanation of why
"Nemo" themed aquariums are not feasible when trying to meet
all of the Nemo character animals' needs.
Click here
to read it.
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