“The 12 Commandments”

1.  Never rinse filter media under tap water. Always use a jug or bucket of water from your aquarium.

2.  Keep all biological filters running 24/7

3.  30% minimum water change per  fortnight: i.e. remove 1/3 of the  remaining  volume – don’t just rely on evaporation and do not change more than 50% in one hit.

4.  Gravel clean your tank fortnightly whilst water changing.

5.  Always use a  good quality water conditioner (Removes:  Chlorine, Chloramine  and Heavy metals).  Rainwater or Filtered water is NOT recommended for most situations (except top-ups).

6.  Keep feeding to once daily and no more than what they can eat in 2 minutes. (Always remove any uneaten food).

7.  Always acclimatize your fish slowly into a new tank, roll edges of the bag down and add aquarium water slowly for 10-15mins.

8.  When setting up a new tank, add a few fish weekly but be sure to test for ammonia and nitrite before each new addition!

9.  To keep your fish in good health, check your water on a regular basis (pH, ammonia, nitrite & nitrate).

10.  Keep a  list of the fish that you purchase (ask a staff member to write the species name down for you). Read up on the fish you have; get to know what you have and what to do with them.

11.  Never clean the tank with detergents or other household chemicals – Label fish buckets “AQUARIUM USE ONLY”.

12.  To keep algae at bay, only have your aquarium lights on for maximum of 8-10 hours a day.