Fish run the entire gamut of size, colors, shapes, and patterns. For this discussion, let us talk about the characteristics of big fish care and small fish care. While many elements remain common between big aquarium fish and small aquarium fish, there are some important differences to take note of. Understanding these difference will help with your aquarium care.
Most home aquariums have only small fish, as they cost less and are easier to keep. Big fish, especially big tropical fish, can be exorbitantly expensive; both to acquire and maintain. The first thing that comes to mind is the space they need. Fish need swallow water and pass it through their gills to get oxygen. The best way of doing this is to swallow water as they swim. Swimming is a vital part of fish life. This means that fish need space to swim. Small fish tend to swim around small areas, and so need relatively little space. Big fish on the other hand, need a lot of space. This is not just because they are big, but also because big fish swim in disproportionately larger areas than their smaller counterparts. The choice of fish will determine the size of the fish tank, the thickness of the fish tank walls, as well as the population density of the fish.
Fish food flakes may be enough to satisfy small aquatic denizens, but it just will not cut it for big fish. Big fish feed on things like plankton, shrimps, squids, and of course, smaller fish. This should be a caveat to those who want to keep big fish; make sure your big fish will not eat the small fish if they are in the same fish tank!
Big fish and small fish also react differently to water conditions. These conditions are salinity, temperature, pH, and oxygen saturation. While they both have requirements of their own, big fish are more tolerant of changes or non-optimal conditions. Small fish are more sensitive, and any sudden changes or non-optimal conditions reflect greatly on their health. Big fish, being generally hardier, are less susceptible. Regardless, it is in the best interests of you and your fish to keep the conditions at appropriate levels.
Big fish can also get parasites. Big fish have large areas on their body that parasites attach to. This is not usually a problem for small fish. These parasites must be removed, either manually or with the help of small creatures that feed on these parasites. Cleaner shrimps are a prime example. Cleaner shrimps crawl on the body surface of fish and pick away at parasites. The shrimp get to eat, and the big fish leave them alone on account of their usefulness. The only losers in this arrangement are the parasites, of course.
Small fish can be moved easily. This is useful when cleaning fish tanks or changing the water. With big fish, it is hard to do either. An approach to this would be to scrape the interior side panels with a cleaning tool that does not allow dirt to float freely; doing this means you don‘t have to empty the fish tank. A squeegee would do nicely. Take out and replace the water one part at a time. Prepare around one-third to one-half of the total volume in new formulated water. Take out an equal amount of old water, and pour the new water in slowly, so as not to damage anything. Detach your filters and take them out for cleaning, and just put them back when you’re done.
Big fish, small fish — while the concepts of aquarium care remain the same, the execution will differ. If ever you need more tips on fish care, whether big or small, look it up on the Internet or ask at your local pet fish store.