Choosing the Right Fish
When choosing your fish you need to take account of how they live in their natural habitat, and their natural personalities.
Some fish species are recognised as being peaceful while others are semi-aggressive or aggressive. In addition, some species prefer to live alone, while others are schooling fish which means they prefer to live in larger groups of the same species.
Use our Compatibility Chart to help you choose the right fish to live together happily in your tank.
Adding Fish to Your Tank
To prevent the balance of chemicals in your tank from spiking and causing illness or fatalities in your new fish, it is recommended that you only add a few new fish at a time to your tank. The capacity of your tank will be determined by its size, the type of fish that you want to keep, and the amount of live plants that you may have in your fish tank. Our fish experts are on hand to help determine how many and when you can introduce to your tank.
Acclimatisation Procedures
When introducing new fish to your fish tank, you will need to allow the fish to acclimatise to its new environment slowly. Because of their sensitivity to pH, specific gravity and changes in water chemistry, marine fish and invertebrates need a slightly different acclimatisation procedure than freshwater fish. By following these simple steps you will be helping your fish to settle into their new home.
- Gently empty the contents of your fish bag (including the fish) into a clean bucket
- Add 1 cup of water from your fish tank directly into the bucket
- Repeat step 2 every ten minutes for an hour
- After an hour, your fish will be ready to add to your tank, so using a net, gently place your fish into your tank
- Do not feed your fish on their first day in your tank. Instead, allow them 24 hours to settle in.