First Aid For Your Aquarium

Situations demanding your immediate attention can quickly arise in your aquarium, threatening the health of your fish and invertebrates. To avoid a disaster, you must be able to recognize and remedy these possible crises.

Test Kits

Always make sure you have a quality test kit close at hand. At a minimum, your test kit should include tests for ammonia, nitrite, pH, nitrates, and phosphates, and a hydrometer if it is a saltwater aquarium. Hydrometers measure the specific gravity of your aquarium water, thereby allowing you to draw conclusions regarding its salinity.

Water Changing Equipment

Keep everything you need to perform a water change easily accessible. This equipment should include: aerated, temperature-controlled, and treated water (at least 25% of the aquarium's volume), a siphon hose, buckets or garbage cans large enough to hold 25% of aquarium's water capacity, powerhead or air pump for aerating make-up water, heater and thermometer for make-up water, dechlorinator if using tap water and salt for a saltwater aquarium.

Chemical Medias

Several chemical media are useful in both emergency situations as well as general maintenance. These include: ammonia-neutralizing media, activated carbon or organic removing resin, phosphate- and nitrate-adsorbing media, toxic metal or copper remover, appropriate pH buffer, and spare media bags. Follow the manufacturer's instructions to immediately correct improper water chemistry.

The Hospital Aquarium

Most aquarists agree that a small investment of a separate hospital aquarium pays big dividends in helping you protect your large investment of fish. A hospital aquarium is a small tank used to medicate ill fish and separate them from the rest of the aquarium inhabitants. Separating ill fish helps prevent diseases from spreading, and also allows the compromised fish to heal without the stress of its tank mates harassing it. You can also use your hospital aquarium to quarantine new fish before acclimating them to the main display.

Medications

In the event that illness should become evident in the aquarium, keeping a broad range of treatments in your first aid kit will help you combat the illness quickly. Good emergency medications include Furanase, Erythromycin, and Copper. NOTE: If you use copper, make sure you use a copper test kit to monitor the levels within the hospital aquarium.

Warning Signs

• Fish Behavior - This is your first indication of problems within the aquarium. Some of the signs to watch for include: individual fish death, rapid breathing, irregular movements, color loss, unusual markings or growths, and loss of appetite/change in feeding patterns.
• Environmental Changes - Changes with the general appearance of the aquarium can also be an indication of problems. Some of the typical signs related to imbalances in water chemistry include: poor expansion in corals and invertebrates, poor growth or death of plants, cloudy or odiferous water, and increased algae growth.

Determining and Correcting Water Quality Problems

The following general guidelines may help you identify the signs of water chemistry abnormalities and provide correct steps which may help solve the problem. Compare the warning signs that your aquarium exhibits to the following, and test those parameters to determine if they are the culprit.

Medicating Sick Fish

If any of the fish in the aquarium show the signs of disease, it is important to remove it from the community aquarium immediately and place it in your hospital aquarium. Research the symptoms in order to make an accurate diagnosis, and follow the manufacturer's directions of the appropriate medication.

By following these first aid procedures, you can greatly reduce the amount of livestock losses due to problems in your aquarium.