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Looking after "Nemo"

Firstly, if you are considering buying a "Nemo" set - up from an aquarium or pet store, we cannot stress enough the importance of buying from a store that also sells other marine fish. The reason for this is that in the short period of time that the Nemo phenomenon has been going on we have already heard some VERY bad advice being given out from stores that are trying to make a quick buck without having the knowledge base to follow up on problems that may occur. It is incredibly important to us that you have success with your new pet, and a store that sells marine fish will be able to give the RIGHT advice and back up.

Nemo is a clownfish from the Great Barrier Reef, but most of the clownfish sold these days are actually bred in captivity. Clownfish are one of the hardiest and easiest to care for of all the SALT WATER fish. A pair of clownfish can be housed comfortably in a complete all in one tank like the Aqua one 380's. They of course can also be maintained in larger tanks as well and are a good community saltwater fish, so they can be kept with other fish if the tank size permits. The following things are very important to your clownfish's health:

Temperature: Because these fish come from tropical areas of the oceans, they need to be maintained at around 250 C all year round, so therefore a heater is required for their tank.

p.H. Because the oceans are an incredibly huge volume of water, the pH value of the water remains very stable all of the time. To ensure that your aquarium also retains a stable pH, add reef buffer to the tank in small amounts twice a week. Check the pH once a week with a marine pH test kit.

Salt Content (S.G) Salt levels of the aquarium's water also need to be controlled, and this is done by using a little floating device called a hydrometer. A hydrometer will tell you how much salt is in the water by how high it floats. The target level for the salt content is between 1.021 -1.023.

Water Changes: Your clowns like to live in a clean, nice environment and to achieve this you will need to change about 30 % of their water once a fortnight. To do this, syphon off about 1/3 of the water from the aquarium using a gravel cleaner. If your ornaments etc. are a bit algae covered, then now is a good opportunity to give them a rinse under the tap. While the water level is low, give the glass of the aquarium a wipe down with a soft cloth that is only used for the aquarium. Once you are happy with things, introduce the replacement water. It is important that the replacement water is at least close to the same temperature as the tank, and that it has the right amount of salt mixed in it BEFORE it goes in to the tank. Pre-prepared water is available from the store if you don't want to mix your own.

Feeding: Feed your clownfish only as much as they can eat within a minute, once a day and use good quality foods such as frozen brine shrimp or a marine flake food to do so.

Ensure that the store you purchase your fish from fully explains all the processes that you need to follow to keep your clowns happy, and be certain that you FULLY UNDERSTAND and are prepared to follow all these things before you buy.

Looking after Nemo is quite easy and a lot of fun, we know you will thoroughly enjoy your new pet.