Home Freshwater Aquarium Setup – Get It Right First Time
Buy the Tank
First of all you should decide where you want to put your tank in the house. It should be away from direct sunlight, drafts and vibration. When you know where it’s going you will know how large it can be. You should not consider any tank less than 30 galls (36″ x 18″ x 12″). This is because small aquariums tend to be more unstable than larger ones and can go wrong very quickly.
As well as glass aquariums you will probaslby also come across tanks made from the more expensive acrylic. Glass has the disdvantage of not being as strong as acrylic but it has the advantage of being more scratch resistant. If running costs are important then it is worth bearing in mind that acrylic is a better insulator than glass. Acrylic is a good choice if children are afoot but under normal circumstances glass is fine.
Buy the other equipment
Your tank will weigh a ton once it’s setup so you need to make sure that it’s well supported.
If you are going to have live plants you will require a substrate of some sort. A good filter is important as well. There are a few different kinds of filters under gravel, external and power each with their own particular advantages and disadvantages. One or more heater and thermostat and a couple of aeration blocks and a pump complete the water treatment equipment.
If you are going to have live plants then you will need a timer and high K value lighting. It is best to ask your fish supplier for his advice especially if you do not know what that means.
You’ll also need a few bits and pieces like a gravel cleaner, small net and rubber glass scraper.
Set the tank up
Place your under gravel filter in the tank first if you are using one and then add the substrate or gravel then fill it with freshwater. Put in place everything else that you need like rocks, ornaments, filter system, heater, thermostat and aeration blocks. Plants are a subject in themselves so if you are a beginner be advised by your fish supplier on the best plants to get. After that you should just leave your tank alone for a week, this will allow the good bacteria to grow and the water chemistry to stabilise.
Before you add any fish to your aquarium, it is a must that it has stabilised. Be warned – this is the most common mistake made by beginners.
The pH level should settle to an acceptable level and the temperature should be normal for all the fish in the tank. Everything inside the tank contributes to the general well-being of the fish so everything should be in place when the tank stabilises.
Buy the fish
Now that the aquarium is stable and has been running for about a week, you can go back to the pet store and buy your fish. You need to make sure that the water conditions (temperature, pH, hardness) suit the fish that you buy. It is also important to select fish that you know will live in harmony with each other. Lastly you should use the rule of thumb ‘no more than 1 inch of fish to each gallon of water’. Remember that your fish are babies when you buy them and they will grow quite quickly so you should take this into account when applying this formula. The more fish you have the more frequently you will have to clean your aquarium.
Don’t just tip your newcomers straight into the tank. You will bring your new fish home in oxygen filled plastic bags, first float these for about 20 minutes to equalise the water temperatures then add some tank water to the bags for another 20 minutes before gently letting the new arrivals swim into the tank. Don’t be worried when your new arrivals huddle together at the back of the tank for a day or two, this is perfectly normal.
It is true to say that fish are cannibals and if a fish is of a size that will fit into the mouth of another then it will be eaten. So you should never add baby or small fish to an already well established tank because the larger fish are likely to eat them.
Maintain it
Unlike ponds and lakes which reach an equilibrium, your aquarium is not large enough to do this so you need to clean it out regularly. Roughly about every two weeks is usually enough. Clean the gravel with a siphonic hoover and change one third of the water with treated fresh water. By treated I mean water that has had its chlorine removed using a small amount of chemical.
So that’s it. Do what I have outlined above and you should have a trouble free introduction to your home freshwater aquarium.
For more information on your Home Freshwater Aquarium go to my website www.freshwateraquariumsecretsonline.com
