Luci's guide to fish keeping success.

Some people seem to have a rather skewed vision on keeping fish. Usually they successfully set up a tank only to see it collapse in a matter of days, or they set it up, have to running and cycled, and "something happens" that ruins everything...

I have rules for my tanks that I think could be applicable to all tanks.

Rule #1: Get as big a fish tank as you can afford and/or fit in the space you've defined for a tank.
Trust me on this one. You will want a bigger tank later on. Most people who start out keeping fish want to keep more fish than they find possible with their tank, or larger fish than reasonable. That is understandable, some fish are just awesome that grow large or like to school in large groups! Also... here is a key I have for tank sizes...

TINY tanks: 1-6 gallons- Bettas, bettas, and only bettas is my rule. It is simply TOO MUCH trouble to keep multiple smaller fish in tanks this small. It can be done, but I do not deem it worth my time.

SMALL tanks: 6-10 gallons- Getting into the range where you can keep fish other than bettas. Small fish. Small tetras, wild bettas, guppies, danios, things of that nature. A single betta will also be SUPER happy in tanks of this size.

SMALL tanks take 2: 10-40 gallons- These tanks are still small, but could hold slightly larger/more fish than the first set of small tank sizes. Dawrf cichlids and gouramis do well in these tanks.

MEDIUM tanks: 40-100 gallons- YES. I include 50-100 gallon tanks in this category. Why? Because those are still not "large" tanks, and large as they may seem. I would honestly never put any "large tank" fish in this realm of tank size. (Oscars, Flowerhorns, Arowanna, etc...) because many of them are big waste producers and just do so much better in larger tanks. Medium tanks are well-suited to getting into african cichlids, especially in the higher size range, larger gouramis, multiple goldfish, and larger catfish occasionally (however they are also big waste producers) Also, more aggressive fish can live in tanks this size and usually have enough room to establish territories.

LARGE tanks: 100-400 gallons- A truly large tank this size will do just about anything for you successfully. And you will be grateful for the size in the long run. These tanks are very good for oscar-sized fish.

Any tank larger than 400 gallons I consider large take 2... REALLY suitable for just about anything.

Rule #2: Make sure you tank is properly cycled.
See my blog on cycling if you want all the info... The short version, however, is that a tank cannot be cycled until it has had some form on waste added to it. This can come in the form of fish or fish-less cycling.

Rule #3: Research your fish!
This is one of the most important things you could possibly do. Keep in mind that many fish you'll see in pet stores are young, and will grow larger than you see them. Some fish are simply NOT suitable for any fish tank, such as the pacu, which can grow to more than 4 feet long and like to school. There are also often nice small alternatives to larger fish. The common plecostomus (hypostomus plecostomus) can grow to well over 20 inches, but it's relative, the bristlenose pleco (ancistrus sp.) usually doesn't reach over 5 inches long, and tends to prefer algae more than the common pleco does.

Rule #4: Buy healthy looking stock.
Make sure the fish you buy looks good at point of purchase. Thinks to look out for that are most obvious: Uneven gill function, clamping, spazzy swimming, flashing constantly, ich, fin rot, uneven eye size, etc.

Rule #5: Avoid overstocking.
A very commonly used rule of thumb is "one inch of fish per gallon. This is typically thought to be a good rule, but flawed in some ways. I would never, for instance, fill a 20 gallon tank with 20 inches of a high-waste producing fish. Nor would I put on fish that grew to 20 inches in a 20 gallon tank. It's best simply to know about the fish you keep. How much waste they produce, and measure everything by ADULT size. Not how large they are when you buy them. Common sense is generally applicable as well.

Rule #6: NEVER clean out the entire tank all at once.
DO NOT deconstruct your entire tank for cleaning. It will disrupt the cycle that you worked so hard to establish in the first place. Beneficial bacteria covers everything in your tank, so it is wiser to clean out parts at a time, destroying only small colonies of the bacteria instead of all of it. This way the remaining bacteria can repopulate.

Rule #7: Avoid cleaning out every part of your filter at once.
Same idea as above. Your filter media is a breeding ground for beneficial bacteria. If you have multiple sponges, clean one a week when its time to clean your filter. You can also invest in two filters, and clean out one at a time while enjoying the extra filtration =)

Rule #8: Don't be too quick to medicate.
There will always be disease in your tank to some degree. It simply comes out of the faucet naturally. Fish get sick when they are stressed. They become more susceptible to illness because their immune systems become less efficient. Parasites usually come from external sources though. Because fish are so difficult to diagnose, I usually avoid using any medications at the first sign of illness. Isolate your sick fish in a quarantine tank if you can and keep an eye on it. Research it's symptoms and try to discern what's wrong. Also, try to find ways of curing fish without the use of medication. Medication often stresses fish out even more than the disease is, and can also result in death. For instance, whenever treating ich, I simply raise the temperature in the whole tank and add aquarium salt, if my fish can stand it.

Rule #9: Buy quality equipment.
This will save you in the long run. I realize that that filter may be 5 or 10 dollars more, but it is WORTH it. Trust me. Also, research your equipment if you are not sure of what to buy.

...Thats all I can think of at the moment.... Hope this is helpful =P