Fishkeeping has become a lovely pastime over the years. It can also be a lovely addition to any home. However, it can be difficult to make sure that it is eco-friendly. So you need to keep your fish happy and healthy. There are a few key points to consider to build an eco-friendly freshwater aquarium. You must work to make sure that your aquarium has as little of a carbon footprint as possible and has minimal long-term effects. So how can you build and maintain a beautiful yet eco-friendly aquarium? It is best to keep things simple in terms of the type of fish and tank system that you invest in.
How To Build An Eco-Friendly Aquarium
You’ve decided that you want to start fishkeeping and have plans to build an amazing aquarium. While that sounds great in theory, there is a lot that goes into it. Especially if you want to find a way to make your aquarium eco-friendly. If you don’t know what that means, essentially, you want to build an aquarium for your fish that has a minimal ecological impact. There are specialty sites that go into further detail about how to keep fish sustainably; aquaticly.com is a good place to get started. You’d be surprised at how the pet fish market has impacted the aquatic ecosystems around the world. If you want to know how to build an aquarium that will keep both your fish and the environment happy, then keep reading.
Purchase The Right Type Of Fish
When we say purchase the right type of fish, we mean purchase fish that have been collected in a safe and low-impact manner. Fish are often stunned with chemicals to make them easier to catch. This is especially true for saltwater fish that live or are near coral reefs. The chemicals help them to come out of the coral. However, they can also harm the coral which can result in damage and a loss of entire ecosystems that depend on the coral to survive. It’s also hard to keep fish alive in certain conditions. The more fish that die during transport, the more aggressive the collection process. This means that more and more fish have to be collected to fulfill orders. When purchasing your fish, try to only purchase fish that have been collected using a hand and net method.
Avoid Salt-Water Fish
Avoiding keeping saltwater fish is one of those things you may not consider. Saltwater fish are among those that are most likely harvested from around corals. As mentioned before you want to avoid destroying coral ecosystems. Also saltwater fish are harder to maintain in a tank. It takes a lot more energy to run a saltwater take which increases your overall energy usage.
Sustainable Take
Use a sustainable tanking system. There are options for tanks that are self-sustaining and don’t require as much maintenance. Firstly, while a large tank might be more impressive you have to consider that the larger the tank. The more it takes to fill it and the more energy that will be required to run it. Use real plants inside the tank to provide oxygen for your fish. You also want to use marble or glass rocks (avoid plastic pebbles). The whole point is to cut down on the amount of water and energy required. You will need to regulate the temperature for your fish, opt for LED lights to cut down on energy costs.
Repurpose As Much As Possible
Repurpose where you can. When you change the tank’s water, use it to water your plants whether indoor or outdoor. If your fish happens to pass away don’t flush it down the toilet. Instead, bury it in your garden. Your plants will benefit from their nutrients. Also flushing it can introduce an unknown species to an ecosystem and wreak havoc. If you decide you don’t want to keep your tank or you simply can’t then sell it to someone else so that your fish still has a home or give it to someone who wants and can manage the upkeep.
It’s a good bit of planning and thought to create the best possible aquarium for your fish. If you want to keep it eco-friendly, we hope you’ll consider this advice. With rising temperatures, changes in ecosystems, and millions of animal populations decreasing every year; it is our duty to protect them and our planet. You might not have thought of the impact pet ownership has on things before but after reading this hopefully, your awareness has been raised. Continue to do research and make changes and as more sustainable methods become available. An aquarium can be a beautiful and calming addition to your home one you’ll feel even more attached to knowing that you’re doing the best for your fish and the environment.
