Buying a Pet Fish: 5 Things You Must Consider
When it comes to choosing pets, people’s preferences differ. There are those people who enjoy having fish as pets while others are more drawn to dogs or cats. If you are the type of person who naturally loves having fish as pets, there are a few factors that you need to consider when choosing the fish that you want. Some of the most important factors that you need to consider are outlined below.
Consider the Type of Fish
One of the first things that you need to consider is the kind of fish you want to buy. You will always come across a variety of different fish species. You can keep some as pets while others are just meant for the wild. As a result, knowing the right species to buy when you need a pet fish is vital. A lot of people prefer buying goldfish as pets. The best thing about having a goldfish is that it can survive in a cold environment. This means that if you cannot afford a heater for your aquarium, you can still have a fish for a pet. When settling for the type of fish that you want, make sure that you know all the right conditions that the fish requires to survive.
Choose a Reputable Pet Store
Another factor that you need to consider is the type of pet store you want to buy your fish from. Irresponsible pet stores do not care about the fish that they sell, more often than not you will find them selling unhealthy fish that are just about to die. Make sure you are dealing with a pet store that genuinely cares about the health of the fish. Online research is vital if you want to find out about the most reputable pets stores in your area.
Test Your Water
Before you bring any fish to live in the water that you have prepared for it, you need to test the water. Purchase a water testing kit and ensure that the water has no chemicals. Watch out for the presence of nitrite, ammonia or nitrate.
The Fish Must be Compatible
If you have a big aquarium and you are thinking of mixing different species of fish inside the aquarium, you have to make sure that they are compatible. This means do your research and ensure that the species of fish you have chosen can exist in one space. Some species do not do well when kept in the same space with other species. Therefore, instead of just settling, do your research carefully.
Consider the Size of the Fish
Finally, the last thing that you want is put big sized fish with tiny sized fish. Most fish eat anything that comfortably fits in their mouth. So avoid mixing tiny goldfish with big tetra fish. This is because once the tetra grows big it will end up eating the goldfish.