(If you are here because of problems with your tank or trout, please visit Troubleshooting.)

Daily checklist:

1. Keep an eye on tank temperatures, an increase in temperature might indicate a chiller problem.
2. Feed trout only as much food as they can eat in a few minutes (one pinch). Remove extra food.  You may feed more than once a day, however.
3. Check the tank for any dead fish or debris.  Remove dead fish immediately.
4. Ensure that water is flowing from the chiller and the filter and that the bubbler is still working.
5. Check ammonia and pH levels with your aquarium testing kit (often, if not daily).

With the trout in place, keeping the tank bacterial colonies happy is the most important job.  The nitrifying bacteria in the tank change trout waste (ammonia) into nitirites and then further into nitrates.  While ammonia and nitrites are fairly toxic to the fish, nitrates are not very toxic at all. 

The nitrifying bacteria are surface dwellers.  They live on all the surfaces of the tank and equipment, and especially on all faces of the gravel.  Once every two weeks or so, the gravel needs to be siphon-vacuumed.  This will remove debris that could eventually suffocate the bacteria (or create other problems) if allowed to remain. 

In vacuuming the gravel, you will also be removing water.  This removal is sufficient water change for your tank.  Replace all the water you siphon out with either 48-hour aged tap water (to allow chlorine to dissipate), or with tap water treated in the bucket with a TapSafe compound.  As you add the new water to the tank, monitor the tank water temperature.  You may need to add the new water in stages, so as to avoid wild swings in temperature (which will stress the fish).

The removal of dead fish is also important. Many fish start to get lethargic, or have problems swimming. Eventually, they simply float around the tank. These fish are sick, and they will never get better. One dead fish body, if left too long, can spread the disease to the other fish causing damage to the whole population.

Trout should be given small amounts of food. Overfeeding the fish can pollute the tank environment. Give only one pinch of food at any time, and remove all the extra food particles. Trout do not need to be given food daily, but as long as the amount is small, up to 2-3 daily feedings are acceptable. The trout will seem “hungry” all the time; remember that they are wild animals, and their instinct is to eat any food presented to them, no matter how often. These trout can survive over a weekend without any food, but during vacations it is best for someone to check on the tank and provide a small amount of food on a regular basis.

Use your pH and ammonia test kits to check the water conditions regularly—at least once a week, but more often is better. Test should always indicate a neutral or near-neutral pH (near 7).  Ammonia levels are best as close to zero as possible, though a small amount of ammonia is inevitable.   You should notice that ammonia and nitrite levels remain consistently low, and that your nitrate levels will rise.  This simply means that the bacteria are doing their job.  If fish behave strangely or start dying in large numbers, poor water quality is often the root of the problem.