This fresh water aquarium setup article explains how to set up a fundamental fresh water fish tank. We'll begin with a small list of the equipment you'll need and subsequently provide you a step by step manual on setting up your first fish tank.

Equipment you will need: Aquarium

Aquarium gravel

Aquarium filter

Replacement filtration system media

Heater

Other decoration (such as fake or genuine plants)

Aquarium test kits to check water parameters and watch the infamous aquarium nitrogen cycle

Fish food

Aquarium vacuum

Fish net

Aquarium Glass Scrubber

5-gallon bucket

Pasta strainer

STEP 1: Understand the responsibility involved.

Learning how to setup a fish tank is not all that tricky, however there are a few guidelines you ought to go by. Primarily, you should understand a few things about an aquarium setup. A tropical fish tank is merely like owning a dog or a cat when it comes to the amount of effort on your part. In order to obtain a successful freshwater tropical fish tank you will have to work at it. Once a week, otherwise at most one time every two weeks, you will have to to do some type of maintenance on the tank. Most of the time you will be performing water ameliorations. You will also have to feed your fish at least once a day. Setting up and running a fish tank will cost money. There are frequent expenditures such as exchanging filter media, buying food, and so on.

STEP 2: Settle on an aquarium size.

It's a fine idea to hold in mind what kind of fish you aspire to care for before you obtain an aquarium. Several fish only grow up to be an inch or 2 , while other kinds of tropical fish can develop 12 or 13 inches or more in length! Knowing what kind of fish you want will help you settle on the size of the tank they will require. If this is your first time with an aquarium, it may be a nice idea to start off with a ten or 20 gallon aquarium setup for now as well as stock it with a number of smaller and hardier varieties.

STEP 3: Make a decision on the aquarium's location.

Position your aquarium in an area where the light and temperature of the tank won't be affected by external sources such as house windows along with heater vents. Sunlight that enters the area through an unshaded window may perhaps have an effect on the temperature of your tank. This could also guide to green algae troubles for your tank along the way. You will want to rest your aquarium on a stand that will be able to carry its total weight. You also want to be sure that the flooring is capable to bear the complete weight of the aquarium and stand. A fine rule of thumb for determining the full heaviness of a full aquarium is 10 pounds for every gallon of water. For instance, a fifty five gallon tank will weigh just about 550 pounds when filled with water!

STEP 4: Obtain your aquarium with gear.

Now is a clever moment to come to a decision on the kind of aquarium filtration system you will want to utilize. You will also need to buy a heater capable of heating the tank size you possess. Get the gravel, plants, a power strip along with extra decoration. A fine rule of thumb meant for the quantity of gravel that you will require is one to 1.5 pounds of gravel for every gallon of water.

STEP 5: Setup your aquarium along with stand.

Rinse out your tank with water only! Do not utilize soap or detergents. Cleaning soap deposit left behind will be dangerous for your tropical fish. If you are going to utilize an below gravel filtration system (not recommended) now would be the moment in time to set it up as well.

STEP 6: Wash Gravel, plants as well as decorations.

Be certain to cleanse the gravel completely before adding it to your tank. An easy way to complete this is to lay some of the rocks in a pasta strainer and wash them out into your bath tub. Subsequently set the clean gravel inside a clean 5-gallon bucket used for transfer en route for the aquarium. After adding the gravel you can position your plants in addition to decorations.

STEP 7: Add water to the aquarium.

To keep away from messing up your gravel as well as plants, you can put a plate or saucer into the middle of your aquarium and direct the water flow on the plate. Utilize room temperature water when filling. To eliminate the chlorine along with chloramine, use something similar to Tetra AquaSafe meant for Aquariums. Don't completely fill up up the aquarium until you are sure of the arrangement of your decorations. If not, when you place your arm inside to reposition objects around water is going to spill over. Doh!

STEP 8: Set up gear.

Set up your heater however do not plug it in until the thermostat inside the heater has adjusted to the water temperature. This typically takes something like fifteen minutes or so. Hook up your filter in addition to any further equipment you possess, then top off the aquarium water to just beneath the top lip. Position your hood and tank light on the aquarium and then check your power cords to be confident that they are free of water. I would as well recommend using a drip loop on every single one of the power cords to be specially overcautious. Plug all of the gear into a power strip and then "turn on" the aquarium.

STEP 9. Wait, hang around, hang on and then wait some more.

I comprehend, you crave to put in some fish. But, in order to perform this correct you ought to hold your horses until your aquarium has cycled before adding any fish. There are ways of rushing up this process. If you must use fish to cycle, attempt to get a hardier species like the zebra danio or cherry barb. You might notice your fish tank cycle kicking in gear if you start to get more or less white cloudy aquarium water after a a small number of days.

STEP 10. Add tropical fish.

Only add 1 or two fish at a time. Adding up a duo fish at a instant provides your filtration system the period needed to take on the improved biological load that the fresh fish bring in. When you bring the fish home allow the bag float into the tank for about fifteen minutes so that the fish can become acclimated toward the temperature along with pH of the aquarium water. After 5 minutes of floating the bag you should insert some of the aquarium water to the bag so that the fish can grow to be acclimated to the pH level in the aquarium. This will assist lower the amount of tension imposed on the fish. Stressed fish frequently brings to dead or sick fish! Do not feed your fish on the initial day. They almost certainly wouldn't munch any food on the first day anyway. Let them to get acquainted with their fresh residence.

STEP 11. Get set for recurring maintenance.

Be prepared to spend a little time one time every week or two to clean your tank. Performing recurrent water alterations will decrease the nitrate levels and keep your tropical fish pleased as well as healthful.