The Whakatane clinic now stocks a great range of fish, food, plants, aquariums etc, and the Opotiki clinic has a limited range but can order in what you need.

Fish are relaxing and beautiful to look at and a well kept aquarium is a delight to the eye.

Fish are gregarious by nature, so always keep more than one, but do not overcrowd the tank.

An aquarium 60x30x30cm will take about 10 small fish and two water snails.  A good rule of thumb is to allow 30sq. cm of surface area to every 2cm of fish, including the tail.  An average fish will need five litre of water for each cm of body length.  Of course fish capacity is increased if tank is artificially aerated and this is not costly (around $20).

Keep your tank away from direct sunlight and remember to cover it when using household sprays.

CHANGING THE WATER:

Siphon out about one third of the water by getting a tube right down into the gravel working it across the bottom of the tank, allowing the water to run out into a bucket.  Never take out all the water as this upsets the natural balance.

Town water will need a small quantity of aquasafe added to neutralise the Chlorine content.  This is also a great tonic for the fish, adding a healthy slime to them.

FEEDING

Do not over-feed your fish as this can kill them, and uneaten food decomposes in the tank causing the water condition to deteriorate.   Better quality food is less likely to foul the water.  You should only feed what the fish will consume in three minutes.