| This is an 11 step guide to setting up a | | | | filter (not recommended) now would be the |
| freshwater aquarium in your home. | | | | time to set it up as well. |
| | | | |
| Equipment you will need: | | | | 6: Wash Gravel, plants and decorations. |
| | | | |
| Aquarium | | | | Be sure to wash the gravel thoroughly before |
| | | | adding it to your tank. An easy way to do |
| Aquarium gravel | | | | this is to put some of the rocks in a pasta |
| | | | strainer and wash them out in your bathtub. |
| Aquarium filter | | | | Then place the clean gravel in a clean |
| | | | 5-gallon bucket for transport to the |
| Replacement filter media | | | | aquarium. After adding the gravel you can |
| | | | place your plants and decorations. |
| Heater | | | | |
| | | | 7: Add water to the aquarium. |
| Other decorations (such as plants) | | | | |
| | | | To avoid messing up your gravel and plants, |
| Chemical test kits | | | | you can place a plate or saucer in the middle |
| | | | of your aquarium and direct the water flow |
| Fish food | | | | onto the plate. Use room temperature water |
| | | | when filling. To remove the chlorine and |
| Aquarium vacuum | | | | chloramine, use something like Tetra AquaSafe |
| | | | for Aquariums. Don't completely fill up the |
| Fish net | | | | aquarium until you are sure of the layout of |
| | | | your decorations. Otherwise, when you place |
| Glass Scrubber | | | | your arm in to move stuff around water is |
| | | | going to spill over. Doh! |
| 5-gallon bucket | | | | |
| | | | 8: Set up equipment. |
| Pasta strainer | | | | |
| | | | Install your heater but don't plug it in |
| 1: Realize the responsibility involved. | | | | until the thermostat in the heater has |
| | | | adjusted to the water temperature. This |
| A tropical fish tank is just like having a | | | | usually takes about 15 minutes or so. Hook up |
| dog or a cat when it comes to the amount of | | | | your filter and any other equipment you have, |
| effort on your part. In order to have a | | | | then top off the aquarium water to just under |
| successful fish tank you will have to work at | | | | the hood lip. Place your hood and light on |
| it. Once a week, or at most once every two | | | | the aquarium and then check your power cords |
| weeks, you will need to perform some kind of | | | | to be sure that they are free of water. I |
| maintenance on the tank. Most of the time you | | | | would also recommend using a drip loop on all |
| will be performing water changes. You will | | | | of the power cords to be extra cautious. Plug |
| also have to feed your tropical fish at least | | | | all of the equipment into a power strip and |
| once a day. If you are up to the challenge, | | | | then "turn on" the aquarium. |
| please proceed! | | | | |
| | | | 1. |
| 2: Decide on an aquarium size. | | | | |
| | | | Wait, wait, wait and then wait some more. |
| It's a good idea to have in mind what kind of | | | | |
| tropical fish you want to keep before you | | | | I know, you want to add some tropical fish. |
| purchase an aquarium. Some tropical fish only | | | | But, in order to do this right you must wait |
| grow to be an inch or two, whereas other | | | | until your aquarium has cycled before adding |
| types of tropical fish can grow 12 or 13 | | | | any fish. There are ways of speeding up this |
| inches in length! Knowing what kind of | | | | process. Check out the nitrogen cycle page to |
| tropical fish you want will help you decide | | | | learn more. If you must use fish to cycle, |
| the size of the tank they will need. If this | | | | try to get a hardier species like the zebra |
| is your first time with an aquarium, I would | | | | danio or cherry barb. |
| recommend going with a 10 or 20 gallon | | | | |
| aquarium for now. | | | | 2. |
| | | | |
| 3: Decide on the aquarium's location. | | | | Add tropical fish. |
| | | | |
| Place your aquarium in an area where the | | | | Only add one or two fish at a time. Adding a |
| light and temperature of the tank won't be | | | | couple tropical fish at a time gives your |
| affected by external sources such as windows | | | | filtration system the time needed to take on |
| and heater vents. You will want to place your | | | | the increased biological load that the new |
| aquarium on a stand that will be able to hold | | | | fish introduce. When you bring the fish home |
| its total weight. A good rule of thumb for | | | | let the bag float in the tank for about 15 |
| determining the total weight of a full | | | | minutes so that the fish can become |
| aquarium is 10 pounds per gallon of water. | | | | acclimated to the temperature and pH of the |
| For example, a 55-gallon tank will weigh | | | | aquarium water. After 5 minutes of floating |
| approximately 550 pounds when filled with | | | | the bag you should add some of the aquarium |
| water! | | | | water to the bag so that the fish can become |
| | | | acclimated to the pH level in the aquarium. |
| 4: Buy your aquarium and equipment. | | | | This will help reduce the amount of stress |
| | | | imposed on the tropical fish. Stressed |
| Now is the time to decide on the type of | | | | tropical fish often leads to dead tropical |
| filtration you will want to use. You will | | | | fish! Don't feed your tropical fish on the |
| also need to purchase a heater capable of | | | | first day. They probably wouldn't eat any |
| heating the tank size you have. Buy the | | | | food on the first day anyway. Let them get |
| gravel, plants, a power strip and other | | | | acquainted with their new home. |
| decorations. A good rule of thumb for the | | | | |
| amount of gravel that you will need is 1 to | | | | 3. |
| 1.5 pounds of gravel per gallon of water. | | | | |
| | | | Get ready for regular maintenance. |
| 5: Set up your aquarium and stand. | | | | |
| | | | Be prepared to spend some time once every |
| Wash out your tank with water only! Do not | | | | week or two to clean your tank. Performing |
| use soap or detergents. Soap residue left | | | | regular water changes will reduce the nitrate |
| behind will be harmful for your tropical | | | | levels and keep your tropical fish happy and |
| fish. If you are going to use an under gravel | | | | healthy. |