While many readers have likely reared pet fish at some point in their lives, how many still rear them now? And for those who have considered having some, why haven’t you gotten them?
Perhaps it is because there are many considerations to be made when installing a fish tank. Apart from reserving space in your home for the tank, and the initial setting up process, I would say that the most bothersome part would be the mundane tasks needed to maintain the set-up in the long run: cleaning the tank, weekly water changes, feeding the fish, etc. As a current medical student and owner of a nano tank as well as a fish pond, I would like to share the common challenges faced and some tips on how you can maintain either set-up easily in the long run, even with a busy schedule.
Setting up an indoor aquarium
My bedside nano aquarium is a 22 cm by 17 cm by 22 cm acrylic tank with an integrated filtration system. It came with a dimmable LED light, mechanical filter sponge and a pump with adjustable flow. I would recommend similar all-in-one starter tanks to those who are looking for a compact set-up. Buying a filter, pump and light separately can easily add up to a large sum, yet they may not necessarily fit well into the small tank. Acrylic tanks are also better for families with young children due to safety concerns. A small fish tank can be placed anywhere, as long as you are able to run the electrical cables needed for its pump and light.
As you can see in the photo, my fish tank is placed on a rather small table which measures 55 cm by 45 cm, leaving just enough space for a small terrarium, phone and tablet charging points and some daily items.
Tip 1: automation
I use a timer switch to automate the turning on and off of the aquarium light – a highly recommended non-costly
accessory to those who have very little time to spare in their morning routines before rushing out to another day of work. For those who prefer to just admire the fish instead of interacting with them daily during feedings, an automated feeder can be installed. This is especially helpful when the whole family travels overseas.
Tip 2: cleaning crew
With a small tank, it is undoubtedly stressful to your pets if you stick your hand in every week to scrub algae off the tank glass or trim browning plant leaves. My zebra snail and two Amano shrimps have taken over those jobs in the past year. I would encourage you to consider adding algae-eating snails, shrimps or fish to your tank, while still following the “one inch per gallon” rule (a rule-of thumb recommending one inch of fish for every gallon of water in an aquarium) to prevent overcrowding. This cuts down on the weekly effort required to maintain an aesthetically pleasing set-up and adds to the variety of the tank. You should ensure that all the different species in the tank can coexist peacefully and provide necessary hiding spaces using plants or hardscape for shyer animals.
Establishing a balcony fish pond
My outdoor fish pond set-up is a 140 cm by 60 cm by 28 cm black fibreglass tank, placed at the edge of my 200 cm by 150 cm balcony. I added on an EHEIM Classic 600 external filter which I have since buried underwater to keep concealed. The water output is directed to two stone waterfall ornaments and a bamboo ornament to ensure adequate aeration of the water and to prevent stagnant spots that could breed mosquitoes. Countless generations of guppies in the fish pond carry a variety of colours that pop out beautifully. Rainwater tops up my pond water naturally, and I only add conditioned tap water to the pond after consecutive days of dry weather. The lack of constant human disturbance and the abundance of sheltering plants have attracted many birds to frequent my balcony, including a pair of olive-backed sunbirds that return yearly to build nests, lay eggs and raise their young.
Tip 1: adequate shade
With an outdoor fish pond, the temperature of the water greatly depends on how long the sun shines on it. While a fish pond and its plants require adequate lighting, too much sunlight in our hot and tropical Singapore will not only cause the water to heat up to temperatures incompatible for fish, but also cause algal blooms. Finding the optimal spot in your balcony is thus essential, and about four to six hours of direct sunlight is recommended. For balconies that are extremely well lit throughout the day, consider adding some shelter for the fish pond using plants or outdoor blinds where possible.
Tip 2: reuse your pond water
Fish pond water is filled with many natural fertilisers for land plants, and since the concentration of them in pond water is safe for fish to live in, it is very likely safe for plants whose roots are weak against concentrated store-bought liquid fertilisers. I installed a plant drip irrigation kit that automatically uses the water in my fish pond to water my vertical plants and orchids growing on the same balcony. I also grow pandan, supported by plastic
grids, as a hydroponic plant within the fish pond itself. This not only provides nutrient-filled water to my land plants, but also gets rid of the biowaste in the fish pond regularly. This effectively cuts down on the work I would need to put into both watering my other plants daily and conducting regular water changes for the fishpond. Additionally, it reduces the amount of water wastage as well.
Wishing you a fin-tastic time
While one indeed needs discipline to regularly maintain fish tanks, fish-watching can be very relaxing and rewarding. With these few tips from my personal experience with both an indoor fish tank and balcony fish pond, I hope that you are inspired to have your own low-maintenance setups!