Introducing fish to your aquarium is tricky, whether you've just set up the tank or already have an established aquarium with other fish. In fact, it is often more difficult to add new fish to an established tank. You'll need to make sure that the aquarium is ready for new fish, choose the right aquarium fish, and introduce them carefully.

First thing to check is the quality of your water. It is stressful enough for all the fish involved when new fish are introduced to their number. Do not add to it by making them suffer in poor water quality. The stress in them might reach fatal levels. Make sure that you have the highest possible water quality by testing for the ammonia, nitrite and nitrate levels. Do the necessary changes or cleaning before you add the new fish to the aquarium. If you dont like frequent aquarium cleaning, add an EcoBio-Block to your aquarium to give it the beneficial bacteria and trace minerals that can reduce harmful substances in your water and keep it clean, healthy and clear.

When adding new fish to your aquarium set up, choose the kinds that are compatible with the fish that are already in your aquarium. Choose those that will peacefully and comfortably co-exist with your present fish. You dont want them hurting or eating or killing any of your old fish and vice versa. It will be wiser to introduce more than one fish to your aquarium to minimize the chances of the new fish being picked on by the old fish. Also choose those that will thrive in the same water environment that you have in your tank. There are specific pH and water temperature levels that have to be considered when introducing new fish to any water.

One way to avoid conflict among the fish is to rearrange the tank before putting in the new fish. Your old fish are likely to have established regular hiding spots, which they can get territorial with, if a new fish is introduced. Rearrange your plants and other accessories as part of your preparation for that new fish. Give them as many hiding spots as possible to help them steer clear of each other while getting used to the new set up.

One important rule in introducing a new aquarium fish to an established tank is to first acclimatize the fish to its new environment before releasing them into the water. If you dont do this, the shock to their system will surely kill them. The thing to do is immerse the bag of water containing your new aquarium fish, into your aquarium water. Let it stay there until the temperatures are equal and the fish have had the chance to look over their new environment. When a few hours have passed, release the fish slowly into the aquarium.

For best results, you may want to set up a separate tank where you quarantine new fish for a week to check for signs of illness. Sometimes, pet store fish carry diseases, and you don't want to introduce these into your aquarium. If you decide to transfer your new fish directly from the pet store bag to your established tank, first float the bag with the fish in your aquarium for a few hours. This allows time for the water temperatures to equalize. Then, open the bag to release your new fish into the tank.

By choosing the best time to introduce new aquarium fish, selecting the right fish, and acclimatizing them slowly, your fish will have the best opportunity for a smooth transition with minimal stress.