Fish are one of the most popular pets to keep, largely due to the fact that they are so relaxing and beautiful to look at.  You can keep fish in any home if you have just a little bit of space and coldwater fish are easy to keep once you get the basics down.  Here’s everything you need to know!

Keep Coldwater Fish in Aquariums

Coldwater fish are commonly kept in small receptacles such as fish bowls and vases but you should avoid this as much as possible!  Why?  Fishbowls, vases and other such small containers don’t have a lot of surface area so they limit how much oxygen can actually get into the water.  It is far better to keep your coldwater fish in a purpose designed aquarium made from either acrylic or glass.

Locating the Aquarium

Even though coldwater fish don’t require a special water heater, you still need to be careful where you locate the aquarium.  Keep the aquarium in a well lit position out of direct sunlight.  If the tank is in direct sunlight it will heat up too much in the day and cool down too much at night.  Direct sun on the tank can also encourage algae to grow which dirties your tank much faster.

Adding and Changing Water

Keeping the water clean is an important part of caring for coldwater fish but it is not as simple as just dumping in some fresh tap water.  In fact, water straight from the tap can actually be damaging to your fish thanks to the chlorine and other contaminants that it contains.  If you are filling your tank for the first time, treat the water by first putting it in a bucket and then adding a de-chlorinator or conditioner to the water and allowing it to sit for the recommended time.  If you are doing a partial water change (where you empty say a quarter to a half of the water in the tank and replace it with fresh water), the new water that you are adding must first be treated with a conditioner or de-chlorinator.

Use an Appropriate Filter

To help keep your fish healthy, you’ll need to add a water filter to your aquarium.  There are several different types available including over the tank filters and submersible filters so do your research and choose one that is the right size for your tank and that you feel confident that you’ll be able to keep clean (as you need to clean the filter as well as the tank itself).  Filters are important as they remove bacteria, particles and other contaminants from the water.

Feeding Your Coldwater Fish

What you feed your coldwater fish will depend primarily on the species that you choose to keep, which is why it’s so important to research your chosen species thoroughly before you bring your fish home.  However, most coldwater fish will eat one or a combination of the following: flake food, frozen food, green foods, or live foods.  Only ever feed as much as your fish will eat within five minutes.  Overfeeding your fish will lead to your tank getting dirty faster.