Common Problems With Aquarium Pets

No matter how carefully you set up your aquarium, sometimes you’ll run into problems. However, many of the more common ones can be solved relatively easily – or even avoided altogether – if you know how.

Water Quality

The quality of the water in your aquarium is one of the single most critical factors in avoiding problems with aquatic pets. The details of what each species requires may vary, but there are some things which apply to all kinds of water-living animals – and three in particular:

• pH - For most aquatic species, water with a pH between 6.5 and 8 will be perfectly acceptable. Attempting to “force” it to achieve pH7 (around neutral) can sometimes cause problems since if the animal has become acclimatised to local water at a different value in your dealer’s tank, changing it can be a source of stress. Ask your supplier, so that you can make sure you provide the conditions your new pet is used to.
• Ammonia/Nitrogen - The waste products of aquatic animals can accumulate in the water, gradually poisoning the animals themselves if they are allowed to accumulate. There are plenty of testing kits on the market to help you make sure that nitrogen levels are within acceptable limits – and a good filter system should help them stay that way.
• Oxygenation - For aquatic animals which obtain the oxygen they need from the water – rather than air-breathing animals like terrapins – the aeration of the water is a major concern. The amount of oxygenation depends on the species. Triops, for example, naturally live in puddles and small temporary ponds, which means they can tolerate surprisingly low levels of oxygen; other creatures are rather less forgiving!

Cloudy Water

Cloudy water is one of the most common problems in a newly set up aquarium, and is frequently caused by one of two reasons.

• Under-Washed Gravel - If the tank is really new – only set up for a day or two – muck from the gravel is the most usual cause. You can avoid these problems by making sure that newly bought gravels are washed thoroughly – even if they are supposed to be “pre-washed.” The good news is, if this is the cause, the cloudiness should disappear within a couple of days as the particles are filtered out or naturally settle.
• Bacterial Bloom - Aerate water and your pets are not the only things which will benefit! Naturally present bacteria can grow explosively when they are given nutrients and abundant oxygen and make the water look slightly foggy and grey. Once again it tends to be one of the problems seen in new tanks – and generally sorts itself out as conditions within the aquarium mature.

  Some pet-keepers recommend partial water changes to deal with bacterial blooms – replacing no more than a fifth of the volume at any one time – while making sure you don’t leave uneaten food in the tank can also help clear things up quicker.

Fungal Problems

Fungal infections can be a particular problem for aquarium pets – the appearance of white, cotton-wool like growths on their bodies being, sadly, an all-too-common sight. Fungus spores are commonplace within the aquarium environment, but tend only to cause problems when an animal’s skin has been damaged in some way.

Unfortunately once a fungus infection has taken hold, it is difficult for the creature itself to fight it off, so it will need treatment – and putting into quarantine if it normally lives in a community tank, to avoid the possibility of it infecting its fellows. There are a number of proprietary treatments available, but it is often better to get some veterinary advice as soon as the problem is first noticed, to make sure that you get on top of things as quickly as possible.

Keeping your aquarium pets in the best of health calls for vigilance if you’re going to avoid most of the likely common problems. Although they can occur however well you manage things, if you know what to look out for – and what to do about them – you should be able to minimise the harm if and when they do.