By Prevention Oct 17th 2012
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By Rebecca Skloot
When I was a child, I bought a rat at the local pet store without telling my parents, named her Crystal, and kept her in an aquarium in my closet. This worked fine until Crystal escaped.
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After that, we settled on fish. Even aquariums can be a lot of work, but they're worth it, because fish are wonderful pets. If you want to start a tank, here's how to do it right.
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1. Don't skimp on gear?When it comes to heaters, pumps, and filters, "pay premium prices to get better quality," says Greg Lewbart, VMD, a professor of aquatic, wildlife, and zoologic medicine at North Carolina State University. "You're talking about life support." Expect to spend at least $200 for a 20 to 30 gallon setup.
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2. Cover the tank?Many fish jump to their death in the first 72 hours home. They're coming from an enclosed tank at the store, Lewbart points out: "They don't understand that there's nowhere to go."
See more:?Top Pet Care Mistakes Even Good Owners Make.
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3. Dechlorinate your water?Tap water kills fish add a few drops of dechlorinator (available at pet stores) per gallon before it goes into the tank.
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4. Pick hearty fish?Bettas, goldfish, oscars, and red bellied pacus are tough, while neon tetras the fish most people start with rarely survive.
Not convinced you need a new pet? Here are?7 reasons you should get one.
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5. Quarantine new arrivals?To protect against contagious diseases, keep new fish in an isolation tank or a (covered) 5 gallon bucket for 4 weeks. The same goes for anything alive, including plants.
RELATED:?Can Pets Get You Sick?
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6. Change the water regularly?Scoop or siphon out 10% of the tank's water each week, or about a third every month, and replace it with new (dechlorinated) water.
RELATED:?Can Pets Get You Sick?
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7. Don't overfeed!?No matter how hungry your fish look (because fish do beg, jostling each other at the front of the tank), follow the instructions on the food package label. Or buy an automatic food dispenser at any pet store.
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8. Try a prebuilt option?If you're short on time, the 8 gallon BiOrb ($129; biorbfishtanks.com) is easy. All you have to add is water and fish and follow the rules above.
Try these?7 Eco-Friendly Pet Products
Source: http://www.pawnation.com/2012/10/17/8-tips-for-starting-your-own-aquarium/
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