How to Enjoy Having Pet Fish

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Enjoying your pet fish all starts with giving it a proper home. Set up a fish tank with important accessories like a water filter and plants. Treat the water and keep it clean so the fish stays healthy and happy. To stimulate your fish's brain, give it toys like floating rocks and caves for it to hide in. You can even train your fish to do tricks like swim through a hoop or jump out of the water with a little practice. Keeping your fish healthy and active will help you enjoy your fish for longer.

Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Creating a Stimulating Environment

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  1. This may seem like a big tank if you have a tiny fish, but your fish actually needs lots of space for it to thrive and live healthily. Pick out a tank that’s 2 ft (24 in) for small fish, and an even larger tank if you have big fish. [1]
    • Look up your specific species of fish for information about the exact size of tank you should purchase.
    • Little fish bowls are not big enough for fish such as bettas or goldfish.
    • Set up your fish tank so it includes a filter, water heater, and treated water.
  2. Sand and gravel comes in many different colors for fish tanks. Visit your local pet store to pick out a fish-friendly bottom layer for your fish to dig around in and enjoy. [2]
    • Purchase enough sand or gravel to cover the entire bottom of the fish tank in a thick layer.
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  3. This helps stimulate a fish’s survival instincts by teaching them how to hide. Purchase little nooks or fish houses at your local pet store or online, or make your own using a PVC pipe or similar object. [3]
    • Before you put anything into the tank, wash it thoroughly with clean water to remove dirt or germs on the surface. However, don't use any detergents or dish soaps, as these can make your fish sick.
  4. Fish love nibbling on plants and swimming around floating objects. Set a few small plants in your fish tank, settling them into the gravel or sand so they don’t fall over. [4]
    • Floating rocks are a nice addition to a fish tank because they'll love swimming around them.
    • In saltwater aquariums you can add any shell or rock that came from the ocean after it has been cleaned in freshwater.
  5. Fish are fascinated by their reflection, and this is a great way to ensure your fish isn’t bored. Purchase a mirror specifically designed to go on the outside of a fish tank, or attach a reflective surface to your fish tank so it’s facing inwards towards the fish. [5]
    • If your breed of fish tends to get territorial, test its interaction with the mirror and remove the mirror if your fish seems agitated.
    • Mirrors for fish tanks often attach using suction cups.
  6. Even if your fish has awesome toys in its tank, it may become bored with them after a while. Every month or so, try to put a new object in the tank, or move the plants and other toys around so the fish has different surroundings. [6]
    • Keeping your fish engaged and interested in its tank will improve its mood and health.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Interacting with Your Fish

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  1. Looking at fish has proven to help calm down the mind, having positive impacts on your mental wellbeing. Take some time to enjoy watching your fish swim around in its tank to help you destress. [7]
  2. Use your finger as the target, or use a small stick with a brightly colored end that will catch the fish’s attention. Give the fish a piece of food each time it comes to where the target is, moving the target around slowly once the fish gets good at following. [8]
    • This is a great way to teach your fish to swim through a hoop as well.
  3. Fish such as bettas and goldfish can often do this trick. Wet your finger or a pointer stick and attach a piece of fish food to it, holding it just over the surface of the water. If your fish is hungry, it’ll try to reach the piece of food by jumping out of the water. [9]
    • Once your fish is able to grab the piece of food, keep raising your finger or stick higher above the water to make it more challenging.
    • You may need to wiggle your finger or the stick above the water’s surface so your fish notices.
  4. Place a small floating ball, roughly the size of the fish’s head, in the fish tank. When the fish nudges it, give the fish a piece of food. Continue rewarding the fish with food whenever it touches the ball. Eventually, your fish will start nudging the ball harder to get a treat. [10]
    • Pay close attention to your fish when you're training it so you’re ready to give it a piece of food as soon as it touches the ball.
  5. This scares the fish and can bother their hearing abilities due to the sound. Use slow movements when trying to get your fish to notice you. [11]
    • Tapping on the glass will also likely make your fish hide.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Keeping the Fish Healthy

