How To Start A Home Freshwater Aquarium
How To Start A Home Freshwater Aquarium
How To Start A Home Freshwater Aquarium
What Tank Should You Buy?
Firstly you need to decide on a place for your tank in the house. Find somewhere out of direct sunlight and away from vibration and drafts. You will have a good idea of its possible size once you have decided where it's going. Do not look at any tank which is less than 30 galls capacity that is 36" x 18" x 12". The reason for this is that larger aquariums are much more stable and easier to maintain than smaller ones which can go wrong very quickly.
You will find fish tanks made of either glass or the more expensive acrylic. Acrylic tanks are much stronger than glass but they do scratch fairly easily. Acrylic is a better insulator than glass so electrical costs may be less. Acrylic is a good choice if children are afoot but under normal circumstances glass is fine.
What Other Equipment Do You Need?
An aquarium will weigh a lot so make sure that whatever you support it with is man enough for the job.
If you are going to have live plants you will require a substrate of some sort. Filtration is a major consideration as well. There are several kinds of filters ranging from under gravel through external filters to power filters. Water treatment equipment is completed with one or more heaters and thermostat and two or more aeration blocks and pump.
If you are going to have live plants then you will need a timer and high K value lighting. If you're not clear what that means then you would be well advised to seek advice from your fish man.
Finally you will need a few extra things like a siphonic gravel cleaner, small net and a rubber glass scraper.
How Do You Setup The Tank?
Position the under gravel filter if you are using one and then add the substrate or gravel, finally to it up with freshwater. Put in place everything else that you need like rocks, ornaments, filter system, heater, thermostat and aeration blocks. As your fish supplier's advice about plants if you are a beginner because they can be a complex subject. Then leave your tank for about a week to allow the water chemistry to stabilise and give the important micro-organisms time to grow.
It is absolutely essential that your aquarium has stabilised before you add any fish to it. It is the most common mistake made by beginners so be warned.
The pH level should settle to an acceptable level and the temperature should be normal for all the fish in the tank. Make sure that everything is in place including rocks, ornaments and plants before you stabilise the tank.
What Fish Do You Buy?
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 check that your selected fish will live in peace together. 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 higher your fish population is the more frequently you will need to clean the tank.
Never just tip your new fish straight into the tank. Fish usually travel in water filled plastic bags pumped up with oxygen, float these in the tank for 20 minutes to equalise the temperatures then add some tank water to the bag water for another 20 minutes before gently tipping the newcomers into your 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. The consequence of this is that you should not add small or baby fish to an established aquarium, the larger fish are going to eat them.
How Do You 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. A siphonic 'hoover' should be used to clean the gravel and you should remove roughly 1/3 of the aquarium water which should be replaced with treated freshwater. In other words, tap water which has had its chlorine removed by the addition of a small amount of chemical.
So. in conclusion. To have a relatively trouble free start with your home freshwater aquarium do what I have described above.
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