Be Sure to Buy Healthy Saltwater Fish
Adding fish to your saltwater aquarium is commonly the most fun part of the setup process. There is much excitement involved with bringing fish home and putting them in the Fish tank that has just completed it’s cycle. When you add the fish, the aquarium comes alive.
To promote an ongoing, healthy aquarium you must select your fish wisely. There is nothing worse than putting a new fish in the aquarium and watching it get sick. It’s even worse if that new fish makes your other fish sick due to being unhealthy. Tank mates that don’t get along is not fun either.
Don’t Buy on Impulse
Do your due diligence before you buy any type of fish for your aquarium. Select fish that fit your skill level as an aquarium owner.
Don’t just wander into a fish store and buy a fish because the fish looks likeable on first sight. You could be risking the life of the other fish in your aquarium. You could even be risking the health of your aquarium as a whole. When you buy on impulse you are way more likely to make a bad decision.
Without doing your research you run the risk of buying a fish that might be mean to other tank mates. The fish could possibly be even contagious with parasites that could wreak havoc.
Trust Your Source
Make sure that you buy fish from a store that has a good reputation for selling healthy fish. If you can visit the store often, observe all their fish often. You can easily tell if a store has a problem with unhealthy fish if you constantly see that they have unhealthy fish in their display tanks.
A good fish dealer will have almost no unhealthy fish on display. If they do, they should be able to provide an educated answer about what is wrong with the fish and how they are going to cure it. Don’t be afraid to ask them.
This brings up another point.Find out how knowledgeable they are about their fish. A knowledgeable dealer is more likely to sell you healthy fish, since they probably know how to care for them quite well.
Observe
If you are buying your aquarium fish from the local fish store you have the opportunity to observe the fish before making a purchase.Observing a fish for an extended period of time can tell you a lot about it.
Watch how the fish swims around and interacts with other fish that it is swimming with. Check for any unusual marks or spots on the body of the fish. Check the fins for tears or extravagant wear. You want a fish that looks and acts healthy.
If you can’t purchase from a local fish store, be sure to use a reputable online supplier. Fully investigate the online fish dealer and read reviews of their services and products. There are quite a few good dealers of aquarium fish online, you won’t have to look hard.
In most cases you should be able to get the fish store to feed the fish while you observe. Watch how the fish eats. If the fish is eating well, it should be easy to acclimate to your aquarium. Fish that aren’t eating well might have lowered immune systems and can suffer more drastically from stress.
Sick Fish Aren’t Worth It
Though a rare situation, it is possible to buy or adopt a sick dog or cat and nurse it back to health. Nursing back to health is not a good idea with fish. Even if you feel bad for a sick fish at a fish store, buying it is a bad idea. Sick fish can be carrying parasites and diseases that will quickly spread throughout your entire aquarium if they get the chance.It’s not worth the risk.
Being selective and patient is a good idea when buying saltwater aquarium fish. Stocking your aquarium with nothing but the best and most compatible fish will pay dividends. Your time is best spent enjoying the ambiance of your aquarium rather than caring for unhealthy fish and dealing with bad purchasing decisions.