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  1. This information is found on the label of a container of fish food that you would buy at a pet store or big box store. Fish can also eat small pieces of vegetables like peas or zucchini after they’re cleaned and blanched . [12]
    • Consider creating a chart to help you keep track of when to feed your fish.
  2. This will tell you if you have dangerous levels of ammonia, nitrate, or nitrite, meaning the water needs to be changed or treated. Water testing kits are easy to use and come with a chart to refer to so it’s clear what the pH level means. Follow the directions for your specific kit to help care for your tank. [13]
    • Purchase a water testing kit from your local pet store or online.
  3. The gravel siphon is placed into the tank overtop the gravel, sucking up the dirt and debris while cleaning the water. Because it’s a siphon, it’ll also be sucking out water. Unplug the filter and any other equipment before siphoning to avoid damaging them—they often don’t run well when there’s not enough water in the tank. [14]
    • Leave the fish in the tank while you’re cleaning the bottom layer of the tank.
  4. As you’re using the gravel siphon, watch the water level to make sure you’re removing at least 25% of the water. This water will be replaced with new, fresh water—after it’s been treated with water conditioner, of course! Make sure the old water isn’t colder than the current water in the tank, using a thermometer to help you test the temperature. [15]
    • Refer to the bottle of water conditioner to see how much you need to pour in to the bucket of new water, stirring it using a fish net.
    • Avoid removing more than 50% of the water from the tank because this messes with the pH levels too much.
    • After finishing the water change, plug back in the filter and any other pieces of equipment.
  5. When you open up the top of the water filter, pull the filter out to see if it's covered in dirt and grime. If so, it's time to change it. Another way to decide if it's time for a new filter is to look at the water flow. If the water has slowed down, the filter needs to be changed. [16]
    • Avoid changing the filter on the same day you change the water because this takes out too much beneficial bacteria.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I know if my fish are happy?
    Community Answer
    Usually when they swim side to side in short distances in the front pane of the tank, the fish are happy.
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    Not Helpful 17 Helpful 138
  • Question
    Can I leave the room dark with my fish in the room when I go on holiday?
    Community Answer
    If you leave your room dark for an extended time, turning the light back on immediately could affect or harm your fish because they got used to darkness. If there is natural light coming in during the day, however, they should be alright.
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  • Question
    How long do healthy fish live?
    Dieyun Ding
    Top Answerer
    The average tropical community fish lives 2-6 years, while goldfish could live over 20 years with proper care (e.g., 50 gallon tank, good filtration, not overcrowded).
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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      Things You'll Need

      Setting up Your Fish Tank

      • Fish tank (at least 2 ft (24 in))
      • Water filter
      • Water heater (optional)
      • Water conditioner
      • Fish net
      • Tank accessories

      Creating a Stimulating Environment

      • Gravel or sand
      • Tunnels or nooks
      • Fake plants
      • Mirror

      Keeping the Fish Healthy

      • Fish food
      • Water testing kit
      • Gravel siphon
      • Water conditioner
      • Tank filter

      Interacting with Your Fish

      • Fish food
      • Small stick
      • Floating ball

      Tips

      • If you want to remove algae on the sides of the tank, scrub the algae off before using the gravel siphon to suck it up easily.
        Thanks
        Helpful 14 Not Helpful 2
      • Pour new water into the tank slowly to avoid startling the fish or disrupting its environment.
        Thanks
        Helpful 17 Not Helpful 4

      Tips from our Readers

      The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
      • Some fish make bubble nests when they're happy!
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      Warnings

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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/16/science/depressed-fish.html
      2. ↑ https://www.petguide.com/blog/fish/6-easy-hacks-to-cure-fish-boredom/
      3. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/16/science/depressed-fish.html
      4. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/16/science/depressed-fish.html
      5. ↑ https://www.petguide.com/blog/fish/6-easy-hacks-to-cure-fish-boredom/
      6. ↑ https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/16/science/depressed-fish.html
      7. ↑ https://www.express.co.uk/news/nature/594653/Fish-aquarium-boosts-health-relaxing-effect
      8. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4flOnHwSslc#t=29s
      9. ↑ https://www.tropicalfishcareguides.com/betta-fish-care/
      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4flOnHwSslc#t=1m21
      2. ↑ https://animals.mom.me/tapping-glass-scare-fish-9357.html
      3. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AK0SYVbqE6I#t=2m21s
      4. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83NNFbPQ5hY#t=27s
      5. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtEqptgcdXY#t=43s
      6. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtEqptgcdXY#t=55s
      7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtEqptgcdXY#t=2m14s

      About This Article

      Article Summary X

      To enjoy having a pet fish, give it a stimulating home and interact with it every day. Try giving your fish tunnels or nooks to hide in so it can play hide-and-seek. You can also put fake plants in the tank and add a mirror to the side of the tank to stimulate its brain. To keep your fish engaged, add new objects or move things around every month or so. In addition to watching your fish, you can train it to do some tricks. For example, use your finger or a small stick to catch the fish’s attention. Then, give it a piece of food every time it comes to the target. Once you fish learns to follow a target, you can wet your finger or a stick and attach a piece of fish food to it. Hold the food just over the water and see if your fish will jump for it. To learn how to get your fish to push a ball around its tank, keep reading!

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